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ANTI-POPERY 
 
 OR 
 
 HISTORY OF THE POPISH CHURCH: 
 
 GIVING 
 
 A FULL ACCOUNT OF ALL THE CUSTOMS OF THE PRIESTS 
 AND friars; and the RITES and cere- 
 monies OF THE popish RELIGION. 
 
 IN FOUR PARTS. 
 
 BY ANTHONY GAVIN 
 
 ONS O? THE BOHAir CATHOLIC FBIESTS OF SARAOOSSA. 
 
 TO WHICH IS ADDED 
 AN ACCOUNT OF THE INQUISITION OF GOA AND MACERATA. 
 
 PHILADELPHM', 
 PUBLISHED BY S. E. WALLINGTON & Co. 
 
 18 37. 
 

 Entered according to the Act of Congress in the year 1832, by 
 
 S, E, WELLINGTONS Co. 
 
 in the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Eastern Dis- 
 trict of Pennsylvania. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 When I first designed to publish the following sheets, it was 
 a matter of some doubt with me, whether or no I should put my 
 name to them ; for if I did, I considered that I exposed myself to 
 the malice of a great body of men, whp would endeavor on all 
 occasions to injure me in my reputation and fortune, if not in my 
 life; which last (to say no more) was no unnatural suspicion of a 
 Spaniard, and one in my case, to entertain of some fiery zealots 
 of the Church of Rome. 
 
 But on the other hand, I foresaw, that if I concealed my name, 
 a great part of the benefit intended to the public by this work 
 might be lost. For I have often observed, as to books of this 
 kind, where facts only are related, (the truth of which in the 
 greatest measure must depend on the credit of the relator,) that 
 wherever the authors, out of caution or fear, have concealed them- 
 selves, the event commonly has been, that even the friends to 
 the cause, which the facts support, give but a cold assent to 
 them, and the enemies reject them entirely as calumies, and 
 forgeries, without ever giving themselves the trouble of ex- 
 amining into the truth of that which the relator dares not openly 
 avow. On this account whatever, the consequences may be, I 
 resolved to put my name to this, and accordingly did so to the 
 first proposals which were made for printing it. 
 
 But, by this means, I am at the same time obliged to say 
 something in vindication of myself, from several aspersions 
 which I lie under, and which indeed I have already in a great 
 degree been a sufferer by, in the opinion of many worthy gentle- 
 men. The first is, that I never was a priest, because I have not 
 my letters of orders to produce. This, it must be confessed, is a 
 
6 PRE FAC E. 
 
 testimonial, without which no one has a right, or can expect to 
 be regarded as a person of that character; unless he has very 
 convincing arguments to offer the world, that, in his circum- 
 stances, no such thing could reasonably be expected from him ; 
 and whether or no mine are such, I leave the world to judge. 
 My case was this : 
 
 As soon as it had pleased God by his grace to overcome in me 
 the prejudices of my education in favor of that corrupt church, in 
 which I had been raised, and to inspire me with a resolution to 
 embrace the protestant religion, I saw, that in order to preserve 
 my life, I must immediately quit Spain, where all persons, who 
 do not publicly profess the Romish religion, are condemned to 
 death. Upon this I resolved to lose no time in making my 
 escape, but how to make it was a matter of the greatest difficulty 
 and danger. However, I determined rather to hazzard all events 
 than either to continue in that church, or expose myself to certain 
 death ; and accordingly made choice of disguises as the most 
 probable method of favoring my escape. The fisrt I made use 
 of, was the habit of an officer in the army : and as I was sure 
 there would be strict inquiry and search made after me, I durst 
 not bring along with me my letters of orders, which, upon my 
 being suspected in any place, for the person searched after, or 
 or any other unhappy accident, would have been an undeniable 
 evidence against me, and consequently would have condemned 
 me to the inquisition. By this means I got safely to London, 
 where I was most civilly received by the late Earl Stanhope, to 
 whom I had the honor to be known when he was in Saragossa. 
 He told me that there where some other new converts of my 
 nation in town, and that he hoped I would follow the command 
 of Jesus to Peter, viz. When thou art converted strengthen thy 
 brethren. 
 
 Upon this I went to the late Lord Bishop of London, and by 
 his lordship's order, his domestic chaplain examined nie three 
 days together ; and as I could not produce the letters of orders, 
 he advised me to get a certificate from my Lord Stanhope, that 
 he knew me, and that I was a priest, which I obtained the very 
 
PREFACE. 7 
 
 same day ; and upon this certificate, his lordship received my 
 recantation, after morning prayers in his chapel of Somerset- 
 house, and licensed me to preach and officiate in a Spanish con- 
 gregation composed of my Lord Stanhope, several English 
 officers, emd a few Spanish officers, new converts. By virtue of 
 this license, I preached two yesrs and eight months, first in the 
 chapel of Queen's Square, Westminster, and afterwards in Ox- 
 enden's chapel, near the hay-market. But my benefactor, desirous 
 to settle me in the English church, advised me to go chaplin to 
 the Preston man-of-war, where I might have a great deal of 
 leisure to learn the language ; and being presented and approved 
 by the Bishop of London, the lords of the Admiralty granted 
 me the warrant or commission of chaplain. Then his lordship, 
 though he had given his consent in writing, to preach in Spanish 
 enlarged it in the warrant of the Admiralty, which license I 
 shall take leave to insert here at large. 
 
 Whersas the Reverend Mr. Anthony Gavin was recommended 
 to me by the right honorable Lord Stanhope, and by the same 
 and other English gentlemen, I was certified that the said Re- 
 verend Mr. Gavin was a secular priest, and master of arts in the 
 university of the city of Saragossa, in the kingdom of Arragon, 
 in Spain, and that they knew him in the said city, and conversed 
 with him several times : This is to certify that the said Reverend 
 Mr. Gavin, after having publicly and solemnly abjured the errors 
 of the Romish religion, and being thereupon by me reconciled to 
 the church of England, on the 3d day of January, 1715-16, he 
 then had my leave to officiate, in the Spanish language, in the 
 chapel of Queen's Square, Westminster ; and now being appointed 
 chaplain of his Majesty's ship the Preston, has my license to 
 preach in English, and to administer the sacraments, at home 
 and abroad, in all the churches and chapels of my diocess. 
 
 Given under my hand, in London, the 13th of July, 1720. 
 
 Signed JOHN LONDON. 
 
 TJie certificate, licence, and warrant, may be seen at any time, 
 for I have them by me. 
 
 After that, the ship being put out of commission, and my Lord 
 
PRE PACE. 
 
 Stanhope being in Hanover with the king, I came over to Ireland 
 on the importunity of a friend, with a desire to stay here until 
 my lord's return into England : But when I was thinking of 
 going over again, I heard of my lord's death, and having in him 
 lost my best patron, I resolved to try in this kingdom, whether 
 I could find any settlement ; and in a few days after, by the favor 
 of his grace my Lord Archbishop of Cashel, and the Reverend 
 Dean Percival, I got the curacy of Gowran, which I served 
 almost eleven months, by the license of my Lord Bishop of 
 Ossory, who afterwards, upon my going to Cork, gave me his 
 letters dismissory. 
 
 I was in Cork very near a year, serving the cure of a parish 
 near it, and the Rev. Dean Maule being at that time in London, 
 and I being recommended to him to preach in his parish church 
 of Shandon, he went to inquire about me to the Bishop of London, 
 who, and several other persons of distinction, were pleased to 
 give me a good character, as the Dean on my leaving him did 
 me the favor to certify under his hand, together with my good 
 behaviour during my stay in Cork. 
 
 Now my case being such as I have represented it, I freely 
 submit it to the judgment of every gentlemen of ingenuity and 
 and candour to determine, whether it could be expected from me, 
 that I should have my letters of orders to show : and yet whether 
 there can be any tolerable reason to suspect my not having been 
 a priest. I think it might be enough to silence all suspicions on 
 this account, that I was received as a priest into the church of 
 England, and licensed as such to preach and administer the 
 sacrements both in that kingdom and this ; and I hope no one 
 can imagine, that any of the bishops of the best constituted and 
 governed churches upon earth, would admit any person to so 
 sacred a trust, without their being fully satisfied that he was in 
 orders. 
 
 I shall, on this occasion, beg leave to mention what the Bishop 
 of London said to me, when I told him I had not my letters of 
 orders, but that my Lord Stanhope, and other gentlemen of 
 honour and credit, who knew me in my native city of Saragossa, 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 would certify, that I there was esteemed, and officiated as a 
 priest. Bring such a certificate, said he, and I will receive and 
 license you ; for I would rather depend upon it, than any letters 
 ofordersjovi could produce, which, for ought I ^ould tell, you 
 mi^it have forged. 
 
 i hope what I have here said may convince even my enemies, 
 of my being a clergyman : And how I have behaved myself as 
 such, since I came into this kingdom, I appeal to those gentlemen 
 I conversed with in Gowran, Gortroe and Cork, and for this last 
 year and a half, to the officers of Col. Barrel, Brigadier Napper, 
 Col. Hawley, Col. Newton, and Col. Lance's regiments, who 
 I am sure will do me justice, and I desire no more of them ; and 
 upon an inquiry into my behaviour, I flatter myself that the 
 public will not lightly give credit to the ill reports spread abroad 
 by my enemies. 
 
 Another objection raised against me is, that I have perjured 
 myself in discovering the private confessions which were made 
 to me. In one point indeed they may call me perjured, and it is 
 my comfort and glory that I am so in it, viz : That I have broke 
 the oath I took, when I \vas ordained priest, which was, to live 
 and die in the Roman Catholic faith. But as to the other per- 
 jury charged upon me, they lie under a mistake ; for there is no 
 oath of secrecy at all administered to confessors, as most protes- 
 tants imagine. Secrecy indeed is recommended to all confessors 
 by the casuists, and enjoined by the councils and popes so 
 strictly, that if a confessor reveals (except in some particular 
 cases) what is confessed to him, so as the penitent is discovered, 
 he is to be punished for in the inquisition ; which, it must be 
 owned, is a more effectual way of enjoining secrecy than oaths 
 themselves. 
 
 However, I am far from imagining, that because in this case 
 I have broken no oath, I should therefore be guilty of no crime, 
 though I revealed every thing which was committed to my trust 
 as a confessor, of whatever ill consequence it might be to the 
 penitent ; no, such a practice I take to be exceedingly criminal, 
 and I do, from my soul, abhor it. 
 
 2 
 
10 PREFACE. 
 
 But nevertheless there are cases where, by the constitution of 
 the church of Rome itself, the most dangerous secrets may and 
 ought to be revealed : Such as those which are called " reserved 
 cases," of which there are many ; some reserved to the Pope 
 himself, as heresy ; some to his apostolic commissary or deputy, 
 as ince&t in the first degree ,• some to the Bishop of the diocess, 
 as the setting a neighhour^s house on fire. Now in such cases 
 the confessor cannot absolve the penitent, and therefore he is 
 obliged to reveal the confession to the person to whom the ab- 
 solution of that sin is reserved ; though indeed he never mentions 
 the penitent's name, or any circumstance by which he may be 
 discovered. 
 
 i- Again, there are other cases (such as a conspiracy against the 
 ^if^ of the Prince, or a traitorous design to overturn the government) 
 which the confessor is obliged in conscience, and for the safety 
 of the public, to reveal. 
 
 But besides all these, whenever the patients's case happens 
 to have any thing of an uncommon difficulty in it, common pru- 
 dence, and a due regard to the faithful discharge of his office, 
 will oblige a confessor to discover it to men of experience and 
 judgment in casuistry, that he may have their advice how to 
 proceed in it : And that is what confessors in Spain not only 
 may do, but are bound by the word of a priest to do wherever 
 they have an opportunity of consulting a college of confes- 
 sors, or, as it is commonly called, a moral academy. 
 
 I believe it may be of some service on the present occasion, to 
 inform my readers what those moral academies are, which are to 
 be met with through Spain, in every city and town where there 
 is a number of secular and regular priest : But I shall speak 
 only of those in the city of Saragossa, as being the most perfectly 
 acquainted with them. 
 
 A moral academy is a college or assembly consisting of 
 several Father confessors, in which each of them proposes 
 some moral case which has happened to him in confession, with 
 an exact and particular account of confession, without mentioning 
 the penitent's name : And the proponent having done this, every 
 member is to deliver his opinion upon it. This is constantly 
 
PREFACE. 11 
 
 practised every Friday, from two of the clock in the afternoon, 
 till six, and sometimes till eight, as the cases proposed happen 
 to be more or less difficult. But when there is an extraordinary 
 intricate case to be resolved, and the members cannot agree in 
 the resolution of it, they send one of their assembly to the great 
 academy, which is a college composed of sixteen casuistical 
 doctors, and four professors of divinity, the most learned and 
 experienced in moral cases that may be had : and by them the 
 case in debate is resolved^ and the resolution of it entered in the 
 books of the academy by the consent of the president and mem- 
 bers. 
 
 The academy of the holy trinity, founded and very nobly en- 
 dowed by Archbishop Gamboa, is one of the most famous in the 
 city of Saragossa; and of it I was member for three years. 
 I was very young and inexpert in cases of conscience, 
 when I was first licensed to be a confessor; for the Pope 
 having dispensed with thirteen months of the time reqiured by 
 the cannons for the age of a priest (for which I paid sixty 
 pistoles) I was ordained before I was twenty three years old, 
 by Don Antonio Ibaunez de la Riva de Herrera, Archbishop of 
 Saragossa, and Viceroy of Arragon, and at the same time 
 licenesed by him to hear confessions of both sexes. In order 
 then the better and more speedily to qualify myself for the 
 office, I thought it my most prudent way to apply as soon as 
 possible, to be admitted into this learned society, and as it 
 happened, I had interest enough to succeed. 
 
 Now among many statutes left by the founder to this academy 
 one is this, viz : That every person who is chosen a mem- 
 ber of it, is, on his admission, to promise upon the word of 
 a priest, to give the whole assembly a faithful account of all the 
 private confessions he has heard the week before, which have 
 any thing in them difficult to be resolved ; yet so as not to men- 
 tion any circumstance by which the penitents may be known. 
 
 And for this end there is a book, where the secretary enters 
 all the cases proposed and resolved every Friday ; and every 
 third year there is, by the consent of the president and members 
 
12 PREFACE. 
 
 of the academy, and the approbation of the Great One, a book 
 printed containing all the cases resolved for three years before, 
 and which is entitled, " compendium casuum moralium acade- 
 miae S. S. trinitatis." The academy of the holy trinity is always 
 composed of twenty members, so that every one may easily 
 perceive, that each of the members may be acquainted in a year 
 or two, with many hundreds of private confessions of all ranks 
 and conditions of people ; besides those which were made to 
 themselves : Which remark I only make, by the by, to satisfy 
 some men, who, I am told, find fault with me for pretending to 
 impose on the public for genuine, several confessions which 
 where not made to myself, and consequently for the reality 
 of which, I can have no sufficient authority. 
 
 Now after all that has been said on this head, I believe I need 
 not be at much trouble to vindicate myself from the imputation 
 of any criminal breach of secrecy ; for if the reader observe, that 
 on the foregoing grounds, there is no confession whatever which 
 may not lawfully be revealed, (provided the confessor do not 
 discover the penitent,) he cannot injustice condemn me for pub- 
 lishing a few, by which it is morally impossible, in the present 
 circumstances, that the penitents should be known. Had I been 
 much more particular than I am in my relations, and mentioned 
 even the names and every thing else I knew of the persons, 
 there would scarce be a possibility (considering the distance and 
 little intercourse there is between this place and Saragossa) of 
 their suffering in any degree by it : And I need not observe that 
 the chief, and indeed only reason of enjoining and keeping secre- 
 cy, is the hazards the penitent may run by discovery, but I do 
 assure the reader, that in every confession I have related, I have 
 made use of feigned names, and avoided every circumstance by 
 which I had the least cause to suspect the parties might be found 
 out. And I assure him further, that most of the cases here pub- 
 lished by me, are in their most material points, already printed 
 in the compendiums of that moral academy of which I was a 
 member. 
 
 As for the reasons which moved me to publish this book, I 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 13[ 
 
 shall only say, that as the corrupt practices, which are the sub- 
 ject of it, first set me upon examining into the principles of the 
 church of Rome, and by that means of renouncing them ; so I 
 thought that the making of them public might happily produce 
 the same eflfect in some others. 
 
 I did design on this occasion to give a particular account of 
 the motive of my conversion, and leaving Spain ; but being con- 
 fined to four hundred pages, I must leave that and some other 
 things relating to the sacrements of the church of Rome, to the 
 second part, which I intend to print if the public think fit to ea- 
 courage me. 
 
 I must beg the reader's pardon for my presumption in writing 
 to him in his own language, on so short an acquaintance as I 
 have with it. I hope he will excuse the many mistakes I have 
 committed in the book: I shall be very well pleased to be told of, 
 and I shall take the greater care to avoid them in the second part. 
 
 PREFACE TO THIS EDITION. 
 
 The preceding preface, which was written by the original au- 
 thor of this valuable work, is published in his own words, in 
 order that the reader may understand his motives and views in 
 disclosing the important facts which had come to his knowledge 
 in relation to Popery. Having abjured the errors of the Romish 
 religion, he felt constrained to warn others of the insidious arts to 
 which he had been himself the victim, and to point out the 
 absurd contrivances by which the priesthood of that denomination 
 impose upon the credulity of the ignorant and unsuspecting. In 
 doing this he has given to the world a mass of facts which cannot 
 be disbelieved, nor controverted, and which must satisfy every 
 intelligent mind of the gros.s fallacy of the doctrines of that 
 ancient church, and the dreadful corruptions practised by those 
 who administer its concerns. 
 
14 PREFACE. 
 
 To make this compilation more complete, we have added to 
 the original work of Mr Gavin, an account of " The Inquisition 
 of Goa," by the celebrated Dr. Buchanan, who travelled and re- 
 sided in Asia ; an account of "The Inquisition at Macerata in 
 Italy," by Mr. Bower. 
 
HISTORY OF THE POPISH CHURCH. 
 
 PART I. 
 
 OP THE ROMAK-CATHOLICS' AURlCtJLAll CONFESSION. 
 
 Auricular confession being one of the five com- 
 mandments of the Roman-Catholic Church, and a 
 condition necessarily required in one of their sacra- 
 ments ; and being too an article that will contribute 
 very much to the discovery of many other errors of 
 that communion, it may be proper to make use of 
 the Master-Key, and begin with it : And first of all^ 
 with the Father confessors, who are the only key- 
 keepers of it. 
 
 Though a priest cannot be licensed, by the conons 
 of their church, to hear men's confessions, till he is 
 thirty years, nor to confess women till forty years of 
 age, yet ordinarily he gets a dispensation from the 
 bishop, to whom his probity secrecy, and sober con- 
 versation are represented by one of the diocesan* ex- 
 aminators, his friend, or by some person of interest 
 
 * Those that are appointed by the bishop, to examine those 
 that are to be ordained, or licensed to preach and hear confessions. 
 
16 HISTORYOPTHE 
 
 with his lordship ; and by that means he gets a con- 
 fessor's Ucense, most commonly, the day he gets his 
 letters of orders, viz. : Some at three-and-twenty, and 
 some at four-and-twenty years of age, not only for 
 men, but for women's confessions also. I say, some 
 at three-and-twenty; for the Pope dispenses with 
 thirteen months, to those that pay a sum of money ; 
 of which I shall speak in another place. 
 
 To priests thus licensed, to be judges of the tribu- 
 nal of conscience, men and women discover their sins, 
 their actions, their thoughts, nay, their very dreams, 
 if they happen to be impure. I say, judges of the tri- 
 bunal of concsience ; for when they are licensed, they 
 ought to resolve any case (let it be ever so hard) pro- 
 posed by the penitent : And by this means it must 
 often happen, that a young man who, perhaps, does 
 not know more than a few definitions (which he has 
 learned in a little manual of some casuistical authors) 
 of what is sin, shall sit in such a tribunal, to judge, 
 in the most intricate cases, the consciences of men, and 
 men too that may be his masters. 
 
 I saw a reverend father* who had been eight-and- 
 twenty years professor of divinity in one of the most 
 considerablet universities of Spain, and one of the 
 most famous men for his learning, in that religion, 
 
 * Fr. James Garcia. 
 
 fThe University of Saragossa, in the Kingdom of Arragon, in 
 Spain, which, according to their historians, was buih by Sertori- 
 ous. 
 
POPISHCHURCH. 17 
 
 kneel down before a young* priest of twenty-four 
 years of age, and confess his sins to him. Who 
 -would not be surprised at them both ? A man fit to 
 l3e the judge, to act the part of a criminal before an 
 ignorant judge, who, I am sure, could scarcely then 
 tell the titles of the Summ^ Morales.t 
 
 Nay, the Pope, notwithstanding all Ms infallibility, 
 doth kneel down before his confessor, tell him his 
 «ins, heareth his correction, and receives and performs 
 whatever penance he imposeth upon him. This is 
 the only difference between the Pope's confessor, and 
 the confessor of Kings and other persons, that all 
 corifessors sit down to hear the Kings and other 
 persons, but the Pope^s confessor kneels down him- 
 self to hear the Holy Father. What, the holy one 
 upon earth humble himself as a sinner ? Holiness 
 and sin in one and the same subject, is a plain con- 
 tradiction in terms. 
 
 If we ask the Roman-Catholics, Why so learned 
 men, and the Pope, do so ? They will answer, that 
 they do it out of reverence to such a sacrament, out 
 of humility, and to give a token and testimony of 
 their hearty sorrow for their sins. And as for the 
 Pope, they say he does it to show an example of hu- 
 mility, as Jesus Christ did, when he washed the 
 Apostles' feet. 
 ' This answer is true, but they do not say the whole 
 
 * The thing happened to me when I was 24 years of age. 
 fin this Moral Summ. Chap, xviii. of the requisites of a true 
 penitent. 
 
 3 
 
18 HISTORYOPTHE 
 
 truth in it ; for, besides the aforesaid reasons, they 
 have another, as Molina tells them, viz : That the 
 penitent ought to submit entirely to his confessor's 
 correction, advice, and penance ; and he excepts no 
 body from the necessary requisite of a true penitent. 
 Who would not be surprised (I say again) that a man 
 of noted learning would submit himself to a young, 
 unexperienced priest, as to judge of his conscience, 
 take his advice, and receive his correction and pen- 
 ance ? 
 
 What would a Roman-Catholic say, if he should 
 see one of our learned bishops go to the college to 
 consult a young collegian in a nice point of divinity ; 
 nay, to take his advice, and submit to his opinion ? 
 Realy, the Roman would heartily laugh at him, and 
 with a great deal of reason ; nay, he could say, that 
 his lordship was not right in his senses. What then 
 can a protestant say of those infatuated, learned men 
 of the church of Rome, when they do more than what 
 is here supposed ? 
 
 As to the Pope (I say) it is a damnable opinion to 
 compare him, in this case, to our Saviour Jesus ; for 
 Christ knew not sin, but gave us an example of hu- 
 mility and patience, obedience and poverty. He 
 washed the apostles' feet ; and though we cannot 
 loiow by the Scripture whether he did kneel down 
 or not to wash them : Suppose that he did, he did it 
 only out of a true humility, and not to confess his sins. 
 But the Pope doth kneel down, not to give an ex- 
 ample of humility and patience, but really to confess 
 his sins : Not to give an example of obedience ; for, 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 19 
 
 being supreme pontifex, he obeys nobody, and as- 
 sumes a command over the whole world ; nor of pov- 
 erty ; for Pope and necessity dwell far from one 
 another. And if some ignorant Roman-Catholic 
 should say, that the Pope, as Pope, has no sin, we 
 may prove the contrary with Cipriano de Valeria,* 
 who gives an account of all the bastards of several 
 Popes for many years past. The Pope's bastards, in 
 Latin, are called nepotes. Now mind, reader, 
 this common saying in Latin, among the Roman- 
 Catholics : Solent clerica Jitois suos vocare sohrinos 
 aut nepotes : That is, the priests use to call their 
 own sons cousins or nephews. And when we give 
 these instances to some of their learned men, (as I 
 did to one in London,) they say, Jlngelorum est pec- 
 care, hominumque penitere : i. e. It belongs to an- 
 gels to sin, and to men to repent. By this they ac- 
 knowledge that the Pope is a sinner, and nevertheless 
 they call him His holiness, and the most Holy father. 
 
 Who then would not be surprised to see the most 
 holy Jesus Christ's vicar on earth, and the infallable 
 in whatever he says, and doth submit himself to con- 
 fess his sins to a man, and a man too that has no 
 other power to correct him, to advise and impose a 
 penance upon the most holy one, than what his holi- 
 ness has been pleased to grant him? Every body 
 indeed that has a grain of sense of religion, and re- 
 flects seriously on it. 
 
 I come now to their Auricular Confession, and of 
 
 * The lives of the Popes, and the sacrifice of Mass. 
 
20 HISTORYOFTHE 
 
 the ways and methods they practise and observe in 
 the confessing of their sins. There is among them 
 two ranks of people, learned and imlearned. The 
 learned confess by these three general heads, thought, 
 word, and deed, reducing into them all sorts of sins. 
 The unlearned confess the ten commandments, dis- 
 covering by them all the mortal sins which they have 
 committed since their last confession. I say mortal 
 sins ; for as to the venial sins or sins of a small matter, 
 the opinion of their casuistical authors* is, they are 
 washed away by the sign of the cross, or by sprink- 
 ling the face with the holy water. To the discovery of 
 the mortal sins, the father confessor doth very much 
 help the penitent ; for he sometimes, out of pure zeal, 
 but most commonly out of curiosity, asks them many 
 questions to know whether they do remember all 
 their sins or not ? By these and like questions, the 
 confessors do more mischief than good, especially to 
 the ignorant people and young women ; for perhaps 
 they do not know what simple fornication is ? What 
 voluntary or involuntary pollution ? What impure 
 desire ? What simple motion of our hearts ? What 
 relapse, reincidence, or reiteration of sins ? and the 
 like ; and then by the confessors indiscreet questions, 
 the penitents learn things of which they never had 
 
 * Parez, Irribarren^ and Salazar, in his compend. Moral. 
 Sect. 12. de vitiis etpeccatis, gives a catalogue of the venial sins^ 
 and says, among others, that to eat flesh on a day prohibited by 
 the church, without minding it, was so. To kill a man, throw- 
 ing a stone through the window, or being drunk, or in the first 
 motion of his passion, are venial sins, &c. 
 
POPISHCHURCH- M 
 
 dreamed before ; and when they come to that tribu- 
 nal with a sincere, ignorant heart, to receive advice 
 and instruction, they go home with hght, knowledge, 
 and an idea of sins unknown to them before. 
 
 I said that the confessors do ask questions, most 
 commonly out of curiosity, though they are warned 
 by their casuistical authors to be prudent, discreet, 
 and very cautious in the questions they ask, espe- 
 cially if the penitent be a young woman, or an igno- 
 rant ; for as Pineda says,* It is better to let them go 
 ignorant than instructed in new sins. But contrary 
 to this good maxim, they are so indiscreet in this 
 point, that I saw in the city of Lisbon, in Portugal, a 
 girl of ten years of age, coming from church, ask her 
 mother what defiouring was ? For the father confessor 
 had asked her whether she was defloured or not ? 
 And the mother, more discreet than the confessor, 
 told the girl, that the meaning was, whether she took 
 delight in smelling flowers or not? And so she 
 stopped her child's curiosity. But of this and many 
 other indiscretions, I shall speak more particularly by 
 and by. 
 
 Now observe, that as a penitent cannot hide any 
 thing from the spiritual judge, else he would make a 
 sacrilegious confession ; so I cannot hide any thing 
 from the public, which is to be my hearer, and the 
 temporal judge of my work, else I should betray my 
 conscience : Therefore, (to the best of my memory, 
 and as one that expects to be called before the drccid- 
 
 * Tract, de Penit. Sect. 1 . sect. vii. 
 
22 HISTORYOFTHE 
 
 ful tribunal of God, on account of what I now write 
 and say, if I do not say and write the truth from the 
 bottom of my heart,) I shall give a faithful, plain ac- 
 count of the Roman's auricular confession, and of the 
 most usual questions and answers between the con- 
 fessors and penitents ; and this I shall do in so plain 
 a style that every body may go along with me. 
 
 And first, it is very proper to give an account of 
 what the penitents do, from the time they come into 
 the church till they begin their confession. When 
 the penitent comes into the church, he takes holy 
 water and sprinkles his face, and, making the sign of 
 the cross, says, per signum crucis de inimicis nos- 
 tris libera nos Deus noster : In nomine Patris et 
 Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen. i. e. By the sign of 
 the cross deliver us our God from our enemies, in 
 the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the 
 Holy Ghost. Jlmen. Then the penitent goes on, 
 and kneels down before the great altar, where the 
 great host (of which I shall speak in another place) is 
 kept in a neat and rich tabernacle, with a brass or 
 silver lamp, hanging before it, burning continually, 
 night and day. There he makes a prayer, first to 
 the holy sacrament of the altar, (as they call it) after 
 to the Virgin Mary, and to the titular saints of the 
 church. Then turns about upon his knees, and visits 
 five altars, or if there is but one altar in the church 
 five times that altar, and says before each of them 
 five times. Pater noster, &c. and five times Ave Ma- 
 ria, &c. with Gloria Patria, &c. 
 
 Then he rises, and goes to the confessionary : i. e. 
 
POPISH C HURCH. 23 
 
 The confessing place, where the confessor sits in a 
 chair Uke our hackney chairs, which is most com- 
 monly placed in some of the chapels, and in the 
 darkest place in the church. The chairs, generally 
 speaking, have an iron grate at each side, but none 
 at all before : and some days of devotion, or on a 
 great festival, there is such a crowd of people that 
 you may see three penitents at once about the chair, 
 one at each grate, and the other at the door, though 
 only one confesses at a time, whispering in the con- 
 fessor's ear, that the others should not hear what he 
 says ; and when one has done, the other begins, and 
 so on : But most commonly they confess at the door 
 of the chair, one after another ; for thus the con- 
 fessor has an opportunity of knowing the penitent : 
 And though many gentlewomen, either out of bash- 
 fulness, shame, or modesty, do endeavor to hide 
 their faces with a fan, or veil, notwithstanding all 
 this they are known by the confessor, who if curious, 
 by crafty questions brings them to tell him their 
 names and houses, and this in the very act of con- 
 fession, or else he examines their faces when the 
 confession is over whilst the penitents are kissing 
 his hand or sleeve ; and if he cannot know them 
 this way, he goes himself to give the sacrament, and 
 then every one being obliged to show her face, 
 is known by the curious confessor, who doth this not 
 without a private view and design, as will appear at 
 the end of some private confessions. 
 
 The penitent then kneeling, bows herself to the 
 ground before the confessor, and makes again the 
 
24 HISTORY 01* tHil 
 
 sign ofth6 cross in the aforesaid form ; and having 
 in her hai^id the beads, Or rosary of the Virgin Mary, 
 begins the general confession of sins, which some say 
 in Latin, and some in the vulgar tongue ; therefore it 
 seems proper to give a copy of it both in Latin and 
 English :-— 
 
 Coniiteor Deo Omnipotenti ; beatae Mariae semper 
 Virgini, beato Michaeli Archangelo, beato Joanni 
 Baptistae, Sanctis apostolis Petro et Paulo, omnibus 
 Sanctis, et tibi, Pater ; quia peccavi nimis cogitatoine, 
 verbo, et opere, mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima 
 culpa : Ideo precor beatam Mariam semper Virginem, 
 beatum Michaelem Archangelum, beatum Joannem 
 Baptistam, sanctos apostolos Petrum et Paulum, 
 omnes sanctos, et te. Pater, orare pro me ad Dominum 
 Deum nostrum. Jlmen. 
 
 I do confess to God Almighty, to the blessed Mary, 
 always a Virgin, to the blessed Archangel Michael, 
 to the blessed John Baptist, to the holy apostles Peter 
 and Paul, to all the saints, and to thee, Father, 
 that I have too much sinned by thought, word, and 
 deed, by my fault, by my fault, by my greatest fault. 
 Therefore I beseech the blessed Mary, always a 
 Virgin, the blessed Archangel Michael, the blessed 
 John Baptist, the holy apostles Peter and Paul, all 
 the saints, and thee, Father, to pray to God our 
 Lord for me. Jimen. 
 
 This done, the penitent raises him from his pros- 
 tration to his knees, and touching with his lip either 
 the ear or cheek of the Spiritual Father, begins to 
 discover his sins by the ten commandments: And 
 
POPISHCHURCH. 25 
 
 here it may be necessary to give a translation of their 
 ten commandments, word for word. 
 
 The commandments of the law of God are ten : 
 The three first do pertain to the honor of God ; and 
 the other seven to the benefit of our neighbor. 
 I. Thou shalt love God above all things. 
 II. Thou shalt not swear. 
 
 III. Thou shalt sanctify the holy days. 
 
 IV. Thou shalt honor thy father and mother. 
 V. Thou shalt not kill. 
 
 VI. Thou shalt not commit fornication. 
 VII. Thou shalt not steal. 
 VIII. Thou shalt not bear false witness nor lie. 
 IX. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife. 
 X. Thou shalt not covet the things which are 
 another's 
 
 These ten commandments are comprised in two, 
 viz : To serve and love God, and thy neighbor as 
 thyself. Amen. 
 
 Now, not to forget any thing that may instruct the 
 public, it is to the purpose to give an account of the 
 little children's confessions ; I mean of those that 
 have not yet attained the sventh year of their age; 
 for at seven they begin most commonly to receive the 
 sacrament, and confess in private with all the for- 
 malities of their church. 
 
 There is in every city, in every parish, in every 
 town and village, a Lent preacher ; and there is but 
 one difference among them, viz. : that some preachers 
 preach every day in Lent ; some three sermons in a 
 week ; some two, viz. : on Wednesdays and Sundays, 
 
 4 
 
26 HISTORY OP THE 
 
 and some only on Sundays, and the holy days 
 that happen to fall in Lent. The preacher of the 
 parish pitches upon one day of the week, most com- 
 monly in the middle of Lent, to hear the children's 
 confessions, and gives notice to the congregation the 
 Sunday before, that every father of a family may 
 send his children, both boys and girls, to church, on 
 the day appointed, in the afternoon. The mothers 
 dress their children the best they can that day, and 
 give them the offering money for the expiation of 
 their sins. That afternoon is a holy day in the 
 parish, not by precept, but by custom, for no parish- 
 ioner, either old or young, man or woman, misseth 
 to go and hear the children's confessions. For it is 
 reckoned, among them, a greater diversion than a 
 comedy, as you may judge by the following account. 
 
 The day appointed, the children repair to church 
 at three of the clock, where the preacher is waiting 
 for them with a long reed in his hand, and when all 
 are together, (sometimes 150 in number, and some- 
 times less,) the reverend Father placeth them in a 
 circle round himself, and then kneeling down, (the 
 children also doing the same,) makes the sign of the 
 cross, and says a short prayer. This done, he ex- 
 horteth the children to hide no sin from him, but to 
 tell him all they have committed. Then he strikes 
 with his reed, the child whom he designs to confess 
 the first, and asks him the following questions : 
 
 Confessor. How long is it since you last confessed ? 
 
 JBoT/. Father, a whole year, or the last Lent. 
 
POPISHCHURCH. ^7 
 
 Vonf. And how many sins have you committed 
 from that time till now ? 
 
 Boy, Two dozen. 
 
 Now the confessor asks round about. 
 
 Conf, And you ? 
 
 Boy, A thousand and ten. 
 
 Another will say a bag full of small lies, and ten 
 big sins ; and so one after another answers, and tells 
 many childish things. 
 
 Conf, But pray, you say that you have cjommitted 
 ten big sins, tell me how big ? 
 
 Boy, As big as a tree. 
 
 Conf. But tell me the sins. 
 
 Boy. There is one sin I committed, which I dare 
 not tell your reverence before all the people ; for 
 somebody here present will kill me, if he heareth me. 
 
 Conf. Well come out of the circle, and tell it me. 
 
 They both go out, and with a loud voice, he tells 
 him, that such a day he stole a nest of sparrows from 
 a tree of another boy's, and that if he knew it, he 
 would kill him. Then both come again intb the 
 circle, and the father aski^ other boys and girls so 
 many ridiculous questions, and the children answer 
 him so many pleasant, innocent things, that the con- 
 gregation laughs all the while. One will say, that 
 his sins are red, another that one of his sins is white, 
 one black, and one green, and in these trifling ques- 
 tions they spend two hours' time. When the con- 
 gregation is weary of laughing, the Confessor gives 
 the children a correction, and bids them not to sin 
 any more, for a black boy takes along with him the 
 
28 H ISTORT OF THE 
 
 wicked children : Then he asks the offering, and after 
 he has got all from them, gives them the penance for 
 their sins. To one he says, I give you for penance, 
 to eat a sweet cake ; to another, not to go to school 
 the day following ; to another, to desire his mother 
 to buy him a new hat, and such things as these ; and 
 pronouncing the words of absolution, he dismisseth 
 the congregation with Jimen so be it, every year. 
 
 These are the first foundation of the Romish reli- 
 gion for youth. Now, reader I You may make re- 
 flections upon it, and the more you will reflect, so 
 much more you will hate the corruptions of that 
 coDomunion, and it shall evidently appear to you, 
 that the serious, religious instruction of our church, 
 as to the youth, is reasonable, solid, and without 
 reproach. ! that all Protestants would remember 
 the rules they learned from their youth, and practise 
 them while they live ! Sure I am, they should be like 
 angels on earth, and blessed forever after death, in 
 heaven. 
 
 From seven till fifteen, there is no extraordinary 
 thing to say of young people, only that from seven 
 years of age, they begin to confess in private. The 
 confessors have very little trouble with such young 
 people, and likewise little profit, except with a Puella, 
 who sometimes begins at twelve years the course of 
 a lewd life, and then the Confessor finds business and 
 profits enough, when she comes to confess. Now I 
 come to give an account of several private confes- 
 sions of both sexes, beginning from people of fifteen 
 years of age. The confession is a dialogue between 
 
POPIiHCHURCH. 29 
 
 the Spiritual Father and the penitent ; therefore I 
 shall deliver the confessions in a way of dialogue. 
 The letter C. signifies Confessor, and several other 
 letters the names of the penitents. 
 
 The confession of a young woman in Saragossa, whom I shall 
 call Mary. And this I set down chiefly to show the common 
 form of their confessing penitents. The thing was not public : 
 and therefore I give it under a supposed name. 
 
 Confessor, How long is it since you last confessed? 
 
 Mary, It is two years and two months. 
 
 Conf. Pray, do you know the commandments of 
 our holy mother, the church? 
 
 Mary, Yea, Father. 
 
 Conf, Rehearse them. 
 
 Mary, The commandments of our holy mother, 
 the church, are five. 1. To hear Mass on Sundays 
 and Holy days, 2. To confess, at least, once in a 
 year, and oftener, if there be danger of death. 3. To 
 receive the eucharist 4. To fast. 5. To pay tithes 
 and Primitia.* 
 
 Conf. Now rehearse the seven sacraments. 
 
 Mary, The sacraments of the holy mother, the 
 church, are seven. 1. Baptism. 2. Confirmation. 
 3. Penance. 4. The Lord's supper. 5. Extreme 
 unction. 6. Holy orders. 7. Matrimony. — Jimen, 
 
 Conf You see in the second commandment of the 
 church, and in the third, among the sacraments, that 
 you are obliged to confess every year. Why then 
 
 * Primitia is to pay, besides the tenth, one thirtieth part of the 
 fruits of the earth, towards the repair of the church vestments, 
 
so HlSTORYOPTHK 
 
 have you neglected so much longer a time to fulfil 
 the precept of our holy mother ? 
 
 Mary. As I was young, and a great sinner, I was 
 ashamed, reverend Father, to confess my sins to the 
 priest of our parish, for fear he should know me by 
 some passages of my life, which would be prejudicial 
 to me, and to several other persons related to my 
 family. 
 
 Conf. But you know that it is the indispensable 
 duty of the minister of the parish, to expose in the 
 church, after Easter, all those who have not confes- 
 sed, nor received the sacrament before that time. 
 
 Mary. I do know it very well ; but I went out of 
 the city towards the middle of Lent, and I did not 
 come back again till after Easter ; and when I was 
 asked in the country, whether I had confessed that 
 Lent or not ? I said, that I had done it in the city : 
 and when the minister of the parish asked me the 
 same question, I told him, I had done it in the coun- 
 try. So, with this lie, I freed myself from the pub- 
 lic censure of the church. 
 
 Conf. And did you perform the last penance im- 
 posed upon you ? 
 
 Mary. Yea, Father, but not with that exactness I 
 was commanded. 
 
 Conf. What was the penance ? 
 
 Mary. To fast three days upon bread and water, 
 and to give ten reals of plate,* and to say five masses 
 for the souls in purgatory. I did perform the first, 
 
 * A real of plate is about seven pence of our money in Ireland* 
 
POPISHGHURGH. 31 
 
 but not the second, because I could not get money 
 for it unknown to my parents at that time. 
 
 Conf. Do you promise me to perform it as soon as 
 you can ? 
 
 Mary. I have the money here, which I will leave 
 with you, and you may say, or order another priest 
 to say the Masses. 
 
 Conf. Very well : but tell me now, what reason 
 have you to come and confess out of the time ap- 
 pointed by the church ? Is it for devotion, to quiet 
 your conscience, and merely to make your peace with 
 God Almighty, or some worldly end ? 
 
 Mary. Good Father, pity my condition, and pray 
 put me in the right way of salvation, for I am ready 
 to despair of God's mercy, if you do not quiet and 
 ease my troubled conscience. Now I will answer to 
 your question : the reason is, because a gentleman 
 who, under promise of marriage, has kept me these 
 two last years, is dead two months ago ; and I have 
 resolved in my heart to retire myself into a monas- 
 tery, and to end there my days, serving God and his 
 holy mother, the Virgin Mary. 
 
 Corif. Do not take any resolution precipitately, for, 
 may be, if your passion grows cool, you will alter 
 your mind ; and I suspect, with a great deal of reason, 
 that your repentance is not sincere, and that you 
 come to confess out of sorrow for the gentleman's 
 death, more than out of sorrow for your sins ; and if 
 it be so, I advise you to take more time to consider 
 the state of your conscience, and to come to me a 
 fortnight hence. 
 
32 HISTORY OPTHB 
 
 Mary, My Father, all the world shall not alter my 
 mind, and the daily remorse of my conscience brings 
 me to your feet, with a full resolution to confess all 
 my sins, in order to obtain absolution, and to live a 
 new life hereafter. 
 
 Conf. If it is so, let us, in the name of God, begin 
 the confession, and I require of you not to forget any 
 circumstance of sin, which may contribute to ease 
 your conscience. Above all, I desire of you to lay 
 aside shame, while you confess your sins ; for, sup- 
 pose that your sins exceed the number of stars, or 
 the number of the sands of the sea, God's mercy is 
 infinite, and accepts of the true, penitent heart ; for 
 he wills not the death of a sinner, but that he should 
 repent and turn to him. 
 
 Mary. I do design to open freely my heart to you, 
 and to follow your advice, as to the spiritual course 
 of my life. 
 
 Oonf. Begin then by the first commandment. 
 
 Mary. I do confess, in this commandment, that I 
 have not loved God above all things ; for all my care, 
 these two years past, has been to please Don Fran- 
 cisco, in whatever thing he desired me, and, to the 
 best of my memory, I did not think of God, nor of 
 his mother, Mary, for many months together. 
 
 Conf. Have you constantly frequented the asssem- 
 blies of the faithful, and heard Mass on Sundays, and 
 holy days ? 
 
 Mary. No, Father ; sometimes I have been four 
 months without going to church. 
 
POPISHCHURCH. 33 
 
 Conf> You have done a great injury to your soul, 
 and you have given a great scandal to your neighbors. 
 
 Mary. As for the first, I own it, for every Sunday 
 and holy day I went out in the morning, and in so 
 populous a city, they could not know the church I 
 used to resort to. 
 
 Conf. Did it come into your mind all this while, 
 that God would punish you for your sins ? 
 
 Mary. Yea, Father : but the Virgin Mary is my 
 advocate. I keep her image by my bedside, arid 
 used to address my prayer to her every night before 
 I went to bed, and I always had a great hope in her. 
 
 Conf. If your devotion to the Virgin Mary is so 
 fervent, you must believe that your heart is moved 
 to repentance by her influence and mediation ; and 
 I charge you to continue the same devotion while 
 you live, and fear nothing afterwards. 
 
 Mary. That is my design. 
 
 Conf. Go on. 
 
 Mary. The second commandment is. Thou shalt 
 not swear. I never was guilty of swearing, but I 
 have a custom of saying. Such a thing is so, as sure 
 as there is a God in heaven : and this I repeat very 
 often every day. 
 
 Conf That is a sinful custom, for we cannot swear 
 nor affirm any thing by heaven or earth, as the 
 Scripture tells us ; and less by Him who has the 
 throne of his habitation in heaven : so you must 
 break off that custom, or else you commit a sin every 
 time you make use of it. Go on. 
 
 Mary. The third is, Thou shalt sanctify the holy 
 
 5 
 
34 HISTORYOFTHE 
 
 days, I have told you already, my spiritual Father, 
 that I have neglected, sometimes, to go to Mass, four 
 months together ; and to the best of my memory, in 
 these two years and two months, I have missed sixty 
 Sundays and holy days going to Mass, and Avhen I 
 did go, my mind was so much taken up with other 
 diversions, that I did not mind the requisite devotion, 
 for which I am heartily sorry. 
 
 Conf, I hope you will not do so for the future ; 
 and so, go on. 
 
 Mary. The fourth is, Thou shall honor father 
 and molher. I have father and mother ; as to my 
 father, I do love, honor and fear him ; as to my 
 mother, I do confess, that I have answered and acted 
 contrary to the duty, respect, and reverence due to 
 her, for her suspecting and watching my actions and 
 falsesteps, and giving me a christian correction : I 
 have abused her, nay, sometimes, I have lifted up 
 my hand to threaten her ; and these proceedings of 
 mine towards my good mother, torture now my heart. 
 
 Conf. I am glad to observe your grief, and you 
 may be sure, God will forgive you these and other 
 sins upon your hearty repentance, if you persevere 
 in it. Go on. 
 
 Mary. The fifth is. Thou shall not kill. I have 
 not transgressed this commandment effectively and 
 immediately, but I have done it affectively and me- 
 diately, and at second hand ; for a gentlewoman^ 
 who was a great hindrance to my designs, once pro- 
 voked me to such a pitch, that I put in execution all 
 
POPISHCHURCH. 35 
 
 the means of revenge I could think of, and gave ten 
 pistoles to an assassin, to take away her life. 
 
 Conf. And did he kill her ? 
 
 Mary. No, Father, for she kept her house for 
 three months, and in that time we were reconciled, 
 and now we are very good friends. 
 
 Conf. Have you asked her pardon, and told her 
 your design ? 
 
 Mary. I did not tell her in express terms, but I 
 told her that I had an ill will to her, and that at that 
 time I could have killed her, had I got an opportunity 
 for it : for which I heartily begged her pardon : she 
 did forgive me, and so we live ever since like two 
 sisters. 
 
 Conf. Go on. 
 
 Mary. The sixth, Thou shall not commit forni- 
 cation. In the first place, I do confess that I have 
 unlawfully conversed with the said Don Francisco, 
 for two years, and this unlawful commerce has made 
 me fall into many other sins. 
 
 Conf. Did he promise solemnly to marry you. 
 
 Mary. He did, but could not perform it, while his 
 father was alive. 
 
 Conf. Tell me from the beginning, to the day of 
 his death, and to the best of your memory, your 
 sinful thoughts, words, actions, nay, your very 
 dreams, about this matter. 
 
 Mary. Father, the gentleman was our neighbor; 
 of a good family and fortune, and by the means of* 
 the neighborly friendship of our parents, we had the 
 opportunity to talk with one another as much as we 
 
36 HISTORYOPTHE 
 
 pleased. For two years together, we loved one 
 another in innocence ; but at last he discovered to 
 me one day, when our parents were abroad, the 
 great inclination he had for me ; and that having 
 grown to a passion, and this to an inexpressible love, 
 he could no longer hide it from me : that his design 
 was to marry me as soon as his father should die, 
 and that he was willing to give me all the proofs of 
 sincerity and unfeigned love I could desire from him. 
 To this I answered, that if it was so, I was ready to 
 promise never to marry another during his life : To 
 this, he took a sign of the crucifix in his hands, and 
 bowing down before an image of the Virgin Mary, 
 called the four elements to be witnesses of the sin- 
 cerity of his vows, nay, all the saints of the heavenly 
 court to appear against him in the day of judgment, 
 if he was not true in heart and words ; and said, 
 that by the crucifix in his hands, and by the image 
 of the Virgin Mary, there present, he promised and 
 swore never to marry another during my life. — 
 I answered him in the same manner ; and ever since, 
 we have lived with the familiarities of husband and 
 wife. The effect of this reciprocal promise was the 
 Tuin of my soul, and the beginning of my sinful life ; 
 for ever since, I minded nothing else, but to please 
 Mm and myself, when I had an opportunity. 
 
 Conf, How often did he visit you ? 
 
 Mary. The first year he came to my room every 
 night, after both families were gone to bed ; for in 
 the vault of his house, which joins to ours, we dug 
 <m& night through the earth, and made a passage wide 
 
POPISHCHURCH. 37 
 
 enough for the purpose, which we covered on each 
 side with a large earthen water-jar ; and by that 
 means he came to me every night. But my grief is 
 double, when I consider, that, engaging my own 
 maid into this intrigue, I have been the occasion of 
 her ruin too ; for by my ill example, she lived in the 
 same way with the gentleman's servant, and I own 
 that I have been the occasion of all her sins too. 
 
 Conf, And the second year did he visit you so 
 often ? 
 
 Mary. No, father ; for the breach in the vault 
 was discovered by his father, and was stopped im- 
 mediately ; but nobody suspected any thing of our 
 intimacy, except my mother, who from something 
 she had observed, began to question me, and after- 
 wards became more suspicious and watchful. 
 
 Conf. Did any effect of these visits come to light ? 
 
 Mary, It would, had I not been so barbarous 
 and inhuman to prevent it, by a remedy I took, 
 which answered my purpose. 
 
 Conf. And how could you get the remedy, there 
 being a rigorous law against it ? 
 
 Mary, The procuring it brought me into a yet 
 wickeder life ; for I was acquainted with a friar, a 
 cousin of mine, who had always expressed a great 
 esteem for me ; but one day after dinner, being alone, 
 he began to make love to me, and was going to take 
 greater liberties than he had ever done before. I 
 told him that if he could keep a secret, and do me a 
 service, I would comply with his desire. He 
 promised me to do it upon the word of a priest. 
 
38 HISTORYOFTHE 
 
 Then I told him my business, and the day after he 
 brought me the necessary medicme ; and ever since 
 I was freed from that uneasiness. I have hved the 
 same course of hfe with my cousin ; nay, as I was 
 luider such an obUgation to him, I have ever since 
 been obhged to allow him many other liberties in my 
 house. 
 
 Conf. Are those other liberties he took in your 
 house sinful or not ? 
 
 Mary. The liberties I mean are, that he desired 
 me to gratify his companion too, several times, and 
 to consent that my maid should satisfy his lusts ; 
 and not only this, but by desiring me to corrupt one 
 of my friends, he has ruined her soul ; for, being in the 
 same condition I had been in before, I was obliged, 
 out of fear, to furnish her with the same remedy, 
 which produced the same effect. Besides these wicked 
 actions, I have robbed my parents to supply him 
 with whatever mone3r he demanded. 
 
 Conf. But as to Don Francisco, pray tell me, how 
 often did he visit 3^ou since ? 
 
 Mary. The second year lie could not see me in 
 private but ver^r seldom, and in a sacred place ; for 
 having no opportunity at home, nor abroad, I used 
 to go to a little chapel out of the town ; and having 
 gained the hermit with money, we continued our 
 commerce, that way, for six or eight limes the second 
 year. 
 
 Conf. Your sins are aggravated, both by the 
 circumstance of the sacred place, and by your cousin's 
 being a Priest, besides the two murders committed 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 
 
 by you, one in yourself, and the other in your friend. 
 Nay, go on, if you have any more to say upon this 
 subject. 
 
 Mary. I have nothing else to say, as to the com- 
 mandment, but that I am heartily sorry for all these 
 my misdoings. 
 
 Conf. Go on. 
 
 Mary. The seventh, Thou shalt not steal. I 
 have nothing to confess in this commandment but 
 what I have told you already, i. e. that I have stolen 
 many things from my father's house, to satisfy my 
 cousin's thirst of money ; and that I have advised my 
 friend to do the same ; though this was done by me, 
 only for fear that he should expose us, if we had not 
 given him what he desired. 
 
 Conf. And do you design to continue the same 
 life with your cousin, for fear of being discovered ? 
 
 Mary. No, Father ; for he is sent to another 
 convent, to be professor of divinity for three years ; 
 and if he comes back again, he shall find me in a 
 monastery ; and then I will be safe, and free from 
 his wicked attempts. 
 
 Conf. How long is it since he went away ? 
 
 Mary. Three months, and his companion is dead ; 
 so, God be thanked, I am without any apprehension 
 or fear now, and I hope to see my good design 
 accomplished. 
 
 Conf. Go on. 
 
 Mary. The eighth is, Thou shalt not bear false 
 witness nor lie. The ninth. Thou shalt not covet 
 thy neighbor's wife. The tenth, Thou shalt not 
 
40 HISTORYOPT HE 
 
 covet any things which are another^s. I know 
 nothing in these three commandments, that trouble 
 my conscience : Therefore, I conclude by confessing, 
 in general and particular, all the sins of my whole 
 life, committed by thought, word and deed, and I 
 am heartily sorry for them all, and ask God's pardon, 
 and your advice, penance and absolution. Jlmen, 
 
 Conf. Have you transgressed the fourth com- 
 mandment of the church ? 
 
 Mary. Yea, Father ; for I did not fast as it pre- 
 scribes, for though I did abstain from flesh, yet I did 
 not keep the form of fasting, these two years past ; 
 but I have done it since the gentleman's death. 
 
 Conf. Have you this year taken the bull of in- 
 dulgences ? 
 
 Mary. Yea, Father. 
 
 Conf. Have you visited five altars, the days ap- 
 pointed for his holiness to take a soul out of purga- 
 tory ? 
 
 Mary. I did not for several days. 
 
 Conf. Do you promise me, as a minister of God, 
 and as if you were now before the tribunal of the 
 dreadful judge, to amend your life, and to avoid all 
 the occasions of falling into the same or other sins, 
 and to frequent for the future, this sacrament, and 
 the others, and to obey the commandments of God, 
 as things absolutely necessary to the salvation of 
 your soul ? 
 
 Mary. That is my design, with the help of God, 
 and of the blessed Virgin Mary, in whom I put my 
 whole trust and confidence. 
 
P P I S H C H U R C H. 41 
 
 Vonf. Your contrition must be the foundation of 
 your new life, for if you fall into other sins after this 
 signal benefit you have received from God, and his 
 l)lessed mother, of calling you to repentance, it will 
 be a hard thing for you to obtain pardon and for- 
 giveness. You see God has taken away all the ob- 
 stacles of your true repentance ; pray ask continually 
 his grace, that you may make good use of these 
 heavenly favors. But you ought to consider, that 
 though you shall be freed by my absolution from the 
 eternal pains your manifold sins deserve, you shall 
 not be free from the sufferings of purgatory, where 
 your soul must be purified by fire, if you in this 
 present life do not take care to redeem your soul 
 from that terrible flame, by ordering some masses for 
 ihe relief of souls in purgatory. 
 
 Mary. I design to do it as far as it lies in my 
 power. 
 
 Conf. Now, to show your obedience to God, and 
 our mother, the church, you must perform the fol- 
 lowing penance : You must fast every second day, 
 to mortify your lusts and passions, and this for the 
 space of two months. You must visit five altars 
 every second day, and one privileged altar, and say 
 in each of them five times Pater noster, &c., and five 
 times Jive Mary, &c. You must say two every day 
 for two months' time, three-and-thirty times the creed, 
 in honor and memory of the three-and-thirty years 
 that our Saviour did live upon earth ; and you must 
 confess once a week ; and by the continuance of 
 these spiritual exercises, your soul may be preserved 
 
42 HISTORYOFTHE 
 
 from several temptations, and may be happy for- 
 ever. 
 
 Mary. I will do all that with the help of God. 
 
 Conf. Say the act of contrition by which I ab- 
 solve you. 
 
 Mary. God, my God, I have sinned against 
 thee ; I am heartily sorry, &c. 
 
 Conf. Our Lord Jesus Christ absolve thee ; and 
 by the authority given me, I absolve, thee &c. 
 
 A private confession of a woman to a Friar of the Dominican 
 order, laid down in writing before the Moral Academy, 
 1710, and the opinions of the members about it. The person 
 was not known, therefore I shall call her Leonore. 
 
 Leonore did confess to F. Joseph Riva the follow- 
 ing misdoings : 
 
 Leonore. My reverend Father, I come to this 
 place to make a general confession of all the sins I 
 have committed in the whole course of my life, or of 
 all those I can remember. 
 
 Conf. How long have you been preparing your- 
 self for this general confession ? 
 
 Leon. Eight days. 
 
 Conf. Eight days are not enough to recollect 
 yourself, and bring into your memory all the sins of 
 your life. 
 
 Leon. Father, have patience till you hear me, and 
 then you may judge whether my confession be 
 perfect or imperfect. 
 
 Conf. And how long is it since you confessed the 
 last time ? 
 
 Leon. The last time I confessed was the Sunday 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 43 
 
 before Easter, which is eleven months and twenty 
 days. 
 
 Conf. Did you accomplish the penance then im- 
 posed upon you ? 
 
 Leon. Yea, Father. 
 
 Conf, Begin then your confession. 
 
 Leon, I have neglected my duty towards God, 
 by whose holy name I have many times sworn. I 
 have not sanctified his holy days as I was obliged by 
 law, nor honored my parents and superiors. I have 
 many and many times desired the death of my 
 neighbors, when I was in a passion. I have been 
 deeply engaged in amorous intrigues with many 
 people of all ranks, but these two years past most 
 constantly with Don Pedro Hasta, who is the only 
 support of my life, 
 
 ConJ, Now I find out the reason why you have 
 so long neglected to come and confess ; and I do ex- 
 pect, that you will tell me all the circumstances of 
 your life, that I may judge the present state of your 
 conscience. 
 
 Leon, Father, as for the sins of my youth, till I 
 was sixteen years of age, they are of no great conse- 
 quence, and I hope God will pardon me. Now my 
 general confession begins from that time, when I fell 
 into the first sin, which was- in the following manner. 
 
 The confessor of our family was a Franciscan friar, 
 who was absolute master in our house ; for my father 
 and mother were entirely governed by him. It was 
 about that time of my life I lost my mother ; and a 
 month after her my father died, leaving all his sub- 
 
44 HISTORYOFTHE 
 
 stance to the father confessor, to dispose of at his owu 
 fancy, reserving only a certain part which I was ta 
 have,. to settle me in the world, conditionally that I 
 was obedient to him. A month after my father's 
 death, on pretence of taking care of every thing that 
 was in the house, he ordered a bed for himself in the 
 chamber next to mine, where my maid also used to 
 lie. After supper, the first night he came home, he 
 addressed himself thus to me : My daughter, you 
 may with reason call me your father, for you are the 
 only child yom' father left under my care. Your 
 patrimony is in my hands, and you ought to obey 
 me blindly in every thing : So in the first place order 
 your maid's bed to be removed out of your own 
 chamber into another. Which being done according- 
 ly, we parted, and went each one to our own room ; 
 but scarcely had an hour past away, when the father 
 came into my chamber, and what by flattery and pro- 
 mises, and what by threatenings, he deprived me of 
 my best patrimony, my innocence. We continued 
 this course of life till, as I believe, he was tired of 
 me : for two months after, he took every thing out of 
 the house, and went to his convent, where he died 
 in ten days time ; and by his death I lost the p atri- 
 mony left me by my father, and with it all my 
 support ; and as my parents had spared nothing in 
 my education, and as I had always been kept in the 
 greatest afliuence, you may judge how I was affected 
 by the miserable circumstances I was then left in, 
 with servants to maintain, and nothing in the world 
 to supply even the necessary expenses of my house. 
 
P O P I S H C H U R G H. 45 
 
 This made me the more ready to accept the first offer 
 that should be made me, and my condition being, 
 known to an officer of the army, he came to offer me 
 his humble services. I complied with his desire, and 
 so for two years we lived together, till at last he was 
 obliged to repair to his regiment at Catalonia ; and 
 though he left me appointments more than sufficient 
 for my subsistance during his absence, yet all our 
 correspondence was soon broken off by his death, 
 which happened soon after. Then, resolving to alter 
 my life and conversation, I went to confess, and after 
 having given an account to my confessor of my life^ 
 he asked my name, did promise to come the next day 
 to see me, and to put me in a comfortable and credit- 
 able way of living. I was very glad to get such a 
 patron, and so the next day I waited at home for him. 
 
 The father came, and after various discourses, he 
 took me by the hand into my chamber, and told me 
 that if I was willing to put in his hands my jewels,, 
 and what other things of value I had got from the 
 officer, he would engage to get a gentleman suitable 
 to my condition to marry me. I did every thing as 
 he desired me ; and so taking along with him all I 
 had in the world, he carried them to his cell. 
 
 The next day he came to see me, and made me 
 another proposal, very different from what I expec- 
 ted ; for he told nie that I must comply with his 
 desire, or else he would expose me, and inform 
 against me before the holy tribunal of the inquisition ; 
 So, rather than incur that danger, I did for the space 
 of six months, in which, having nothing to live upon. 
 
46 HISTORYOFTHE 
 
 (for he kept my jewels,) I was obliged to abandon 
 myself to many other gentlemen, by whom I was 
 maintained. 
 
 At last, he left me, and I still continued my wicked 
 life, unlawfully conversing with married and un- 
 married gentlemen a whole year, and not daring to 
 confess, for fear of experiencing the same treatment 
 from another confessor. 
 
 CoTfhf, But how could you fulfil the precept of 
 the church, and not be exposed in the church after 
 Easter, all that while ? 
 
 Leon. I went to an old easy father, and promised 
 him a pistole for a certificate of confession, which he 
 gave me without further inquiring into the matter ; 
 and so I did satisfy the curate of the parish with it. 
 But last year I went to confess, and the confessor 
 was very strict, and would not give me absolution, 
 because I was an habitual sinner ; but I gave him 
 five pistoles for ten masses, and then he told me 
 that a confessor's duty was to take care of the souls 
 in purgatory, and that upon their account he could 
 not refuse me absolution ; so by that way I escaped 
 the censure of the church. 
 
 Conf. How long is it since you broke off your 
 sinful life ? 
 
 Leon. But six weeks. 
 
 ConJ'. I cannot absolve you now, but come again 
 next Thursday, and I will consult upon all the cir- 
 cumstances of your life and then I will absolve you. 
 
 Leon. Father, I have more to say : For I stole 
 from the church a chalice, by the advice of the said 
 
POPISHCHURCH. 47 
 
 confessor, and he made use himself of the money I 
 got for the silver, which I cut in pieces ; and I did 
 converse unlawfully several times in the church with 
 him. To this I must add an infinite number of sins 
 by thought, word and deed, I have committed in 
 this time, especially with the last person of my ac- 
 quaintance, though at present I am free from him. 
 
 Conf. Pray give me leave to consult upon all 
 these things, and I will resolve them to you the next 
 confession ; now go in peace. 
 
 The first point to be resolved was whether Leonore 
 could sue the Franciscan convent for the patrimony 
 left by her father in the confessor's hands ? 
 
 The president went through all the reasons, ^ro 
 and con, and after resolved, that although the said 
 Loenore was never disobedient to her confessor, she 
 could not sue the community without lessening her 
 own reputation, and laying upon the order so black 
 a crime as that of her confesssor ; and that it was 
 the common maxim of all casuists that. In rebus 
 dubiis, minimum est sequendum, in things doubt- 
 ful, that of the least evil consequence is to be pursued ; 
 and seeing the losing of her patrimony would be less 
 damage than the exposing of the whole Franciscan 
 order, and her own reputation : It did seem proper 
 to leave the thing as it was. 
 
 The second point to be resolved was whether 
 Leonore was in proxima occasoine peccati, in the 
 next occasion of sin, with such a confessor the two 
 first months ? 
 
 Six members of the academy did think that she 
 
48 HISTORY OPTHE 
 
 was ; for immediate occasion of sin signifies, that the 
 person may satisfy his passions toties quoties, with- 
 out any impediment which Leonore could do all that 
 while. But the other members of the academy did 
 object against it : That the nature of occasio proxima, 
 besides the said reason, implies freedom and liberty, 
 which Leonore did want at that time, being as she 
 was, young, inexperienced, timorous, and under the 
 confessor's care and power ; so it was resolved, that 
 she was not the first two months in proxima occa- 
 sione peccati. 
 
 The third point : Whether she committed greater 
 
 sin with the second confessor, who threatened her 
 with the inquisition ? And whether she was obliged 
 to undergo all the hardships, nay, death itself, rather 
 than comply with the confessor's desire ? 
 
 It was resolved nernine contradicnte, that she 
 was obliged for self preservation's sake, to comply 
 with the friar's desire, and therefore her sin was 
 less than other sins. 
 
 The fourth : Whether she was obliged to make 
 restitution of the chalice she stole out of the church 
 by the advice of the confessor ? 
 
 The members could not agree in the decision of 
 this point, for some were of opinion that both she 
 and the friar were obliged to make restitution, 
 grounded in the moral maxim : Facientes, et con- 
 sentientes eadein paena puniuntur, those that act 
 and those who consent are to be punished alike. 
 Others said, that Leonore was only an instrument of 
 theft, and that the friar did put her in the way of 
 
POPISHCHURCH. 49 
 
 doing what she never had done, but for fear of him, 
 and that she was forced to do it ; therefore, that she 
 had not committed sacrilege, nay, nor venial sin by- 
 it ; and that the friar only was guilty of sacrilege 
 and robery, and obliged to make restitution. Upon 
 this division, the Rev. Mr. Ant. Polomo, then pro- 
 fessor of philosophy, was appointed to lay the case 
 before the members of the great academy, with this 
 limitation, that he should not mention any thing of 
 the friar in it, except the members of the academy 
 should ask him the aggravating circumstances in the 
 case. 
 
 He did it accordingly, and being asked by the 
 president about the circumstances, it was resolved 
 that Loenore was free from restitution, taking a bull 
 of pardons. And as for the friar, by his belonging 
 to the community, and having nothing of his own, 
 and obliged to leave at his death, every thing to the 
 convent, he must be excused from making such resti- 
 tution, &c. 
 
 The fifth point : Whether the church was dese- 
 crated by their unlawful commerce ? and whether 
 the confessor was obliged to reveal the nature of the 
 thing to the bishop or not ? 
 
 As to the first part, all did agree, that the church 
 was polluted. As to the second, four were of 
 opinion, that the thing was to be revealed to the 
 bishop in general terms; but sixteen did object 
 against it, and said that the dominical, asperges me 
 Hysopoy et mundabor, thou shalt sprinkle me with 
 hysop, and I shall be clean, &c. When the priest 
 
 7 
 
^0 HISTORYOFTHE 
 
 with the holy water and hysop sprinkles the church, 
 it was enough to restore and purify the church. 
 
 After which, the president moved another question, 
 viz : Whether this private confession was to be 
 entered in the academy's book ; ad perpetuam rei 
 Tnemoriam, in perpetual memory of the thing. And 
 it was agreed to enter the cases and resolutions, 
 mentioning nothing concerning the confessors, nor 
 their orders. Item, it was resolved that the propo- 
 nent could safely in conscience absolve Leonore the 
 next confession, if she had the bull of indulgences, 
 and promised to be zealous in the correction and 
 penance, which he was to give her, &c. And 
 accordingly he did, and Leonore was absolved. 
 
 The private confession proposed in the Academy, by father Gasca, 
 Jesuit, and member of the Academy : of a woman of thirty- 
 three years of age. 
 
 Most reverend and learned fathers, I have thought 
 lit not to trouble you with the methodical way of 
 private confession I heard last Sunday, but to give 
 you only an account of the difficult case in it. The 
 case is this : a woman of thirty-three years of age, 
 came to confess, and told me, that from sixteen years 
 of age, till twenty-four, she had committed all sorts 
 of lewdness, only with ecclesiastical persons, having 
 in every convent a friar, who, under the name of 
 cousin, did use to visit her : — and notwithstanding 
 the multiplicity of cousins, she lived so poorly, that 
 she was forced to turn procuress at the same time, 
 for new cousins, and that she had followed that 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 5\ 
 
 wicked life till thirty-two years of age. The last 
 year she dreamed that the devil was very free with 
 her, and those dreams or visions continuing for a 
 long while, she found herself with child ; and she 
 protests that she knew no man for fourteen months 
 before. — She is delivered of a boy, and she says that 
 he is the devil's son, and that her conscience is so 
 troubled about it, that if I do not find some way ta 
 quiet her mind she will lay violent hands upon 
 herself. I asked her leave to consult the case, with 
 a promise to resolve it next Sunday. Now I ask 
 your wise advice upon this case. 
 
 The president said, that the case was impossible,, 
 and that the woman was mad ; that he was of the 
 opinion to send the woman to the physicians to be 
 cured of some bodily distemper she was troubled 
 with. The Jesuit proponent replied, that the woman 
 was in her perfect senses, and that the case well 
 required further consideration: upon which, F» 
 Antonio Palomo, who was reputed and the most 
 learned of the academy, said, that saint Augustin 
 treats de Incubo et Sucubo, and he would examine 
 the case, and see whether he might not give some 
 light for the resolution of the case ? 
 
 And another member said, that there was in the 
 case something more than apparition and devilish 
 liberty, and that he thought fit that the father Jesuit 
 should inquire more carefully into the matter, and 
 go himself to examine the house, and question the 
 people of it ; which being approved by the whole 
 assembly, he did it the next morning, and in the 
 
52 HISTORTOFTHE 
 
 afternoon, being an extraordinary meeting, he came 
 and said. 
 
 Most reverend and learned fathers, the woman 
 was so strongly possessed with such a vision, that 
 she has made pubhc the case among the neighbors, 
 and it is spread abroad. Upon which the inquisitors 
 did send for the woman and the maid, and this has 
 discovered the whole story, viz : That father Con- 
 chillos, Victorian friar, was in love with the woman, 
 but she could not endure the sight of him. That he 
 gained the maid, and by that means he got into the 
 house every night, and the maid putting some opium 
 into her mistress's supper, she fell fast asleep, and the 
 said father did lie with her six nights together. So 
 the child is not the son of the devil, but of father 
 Conchillos. Afterwards it was resolved to enter the 
 case for a memorondum, in the academy's book. 
 
 The friar was put into the inquisition for having 
 persuaded the maid to tell her mistress that it was 
 the devil ; for she had been imder the same fear, and 
 really she was in the same condition. What became 
 of the friar I do not know, this I do aver for a truth, 
 that I spoke with the woman myself, and with the 
 maid ; and that the children used to go to her door, 
 and call for the son of the devil. And being so 
 mocked, she left the city in a few days after, and we 
 were told that she lived after a retired christian life 
 in the country. 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 53 
 
 The private confession of a priest, being at the point of death, in 
 1710. 1 shall call him Don Paulo. 
 
 Don Paulo. Since God Almighty is pleased to 
 visit me with this sickness, I ought to make good use 
 of the time I have to live, and I desire of you to help 
 me with your prayers, and to take the trouble to 
 write some substantial points of my confession, that 
 you may perform, after my death, whatever I think 
 may enable me in some measure, to discharge my 
 duty towords God and men. When I was ordained 
 priest, I made a general confession of all my sins from 
 my youth to that time ; and I wish I could now be 
 as true a penitent as I was at that time ; but I hope, 
 though I fear too late, that God will hear the prayer 
 of my heart. 
 
 I have served my parish sixteen years, and all 
 my care has been to discover the tempers and incli- 
 nations of my parishioners, and I have been as happy 
 in this world as unhappy before my Saviour. I have 
 in ready money fifteen thousand pistoles, and I have 
 given away more than six thousand. I had no 
 patrimony, and my living is worth but four hundred 
 pistoles a year. By this you may easily know, that 
 my money is unlawfully gotten, as I shall tell you, if 
 God spare my life till I make ^n end of my confes- 
 sion. There are in my parish sixteen hundred 
 families, and more or less, I have defrauded them all 
 some way or other. 
 
 My thoughts have been impure ever since I began 
 to hear confessions ; my words grave and severe 
 
54 HISTORYOPTHE 
 
 with them all, and all my parishioners have respected 
 and feared me. I have had so great an empire over 
 them, that some of them knowing of my misdoings,, 
 have taken my defence in public. They have had 
 in me a solicitor, in all emergencies, and I have 
 omitted nothing to please them in outward appear- 
 ance ; but my actions have been the most criminal 
 of mankind ; for as to my ecclesiastical duty, what I 
 have done has been for custom's sake. The necessary 
 intention of a priest, in the administration of baptism 
 and consecration, without which the sacraments are 
 of no effect, I confess I had it not several times as you 
 shall see, in the parish books ; and observe there, 
 that all these names marked with a star, the baptism 
 was not valid, for I had no intention : And for this 
 I can give no other reason than my malice and 
 wickedness. Many of them are dead, for which I 
 am heartily sorry. As for the times I have conse- 
 crated without intention, we must leave it to God 
 Almighty's mercy, for the wrong done by it to the 
 souls of my parishioners, and those in purgatory 
 cannot be helped. 
 
 As to the confessions and wills I have received 
 from my parishioners at the point of their death, I 
 do confess, I have made myself master of as much 
 as I could, and by that means I have gathered 
 together all my riches. I have sent this morning for 
 fifty bulls, and I have given one hundred pistoles for 
 the benefit of the holy crusade^ by which his holiness 
 secures my soul from eternal death. 
 
 As to my duty towards God, I am guilty to the 
 
P O P I S H C H U R C H. 55 
 
 highest degree, for I have not loved him ; I have 
 neglected to say the private divine service at home 
 every day ; I have polluted his holy days hy my 
 grevious sins ; I have not minded my superiors in 
 the respect due to them ; and I have been the cause 
 of many innocent deaths. I have procured, by 
 remedies, sixty abortions, making the fathers of the 
 children their murderers ; besides many other in- 
 tended, though not executed, by some unexpected 
 accident. 
 
 As to the sixth commandment, I cannot confess by 
 particulars, but by general heads, my sins. I confess, 
 in the first place, that I have frequented the parish 
 club twelve years. — ^We were only six parish priests 
 in it ; and there we did consult and contrive all ways 
 to satisfy our passions. Every body had a list of the 
 handsomest women in the parish ; and when one 
 had a fancy to see any woman, remarkable for 
 her beauty, in another's parish, the priest of her 
 parish sent for her to his own house ; and having pre- 
 pared the way for wickedness, the other had nothing 
 to do but to meet her there, and fulfil his desires ; 
 and so we have served one another these twelve 
 years past. Our method has been, to persuade the 
 husbands and fathers not to hinder them any spiritual 
 comfort ; and to the ladies to persuade them to be 
 subject to our advice and will ; and that in so doing, 
 they should have liberty at any time to go out on 
 pretence of communicating some spiritual business to 
 the priest. And if they refused to do it, then we 
 should speak to their husbands and fathers not to let 
 
56 
 
 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 them go out at all ; or, which woiild be worse for 
 them, we should inform against them to the holy 
 tribunal of the inquisition : And by these diabolical 
 persuasions they were at our command, without fear 
 of revealing the secret. 
 
 I have spared no woman of my parish, whom I 
 had a fancy for, and many other of my brethren's 
 parishes ; but I cannot tell the number. I have sixty 
 nepotes alive, of several women : But my principal 
 care ought to be of those that I have by the two 
 young women I keep at home since their parents 
 died. Both are sisters, and I had by the eldest two 
 boys, and by the youngest, one ; and one which I had 
 by my own sister is dead. Therefore I leave to my 
 sister five thousand pistoles, upon condition that she 
 would enter nun in St. Bernard's monastery ; and 
 upon the same condition I leave two thousand pistoles 
 a-piece to the two young women ; and the remainder 
 I leave to my three nepotes under the care of Mossen 
 John Peralta, and ordering that they should be heirs 
 to one another, if any of them should die before they 
 are settled in the world, and if all should die, I leave 
 the money to the treasury of the church, for the 
 benefit of the souls in purgatory. Item : I order 
 that all the papers of such a little trunk be burnt after 
 my confession is over, (which was done accordingly,) 
 and that the holy bull of the dead be bought before 
 I die, that I may have the comfort of having at home 
 the Pope's pass for the next world. Now I ask your 
 penance and absolution for all the sins reserved in all 
 the bulls, from the first Pope ; for which purpose I 
 
POPISHCHURCH. 57 
 
 have taken the bull of privileges in such cases as 
 mine. 
 
 So I did absolve him and assist him afterwards, 
 and he died the next day. What to do in such a 
 case, was all my uneasiness after his death ; for if I 
 did propose the case before the members of the 
 academy, every body could easily know the person, 
 which was against one of the articles we did swear 
 at our admittance into it. And if I did not propose 
 it, I should act against another article. All my diffi- 
 culty was about the baptisms which he had admin- 
 istered without intention : For it is the known 
 opinion of their church, that the intention of a priest 
 is absolutely necessary to the validity of the sacra- 
 ment, and that without it there is no sacrament at all. 
 I had examined the books of the parish, and I found 
 a hundred and fifty-two names marked with a star, 
 and examining the register of the dead, I found 
 eighty-six of them dead : According to the principles 
 of the church, all those that were alive were to be bap- 
 tized ; which could not be done without great scandal, 
 and prejudice to the clergy. In this uneasiness of mind 
 I continued, till I went to visit the reverend father 
 John Garcia, who had been my master in divinity, 
 and I did consult him, on the case, suh secreto 
 naturali. He did advise me to propose the case to 
 the assembly, upon supposition, that if such a 
 case should happen, what should be done in it ; and 
 he recommended to me to talk with a great deal of 
 caution, and to insist that it ought to be communicated 
 to the bishop ; and if the members did agree with 
 
 8 
 
58 HISTORYOPTHE 
 
 me, then without further confession, I was to go to 
 the bishop, and tell his lordship the case, under 
 secrecy of confession : I did so, and the bishop said 
 he would send for the books, and take the list of all 
 those names ; and as many of them as could be found 
 he would send for, one by one, into his own chamber, 
 and baptize them ; commanding them, under the 
 pain of ecclesiastical censure, not to talk of it, neither 
 in public or private. But as for the other sins, 
 there was no necessity for revealing them, for by 
 virtue of the bull of Crusade, (of which I shall speak 
 in the second chapter,) we could absolve them all. 
 
 Hear, heaven ! Give ear, earth ! And be 
 horribly astonished ! To see the best religion in the 
 world turned into superstition and folly ; to see, too, 
 that those who are to guide the people, and put their 
 flock in the way of salvation, are wolves in sheep's 
 clothing, that devour them, and put them into the 
 Way of damnation. God, open the eyes of the 
 ignorant people, that they may see the injuries done 
 to their souls by their own guides ! 
 
 I do not write this out of any private end, to blame 
 all sorts of confessors ; for there are some who, 
 according to the principles of their religion, do 
 discharge their duty with exactness and purity, and 
 whose lives, in their own way, are unblamable, and 
 without reproach among men. Such confessors as 
 these I am speaking of, are sober in their actions : 
 they mortify their bodies with fasting over and above 
 the rules prescribed by the church, by discipline, by 
 kneeling down in their closets six or eight hours every 
 
POPISHCHURCH. 59 
 
 day, to meditate on the holy mysteries, the goodness 
 of God, and to pray to him for all sorts of sinners, 
 that they may be brought to repentance and salvation, 
 &c. They sleep but few hours. They spend most 
 of their spare time in reading the ancient fathers of 
 the church, and other books of devotion. 
 
 They live poorly, because whatever they have, 
 the poor are enjoyers of it. The time they give to 
 the public is but very little, and not every day ; and 
 then whatever councils they give are right, sincere, 
 without flattery or interest. All pious, religious 
 persons do solicit their acquaintance and conversa-^ 
 tion ; but they avoid all pomp and vanity, and keep 
 themselves, as much as they can, within the limits of 
 solitude ; and if they make some visits, it must be 
 upon urgent necessity. Sometimes you may find 
 them in the hospitals among the poor, sick, helping 
 and exorting them : but they go there most commonly 
 in the night, for what they do, they do it not out of 
 pride, but humility. 
 
 I knew some of those exemplary men, but a very 
 few ; and I heard some of them preach with a fervent 
 zeal about the promoting of Christ*s religion, and 
 exorting the people to put their lives voluntarily in 
 the defence of the Roman Catholic faith, and extir- 
 pate and destroy all the enemies of their communion. 
 I do not pretend to judge them, for judgment belong- 
 eth to God : This I say with St. Paul, that if those 
 religious men havt a zeal of God, their zeal is not 
 according to knowledge. ' 
 
60 HISTORTOFTHE 
 
 The private confession of a Nun, in the convent of S. — O.— 
 Before I begin the confession, it will not be improper to give 
 an account of the customs of the nuns, and places of their 
 confessions. 
 
 By the constitutions of their order, so many days 
 are appointed, in which all the nuns are obliged to 
 confess, from the Mother Abbess to the very wheeler ; 
 i. e. the nun that turns the wheel near the door, 
 through which they give and receive every thing 
 they want. They have a father confessor and a 
 father companion, who live next to the convent, and 
 have a small grate in the wall of their chamber, which 
 answers to the upper cloister or gallery of the convent. 
 The confessor hath care of the souls of the convent, 
 and he is obliged to say mass every day, hear confes- 
 sions, administer the sacraments, and visit the sick 
 nuns. There are several narrow closets in the church, 
 with a small iron grate : One side ansv/ers to the clois- 
 ter, and the other to the church. So the nun being on 
 the inside, and the confessor on the outside they hear 
 one another. There is a large grate facing the great 
 altar, and the holes of it are a quarter of a yard 
 square ; but that grate is double, that is, one within 
 and another without, and the distance between both 
 is more than half a yard. And besides these, there 
 is another grate for relations, and benefactors of the 
 community, which grate is single, and consists of very 
 thin iron bars : the holes of such a grate are near a 
 quarter and a half square. In all those grates the 
 mmg confess their sins : for, on a solemn day, they 
 
POPISHCHURCH. 61 
 
 send for ten or twelve confessors ; otherwise they 
 could not confess the fourth part of them, for there 
 are m some monasteries 110 nuns, in others 80, in 
 others 40, but this last is a small number. 
 
 The nuns' father-confessor hath but little trouble 
 with the young nuns, for they generally send for a 
 confessor who is a stranger to them, so that his 
 trouble is with the old ones, who have no business 
 at the grate. These trouble their confessor almost 
 every day with many ridiculous trifles, and will keep 
 the poor man two hours at the grate, telling him how 
 many times they have spit in the church, how many 
 flies they have killed, how many times they have 
 flown into a passion with their lap dogs, and other 
 nonsensical, ridiculous things like these ; and the 
 reason is because they have nothing to do, nobody 
 goes to visit them nor cares for them ; so sometimes 
 they choose to be spies for the young nuns, when 
 they are at the grate with their gallants ; and for fear 
 of their Mother Abbess, they place some of the old 
 nuns before the door of the parlor, to watch the 
 Mother Abbess, and to give them timely notice of 
 her coming ; and the poor old nuns perform this 
 office with a great deal of pleasure, faithfulness, and 
 some profit too. But I shall not say any more of 
 them, confining myself wholly to the way of living 
 among the young nuns. 
 
 Many gentlemen send their daughters to the nun- 
 nery when they are some five, some six, some eight 
 years old, under the care of some nun of their rela- 
 tions, or else some old nun of their acquaintance ; 
 
62 HISTORYOPTHE 
 
 and there they get education till they are fifteen 
 years old. The tutress takes a great deal of care 
 not to let them go to the grate, nor converse with 
 men all the while, to prevent in them the knowledge 
 and love of the world. They are caressed by all the 
 nmis, and thinking it will be always so, they are 
 very well pleased with their confinement. They 
 have only liberty to go to the grate to their parents 
 or relations, and always accompanied with the old 
 mother tutress. And when they are fifteen years 
 old, which is the age fixed by the constitutions of 
 all the orders, they receive the habit of a nun, and 
 begin the year of noviciate, which is the year of 
 trial to see whether they can go through all the 
 hardships, fastings, disciplines, prayers, hours of 
 divine service, obedience, poverty, chastity, and 
 penances practised in the monastery : But the 
 prioress or abbess, and the rest of the professed 
 nuns, do dispense with, and excuse the novices from 
 all the severities, for fear that the novices should be 
 dissatisfied with, and leave the convent : And in this 
 they are very much in the wrong ; for, besides that 
 they do not observe the precepts of their monastical 
 rule, they deceive the poor, ignorant, inexperienced 
 young novices, who, after their profession and vows 
 of perpetuity, do heartily repent they had been so 
 much indulged. Thus the novices, flattered in the 
 y^ar of noviciate, and thinking they will be so all 
 their life time, when the year is expired, make pro- 
 fession, and swear to observe chastity, obedience 
 and poverty, during their lives, and clausara, i. c. 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 63 
 
 confinement; obliging themselves, by it, never to go 
 out of the monastery. 
 
 After the profession is made, they begin to feel 
 the severity and hardships of the monastical life ; for 
 one is made a door keeper ; another turner of the 
 wheel, to receive and deliver by it all the nuns' mes- 
 sages; another bell nun, that is to call the nuns, 
 when any one comes to visit them ; another baker ; 
 another book-keeper of all the rents and expenses, 
 and the like ; and in the performance of all these 
 employments, they must expend a great deal of their 
 own money. After this they have liberty to go to 
 the grate, and talk with gentlemen, priests and friars, 
 who only go there as a gallant goes to see his 
 mistress. So when the young nuns begin to have a 
 notion of the pleasures of the world, and how they 
 have been deceived, they are heartily sorry, but too 
 late, for there is no remedy. And minding nothing 
 but to satisfy their passions as well as they can, they 
 abandon themselves to all sorts of wickedness and 
 amorous intrigues. 
 
 There is another sort of nuns, whom the people 
 call las forcadas, the forced nuns ; i. e. those who 
 have made a false step in the world, and cannot 
 find husbands, on account of their crimes being public. 
 Those are despised and ill used by their parents and 
 relations, till they choose to go to the nunnery : So 
 by this it is easily known what sort of nuns they will 
 make. 
 
 Now as to the spending of their time. They get 
 up at six in the morning and go to prayers, and to 
 
64 HISTORYOPTHE 
 
 hear mass till seven. From seven till ten, they work 
 or go to breakfast, either in their chambers, or in the 
 common hall. At ten they go to the great mass till 
 eleven : After it, they go to dinner. After dinner, 
 they may divert themselves till two. At two they 
 go to prayers, for a quarter of an hour, or (if they 
 sing vespers) for half an Tiour; and afterwards they 
 are free till the next morning : So every one is 
 waiting for her devoto, that is, a gallant, or spiritual 
 husband, as they call him. When it is dark evening, 
 they send away their devotos, and the doors are 
 locked up ; so they go to their own chamber to write 
 a billet, or letter to the spiritual husband, which they 
 send in the morning to them, and get an answer ; 
 and though they see one another almost every day, 
 for all that, they must write to one another every 
 morning : And these letters of love, they call the 
 recreation of the spirit for the time the devotos are 
 absent from them. Every day they must give one 
 another an account of whatever thing they have done 
 since the last visit; and indeed there are warmer 
 expressions of love and jealousy between the nun 
 and the devoto, than between real wife and husband. 
 
 Now I come to the private confession ; and I wish I could have 
 the style of an angel, to express myself with purity and 
 modesty in this confession. 
 
 Nun. Reverend Father, as the number of my sins 
 are so great, and so great the variety of circumstances 
 attending them ; mistrusting my memory, I have set 
 down in writing this confession, that you may en- 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 65 
 
 tirely be acquainted with every thing that troubles 
 my conscience ; and so I humbly beg of you to read 
 it. 
 
 Conf. I did approve the method of writing, but 
 you ought to read it yourself, or else it cannot be oris 
 confessio, or confession by mouth. 
 
 Nun. If it is so, I begin. I thought fit to " cquaint 
 you with the circumstances of my past life, that you 
 may form a right judgment of my monastical life and 
 conversation, which in some measure, will excuse 
 me before the world, though not before God, our 
 righteous judge. 
 
 I am the only daughter of councellor N. E. who 
 brought me up in the fear of God, and gave me a 
 writing master, which is a rare thing. I was not 
 quite thirteen years of age, when a gentleman of 
 quality, though not very rich, began his love to me 
 by letters which he (gaining my writing master) sent 
 to me by him. There was nothing in the world so 
 obliging, civil, modest and endearing, as his expres- 
 sions seemed to me, and at last having the opportu- 
 nity of meeting him at the house of one of my aunts, 
 his person and conversation did so charm my heart, 
 that a few days after we gave one another reciprocal 
 promises of an eternal union: But by a letter 
 which was unfortunately miscarried, and fell into my 
 father's hand, our honest designs were discovered ; 
 and without telling me any thing, he went to see the 
 gentleman, and spoke to him in this manner : Sir, 
 my daughter, in discharging of her duty to so good 
 a father, has communicated to me your honorable 
 
 9 
 
66 HISTORY OP THE 
 
 designs, and I come to thank you for the honor yoil 
 are pleased to do my family : But, being so young, 
 we think proper to put off the performance of it, till 
 she comes to be fifteen years of age : Now she, and 
 I also, as a father to you both, (for I look upon you 
 as upon my own son) do desire of you the favor not 
 to give any public occasion of censure to the watchful 
 neighbors, and if you have any regard for her, I hope 
 you will do this and more for her and for me : And 
 to show you my great affection, I offer you a captain's 
 commission in the regiment that the city raiseth for 
 the king, and advise you to serve two years, and 
 afterwards, you may accomplish your desire. The 
 gentleman accepted it, and the next day the commis- 
 sion was signed and delivered to him, with an order 
 to go to Catalonia. At the same time the writing 
 master was sent out of town under pretence of 
 receiving some money from my father ; and I was 
 kept close at home, so he could not get an opportunity 
 of seeing or writing to me ; for my father told him I 
 was sick in bed. As soon as he left the town, my 
 father told me that he was dead, and that I must 
 retire myself into the nunnery, for that was his will : 
 So immediately he brought me here, and gave severe 
 directions to the mother abbess, not to let me see any 
 body but himself. Indeed, he did spare nothing to 
 please me, until I received the habit, and made the 
 profession and vows of a monastical life: After 
 which he told me the whole story himself; and the 
 gentleman was killed in Catalonia the first campaign. 
 I do confess, that ever since, I did not care what 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 67 
 
 should become of me, and I have abandoned myself 
 to all the sins I have been capable to commit. It is. 
 but ten months since I made my profession, and 
 bound myself to perpetuity ; though as I did it without 
 intention, I am not a nun before God, nor obliged to 
 keep the vow of religion ; and of this opinion are 
 many other nuns, especially, ten young nuns, my 
 intimate friends, who, as well as I, do communicate 
 to one another the most secret things of our hearts. 
 
 Each of this assembly has her devoto, and we are 
 every day in the afternoon at the grate : We show 
 one another the letters we receive from them, and 
 there is nothing that we do not invent for the accom- 
 plishment of our pleasures. 
 
 Conf^ Pray, confess your own sins, and omit the 
 sins of your friends. 
 
 Nun, I cannot, for my sins are so confounded 
 with the sins of my friends, that I cannot mention 
 the one without the other. 
 
 But coming now to my greatest sin, I must tell 
 you, that a nun of our assembly has a friar her 
 devoto, the most beautiful young man, and w'e 
 contrived and agreed together to bring him into the 
 convent, as we did, and have kept him two and 
 twenty days in our chamber : During which time 
 we went to the grate very seldom, on pretence of 
 being not well. We have given no scandal, for 
 nobody has suspected the least thing in the case. 
 And this is the greatest sin I have committed with 
 man. 
 
68 HISTORY OP THE 
 
 Conf, Pray, tell me, how could you let him in 
 without scandal ? 
 
 Nun, One of the assembly contrived to mat 
 all the floor of her chamber, and sent for the 
 mat-maker to take the measure of the length and 
 breadth of the room, and to make it in one piece, and 
 send it to the Sexton's chamber, who is a poor 
 ignorant fellow. When the mat was there, and the 
 man paid for it, one day in the evening we sent the 
 sexton on several messages, and kept the key of his 
 room. The friar had asked leave of his prior to go 
 into the country for a month's time, and disguising 
 himself in a layman's habit, feeing well two porters, 
 came in the dusk of the evening into the sexton's 
 room, and rolling up himself in the mat, the porters 
 brought the mat to the door, where we were 
 waiting for it ; and, taking it, we carried it up to one 
 of our chambers. We were afraid that the porters 
 would discover the thing, but by money we have 
 secured ourselves from them ; for we hired ruffians 
 to make away with them. We put him out of the 
 convent in a great chest which could be opened on 
 the inside, and of which he had the key, and giving 
 the chest to the sexton, he and the servant of the 
 convent carried it into the sexton's room. We 
 ordered him to leave the key at the door, for we ex- 
 pected some relations which were to take a collation 
 there ; and we sent him on some errand till the friar 
 had got out of the chest and of danger. 
 
 A month after, three of our friends began to 
 perceive the condition they were in, and left the 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 69 
 
 convent in one night, by which they have given great 
 scandal to the city, and we do not know what has 
 become of them ; as for me, I design to do the same, 
 for I am under the same apprehensions and fear ; for 
 I consider that if I do continue in the convent, 
 my unusual size will discover me, and though one 
 life shall be saved, I shall lose mine by the rulers of 
 our order in a miserable manner, and not only so, but 
 a heavy reflection will fall upon the whole order, and 
 the dishonor of my family shall be the more public : 
 Whereas, if I quit the convent by night, I save two 
 lives, and the world will reflect only upon me, and 
 then I shall take care to go so far off" that nobody 
 shall hear of me ; and as I am sure, in my conscience, 
 that I am not a nun for want of intention, when I 
 did promise to keep obedience, chastity, poverty, 
 and perpetuity, I shall not incur the crime of apos- 
 tacy in leaving the convent ; and if I continue in it, 
 I am fully resolved to prevent my ruin and death by 
 a strong operating remedy. This is all I have to say, 
 and I do expect from y©u not only your advice, but 
 your assistance too. 
 
 Conf, I do find the case so intricate, that I want 
 experience and learning to resolve what to do in it ; 
 and I do think it proper for you to send for another 
 confessor of years and learning, and then you shall 
 have the satisfaction of being well directed and 
 advised. 
 
 Nun. Now, reverend father, I do tell you positively,, 
 that I shall never open my heart to another confessor,, 
 while I live ; and if you do not advise me what ta 
 
70 HIST a Kir OF THE 
 
 do, I shall call you before God for it ; and now I lay 
 upon you whatever thing may happen in my case. 
 
 Conf. Ignorance will excuse me from sin, and I 
 tell you I am ignorant how to resolve the case. 
 
 Nun. I am resolved for all events, and if you. 
 refuse me this comfort, I shall cry out, and say, that 
 you have been soliciting and corrupting me in the 
 very act of confession, and you shall suffer for it in 
 the inquisition. 
 
 Conf. Well, have patience, means may be found 
 out ; and if you give me leave to consult the case, I 
 shall resolve you about it in three days time. 
 
 Nun. How can you consult my case, without 
 exposing the order, and my reputation too, perhaps,, 
 by some circumstance ? 
 
 Conf. Leave it to me, and be not uneasy about 
 it, and I do promise to come with the resolution on 
 Sunday next. 
 
 Nun. Pray, Father, if it be possible, come next 
 Monday morning, and I shall be free from company.. 
 Conf It is very well : but in the mean time, 
 have before your eyes the wrath of God against those 
 that abandon themselves and forget that he is a living 
 God, to punish suddenly great sinners ; and with. 
 this, farewell. 
 
 My mind never before was so much ti'oubled as 
 it was after this case. I was, more by the interests 
 of others, than by my learning, appointed penitentiary 
 confessor in the cathedral church of St. Salvator ; 
 and as the duty of such a confessor is to be every 
 day, in the morning, four hours in the confessionary. 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 71 
 
 from eight to twelve, except he be •called abroad — 
 every body thinks that such a confessor must be able 
 to resolve all cases and difficulties : But it was not 
 so with me ; for I was young and without experi- 
 ence. And as to this case, the next academical day 
 I proposed it in the following manner. 
 
 There is a person bound by word of mouth, but at 
 the same time without intention, nay, with a mind 
 and heart averse to it ; bound, I say, to obedience, 
 thastitt/j and poverty. If the person leaves the con- 
 vent, the crime of apostacy is not committed in foro 
 interno ; and if the person continues in the convent, 
 the consequence is to be a great sin in foro externo 
 and interno. The person expects the resolution, or 
 else is fully resolved to expose the confessor to 
 scandal and personal sufferings : This is the case 
 which I humbly lay down before your learned 
 reverences. 
 
 The president's t>pinion was, that in such a case, 
 the confessor was obliged, in the first place, to reveal 
 it in general terms to the holy inquisitors ; for (said 
 he) though this case is not mentioned in our authors, 
 there are others very like this, which ought to be 
 revealed, viz : all those that are against either the 
 temporal or spiritual good of our neighbor, which 
 -cases are reserved to the bishop or to his deputy ; 
 and this case, by the last circumstance, being injuri- 
 ous to the holy tribunal, the confessor ought to 
 prevent the scandal which might otherwise fall upon 
 him, to reveal the last circumstance. As for the first 
 tjircumstance of the case, in this and others, we must 
 
72 HISTORYOFTHE 
 
 judge secundum allegata and probata; and we 
 must suppose, that no penitent comes to confess with 
 a lie in his mouth ; therefore, if the person affirms 
 that he was bound without intention, he is free before 
 God : Besides, in rebus dubiis minimum est sequen- 
 dum ; so to prevent greater eivil, I think the person 
 may be advised to quit the convent ; and this is 
 agreeable to the Pope's dispensations to such persons, 
 when they swear and produce witness, that (before 
 they were bound to the vow) heard the person say 
 they had no intention to it. 
 
 The reverend Mr. Palomo's opinion was, that the 
 confessor was to take the safest part, which was to 
 advise the penitent to send to Rome for a dispensa- 
 tion, which could be obtained by money, or to the 
 Pope's Nuncio, who would give leave to quit the 
 convent for six months, upon necessity of preserving 
 or recovering bodily health ; and in that time, may 
 be the person would dissipate some fumes of grief or 
 melancholy fancies, &c. 
 
 But I replied to this, that the person could not do 
 the first, for want of witness, nor the second, for 
 being in perfect health, the physician never would 
 grant his certificate to be produced before the Pope's 
 Nuncio, which is absolutely necessary in such cases ; 
 and as to revealing the case to the holy inquisitors, 
 it is very dangerous, both to the person and the con- 
 fessor, as we could prove by several instances. 
 
 To this, several members being of my opinion, it 
 was resolved, that the confessor, first of all, was to 
 absolve the penitent, having a bull of cruzade and 
 
POPISHCHURCH. 73 
 
 extra confessionem, or out of confession give, as a 
 private person, advice to the penitent to quit the 
 convent and take a certificate : Wherein the peni- 
 tent was to specify, that the confessor had given such 
 advice extra actum confessionis. The case and 
 resolution was entered in the academy's book. And 
 accordingly Monday following, I went to the nun 
 and performed Avhat was resolved ; and the very same 
 week, we heard in the city, that such a nun had made 
 her escape out of the convent. 
 
 Two years and a half after this, I saw this very 
 nun one day at the court of Lisbon, but I did not 
 speak with her, for as I was dressed like an officer of 
 the army, I thought she would not know me ; but I 
 was mistaken, for she knew me in my disguise as 
 well as I did her. The next day she came to my 
 lodgings followed by a lacquay, who, by her orders, 
 had dogged me the night before. I was troubled for 
 fear to be discovered, that I thought the best way I 
 could take was to run away and secure myself in an 
 English ship : But by her first words, I discovered 
 that her fear was greater than mine : for after giving 
 me an account of her escape out of the convent, and 
 safe delivery, she told me that a Portuguese captain 
 happening to quarter in the same town where she 
 was, took her away one night, and carried her to. 
 Barcelonia, but that she refusing to comply with his 
 desires, on any but honorable terms, he had married 
 h6r and brought her to Lisbon : That her husband 
 knew nothing of her having been a nuA ; that she 
 took another name, and that she was very happy 
 
 10 
 
74 HISTORYOFTHE 
 
 with her husband, who was very rich, and a man of 
 good sense. She begged me with tears in her eyes 
 not to ruin her by discovering any thing of her Ufe 
 past. I assured her, that nothing should happen on 
 my account, that should disoblige her; and after- 
 wards she asked me why I was not dressed in a 
 clerical habit ? To which I desired her to take no 
 notice of it, for I was there upon secret business and 
 of great consequence, and that as there was nobody 
 there who knew me in Saragossa, it was proper to be 
 disguised. She desired my leave to introduce me to 
 her husband, under the title of a country gentleman, 
 who was come thither for Charles the 3d's sake. I 
 thanked her, and she went home overjoyed with my 
 promise, and I was no less with hers. The next day 
 her husband came to visit me, and ever after, we 
 visited almost every day one another, till I left that 
 city. This I say, she was a better wife than she had 
 been a nun, and lived more religiously in the world, 
 than she had done in the cloister of the convent. 
 
 Now I must leave off the account of private cases 
 and confessions, not to be tedious to the readers by 
 insisting too long a time upon one subject. But, as 
 I promised to the public to discover the most secret 
 practices of the Romish priests, in this point of auri- 
 cular confession, I cannot dismiss nor put an end to 
 this first chapter, without performing my promise. 
 
 By the account I have already given of a few 
 private confessions, every body may easily know the 
 wickedness of the Romish priests, but more particu- 
 larly their covetousness and thirst of money will be 
 detected by my following observations. 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 75 
 
 First of all, if a poor countryman goes to confess, 
 the father confessor takes Uttle pains with him, for, as 
 he expects Uttle or nothing from him, he heajeth him, 
 and with bitter words corrects the poor man, and, 
 most commonly, without any correction, imposing 
 upon him a hard penance, sends him away with the 
 same ignorance he went to confess. 
 
 2. If a soldier happens to go to make his peace 
 with God, (so they express themselves when they go 
 to confess) then the confessor showeth the power of 
 a spiritual guide. He questions him about three sins 
 only, viz. thefts, drunkenness and uncleanness. 
 Perhaps the poor soldier is free from the two first, 
 but if he is guilty of the last, the confessor draws the 
 consequence that he is guilty of all the three, and 
 terrifying him with hell, and all the devils, and the 
 fire of it, he chargeth him with restitution, and that 
 he is obliged to give so much money for the relief of 
 souls in purgatory, or else he cannot get absolution. 
 So the poor man, out of better conscience than his 
 confessor, offers a month's pay, which must be given 
 upon the spot (for in the shop of the confessors there 
 is neither trust nor credit) to appease the rough, bitter 
 confessor, and to get absolution ; and I believe this 
 hard way of using the poor soldiers is the reason that 
 they did not care at all for that act of devotion ; and 
 as they are so bad customers to the confessor's shop, 
 the confessors use their endeavors, when they go to 
 buy absolution, to sell it as dear as they can ; so they 
 pay at one time for two, three, or more years. 
 
 I heard a soldier, damning the confessors, say, "if 
 
f6 HiSll'Ol^YOfTHE 
 
 1 continue in the king's service twenty years, I will 
 not go to confess, for it is easier and cheaper to lift up 
 my finger* and be absolved by our chaplain, than go 
 to a devilish friar, who doth nothing but rail and 
 grumble at me, and yet I must give him money for 
 masses, or else he will not absolve me : 1 will give 
 him leave to bury me alive, if ever he gets me near 
 him again." 
 
 If a collegian goes to confess, he finds a mild and 
 sweet confessor, and without being questioned, and 
 with a small penance, he generally gets absolution. 
 The reason the confessors have to use the collegians 
 with so great civility and mildness is, first, because 
 if a collegian is ill-used by his confessor, he goes to a 
 deaf friar, who absolves ad dexteram and ad sinis- 
 tram, all sorts of penitents for a real of plate ; and 
 after, he inquireth and examineth into all the other 
 confessor's actions, visits and intrigues ; and when 
 he has got matter enough, he will write a lampoon 
 on him, which has happened very often in my time, 
 So the confessor dares not meddle with the collegians, 
 for fear that his tricks should be brought to light ; 
 and another reason is, because the collegians, for the 
 generality are like the Jilles de joye in Lent', i. e» 
 
 *The custom of the Spanish army in the field, and the day 
 before the battle, or before the engagement, the chaplain goes 
 through all the companies, to ask the ofiicers whether they have 
 a mind to confess, and if any one has any thing to say, he 
 whispers in the chaplain's ear, and so through all the officers* 
 As for the private men : Crying out, says, he that has a sin, let 
 him lift up one finger, and gives a general absolution to all at 
 once. 
 
POPISHCHURCH. 77 
 
 without money, and so the confessor cannot expect 
 any profit by them. 
 
 I say, if absolution is denied to a collegian, he goes 
 to a deaf confessor ; for some confessors are called 
 deaf, not because they are really, but because they 
 give small penance without correction ; and never 
 deny absolution, though the sins be reserved to the 
 Pope. I knew two Dominican friars, who were 
 known by the name of deaf confessors, because they 
 never used to question the penitent. 
 
 Only one of such confessors has more business in 
 Lent, than twenty of the others, for he (like our 
 couple -beggars, who for six pence do marry the 
 people) for the same sum gives absolution. And for 
 this reason all the great and habitual sinners go to 
 the deaf confessor, who gives, upon a bargain, a 
 certificate, in which he says that such a one has 
 fulfiled the commandment of the church, for every 
 body is obliged to produce a certificate of confession 
 to the minister of the parish before Easter, or else he 
 must be exposed in the church : So as it is a hard 
 thing for any old sinner to get absolution, and a 
 certificate from other covetous confessors, without a 
 ^reat deal of money, they generally go to the deaf 
 confesso7's. I had a friend in the same convent, who 
 told me, that such confessors were obliged to give 
 two-thirds of their profit to the community, and being 
 only two deaf confessors in that convent, he assured 
 me, that in one lent, they gave to the father prior 600 
 pistoles a piece. I found the thing incredible, think- 
 ing that only poor and debauched people used to go 
 
78 HISTORYOFTHE 
 
 to them ; but he satisfied me, saying, that rich and 
 poor, men and women, priests and nuns^ were cus^ 
 tomers to them, and that only the poor and loose 
 people used to go to confess in the church ; but as 
 for the rich, priests and nuns, they were sent for by 
 them, in the afternoon, and at night ; and that the 
 poor Deafs had scarcely time to get their rest ; and 
 that when they were sent for, the common price was 
 a pistole, and sometimes ten pistoles, according to the 
 quality and circumstances of the person. And thus 
 much of deaf confessors. 
 
 .4. If a friar or priest comes to confess, every body 
 ought to suppose, that the father-confessor has nothing 
 to do, but to give the penance, and pronounce the 
 words of absolution ; for both penitent and confessor 
 being of the same trade, and of the same corporation, 
 or brotherhood ; the fashion of this cloak of absolution 
 is not paid among them, and they work one for 
 another, Avithout any interest, in expectation of the 
 same return. 
 
 This must be understood between the friars only, 
 not between a friar and a secular priest ; for these 
 do not like one another, and the reason is, because 
 the friars, for the generality, are such officious and 
 insinuating persons in families, that by their impor- 
 tunities and assiduity of visits, they become at last 
 the masters of families, and goods ; so the secular 
 priest hath nothing to busy himself with ; and 
 observe, that there are twenty friars to one secular 
 priest, so the small fish is eaten by the greater ; 
 therefore, if it happens sometimes upon necessity, 
 
POPISHCKURCH. 79 
 
 that a priest goes to (X)nfess to a friar, or a friar to a 
 priest, they make use of such an opportunity, to exact 
 as much as they can from one another. 
 
 I know a good merry priest, who had been in 
 company with a friar's devota, i. e. in proper terms, 
 mistress : and jested a httle with her : Afterwards, 
 the poor priest having something to confess, and no 
 other confessor in his way, but the devoto of that 
 devota, he was forced to open his heart to him ; but 
 the confessor was so hard upon him, that he made 
 him pay on the nail two pieces of eight, to %et abso- 
 hition. So he paid dear for jesting with the mistress 
 of a friar ; and he protested to me, that if it ever 
 happened, that that friar should come to confess to 
 him, he should not go away at so cheap a rate. 
 
 This I can aver, that I went to a Franciscan 
 convent the second day of August, to get the indul- 
 gences of the Jubilee of Porciunculae, and my confes- 
 sor was so hard, that he began to persuade me, he 
 could not absolve me without a pistole in hand : I 
 told him, that I had not confessed any reserved sin, 
 and that he did not know I could ruin him : But the 
 friar, knowing that it was a great scandal to get up 
 from his feet without adsolution, he insisted on it ; 
 and I was obliged to avoid scandal, to give him his 
 demand. After the confession was over, as I had 
 been in a great passion at the unreasonable usage 
 of the friar ; I thought it was not fit for me to cele- 
 brate the Mass without a new reconciliation (as we 
 call the short confession,) so I went to the father- 
 guardian or superior of the convent, and confessing 
 
80 HISTORYOFTHE 
 
 that sin of passion, occasioned by the covetous usage 
 of such a confessor, his correction to me was, to pay 
 down another pistole for scandalizing both the friar 
 and the Franciscan habit ; I refused the correction, 
 and went home without the second absolution. I 
 had a mind to expose both of them ; but upon second 
 thoughts, I did nothing at all, for fear that the whole 
 order should be against me. 
 
 5. If a modest, serious, religious lady comes to 
 confess, he useth her in another way ; for he knows 
 that such ladies never come to confess, without giving 
 a good charity for Masses ; so all the confessor^s care 
 is, to get himself into the lady's favor, which he doth 
 by hypocritical expressions of godliness and devotion, 
 of humility and strictness of life. He speaks gravely 
 and conscientiously, and if the lady has a family, he 
 gives her excellent advices, as, to keep her children 
 within the limits of sobriety and virtue, for the world 
 is so deceitful, that we ought always to be upon our 
 guard ; and to watch continually over our souls, &c. 
 And by that means and the like, (the good lady 
 believing him a sincere and devout man,) he becomes 
 the guide of her soul, of her house and family, and 
 most commonly the ruin of her children, and some- 
 times her own ruin too. I will give the following 
 instance to confirm this truth ; and as the thing was 
 public, I need not scruple to mention it with the real 
 names. In the year 1706, F. Antonio Gallardo, Au- 
 gustin friar, murdered Donna Isabella Mendez, and 
 a child three weeks old sucking at her breast. The 
 lady was but twenty -four years of age, and had been 
 
11 
 
82 HISTORYOFTHE 
 
 married eight years to Don Francisco Mendez. The 
 friar had been her spiritual guide all that while, and 
 all the family had so great a respect and esteem for 
 him, that he was the absolute master of the house. 
 The lady was brought to bed, and Don Francisco 
 being obliged to go into the country for four days, 
 desired the father to come and lie in his house, and 
 take care of it in his absence. The father's room 
 was always ready : so he went there the same day 
 Don Francisco went into the country. At eight at 
 night, both the father and the lady went to supper, 
 and after he sent all the maids and servants into the 
 hall to sup, the lady took the child to give him suck ; 
 and the friar told her, in plain and short reasons, his 
 love, and that without any reply or delay, she must 
 comply with his request. The lady said to him, 
 Father, if you propose such a thing to try my faith- 
 fulness and virtue, you know my conscience these 
 eight years past ; and if you have any ill design, I 
 will call my family to prevent your further assurance. 
 The friar then in fury taking a knife, killed the child, 
 and wounded so deeply the mother, that she died two 
 hours after. The friar made his escape, but whether 
 he went to his convent or not, we di^ not hear. I 
 myself saw the lady dead, and went to her burial in 
 the church of the old St. John. 
 
 6. If a Beat a goes to confess, which they do every 
 day, or at least every other day, then the Confessor, 
 with a great deal of patience, hears her (sure of his 
 reward.) I cannot pass by without giving a plain 
 description of the women called Beatas, i. e. blessed 
 
POPISHCHURCH. 83 
 
 women. These are most commonly tradesmen's 
 wives, [generally speaking, ugly] and of a middle age. 
 But this rule has some exceptions, for there are some 
 Beatas young and handsome. They are dressed 
 with modesty, and walk, with a serious coimtenance. 
 But since their designs in this outward modesty, were 
 discovered, they are less in number and almost out 
 of fashion, since king Philip came to the throne of 
 Spain ; for the French liberty and freedom being 
 introduced amongst the ladies, they have no occasion 
 of stratagems to go abroad when they please : So, 
 as the design of a Beata was to have an excuse, on 
 pretence of confession, to go out, suhlata causa 
 tollitur effectus. 
 
 The Confessor, I said, of a Beata, was sure of his 
 reward ; for she, watching the living and dead, useth 
 to gather money for masses, from several people, to 
 satisfy her confessor for the trouble of hearing her 
 impertinences every day. A Beata sometimes makes 
 her confesssor beleive that many things were revealed 
 to her by the Holy Spirit ; sometimes she pretends to 
 work miracles ; and by such visions^ fancies, or 
 dreams, the confessors fall' into horrible crimes before 
 God and the world. 
 
 The following instance, which was published by the inquisitors, 
 will be a testimony of this truth. I give the real names of the 
 persons in this account, because the thing was made public. 
 
 In the city of Saragossa, near the college of St. 
 Thomas of Villaneuva, lived Mary Guerrero, married 
 *o a tailor ; she was handsome, witty, and ambitious : 
 
84 HISTORTOFTHE 
 
 but as the rank of a tailor's wife could not make her 
 shine among the quality, she undertook the life of sL 
 Beata, to be known by it in the city. The first step 
 she was to make was to choose a confessor of good 
 parts, and of good reputation among the nobility ; so 
 she pitched upon the reverend Father Fr. Michael 
 Navarro, a Dominican Friar, a man who was D. D. 
 and a man universally well beloved for his doctrine 
 and good behaviour. But, quando Venus vigilat, 
 Minerva dormit. She began to confess to him, and 
 in less than a year, by her feigned modesty, and 
 hypocritical airs ; and by confessing no sins, but the 
 religious exercises of her life ; the reverend father 
 began to publish in the city her sanctity to the highest 
 pitch. Many ladies and gentlemeii of the first rank, 
 desirous to see the new saint, sent for her, but she 
 did not appear, but by her maid, gave a denial to all. 
 This was a new addition to the fame of her sanctity, 
 and a new incitement to the ladies to see her. So 
 some, going to visit Father Navarro, desired the favor 
 of him to go along with them, and introduce them 
 to the blessed Guerrero : But the father, (either 
 bewitched by her, or in expectation of a bishoprick, 
 for the making of a saint, or the better to conceal his 
 private designs,) answered, that he could not do such 
 a thing ; for, knowing her virtue, modesty, and 
 aversion to any act of vanity, he should be very much 
 in the wrong to give her opportunities of cooling her 
 fervent zeal and purity. 
 
 By that means, rich and poor, old and young, men 
 and women, began to resort to her neighbor's house, 
 
POPISHCHURCH. 85 
 
 and the Dominican church, only to see the blessed 
 Guerrero. She showed a great displeasure at these 
 popular demonstrations of respect, and resolved to 
 keep close at home ; and after a long consultation 
 with the Father Navarro, they agreed that she should 
 keep her room, and that he would go to confess her, 
 and say mass in her room, (for the Dominicans, and 
 the four Mendicant orders, have a privilege for their 
 friars to say Mass, or, as they say, to set an altar 
 every where.) To begin this new way of living, the 
 father charged her husband to quit the house and 
 never appear before his wife ; for his sight would be 
 a great hindrance to his wife^s sanctity and purity : 
 and the poor sot believing every thing, went away 
 and took a lodging for himself and apprentice. 
 
 They continued this way of living, both she and 
 the Father, a whole year ; but the fatigue of going 
 every day to say Mass and confess the blessed, being 
 too great for the reverend, he asked leave from the 
 reverend father Buenacasa, then prior of the convent, 
 to go and live with her as a spiritual guide. The 
 prior, foreseeing some great advantage, gave him 
 leave, so he went for good and all to be her lodger and 
 master of the houi^. When the father was in the 
 house, he began by degrees to give permission to the 
 people now and then to see the blessed, through the 
 glass of a little window, desiring them not to make a 
 noise, for fear of disturbing the blessed in her exercise 
 of devotion ; She was in her own room, always upon 
 her knees, when some people were to see her through 
 the glass, which was in the wall between her room 
 
86 HISTORY or THE 
 
 and that of the reverend. In a few months after, the 
 archbishop went to see her, and conversed with her 
 and the father Navarro, who was in great friendship 
 with, and much honored by his Grace. This example 
 of the prelate put the nobility in mind to do the same. 
 The viceroy not being permitted by his royal repre- 
 sentation to go to her, sent his coach one night for 
 her, and both the father and the bhsssd had the 
 honor to sup in private with his Excellancy. This 
 being spread abroad, she was troubled with coaches 
 and presents from all sorts and conditions of people. 
 Many sick went there in hopes to be healed by her 
 sight ; and some that happened to go when nature 
 itself was upon the crisis, or by the exercise of 
 walking, or by some other natural operation, finding 
 themselves better, used to cry out, a miracle, a 
 miracle ! She wanted nothing but to be carried on a 
 pedestal upon the ignorant's shoulders : The fame 
 of her sanctity was spread so far, that she was 
 troubled every post day with letters from people of 
 quality in other provinces, so the reverend was 
 obliged to take a secretary under him, and a porter 
 to keep the door ; for they had removed to another 
 house of better appearance and more conveniency. 
 Thus they continued for the space of two years, and 
 all this while the reverend was writing the life of the 
 blessed; and many times he was pressed to print 
 part of her life-; but the time of the discovery of 
 itheir wickedness being come, they were taken by am 
 ^rder from the holy inquisition. 
 
 The discovery happened thus: Ann Moroia, a 
 
POPISHCHURGH. 87 
 
 surgeon's wife, who lived next door to the blessed, 
 had a child of ten months old ; and, as a neighbor, 
 she went to desire the reverend to beg of the blessed 
 to take the child and kiss him, thinking, that by such 
 an holy kiss, her child would be happy forever. But 
 the reverend desiring her to go herself and make the 
 request to the blessed, she did it accordingly. Mary 
 Guerrero took the child, and bid the mother leave 
 him with her for a quarter of an hour. Ann Moron 
 then thought that her child was already in heaven ; 
 but when in a quarter of an hour after, she came 
 again for the child, the blessed told her, that her child 
 was to die the night following, for so God had 
 revealed to her in a short prayer she made for the 
 child. The child really died the night following, but 
 the surgeon, as a tender father, seeing some spots and 
 marks in his child's body, opened it, and found in it 
 the cause of its unfortimate death, which was a dose 
 of poison. Upon this suspicion of the child's being 
 poisoned, and the foretelling of his death by the 
 blessed, the father went to the inquisitors, and told 
 the nature of the thing. 
 
 Don Pedro Guerrero, the first inquisitor, was then 
 absent; so Don Francisco Torrejon, second inquisi- 
 tor went himself to examine the thing, and seeing 
 the child dead, and all the circumstances against the 
 blessed, he then ordered that she and the reverend, 
 and all their domestic servants, should be secured 
 immediately, and sent to the holy inquisition. All 
 things were done accordingly, and this sudden and 
 unexpected accident made such a noise in town, that 
 
88 HISTORYOPTHE 
 
 every body reasoned in his own way, but nobody 
 dared to speak of the inquisitor. At the same time 
 every thing in the house was seized upon, with the 
 papers of the reverend, &c. Among the papers was 
 found the hfe of the blessed, written by father 
 Navarro's own hand. I said in the beginning that 
 he was bewitched, and so many people believed ; for 
 it seemed incredible that so learned a man as he was 
 in his own religion, should fall into so gross an igno- 
 rance as to write such a piece, in the method it was 
 found composed ; for the manuscript contained about 
 six hundred sheets, which by an order of the inquisi- 
 tors, were sent to the qualijicators of the holy office, 
 to be reviewed by them, and to have their opinions 
 thereupon. I shall speak of these qualificators, when 
 I come to treat of the inquisitors and their practices. 
 Now it is sufficient to say, that all the qualificators, 
 being examinators of the crimes committed against 
 the holy catholic faith, examined the sheets, and their 
 opinion was, that the book entitled the life of the 
 blessed Mary Guerrero, composed by the reverend 
 father Fr. Michael Navarro, was scandalous, false, 
 and against revealed doctrines in the Scripture, and 
 good manners, and that it deserved to be burnt in 
 the common yard of the holy offiice, by the mean 
 officer of it. 
 
 After this examination was made, the inquisitors 
 summoned two priests out of every parish church, 
 and two friars out of every convent, to come such a 
 day to the hall of the holy tribunal, to be present at 
 the trial and examinations against Mary Guerrero, 
 
POPISHCHURCH. 89 
 
 and Michael Navarro. It was my turn to go to that 
 trial for the cathedral church of St. Salvator. We 
 went the day appointed, and all the summoned priests 
 and friars, to the number of one hundred and fifty, 
 besides the inquisitors, officers of the inquisition, and 
 qualificators ; these had the cross of the holy office 
 before their breasts, which is set upon their habits in 
 a very nice manner. The number of qualificators I 
 reckoned that day in the hall, were two hundred and 
 twenty. When all the summoned were together, 
 and the inquisitors under a canopy of black velvet, 
 (which is placed at the right corner of the altar, upon 
 which was an image of the crucifix, and six yellow 
 wax candles, without any other light,) they made 
 the signal to bring the prisoners to the bar, and 
 immediately they came out of prison, and kneeling 
 down before the holy fathers, the secretary began to 
 read the articles of the examination, and convictions 
 of their crimes. 
 
 Indeed, both the father and the blessed appeared 
 that day very much like saints, if we will believe the 
 Roman's proverb, that paleness and thin visage is a 
 sign of sanctity. The examination, and the lecture 
 of their crimes was so long, that We were summoned 
 three times more upon the same trial, in which to the 
 best of my memory, I heard the following articles : 
 
 That by the blessed's confession to Michael Na- 
 varro, this in the beginning of her life says : 1st. 
 That the blessed creature knew no sin since she was 
 born into the world. 2d. She has been several times 
 visited by the angels in her closet j and Jesus Christ 
 
 12 
 
90 HISTORYOFTHE 
 
 himself has come down thrice to give her new 
 heavenly instructions. 3d. She was advised by the 
 divine spouse to live separately from her husband. 
 4th. She was once favored with a visit of the holy 
 trinity, and then she saw Jesus at the left hand of the 
 Father. 5th. The holy dove came afterwards and 
 sat upon her head many times. 6th. This holy 
 comforter has foretold her, that her body after death 
 shall be always incorruptable ; and that a great king, 
 with the news of her death, shall come to honor her 
 sepulchre with this motto : "The soul of this warrior* 
 is the glory of my kingdom." 7th. Jesus Christ, in 
 a Dominican's habit, appeared to her at night, and in 
 a celestial dream she was overshadowed by the spirit. 
 8th. She had taken out of purgatory seven times the 
 soul of her companion's sister. (What folly !) 9th. 
 The Pope and the whole church shall rejoice in her 
 death ; nay, his holiness shall canonize her, and put 
 her in the litany before the apostles, &c. 
 
 After these things, her private miracles were read, 
 &c., and so many passages of her life, that it would 
 be too tedious to give an account of them. I only 
 write these to show the stupidity of the reverend 
 Navarro, who, if he had been in his perfect senses, 
 could not have committed so gross an error. — (This 
 was the pious people's opinion.) — The truth is, that the 
 Blessed was not overshadowed by the spirit, but by 
 her confessor ; for she being at that time with child, 
 and delivered in the inquisition, one article against 
 
 * Guerrero fin Spanish, signifies warrior. 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 91 
 
 the father was, that he had his bed near her bed, and 
 that he was the father of the new child, or monster 
 on earth. 
 
 Their sentences were not read in public, and what 
 was their end we know not ; only we heard that the 
 husband of the blessed had notice given him by an 
 officer of the holy office, that he was at liberty to 
 marry any other he had a fancy for ; and by this true 
 accomit the public may easily know the extravagances 
 of the Romish confessors, who, blinded either by their 
 own passions, or by the subtilties of the wicked beatas ; 
 do commit so great and heineous crimes, &c. 
 
 There is another sort of beatas, whom we call 
 endemoniadas, i. e. demoniacs, and by these possessed 
 the confessor gets a vast deal of masses. I will tell 
 you, reader, the nature of the thing, and by it you 
 will see the cheat of the confessor and the demoniac. 
 I said before, that among the beatas there are two 
 sorts, young, and of middle age, but all married ; and 
 that the young undertake the way of confessing every 
 day, or three times a week, to get an opportunity of 
 going abroad, and be delivered a while from their 
 husband's jealousies: But many husbands being 
 jealous of the flies that come near their wives, they 
 scarcely give them leave to go to confess. Observe 
 further, that those women make their husbands 
 beheve that out of spite, a witch has given them the 
 evil spirit, and they make such unusual gestures, both 
 with their faces and mouths, that it is enough to 
 make the world laugh only at the sight of them. 
 When they are in the fit of the evil spirit they talk 
 
92 HISTORYOFTHE 
 
 blasphemously against God and his saints ; they beat 
 husbands and servants ; they put themselves in such 
 a sweat, that when the evil spirit leaves them for a 
 while, (as they say,) they cannot stand upon their 
 feet for excessive fatigue. The poor deceived hus- 
 bands, troubled in mind and body, send for a physi- 
 cian ; but this says, he has no remedy for such a 
 distemper, and that physic knows no manner of devil, 
 and so, their dealing being not of the spirit, but with 
 the body, he sends the husband to the spiritual 
 physician ; and by that means they are, out of a good 
 design, procurers for their own wives ; for really 
 they go to the spiritual father, begging his favor and 
 assistance to come to exorcise, i. e. to read the prayer 
 of the church, and to turn out the evil spirit out of his 
 wife's body. Then the father makes him understand, 
 that the thing is very troublesome, and that if the devil 
 is obstinate and positive, he cannot leave his wife in 
 three or four nights, and may be, in a month or two ; 
 by which he must neglect other business of honor and 
 profit. To this the deluded husband promises that 
 his trouble shall be well recompenced, and puts a 
 peice of gold in his hand, to make him easy ; so he 
 pays beforehand for his future dishonor. Then the 
 father exorcist goes along with him, and as soon as 
 the wife hears the voice of the exorcist, she flies into 
 an unmeasurable fury, and cries out, do not let that 
 man (meaning the exorcist) come to torment me (as if 
 the devil did speak in her and for her.) But he takes 
 the hysop with holy water and sprinkles the room. 
 Here the demoniac throweth herself on the floor, 
 
POPISHCHURCH. 93 
 
 teareth her clothes and hair, as if she was perfectly a 
 mad woman. Then the priest tieth the blessed stole, 
 i. e. a sort of scarf they make use of among other 
 ornaments to say mass, upon her neck, and begins 
 the prayers. Sometimes the devil is very timorous, 
 and leaves the creature immediately easy ; sometimes 
 he is obstinate, and will resist a long while before he 
 obeys the exorcisms of the church ; but at last he 
 retires himself into his own habitation, and frees the 
 creature from his torments ; for, they say, that the 
 devil or evil spirit, sometimes has his place in the 
 head, sometimes in the stomach, sometimes in the 
 liver, &c. After the woman is easy for a Avhile, they 
 eat and drink the best that can be found in the town. 
 A while after, when the husband is to mind his 
 own business, the wife, on pretence that the evil 
 spirit begins again to trouble her, goes into her 
 chamber and desireth the father to hear her confes- 
 sion. They lock the door after them, and what they 
 do for an hour or two, God only knoweth. These 
 private confessions and exercises of devotion continue 
 for several months together, and the husband loath to 
 go to bed with his wife, for fear of the evil spirit, 
 goes to another chamber, and the father lieth in the 
 same room with his wife on a field-bed, to be always 
 ready, when the malignant spirit comes, to exorcise, 
 and beat him with the holy Stola. So deeply igno- 
 rant are the people in that part of the world, or so 
 great bigots, that on pretence of religious remedies to 
 cure their wives of the devilish distemper, they 
 contract a worse distemper on their heads and honors, 
 
94 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 which no physician, either spiritual or corporal, can 
 ever cure. 
 
 When in a month or two, the father and demoniac 
 have settled matters between themselves, for the 
 time to come, he tells the husband, that the devil is 
 in a great measure tamed, by the daily exorcisms of 
 the holy mother, the church, and that it is time for 
 him to retire, and mind other business of his convent ; 
 and that, it being impossible for him to continue 
 longer in his house, all he can do, is to serve him 
 and her in his convent, if she goes there every day. 
 The husband, with a great deal of thanks, pays the 
 father for his trouble, who, taking his leave, goes to 
 his community, and gives to the father prior two 
 parts of the money (for the third part is allowed to him 
 for his own pains.) The day following, in the morning 
 the demoniac is worse than she was before : Then 
 the husband, out of faith, and zeal of a good Christian, 
 crieth out, the father is gone, and the devil is loose : 
 The exorcisms of the church are not ready at hand, 
 and the evil spirit thinks himself at liberty, and begins 
 to trouble the poor creature : Let us send her to the 
 convent, and the bold, malignant spirit shall pay dear 
 there for this new attempt. So the wife goes to the 
 father, and the father takes her into a little room, 
 next to the vestry, (a place to receive their acquaint- 
 ance, only of the female sex,) and there, both in 
 private, the father appeases the devil, and the woman 
 goes quiet and easy to her house, where she con- 
 tinues in the same easiness till the next morning. 
 Then the devil begins to trouble her again ; and the 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 95 
 
 husband says, obstinate spirit ! You make all this 
 noise because the hour of being beaten with the holy 
 stola is near : I know that your spite and malice 
 against the exorcisms of the church is great ; but the 
 poAver of them is greater than thine : Go, go to the 
 father, and go through all the lashes of the stola, So 
 the woman goes again to the father, and in this 
 manner of life they continue for a long while. 
 
 There is of these beatas, in every convent church, 
 not a few ; for sometimes, one of these exorcists keeps 
 six, and sometimes ten, by whom, and their husbands, 
 he is very well paid for the trouble of confessing them 
 every day, and for taming the devil. But the most 
 pleasant thing among those demoniacs is, that they 
 have different devils that trouble them; for, by a 
 strict commandment of the father, they are forced to 
 tell their names, so one is called Belzebub, another 
 Lucifer, &c. : And those devils are very jealous, one 
 of another. I saw several times, in the body of the 
 church, a battle among three of those demoniacs, on 
 pretence of being in the fit of the evil spirit, 
 threatening and beating one another, and calling one 
 another nicknames, till the father came with the 
 hysop, holy water and the stola, to appease them, 
 and bid them to be silent, and not to make such a 
 noise in the house of the Lord. And the whole 
 matter was, (as we knew afterwards,) that the father 
 exorcist was more careful of one than the others ; 
 and jealousy (which is the worse devil) getting into 
 their heads, they give it to their respective devils, 
 who, with an infernal fury, fought one against 
 
96 HISTORYOFTHE 
 
 another, out of pet and revenge for the sake of their 
 lodging-room. 
 
 In the city Huesca, where (as they beUeve) 
 Ponthis Pilate was professor of law in the university, 
 and his chair, or part of it, is kept in the bishop's 
 palace for a show, and a piece of antiquity, (and 
 which I saw myself,) I say, I saw, and conversed 
 both with the father exorcist and the beata demoniac 
 about the following instance : 
 
 The thing not being publicly divulged, but among 
 a few persons, I will give an account of it under the 
 names of father John and Dorothea. This Dorothea, 
 when thirteen years old, was married, against her incli- 
 nations, to a tradesman fifty years old. The beauty of 
 Dorothea, and the ugliness of her husband, were very 
 much, the one admired, and the other observed by all 
 the inhabitants of the city. The bishop's secretary 
 made the match, and read the ceremony of the church, 
 for he was the only executor of her father's will and 
 testament. She was known by the name of Young 
 dancing eyes. Her husband was jealous of her, in 
 the highest degree : She could not go out without 
 him ; and so she suffered this torment for the space 
 of three years. She had an aversion, and a great 
 antipathy against him. Her confessor was a young, 
 well-shaped friar ; and whether out of her own con- 
 trivance, or by the friar's advice, one day, unexpected 
 by her husband, the devil was detected and mani- 
 fested in her. What affliction this was to the old, 
 amorous, jealous husband, is inexpressible. The 
 poor man went himself to the Jesuit's college, next to 
 
POPISHCHURCH. 97 
 
 his house, for an exorcist, but the Jesuit could do 
 nothing to appease that devil, to the great surprise 
 of the poor husband, and many others too, who. 
 believe, that a Jesuit can command and overcome the 
 devil himself, and that the devils are more afraid of 
 a Jesuit, than of their sovereign prince in hell 
 
 The poor husband sent for many others, but the 
 effect did not answer the purpose, till at last her own 
 confessor came to her, and after many exorcisms and 
 private prayers, she was (or the devil in her) pacified 
 for a while. This was a testimony of the father 
 John's fervent zeal and virtue to the husband ; sa 
 they settled how the case was to be managed for the 
 future. Friar John was very well recompensed upon 
 the bargain ; and both the demoniac and friar John 
 continued in daily battle with the evil spirit for two 
 years together. The husband began to sleep quiet 
 and easy, thinking that his wife, having the devil in 
 her body, was not able to be unfaithful to him ; for 
 while the malignant torments the body, the woman 
 begins to fast in public, and eat in private with the 
 exorcist ; and the exercises of such demoniacs are all 
 of prayers and devotions ; so the deceived husband 
 believes it is better to have a demoniac wife, than 
 one free from the evil spirit. 
 
 The exorcisms of friar John, (being to appease not 
 a spiritual, but a material devil,) he and Dorothea 
 were both discovered, and found in the fact, by a 
 friar in the same convent, who, by many presents 
 from friar John and Dorothea, did not reveal the 
 thing to the prior, but he told it to some of his friends^ 
 
 13 
 
98 HISTORYOFTHE 
 
 which were enemies to friar John, from whom I 
 heard the story. For my part, I did not beUeve it 
 for a while, till at last, I knew, that the friar John 
 was removed into another convent, and that Dorothea 
 left her house and husband, and went after him ; 
 though the husband endeavored to spread abroad., 
 that the devil had stolen his wife. These are the 
 effects of the practices of the demoniacs and exorcists. 
 
 Now I come lo the persons of public authority, either in ecclesi- 
 astical, civil, or military affairs, and to the ladies of the first 
 quality or rank in the world. As to those, I must beg leave 
 to tell the truth, as well as of the inferior people. But, 
 because the confessors of such persons are most commonly all 
 Jesuits, it seems very apropos to give a description of those 
 Fathers, their practices and lives, and to write of them, what 
 I know to be a matter of fact. 
 
 Almost in all the Roman-Catholic countries, the 
 Jesuit fathers are the teachers of the Latin tongue, 
 and to this purpose they have in every college, (so 
 they call their convents) four large rooms, which are 
 called the four classes for the grammar. There is 
 one teacher in each of them. The city corporation, 
 or political body, paying the rector of the Jesuits so 
 much a year, and the young gentlemen are at no 
 expense at all for learning the Latin tongue. The 
 scholars lodge in town, and they go every day, from 
 eight in the morning till eleven, to the college ; and 
 when the clock strikes eleven, they go along with the 
 four teachers to hear mass : They go at two in the 
 afternoon, till half after four, and so they do all the 
 year long, except the holidays, and the vacations 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 99 
 
 from the fifteenth of August till the ninth of Septem- 
 ber. As the four teachers receive nothing for their 
 trouble, because the payment of the city goes to the 
 community, they have contrived how to be recom- 
 pensed for their labor : There were in the college of 
 Saragossa, when I learned Latin, very near six 
 hundi'ed scholars, noblemen, and tradesmen's sons ; 
 every one was to pay every Saturday a real of plate 
 for the rule (as they call it.) There is a custom, to 
 have a public literal act once every day, to which are 
 invited the young gentlemen's parents, but none of 
 the common people. The father rector and all the 
 community are present, and placed in their velvet 
 chairs. To the splendid performance of this act, the 
 four teachers choose twelve gentlemen, and each of 
 them is to make, by heart, a Latin speech in the 
 pulpit. They choose besides the twelve, one emperor, 
 two kings, and two pretors, which are always the 
 most noble of the young gentlemen : They wear 
 crowns on then* heads that day, which is the dis- 
 tinguishing character of their learning. The emperor 
 sits under a canopy, the pretors on each side, and the 
 kings a step lower, and the twelve senators in two 
 lines next to the throne. This act lasts three hours ; 
 and after all is over, the teachers and the father 
 rector invite the nobility and the emperor, with the 
 pretors, kings and senators, to go to the conmion hall 
 of the college, to take refreshment of the most nice 
 sweetmeats and best liquor. The fathers of the 
 emperor, kings, pretors, and senators, are to pay for 
 all the charges and expenses, which are fixed to be 
 
100 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 a hundred pistoles every month. And every time 
 there are new emperors or kings, &c, by moderate 
 computation, we were sure, that out of the remainder 
 of th€ hundred pistoles a month, and a real of plate 
 every week from each of the scholars, the four father 
 teachers had clear, to be divided among themselves 
 every year, sixteen hundred pistoles. 
 
 We must own that the Jesuits are very fit, and the 
 most proper persons for the education of youth, and 
 that all these exercises and public acts (though for 
 their interests) are great stimulations and incitements 
 to learning in young gentlemen ; for one of them 
 will study night and day only to get the empty title 
 of Emperor, &c. once in a month ; and their parents 
 are very glad to expend eight pistoles a year to 
 encourage their sons, and besides that, they believe, 
 that they are under a great obligation to the Jesuit's 
 college, and the Jesuits knowing their tempers, be- 
 come, not only acquainted with them, but absolute 
 masters of their houses : I must own, likewise, that 
 I never heard of any Jesuit father, any thing against 
 good manners or Christian^conversation ; for really, 
 they behave themselves, as to outward appearance, 
 with so great civility, modesty, and policy, that 
 nobody has any thing to say against their deport- 
 ment in the world, except self-interest and ambition. 
 And really, the Jesuits' order is the richest of all 
 the orders in Christendom ; and because the reason 
 of it is not well known, I will now tell the ways by 
 which they gather together so great treasures every 
 where. As they are universally teachers of the 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 101 
 
 Latin tongue, and have this opportunity to know the 
 youth, they pitch upon the most ingenious young 
 men, and upon the richest of all, though they be not 
 very witty ; they spare neither time, nor persuasions 
 nor presents, to persuade them to be of the society 
 of Jesus (so they name their order) : the poor and 
 ingenious are very glad of it, and the noble and rich 
 too, thinking to be great men upon account of their 
 quality : so their colleges are composed of witty and 
 noble people. By the noble gentlemen they get 
 riches ; by the witty and ingenious they support 
 their learning, and breed up teachers and great men 
 to govern the consciences of princes, people of public 
 authority, and ladies of the first rank. 
 
 They do not receive ladies in private in their 
 colleges, but always in the middle of the church or 
 chapel ; they never sit down to hear them. They 
 do not recieve charity for masses, nor beatas, nor 
 demoniacs in their church, (I never saw one there) 
 their modesty and civil manners charm every one 
 that speaks with them ; though I believe, all that is 
 to carry on their private end and interests. They 
 are indefatigable in the procuring the good of souls, 
 and sending missionaries to catechise the children in 
 the country ; and they have fit persons in every 
 college for all sorts of exercises, either of devotion, of 
 law, or policy, &c. They entertain nobody within 
 the gate of the college, so nobody knows what they 
 do among themselves. If it sometimes happens that 
 one doth not answer their expectation, after he has 
 taken the habit, they turn him out ; for they have 
 
102 HISTORY OP THE 
 
 fourteen years trial : but as soon as they turn him 
 out, they underhand procure a handsome settlement 
 for him ; so that he who is expelled dares not say 
 any thing against them, for fear of losing his bread. 
 And if, after he is out, he behaves himself well, and 
 gets some riches, he is sure to die a Jesuit. 
 
 I heard of Don Pedro Segovia, who had been a 
 Jesuit, but was tvirned out, but by the Jesuits' influ- 
 ence, he got a prebendary in the cathedral church, 
 and was an eminent preacher. He was afterwards 
 constantly visited by them, and whenhe came to die, 
 he asked again the habit, and being granted to him 
 he died a Jesuit, and by his death the Jesuits became 
 heirs of twenty thousand pistoles in money and lands. 
 
 There are confessors of kings and princes, of 
 ministers of state, and generals, and of all the people 
 of distinction and estates. So it is no wonder if they 
 are masters of the tenth part of the riches in every 
 kingdom, and if God doth not put a stop to their 
 covetousness, it is to be feared, that one way or other, 
 they will become masters of all, for they do not seek 
 dignities, being prohibited by the constitutions of 
 their order, to be bishops and popes ; it is only 
 allowed to them to be cardinals, to govern the pope 
 by that means, as well as to rule emperors, kings, and 
 princes. At this present time all the sovereigns of 
 Europe have Jesuits for their confessors. 
 
 Now it is high time to come to say something as 
 to their practices in confessions ; and I will only 
 speak of those I knew particularly well. 
 
 First, The reverend father Navasques, professor 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 103 
 
 of divinity in their college, was chosen confessor of 
 the countess of Fuentes, who was left a widow at 
 twenty-four years of age. This lady, as well as 
 other persons of quality, kept a coach and servant 
 for the father confessor. He has always a father 
 companion to say mass to the lady. She allows so 
 much a year to the college, and so much to her con- 
 fessor and his companion. All persons have an 
 oratory or chapel in their houses, by dispensation 
 from the pope, for which they pay a great deal of 
 money. There way of living is thus, in the morning 
 they send the coach and servant to the college, most 
 commonly at eleven of the clock : the father goes 
 every day at that time, and the lords and ladies do 
 not confess every day ; they have mass said at home 
 and after mass, the reverend stays in the lady's 
 company till dinner-time : then he goes to the college 
 till six in the evening, and at six goes again to see 
 the lady or lord, till eleven. What are their dis- 
 courses I do not know, This I Imow, that nothing 
 is done in the family without the reverend's advice 
 and approbation. So it was with the countess' 
 family, and when she died, the college got four 
 thousand pistoles a year from her. 
 
 The reverend father Muniessa, confessor of the 
 dutchess of Villahermosa, in the same manner got at 
 her death thirty thousand pistoles, and the reverend 
 father Aranda, confessor to the countess of Aranda, 
 got two thousand pistoles yearly rent from her, all 
 for the college. Now what means they make use of 
 to bewitch the people and to suck their substance, 
 
104 HISTORY OP THE 
 
 every body may think, but nobody may guess at. 
 An ingenious politician was asked how the Jesuits 
 could be rightly described and defined, and he gave 
 this definition of them. Jimicifrigidi, and inimici 
 calidi, i. e. cold friends and warm enemies. And 
 this is all I can write concerning their manners and 
 practices. 
 
 Before I dismiss this subject, I cannot pass by one 
 instance more, touching the practices of confessors in 
 general, and that is, that since I came to these 
 northern countries, I have been told by gentlemen of 
 good sense, and serious in their conversation, that 
 many priests and friars were procurers (when they 
 were in those parts of the world) and showed them 
 the way of falling into the comman sin. It is no 
 doubt they know all the lewd women by auricular 
 confession, but I could not believe they could be so 
 villanous and base, as to make a show of their 
 wickedness before strangers. This I must say in 
 vindication of a great many of them (for what I write 
 is only of the wicked ones,) that they are many times 
 engaged in intrigues unknown to themselves, and 
 they are not to be blamed, but only the persons that 
 with false insinuations, make them believe a lie for 
 a truth, and this under a pretence of devotion. To 
 clear this I will tell a story, which was told me by a 
 colonel in the English service, who lives at present 
 in London. 
 
 He said to me that an officer, a friend of his, was 
 a prisoner in Spain : his lodgings were opposite to a 
 councellor's house. The councellor was old and 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 105 
 
 jealous, the lady young, handsome, and confined, and 
 the officer well shaped and very fair. The windows 
 and balconies of the councellor were covered with 
 narrow lattices, and the officer never saw any woman 
 of that house. But the lady, who had several times 
 seen him at his Avindow, could not long conceal her 
 love ; so she sent for her father confessor, and spoke 
 with him in the following manner : My reverend 
 father, you are my spiritural guide, and you must 
 prevent the ruin of my soul, reputation, and quietness 
 of my life. Over the way, said she, lives an English 
 officer, who is constantly at the window, making 
 signs and demonstrations of love to me, and though 
 I endeavor not to haunt my balcony, for fear of being 
 found out by my spouse ; my waiting maid tells me 
 that he is always there. You know my spouse's 
 temper and jealousy, and if he observes the least 
 thing in the world, I am undone forever. So to put 
 a timely stop to this, I wish you would be so kind as 
 to go over and desire him to make no more signs ; 
 and that if he is a gentleman, as he seems to be, he 
 will never do any thing to disquiet a gentlewoman. 
 The credulous confessor, believing every syllable, 
 went over to the English officer, and told him the 
 message, asking his pardon for the liberty he took ; 
 but that he could not help it, being as he was the 
 lady's confessor. 
 
 The officer, who was of a very fiery temper, 
 answered him in a resolute manner. Hear, friar, 
 said he to the confessor, go your way, and never 
 come to me with such false stories, for I do not know 
 
 14 
 
106 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 what you say, nor I never saw any lady over the 
 way. The poor father, full of shame and fear, took 
 his leave, and went to deliver the answer to the lady 
 What, said she, doth he deny the truth ? I hope God 
 will prove my innocence before you, and that before 
 two days. The father did comfort her, and went to 
 his convent. The lady seeing her designs frustrated 
 his way, did contrive another to let the officer know, 
 her inclination. So one of her servants wrote a 
 letter to her in the officers name, with many lovely 
 expressions, and desiring her to be in her garden 
 at eight in the dark evening, under a fig tree 
 next to the walls. And recommending to her servant 
 the secret, sealed the letter directed to her. Two 
 days after, she sent for her confessor again, and told, 
 him. Now my reverend father, God has put a letter, 
 from the officer, into my hands to convince him and 
 you of the truth. Pray take the letter and go to him 
 and if he denies, as he did before, show him his own 
 letter, and I hope he will not be so bold as to trouble 
 me any more. He did accordingly, and the English 
 gentleman answered as the first time ; and as he 
 flew into a passion, the father told him. Sir, see this 
 letter, and answer me : which the officer reading, 
 soon understood the meaning, and said, Now, my 
 good father, I must own my folly, for I cannot deny 
 my handwriting, and to assure you, and the lady, that 
 I shall be quite a different man for the future, pray 
 tell her that I will obey her commands, and that I 
 will never do any thing against her orders. The 
 confessor, very glad of so unexpected good, success. 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 107 
 
 as he thought, gave the answer to the lady, adding 
 to it, Now, madam, you may be quiet, and without 
 any fear, for he will obey you. Did not I tell you, 
 said she, that he could not deny the fact of the letter ? 
 So the confessor went home, having a very good 
 opinion of the lady, and the English officer too, who 
 did not fail to go to the rendezvous, &c. 
 
 Every serious, religious man, will rather blame the 
 wicked lady, than the confessor : for the poor man, 
 though he was a procurer and instrument of bringing 
 that intrigue to an effect, really he was innocent all 
 the while ; and how could he suspect any thing of 
 wantonness in a lady so devoutly affected and so 
 watchful of the ruin of her soul, honor, and quietness 
 of her life ? We must excuse them in such a case as 
 this was, and say, that many and many confessors, 
 if they are procurers, they do it unknown to them- 
 selves, ajid out of pure zeal for the good of the souls, 
 or to prevent many disturbances in a family : But as 
 for those that, out of wickedness, busy themselves in 
 so base and villanous exercises, I say, heaven and 
 earth ought to rise in Judgment against them. They 
 do deserve to be punished in this world, that, by their 
 example, the same exercise might be prevented in 
 others. 
 
 I have given an account of some private confes- 
 sions of both sexes, and of the most secret practices 
 of some of the Roman-Catholic priests, according to 
 what I promised the public in my printed proposals. 
 And from all that is written and said, I crave leave 
 to draw some few inferences. 
 
108 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 First, I say, that the pope and councils are the 
 original causes of the aforesaid misdoings and ill 
 practices of the Romish priests. Marriage being 
 forbidden to a priest, not by any commandment of 
 God or divine scripture, but by a strict ordinance 
 from the pope, an indisputable canon of the council. 
 This was not practised by them for many centuries 
 after the death of our saviour ; and the priests were 
 then more religious and exemplary than they are now. 
 I know the reasons their church has for it, which I 
 will not contradict, to avoid all sort of controversy : 
 But this I may say, that if the priests, friars and nuns 
 were at lawful liberty to marry, they would be better 
 Christians, the people richer in honor and estates, 
 the kingdom better peopled, the king stronger, and 
 the Romish religion more free from foreign attempts 
 and calumnies. 
 
 They do make a vow of chastity, and they break 
 it by living loose, lewd, and irregular lives. They 
 do vow poverty, and their thirst for riches is un- 
 quenchable ; and whatever they get, is most com- 
 monly by unlawful means. They swear obedience, 
 and they only obey their lusts, passions and inclina- 
 tion. How many sins are occasioned by binding 
 themselves with these three vows in a monastical life, 
 it is inexpressible : And all, or the greater number 
 of sins committed by them, would be hindered, if the 
 pope and ^council were to imitate the right^founda- 
 tions of the primitive church, and the apostles of 
 Jesus Christ our Saviour. 
 
 As to particular persons, among the priests and 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 109 
 
 friars, touching their corruptions and ill practices in 
 auricular confession, I say, they do act against divine 
 and human law in such practice, and are guilty of 
 several sins, especially sacrilege and robbery. It is 
 true, the Moral Summs are defective in the instruc- 
 tion of confessors, as opinions, grounded in the erro- 
 neous principles of their church: But as to the 
 settled rules for the guiding and advising the penitent, 
 what he ought to do, to walk uprightly, they are not 
 defective ; so the confessors cannot plead ignorance 
 for so doing, and consequently the means they make 
 use of in the tribunal of conscience, are all sinful, 
 being only to deceive and cheat the poor, ignorant 
 people. 
 
 Their practices then, are against divine and human 
 law, contrary to the holy scriptures, nay, to humanity 
 itself : For, Thou that teachest another, thou shalt 
 not kill, nor commit adultery, nor steal, nor covet 
 thy neighbor's goods, nor wife : Dost thou all those 
 things ? And to insist only on sacrilege and robbery. 
 What can it be but robbery and sacrilege, to sell 
 absolution, or, which is the same thing, to refuse it 
 to the penitent, if he does not give so much money 
 for masses ? 
 
 This may be cleared by their own principles, and 
 by the opinions of their casuistical authors, who agree 
 in this, viz. : That there are three sorts of sacrilege, 
 or a sacrilege which may be committed three different 
 ways. These are the expressions they make use of : 
 Sacrum in sacro : Sacrum ex sacro : Sacrum pro 
 ^acro. That is, to take a sacred thing for g, sacred 
 
110 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 thing, a sacred thing in a sacred place ; and a sacred 
 thing out of a sacred place. All these are robbery 
 and sacrilege together, according to their opinions ; 
 and I said that the confessors in their practices are 
 guilty of all three ; for in their opinion, the holy 
 tribunal of conscience is a sacred thing ; the absolu- 
 tion and consecrated church are sacred likewise. As 
 for the money given for the relief of the souls in 
 purgatory, Corrella, in his Moral Sum, says, that that 
 is a sacred thing too. Now it is certain among them, 
 that no priest can receive money for absolution, 
 directly or indirectly. Those then that take it, rob 
 that money which is unlawfully taken from the 
 penitent ; and it is a sacrilege too, because they take 
 a sacred thing for a sacred thing, viz. : the sacred 
 money for masses taken for absolution. They take 
 that sacred thing in a sacred place, viz. : in the 
 sacred tribunal of conscience : and they take a 
 sacred thmg out of a sacred place, viz. : the church 
 Again : Though most commonly, Quodcumque 
 ligaveris super terram ; erit ligatum et in coelis, is 
 understood by them literally, and the pope usurps 
 the power of absolving men without contrition, 
 provided they have attrition, or only confession by 
 mouth, as we shall see in the following chapter of 
 the popes's bull. Nevertheless the casuists, when 
 they come to treat of a perfect confession under the 
 sacrament of penance, they unanimously say, that 
 three things are absolutely necessary to a perfect con- 
 fession, and to salvation too, viz. : Oris confessioy 
 cordis contritio, and operis satisf actio. Though at 
 
POPISH CHURCH. Ill 
 
 the same time they say, except in case of pontifical 
 dispensation with faculties, privileges, indulgences, 
 and pardon of all sins committed by a man : But 
 though they except this case, I am sure they do it 
 out of obedience, and flattery, rather than your own 
 belief. If they then believe, that without contrition 
 of heart, the absolution is of no efiect, why do they 
 persuade the contrary to the penitent ? Why do 
 they take money for absolution ? It is, then, a cheat, 
 robbery, and sacrilege. 
 
 Secondly. I say, that the confessors [generally 
 speaking] are the the occassion of the ruin of many 
 families, of many thefts, debaucheries, murders, and 
 divisions among several families [for which they 
 must answer before that dreadful tribunal of God, 
 when and where all the secret practices and wicked- 
 ness shall be disclosed] ; add to this, that by auricular 
 confession, they are acquainted with the tempers and 
 inclinations of people, which contribute very much 
 to heap up riches, and to make themselves com- 
 manding masters of all sorts of persons ; for when a 
 confessor is thoroughly acquainted with a man's 
 temper and natural inclinations, it is the most easy 
 thing in the world to bring him to his own opinion, 
 and to be master over him and his substance. 
 
 That the confessors, commonly speaking, are the 
 occasion of all the aforesaid mischiefs, will appear by 
 the following observations : 
 
 First, They get the best estates from the rich peo^ 
 pie, for the use and benefit of their communities, by 
 which many and many private persons, and whole 
 
112 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 families, are reduced and ruined. Obseve now their 
 practices as to sick. If a nobleman of a good estate 
 be very ill, the confessor must be by him night and 
 day ; and when he goes to sleep, his companion sup- 
 plies his place, to direct, and exhort the s'ck to die 
 as a good christian, and to advise him how to make 
 his last will and testament. If the confessor is a 
 down-right honest man, he must betray his principles 
 of honesty, or disoblige his superior, and all the com- 
 munity, by getting nothing from the sick ; so he 
 chargeth upon the poor man's conscience, to leave 
 his convent thousands of masses; for the speedy 
 delivery of his soul out of purgatory ; and besides 
 that, to settle a yearly mass forever upon the convent 
 and to leave a voluntary gift, that the friars may 
 remember him in their public and private prayers, 
 as a benefactor of that community : And in these 
 and other legacies and charities, three parts of his 
 estate go to the church, or convents. But if the 
 confessor have a large conscience, then without any 
 christian consideration for the sick man's family and 
 poor relations, he makes use of all the means an 
 inhuman, covetous man can invent, to get the whole 
 estate for his convent. And this is the reason why 
 they are so rich, and so many families so poor, 
 reduced, and ruined. 
 
 From these we may infer thefts, murders, de- 
 baucheries, and divisons of families. I say, the 
 confessors are the original causes of all these ill con- 
 sequences; for when they take the best of estates 
 for themselves, no wonder if private persons and 
 
POPISHCHURCH. 113 
 
 whole families are left in such want, and neces- 
 sity, that they abandon themselves to all sorts of sins, 
 and hazards of losmg both lives and honors, rather 
 than to abate somethmg of their pride. 
 
 I might prove this by several instances, which I 
 do not question, are very well Iniown by several 
 curious people : and though some malicious persons 
 are apt to suspect that such instances are mere 
 dreams, or forgeries of envious people ; for my part 
 I believe, that many confessors are the original cause 
 of the aforesaid evils, as may be seen by the follow- 
 ing matter of fact : 
 
 In the account of the Jesuits and their practices, I 
 said that the reverend Navasques was the confessor 
 of the countess of Fuentes, who was left a widow at 
 twenty-four years of age, and never married again : 
 for the reverend's care is to advise them to Hve a 
 single life. (Purity bemg the first step to heaven.) 
 The lady countess had no children, and had an estate 
 of her own, of 4000 pistoles a year, besides her 
 jewels and household goods, which, after her death, 
 were valued at 15,000 pistoles. All these things and 
 her personal estate, were left to the Jesuit's college, 
 though she had many near relations, among whom I 
 knew two yomig gentlemen, second cousins of her 
 ladyship, and two yoimg ladies kept in the house as 
 her cousins too. She had promised to give them a 
 settlement suitable to their quality and merits; 
 which promise the father confessor confirmed to 
 them several times. But the lady died, and both the 
 young ladies and the two gentlemen were left under 
 
 15 
 
114 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 the providence of God, for the countess had forgotten 
 them in her last will ; and the father confessor took 
 no notice of them afterward. The two young ladies 
 abandoned themselves to all manner of private 
 pleasures at first, and at last to public wickedness. 
 As to the young gentlemen, in a few months after 
 the lady's death, one left the city and went to serve 
 the king, as a cadet : the other following a licentious 
 life, was ready to finish his days with shame and 
 dishonor upon a public scafibld, had not the goodness 
 and compassion of the marquis of Camarrassa, then 
 viceroy of Aragon, prevented it. Now, whether 
 the father confessor shall be answerable before God, 
 for all the sins committed by the young ladies, and 
 one of the gentlemen, for want of what they expected 
 from the countess, or not ? God only knows. We 
 may think and believe, that if the lady had provided 
 for them according to their condition in the world, in 
 all human probability they had not committed such 
 sins. Or if the college, or the reverend father had 
 been more charitable, and compassionate to the con- 
 dition they were left in, they had put a timely stop 
 to their wickedness. 
 
 Thirdly. I say that confessors and preachers are 
 the occasion, that many thousands of young men and 
 women choose a single, retired life, in a monastery 
 or convent ; and therefore are the cause of many 
 families being extinguished, and their own treasure 
 exceedingly increased. 
 
 If a gentleman have two or three sons, and as 
 many daughters, the confessor of the family adviseth 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 115 
 
 the father to keep the eldest son at home, and send 
 the rest, both sons and daughters, into a convent or 
 monastery ; praising the monastical life., and saying, 
 ;that to be retired from the world, is the safest way 
 to heaven. There is a proverb which runs thus in 
 English : It is better to he alone, than in had 
 company. And the confessors alter it thus : It is 
 better to he alone, than in good company ; which 
 they pretend to prove with so many sophistical argu- 
 ments, nay, with a passage from the Scirpture ; and 
 this not only in private conversation, but publicly in 
 the pulpit. I remember, I heard my celebrated Mr. 
 F. James Garcia preach a sermon upon the subject 
 of a retired life and solitude, which sermon and 
 others preached by him in lent, in the cathedral 
 church of St. Salvator, were printed afterwards. 
 The book is in folio, and its title Quadragesima de 
 Gracia. He was the first preacher I heard make use 
 of the above proverb, and alter it in the aforesaid 
 way ; and to prove the sense of his alteration he 
 said : Reinem^her the woman in the apocalypis, that 
 ran from heaven into the desert. What ! was not 
 that woman in heaven, in the company of the 
 stars and planets, by which are represented all the 
 heavenly spirits ? Why then quits she that good 
 company, and chooses to be alone in a desert place ? 
 Because, said he, that woman is the holy soul, 
 and for a soul that desireth to be holy ; it is 
 better to be alone than in good company. In 
 the desert, in the convent, in the monastery, the 
 soul is safe, free from sundry temptations of the 
 
116 HISTORY OP THE 
 
 world ; and so it belongs to a christian soul, not 
 only to run from bad company, but to quit the best 
 company in the world and retire into the desert of a 
 convent, or monastery, if that soul desire to be holy 
 and pure ; this was his proof, and if he had not been 
 my master, I would have been bold to make some 
 reflections upon it. But the respect of a disciple, 
 beloved by him, is enough to make me silent, and 
 leave to the reader the satisfaction of reflecting in his 
 own way, to which I heartily submit. 
 
 These, I say, are the advices the confessors give to 
 the fathers of families, who, glad of lessening the 
 expences of the house, and of seeing their children 
 provided for, send them into the desert place of a 
 convent, which is really in the middle of the world. 
 Now observe, that it is twenty to one, that their heir 
 dies before he marries and has children : so the 
 estate and every thing else fall to the second, who is 
 a professed friar or nun, and as they cannot use the 
 expression of meum or tuum, all goes that way to 
 the community. And this is the reason why many 
 families are extinguished, and their names quite out 
 of memory : the convent so crowded, the kingdom so 
 thin of people ; and the friars, nuns, and monasteries 
 so rich. 
 
 Fourthly. I say that the confessors, priests, and 
 especially friars, make good this saying among the 
 common people : Frayle ofraude es todo uno; i. e. 
 friar or fraud is the same thing ; for they not only 
 defraud whole families, but make use of barbarous, 
 inhuman means to get the estates of many rich 
 persons. 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 117 
 
 The Marquis of Arino had one only daughter, and 
 his second brother was an Augustan friar, under 
 whose care the marquis left his daughter when he 
 died. She was fifteen years of age, rich and hand- 
 some. Her uncle and executor was at that time 
 doctor and professor of divinity in the university, and 
 prior of the convent, and could not personally take 
 care of his neice and her family ; so he desired one 
 of her aunts to go and live with her, and sent another 
 friar to be like a steward and overseer of the house. 
 The uncle was a good honest man and mighty 
 religious. He minded more his office of prior, his 
 study and exercises of devotion, than the riches, 
 pomp, magnificence and vanity of the world ; so, 
 seeing that the discharge of his duty and that of an 
 executor of his neice were inconsistent together, he 
 did resolve to marry her ; which he did to the baron 
 Suelves, a young, handsome, healthy, rich gentleman ; 
 but he died seven months after his marriage, so the 
 good uncle was again at the same trouble and care 
 of his neice, who was left a widow, but without child- 
 ren. After the year of her mourning was expired, 
 she was married to the great president of the council, 
 who was afterwards great chancellor of the kingdom, 
 but he died, leaving no children. The first and 
 second husband left all their estates to her ; and she 
 was reckoned to have eighty thousand pistoles in 
 yearly rent and goods. A year after, Don Pedro 
 Carillo, brigadier-general, and general govenor of 
 the kingdom, married her, but has no children by her. 
 I left both the govenor and the lady alive, when I 
 
118 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 quitted the country. Now I come to the point. It 
 was specified in all the matches between the gentle- 
 men and the lady, that if they had no issue by her, 
 all the estate and goods should fall to the uncle as a 
 second brother of her father ; and so ex necessitate 
 the convent should be forever the only enjoyer of it. 
 It was found out, but too late, that the friar steward, 
 before she first married, had given her a dose to 
 make her a barren woman ; and though nobody did 
 beUeve that the uncle had any hand in it, (so great 
 an opinion the world and the lady's husband had of 
 him,) every body did suspect at first tha friar 
 steward, and so it was confirmed at last by his own 
 confession ; for being at the point of death, he owned 
 the fact publicly and his design in it. 
 
 Another instance. A lady of the first rank, of 
 eighteen years of age, the only heiress of a con- 
 siderable estate, was kept by her parents at a dis- 
 tance from all sorts of company, except only that of 
 the confessor of the family, who was a learned and 
 devout man ; but as these reverends have always a 
 father companion to assist them at home and abroad, 
 many times the mischief is contrived and efiected 
 unknown to the confessor, by his wicked companion; 
 so it happened in this instance. The fame of the 
 wonderful beauty of this young lady was spread so 
 far abroad, that the king and queen being in the city 
 for eight months together, and not seeing the cele- 
 brated beauty at their court, her majesty asked her 
 father one day, whether he had any children ? And 
 when he answered, that he "had only one daughter, 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 119 
 
 he was desired by the queen to bring her along with 
 him to court, the next day, for she had a great desire 
 to see her beauty so much admired at home and 
 abroad. The father could not refuse it, and so the 
 next day the lady did appear at court, and was so 
 much admired that a grandee (who had then the 
 command of the army, though not of his own pas- 
 sions) said, this is the first time I see the sun among 
 the stars. The grandee began to covet that inesti- 
 mable jewel, and his heart burning in the agreeable 
 flame of her eyes, he went to see her father, but 
 could not see the daughter. At last, all his endeavors 
 being in vain, for he was married, he sent for the 
 confessor's companion, whose interest and mediation 
 he got by money and fair promises of raising him to 
 an exclesiastical dignity ; so by that means he sent 
 a letter to the lady, who read it, and in very few 
 days he got her consent to disguise himself and come 
 to see her along with the father companion ; so one 
 evening in the dark, putting on a friar'^s habit, he 
 went to her chamber, where he was always in 
 company with the companion friar, who by crafty 
 persuasions made the lady understand, that if she 
 did not consent to every thing that the grandee 
 should desire, her life and reputation were lost, &c. 
 In the same disguise they saw one another several 
 times to the grandee's satisfaction, and her grief and 
 vexation. 
 
 But the court being gone, the young lady began to 
 suspect some public proof of her intrigue, till then 
 secret, and consulting the father companion upon it. 
 
120 HISTORYOFTHE 
 
 he did what he could to prevent it, but in vain. The 
 misfortune was suspected, and owned by her to her 
 parents. The father died of grief in eight days time : 
 and the mother went into the country with her 
 daughter, till she was free from, her disease, and 
 afterwards, both ladies, mother and daughter, retired 
 into a monastery, where I knew and conversed 
 several times with them. The gentleman had made 
 his will long before, by which the convent Avas to 
 get the estate in case the lady should die without 
 children ; and as she had taken the habit of a nun, 
 and professed the vows of religion, the prior was so 
 ambitious that he asked the estate, alleging, that she 
 being a professed nun, could have no children ; to 
 which the lady replied, that she was obliged to obey 
 her father's will, by which she was mistress of the 
 estate during her life ; adding that it was better for 
 the father prior not to insist on his demand; for she 
 was ruined in her reputation by the wickedness of 
 one of his friars, and that she if pressed, would show 
 her own child, who was the only heir of her father's 
 estate. But the prior, deaf to her threatenings, did 
 carry on his pretentions, and by an agreement, (not 
 to make the thing more public than it was, for very 
 few knew the true story,) the prior got the estate, 
 obliging the convent to give the lady and her mother, 
 during their lives, 400 pistoles every year, the whole 
 estate being 5000 yearly rent. 
 
 I could give several more instances of this nature 
 to convince that the confessors, priests, and friars are 
 the fimdamental original cause of almost all the 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 121 
 
 misdoings and mischiefs that happen in the famihes. 
 By the instances already given every body may 
 easily know the secret practices of some of the 
 Romish priests, which are an abomination to the 
 Lord, especially in the holy tribunal of confession. 
 So I may conclude and dismiss this first chapter, 
 saying, that the confession is the mint of friars and 
 priests, the sins of the penitent the metals, the abso- 
 lution the coin of money, and the confessors the 
 keepers of it. Now the reader may draw from these 
 accounts as many inferences as he pleases, till, God 
 willing, I furnish him with new arguments, and 
 instances, of their evil practices in the second part of 
 this work. 
 
 16 
 
PART II. 
 
 *niis is a true cojpy of the Pope's Bull ou* of Spanish, in the 
 translation of whi(^ into English, I am tied up to the 
 letter almost word for word, and this is to preve nt (as to this 
 point) all calumny and objection, which may be made against 
 it, by some cdtic among the Roman-Catholics. 
 
 MDCCXVIIL 
 
 Bull of the holy ^crusade, granted hy the holmess 
 of our most holy father Clement, the Xlth, to the 
 kingdoms of Spain, and the isles to them pertaining, in 
 favor of all of them, that should help and serve the 
 king Dn. Philip V. our lord, in the war and expenses 
 of it, which he doth make against the enemies of our 
 catholic faith, with great indulgences and pardons, 
 for the year one thousand seven hundred and 
 eighteen. 
 
 The prophet Joel, sorry for the damages which the 
 sons of Israel did endure by the invasion of the 
 Chaldean armies, (zealous, for and desirous of their 
 defence, after having recommended to them the 
 observance of the law) calling the soldiers to the war, 
 saith : That he saw, for the comfort of all, a mystical 
 spring come out from God and his house, which did 
 water and wash away the sins of that people. Chap. 
 3, v. 18. 
 
 Seeing then our most holy father, Clement XI, (who 
 at this day doth rule, and govern the holy apostolical 
 
124 HISTORYOPTHE 
 
 see) for the zeal of the cathohc king of the Spains, 
 Dn. Philip, the Vth, for the defence of our holy faith, 
 and for that purpose gathereth together, and main- 
 taineth his armies against all the enemies of Christi- 
 anity, to help him in his holy enterprise, doth grant 
 him this bull, by which his holiness openeth the 
 springs of the blood of Christ, and the treasure of his 
 inestimable merits ; and with it encourageth all the 
 christians to the assistance of this undertaking. For 
 this purpose, and that they might enjoy this benefit ; 
 he orders to be published the following indulgences, 
 graces, and faculties, or privileges. 
 
 1. His holiness doth grant to all the true christians 
 of the said kingdom and dominions, dwellers, and 
 settled, and inhabitants in them, and to all comers to 
 them, or should be found in them ; who, moved with 
 the zeal of promoting the holy catholic faith, should 
 go personally, and upon their own expenses, to the 
 war in the army, and with the forces which his 
 majesty sendeth, for the time of one year, to fight 
 against the Turks, and other infidels, or to do any 
 other service, as, to help personally in the same army, 
 continuing in it the whole year. To all these his 
 holiness doth grant a free and full indulgence, and 
 pardon of all their sins, (if they have a perfect con- 
 trition, or, if they confess them by mouth, and if they 
 cannot, if they have a hearty desire of it) which hath 
 been used to be granted to them that to go to the con- 
 quest of the holy land, and in the year of Jubilee : and 
 declares that all they, that should die before the end 
 of the expedition, or in the way, as they are going 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 125 
 
 to the army before the expedition, should likewise 
 enjoy and obtain the said pardon and indulgence. 
 
 He granteth also the same to them, who, (though 
 they do not go personally) should send another upon 
 their own expenses in this manner, viz : If he that 
 sends another is a cardinal, primate, patriarch, arch- 
 bishop, bishop, son of a king, prince, duke, marquis, 
 or earl, then he must send as many as he can 
 possibly send, till ten ; and if he cannot send ten, he 
 must send at least four soldiers. All other persons 
 of what condition soever they may be, must send 
 one, in such a case, two or three, or four, may join 
 and contribute, every one according to his abilities, 
 and send one soldier. 
 
 2. Item. The chapters, * all churches, monasteries 
 of friars and nuns, without expecting mendicant 
 orders, if ten, with the consent of the chapter or 
 community, do join to send one soldier, they do enjoy 
 the said indulgence ; and not they only, but the 
 person too, sent by them, if he be poor. 
 
 3. Item. The secular priests, who, with the 
 consent of their diocesan and the friars of their 
 superiors, should preach the word of God in the said 
 army, or should perform any other ecclesiastical and 
 pious office, (which is declared to be lawful for them, 
 without incurring irregularity) are empowered to 
 serve their benefices, by meet and fit tenants, having 
 not the cure of souls ; for if they have, they cannot 
 without his holiness' consent. And it is declared, 
 that the soldiers employed in this war are not obliged 
 to fast the days appointed and commanded by the 
 
126 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 church, and which they should be obHged to fast on, 
 if they were not in the war. 
 
 4. Item. His hoUness grants (not only to the 
 soldiers, but to all them too, who, though they should 
 not go, should encourage this holy work with the 
 charity undermentioned) all the indulgences, graces, 
 and privileges in this bull contained, and this for a 
 whole year, reckoning from the publishing of it in 
 any place whatsoever, viz. : that (yet, in the time of 
 apostolical, or ordinary interdictum, i. e. suspension 
 of all ecclesiastical and divine service) they may hear 
 mass either in the churches and monasteries, or in 
 the private oratories marked and visited by the 
 diocesan ; and if they were priests, to say mass and 
 other divine offices ; or if they were not, to make 
 others to celebrate mass before them, their familiar 
 friends and relations, to recieve the holy sacrament 
 of the Lord's supper and the other sacraments, except 
 on Easter Sunday, provided, that they have not 
 given occasion for the said interdictum, nor hindered 
 the taking of it : Provided likewise, that every time 
 they make use of such oratory, they should, according 
 to their devotion, pray for the union and concord 
 among all Christian princes, the rooting out of 
 heresies, and victory over the infidels. 
 
 5. Item. His holiness granteth, that in time of 
 interdictum, their corpse may be buried in sacred 
 ground, with a moderate funeral pomp. 
 
 6. Item. He grants to all, that should take this 
 bull, that during the year, by the council of both 
 spiritual and corporal physicians, they may eat flesh 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 127 
 
 in Lent, and several other days in which it is pro- 
 hibited : And Ukewise, that they may freely eat 
 eggs and things with milk ; and that all these, who 
 should eat no flesh (keeping the form of the ecclesi- 
 astical fast,) do fulfil the precept of fasting : And in 
 this privilege of eating eggs, &c., are not comprised 
 the ^patriarchs, primates, archbishops, bishops, nor 
 other inferior prelates, nor any person whatsoever of 
 the regulars^ nor of the secular priests, (the days only 
 of lent,) notwithstanding from the mentioned persons, 
 we except all those that are sixty years of age, and 
 all the knights of the military orders, who freely may 
 eat eggs, &c., and enjoy the said privilege. 
 
 7. Item. The abovenamed, that should not go, 
 nor send any soldier to this holy war, out of their 
 own substance, (if they should help to it, keeping a 
 fast for devotion's sake, in some days, which are of 
 no precept, and praying and imploring the help of 
 God, for the victory against the infidels, and his 
 grace, for the union among the Christian princes,) as 
 many times as they should do it, during the year, so 
 many times it is granted them, and graciously 
 forgiven fifteen years, and fifteen quarantains of 
 pardon, and all the penances imposed on them, and 
 in whatever manner due ; also that they be partakers 
 of all the prayers, alms and pilgrimages of Jerusalem, 
 and all the good works which should be done in the 
 universal militant church, and in each of its members. 
 
 8. Item. To all those, who in the days of lent 
 and other days of the year, in which* estations are 
 at Rome, should visit five churches, or five altars. 
 
128 HISTORYOFTHE * 
 
 and if there is not five churches, or five altars, five 
 times should visit one church, or one altar, praying 
 for the victory, and union above mentioned, his holi- 
 ness granteth that they should enjoy and obtain the 
 indulgences and pardons, which all these do enjoy 
 and obtain, that personal visit the churches of the 
 city of Rome, and without the walls of it, as well as 
 if they did visit personally the said churches. 
 
 9. Item. To the intent that the s^me persons 
 with more purity, and cleanness of their consciences, 
 might pray, his holiness grants, that they might 
 choose for their confessor any secular or regular 
 priest licensed by the diocesan, to whom power is 
 granted to absolve them of all sins and censures 
 whatsoever, [though they be reserved to the apos- 
 tolical see, and specified in the bull of the Lord's 
 supper, except of the crime heresy,] and that they 
 should enjoy free and full indulgence and pardon of 
 them all. But of the sins not reserved to the apos- 
 tolical see, they may be absolved toties quoties, i. e. 
 as many times as they do confess them, and perform 
 salutary penance : And if to be absolved, there be 
 need of restitution, they might make it themselves, 
 or by their heirs, if they have any impediment to 
 make it themselves. Likewise the said confessor 
 shall have power to communicate or change any vow 
 whatsoever, though made with an oath, (excepting 
 the vow of chastity, religion, and beyond seas) but 
 this is, upon giving for charity what they should 
 think fit, for the benefit of the holy crusade. 
 
 10. Item. That if, during the said year they 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 129 
 
 should happen, by sudden death or by the absence 
 of then- confessor, to die without confessing their 
 sins ; if they die hearty penitents ; and in the time 
 appointed by the church, had confessed and have not 
 been negligent or careless in confidence of this grace, 
 it is granted, that they should obtain the said free 
 and full indulgence and pardon of all their sins ; and 
 their corpse might be buried in ecclesiastical burying 
 place, (if they did not die excommunicated,) notwith- 
 standing the interdictum. 
 
 11. Likewise his holiness hath granted by his 
 particular brief, to all the faithful Christians, that 
 take the bull twice a year, that they might once 
 more, during their lives, and once more at the point 
 of death, (besides what is said above,) be absolved 
 of all the sins, crimes, excesses of what nature 
 soever, censures, sentences of excommunication, 
 though comprised in the bull of the Lord^s supper, 
 and though the absolution of them be reserved to 
 his holiness, (except the crime and oifence of heresy,) 
 and that they might twice more enjoy all the graces, 
 indulgences, faculties and pardons granted in this 
 bull. 
 
 12. And his holiness gives power and authority to 
 us Don Francis Anthony Ramirez de la Piscina, 
 archdeacon of Alcarraz, prebendary and canon of the 
 holy church of Toledo, primate of the Spains, of his 
 majesty's council, apostolic, general commissary of 
 the holy crusada, and all other graces in all the 
 kingdoms and dominions of Spain, to suspend (during 
 the year of the pubHshing of this bull) all the graces, 
 
 17 
 
130 HISTORYOFTHE 
 
 indulgences, and faculties, granted to the said king- 
 doms, dominions, isles, provinces, to whatever 
 churches, monasteries, hospitals, brotherhoods, pious 
 places, and to particular persons, though the granting 
 of them did contain words contrary to this suspension. 
 
 1 3. Likewise he gives us power to reinforce and 
 make good again the same graces and faculties, and 
 all others whatsoever ; and he gives us and our 
 deputies, power to suspend the interdictum in what- 
 ever place this bull should be preached ; and likewise 
 to fix and determine the quantum of the contribution 
 the people is to give for this bull, according to the 
 abilities and quality of persons. 
 
 14. And we the said apostolic general commissary 
 of the holy crusada, (in favor of this holy bull, by 
 the apostolical authority granted to us, and that so 
 holy a word do not cease nor be hindered by any 
 other indulgence,) do suspend, during the year, all 
 the graces, indulgences and faculties, of this or any 
 other kind, granted by his holiness, or by other popes 
 his predecessors, or by the holy apostolical see, or by 
 his authority, to all the kingdoms of his majesty, to 
 all churches, monasteries, hospitals and other pious 
 places, universities, brotherhoods, and secular per- 
 sons ; though the said graces and faculties be in 
 favor of the building of St. Peter's church ta Rome, 
 or of any crusada, though all and every one of them 
 should contain words contrary to this suspension : 
 So that, during the year, no person shall obtain, or 
 enjoy any other graces, indulgences or faculties 
 whatsoever, nor can be published, except only the 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 131 
 
 privileges granted to the superiors of the mendicant 
 orders, as to their friars. 
 
 15. And in favor of this bull, and by the said 
 apostolical authority we declare, that all those that 
 would take this bull, might obtain, and enjoy all the 
 graces, faculties and indulgences, jubilees and par- 
 dons, which have been granted by our holy fathers, 
 Paul the Vth, and Urbannus the Vlllth, and by 
 other popes of happy memory, and by the holy 
 apostolical see, or by its authority, mentioned and 
 comprised in the said suspension, and which, by the 
 apostolical commission, we reinforce and make good 
 again ; and by the same authority do suspend the 
 interdictum for eight days before and after publishing 
 this bull, in any place whatsoever (as it is contained 
 in his holiness's brief) : And we command that 
 every body, that would take this bull, be obliged to 
 keep by him the same which is here printed, signed 
 and sealed with our name and seal, and that other- 
 wise they cannot obtain, nor enjoy the benefit of the 
 said bull. 
 
 16. And whereas you (Peter de Zuloaga) have 
 given two reales de plata, which is the charity fixed 
 by us, and have taken this bull, and your name is 
 written in it, we do declare, that you have already 
 obtained, and are granted the said indulgences, and 
 that you may enjoy and make use of them in the 
 abovementioned form. Given at Madrid, the 
 eighteenth day of March, one thousand seven hun- 
 dred and eighteen. 
 
132 HISTORY OP THE 
 
 Form of absolution, which, by virtue of this bull, may be given 
 to all those that take the bull once in their life time, and once 
 upon the point of death. 
 
 Misereatur tui Omnipotens Deus, &c. By the 
 authority of God and his holy apostles St. Peter and 
 St. Paul, and our most holy father (N.) to you 
 especially granted and to be committed, I absolve 
 you from all censure of the greater or lesser excom- 
 munication, suspension, interdictum, and from all 
 other censures and pains, or punishments, which 
 they have incurred and deserved, though the absolu- 
 tion of them be reserved to the apostolic see, (as by 
 the same is granted to you.) And I bring you again 
 into the union and communion of the faithful Chris- 
 tians : And also I absolve you from all the sins, 
 crimes, and excesses, which you have now here 
 confessed, and from those which you would confess, 
 if you did remember them, though they be so ex 
 ceeding great, that the absolution of them be reserved 
 to the apostolical see ; and I do grant you free and 
 full indulgence, and pardon of all your sins now and 
 whenever confessed, forgotten, and out of your mind, 
 and of all the pains and punishments which you 
 were obliged to endure for them in purgatory. In 
 the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy 
 Ghost. — Amen. 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 133 
 
 Brief, or sum of the estations and indulgences of Rome, which 
 his holiness grants to all those that would take and fulfil the 
 contents of this bull. 
 
 The first day in St. Sabine, free and full indulgence. 
 Thursday in St. George, do. 
 
 Friday in St. John and St. Paul, do. 
 
 Saturday in St. Griffon, do. 
 
 First Sunday in Lent, in St. John St. Paul, do. 
 Monday in St. Peter ad Vincula, do. 
 
 Tuesday in St. Anastasie, do. 
 
 *And this day every body takes a soul out of 
 purgatory. 
 
 Wednesday in St. Mary, the greater, free and full 
 indulgence. 
 
 Thursday in St. Laurence Panispema, do. 
 Friday in the saints, apostles, do. 
 
 Saturday in St. Peter, do. 
 
 Second Sunday in lent, in St. Mary, of Na- 
 vicula, and St. Mary, the greater, do. 
 
 Monday in St. Clement, do. 
 
 Tuesday in St. Balbine, do. 
 
 Wednesday in St. Cicile, do. 
 
 Thursday in St. Marytranstiber, do. 
 
 Friday in St. Vidal, do. 
 
 Saturday in St. Peter and St. Marcelin, do. 
 *And this day every body takes one soul out of 
 purgatory. 
 
 Third Sunday in lent in St. Laurence, 
 extra Muros, free and full indulgence. 
 
134 HISTORYOPTHE 
 
 *And this day every body takes one soul out of 
 
 purgatory. 
 Monday in St. Mark, free and full indulgence. 
 Tuesday in St. Potenciane, do. 
 
 Wednesday in St. Sixte, do. 
 
 Thursday in St. Cosme, and St. Damian, 
 
 the image of our lady of Populi and 
 
 Pacis, is shown. do. 
 
 Friday in St. Laurence in Lucina, do. 
 
 Saturday in St. Susane, and St. Mary of 
 
 the angels. 
 Fourth Sunday in lent in St. Crosse of 
 
 Jerusalem, do. 
 
 *This day every body takes one soul out 
 
 of purgatory. 
 Monday in the 4-crowned free and full 
 
 indulgences. 
 Tuesday in St. Laurence in Damascus, do. 
 Wednesday in St. Peter, do. 
 
 Thursday in St. Silvastre and in St. Mary 
 
 in the mountains. do. 
 
 Friday in St. Usebe, do. 
 
 Saturday in St. Nicholas in prison, do. 
 
 Fifth Sunday in lent in St. Peter, do. 
 
 Monday in St. Crissone, free and full indulgence. 
 Tuesday in St. Quirce, do. 
 
 Wednesday in St Marcelle do. 
 
 Thursday in St. Appollinaris do. 
 
 Friday in St. Estephan, do. 
 
 *This day every body takes one soul out 
 
 gurgatory. 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 135 
 
 Saturday in St. John ante Portam Latinam, free and 
 full indulgence. 
 *And this day every one takes a soul out 
 purgatory. 
 Sixth Sunday in lent in St. John de Leteran, 
 full and free indulgence. 
 Monday in St. Praxedis, do. » 
 
 Tuesday in St. Priske, do. 
 
 Wednesday in St. Mary the greater do. 
 Thursday in St. John de Leteran, do. 
 
 Friday in St. Crosse of Jerusalem, and in 
 
 St. Mary of the angels, do. 
 
 Saturday in St. John de Leteran, do. 
 
 Easter Sunday in St. Mary the greater, do. 
 Monday in St. Peter. do. 
 
 Tuesday in St. Paul, do. 
 
 Wednesday in St. Laurence extra muros, do. 
 *This day every body takes a soul out of 
 
 purgatory. 
 Thursday in the saints apostles, free and full in- 
 dulgence. 
 Friday in St. Mary Rotunda, do. 
 
 Saturday in St. John Deleteran, do. 
 
 Sunday after Easter in St. Pancracy, do. 
 ESTATIONS AFTER EASTER. 
 In the greater litanies : St. Mark's day ; in 
 St. Peter. do. 
 
 Ascension-day in St. Peter, do. 
 
 Whitesunday in St. John de Leteran, do. 
 Monday in St. Peter, do. 
 
 Tuesday in St. Anastasie, do. 
 
136 HISTORY OP THE 
 
 Wednesday in St. Mary the greater, do. 
 
 Thursday in St. Laurence, extra muros, do. 
 
 *This day every body takes a soul out of 
 purgatory. 
 
 Friday in the saints apostles, free and full indul- 
 gence. 
 
 Saturday in St. Peter, do. 
 
 ESTATIONS IN ADVENT. 
 
 First Sunday in St. Mary the greater, do. 
 And in the same church all the holy days 
 of our lady, do. 
 
 Second Sunday in St. Crosse of Jerusalem, 
 free and full indulgence. 
 The same day in St. Mary of the angels, do. 
 Third Sunday in St. Peter, do. 
 
 Wednesday of the four rogations, in St. 
 
 Mary the greater, 
 Friday in the saints apostles, do. 
 
 Saturday in St. Peter, do. 
 
 Fourth Sunday in the saints apostles, do. 
 
 CHRISTMAS NIGHT. 
 
 At the first mass in St. Mary the greater, 
 
 in the Manger's chapel, do. 
 
 At the second mass St. Anast^sie, do. 
 
 CHRISTMAS DAY. 
 
 At the third mass in St. Mary the greater do. 
 
 Monday in St. Mary Rotunda, do. 
 
 Tuesday in St. Mary the greater, do. 
 
 The innocent's day in St. Paul, do. 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 137 
 
 The circumcision of Christ in St. Mary Transtiber, 
 The Epiphany in St. Peter, do. 
 
 Dominica in Septuag. in St. Laurence, extra muros, 
 *This day every body takes a soul out of 
 purgatory. 
 Dominica in Sexag. in St. Paul, free and 
 
 full indulgence. 
 Dominica in Quinquag. in St. Peter, do. 
 
 And because every day in the year, there is esta- 
 tions at Rome, with great indulgences, therefore it is 
 granted to all those that take this bull, the same 
 indulgences and pardons every day which are granted 
 at Rome. 
 Don Francis Anthony Ramiret, de la Pisoina. 
 
 Explanation of this bull, and remark upon it. 
 BULL OF CRUSADE. 
 A pope's brief, granting the sign of the cross to 
 those that take it. All that a foreigner can learn in 
 the dictionaries, as to this word, is the above account ; 
 therefore I ought to tell you that are foreigners, that 
 the word crusada was a grant of the cross ; i. e. that 
 when the king of Spain makes war against the 
 Turks and infidels, his coat of arms, and the motto of 
 his colors, is the cross, by which all the soldiers 
 understand such a war is an holy war, and that the 
 army of the king, having in its standard the sign of 
 the cross, hath a great advantage over the enemy ^ 
 for, as they do believe, if they die in such a war, 
 their souls go straight to heaven ; and to confirm 
 them in this opinion, the pope grants them this bull, 
 
 IS 
 
138 HISTORYOFTHE 
 
 signed with the sign of the cross, so many indulgences 
 as you have read in it. 
 
 Again, crus, or cross, is the only distinguishing 
 character of those that follow the colors of Jesus 
 Christ, from whence crusada is derived, that is to say, 
 a brief of indulgences and privileges of the cross 
 granted to all those that serve in the war for the 
 defence of the christian faith against all its enemies 
 whatsoever. 
 
 This bull is granted by the pope every year to the 
 king of Spain, and all his subjects, by which the king 
 increases his treasure, and the pope takes no small 
 share of it. The excessive sums of money, which 
 the bull brings in to the king and pope, every body 
 may easily Imow, by the account I am going to give 
 of it. 
 
 It is an inviolable custom in Spain, every year, 
 after Christmas, to have this bull published in every 
 city, town and borough, which is always done in the 
 following manner : 
 
 The general commissary of the holy crusada most 
 commonly resides at Madrid, from whence he sends 
 to his deputies in every kingdom or province, the 
 printed bulls they want in their respective jurisdic- 
 tions. This bull being published at Madrid by the 
 general commissary or his deputy, which is always 
 done by a famous preacher, after the gospel is sung 
 in the high mass, and in a sermon which he preaches 
 upon this subject. After this is done at Madrid, 
 (I say,) all the deputies of the holy crusada send from 
 the capital city, where they reside, friars with a 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 1 39 
 
 petit commissary to every town and village, to 
 preach and publish the bull. Every preacher has 
 his own circuit, and a certain number of towns and 
 villages to publish it in, and making use of the 
 privileges mentioned in the bull, he in his sermon 
 persuades the people that nobody can be saved that 
 year without it, which they do and say every year 
 again. 
 
 The petit commissary, for his trouble, has half a 
 real of eight, i. e. two and fourpence a day ; and the 
 preacher, according to the extent of the circuit, has 
 twenty or thirty crowns for the whole journey, and 
 both are well entertained in every place. 
 
 Every soul from seven years of age and upwards, 
 is obliged to take a bull, and pay two reals of plate, 
 i. e. thirteen pence three farthings of this money ; 
 and one part out of three of the living persons take 
 two or three, according to their families and abilities. 
 The regular priests are obliged to take three times 
 every year the bull, for which they pay two reals of 
 plate : In the beginning of lent another which they 
 call, bull of lacticinous, i. e. bull to eat eggs, and 
 things of milk, without which they cannot : And 
 another in the holy week. For the bull of lacticinous 
 they pay four and ninepence, and the same for the 
 bull of the holy week ; the friars and nuns do the 
 same. Now, if you consider the number of ecclesi- 
 astics and nuns and all the living souls from seven 
 years of age and upwards, you may easily know 
 what vast sums of money the king gets in his 
 dominions by this yearly brief, of which the third 
 part or better goes to Rome one way or other. 
 
140 HtS'TORY Ot THE 
 
 Add to this the bull of the dead. This is another 
 sort of bull ; for the pope grants in it pardon of sinSy 
 and salvation to them who, before they die, or after 
 their death, their relations for them take this bull of 
 defunctorum. The custom of taking this bull is 
 become a law, and a very rigorous law in their 
 church ; for nobody can be buried, either in the 
 church, or in the church-yard, without having this 
 bull upon their breasts, which (as they say) is a token 
 and signal that they were Christians in their lives, 
 and after death they are in the way of salvation. 
 
 So many poor people, either beggars or strangers, 
 or those that die in the hospitals, could not be buried 
 without the help of the well-disposed people, who 
 bestow their charities for the use of taking bulls of 
 the dead, that the poor destitute people might have 
 the benefit of a consecrated burying-place. The sum 
 for this bull is two reals of plate, and whatever 
 money is gathered together in the whole year goes 
 to the Pope, or (as they say) to the treasure of the 
 church. Now I leave to every body's consideration, 
 how many persons die in a year, in so vast dominions 
 as those of the king of Spain, by which, in this point, 
 the Pope's benefit, or the treasure of the church, may 
 be nearly known. 
 
 stupid, blind, ignorant people ! Of what use or 
 benefit is this bull after death ? Hear what St. John 
 tells you, Happy are they that die in the Lord. It 
 is certain that all those that die in the grace of the 
 Lord, heartily penitent, and sorry for their sins, go 
 immediately to enjoy the ravishing pleasures of 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 141 
 
 eternal life ; and those that die in sin, go to suffer 
 forever in the dark place of torment. And this 
 happens to our souls the very instant of their separa- 
 tion from their bodies. Let every body make use of 
 their natural reason, and read impartially the Scrip- 
 ture, and he will find it to be so, or else he will 
 believe it to be so. Then if it is so, they ought to 
 consider, that when they take this bull (which is 
 commonly a little before they carry the corpse) into 
 the church, the judgment of God, as to the soul, is 
 over, (for in the twinkling of an eye he may lay the 
 charges and pass the sentence) — at that time the soul 
 is either in heaven, or hell. What then doth the bull 
 signify to them ? But of this I shall speak in another 
 place. And now I come to the explanation of the 
 bull, and the remarks upon it. 
 
 This bull I am speaking of was granted five years 
 ago to the faithful people of Spain, by the late pope, 
 and which a gentleman of the army took accidentally 
 from a master of a ship out of Biscay, whose name 
 is Peter de Zoloaga, as it is signed by himself in the 
 same bull, and may be seen at the publishers. I 
 have said already that a bull is every year granted 
 to the king of Spain, by the pope in being, who either 
 for the sake of money, or for fear, doth not scruple 
 at all to grant quite contrary bulls, to two kings at 
 the same time reigning in Spain. Now I crave leave 
 to vmdicate my present saying. 
 
 When the present king of Spain, Philip the Vth, 
 went there and was crowned, both the arms spiritual 
 and temporal, representatives of the whole nation. 
 
142 HISTORYOFTHE 
 
 (as in these kingdoms, the house of lords and com- 
 mons,) gave him the oath of fidelity, acknowledging 
 him for their lawful sovereign : And when this was 
 done, pope Clement Xlth did confirm it, nay, his 
 hoUness gave him the investiture of Naples, which is 
 the seaUng up all the titles and rights belonging to a 
 lawful king, and after this he granted him the bull 
 of crusade, by which he acknowledged him king, 
 and gave him help to defend himself and his domin- 
 ions against all the enemies of Christianity, and all 
 enemies whatsoever. Every body knows that this 
 pope was for the interests of the house of Bourbon, 
 rather than the house of Austria ; and so no wonder, 
 if he did not lose any time in settling the crown and 
 all the right upon Philip of Bourbon, rather than 
 upon Charles the Hid, the present emperor of Ger- 
 many. 
 
 This last, thinking that the right to the crown of 
 Spain belonged to him, of which I shall not talk, 
 begun the war against Philip, supported by the 
 Heretics (as the Spaniards call the English,) and 
 being proclaimed at Madrid, and at Saragossa, he 
 applied to the pope to be confirmed king, and to get 
 both the investiture of Naples, and the bull of the 
 holy crusade. As to the investiture of Naples, I 
 leave it to the history written upon the late war : 
 But as to the bull, the pope granted it to him, giving 
 him all the titles he gave to Philip. At the same 
 time there were two kings, and two bulls, and one 
 pope, and one people. The divines met together to 
 examine this point, viz : Whether the same people, 
 
POPISH CHURCH. . 143 
 
 having given their oath of fidelity to Philip, and 
 taken the bull granted to him, were obliged to 
 acknowledge Charles as a king, and take the bull 
 granted to him. 
 
 The divines for Philip were of opinion that the 
 pope could not annul the oath, nor dispense with the 
 oath taken by the whole nation, and that the people 
 were obliged in conscience not to take any other bull 
 than that granted to Philip ; and their reason was, 
 that the pope was forced by the imperial army to do 
 it ; and that his holiness did it out of fear, and to 
 prevent the ruin of the church, which then was 
 threatened. 
 
 The divines for Charles did allege the pope's 
 infallibility, and that every christian is obliged in 
 conscience to follow the last declaration of the pope, 
 and blindly to obey it, without inquiring into the 
 reasons that did move the pope to it. And the same 
 dispute was about the presentation of bishops, for 
 there was at the same time a bishoprick vacant, and 
 Charles having appointed one, and Philip another, 
 the pope confirmed them both, and both of them were 
 consecrated. From this it appears that the pope 
 makes no scruple at all in granting two bulls to two 
 kings at the same time, and to embroil with them 
 the whole nation ; which he did not out of fear, nor 
 to prevent the ruin of the church, but of self-interest, 
 and to secure his revenue both ways, and on both 
 sides. 
 
 But, reader, be not surprised at this ; for this pope 
 I am speaking of, was so ambitious, and of so 
 
144 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 haughty a temper, that he did not care what means 
 he made use of, either to please his temper, or to 
 quench the thirst of his ambition. I say, he was of 
 so haughty a temper, that he never suffered his 
 decrees to he contradicted or disputed, though they 
 were against both human and divine laws. To clear 
 this, I Avill give an account of an instance in a case 
 which happened in his pontificate : 
 
 I was in Lisbon ten years ago, and a Spanish 
 gentleman whose surname was Gonzalez, came to 
 lodge in the same house where I was for a while 
 before ; and as we, after supper, were talking of the 
 pope's supremacy and power, he told me that he 
 himself was a living witness of the pope's authority 
 on oath : and asking him how ? he gave the follow- 
 ing account. 
 
 I was born in Granade, said he, of honest and rich, 
 though not noble parents, who gave me the best 
 education they could in that city. I was not twenty 
 years of age when my father and mother died, both 
 within the space of six months. They left me all 
 they had in the world, recommending to me in their 
 testament, to take care of my sister Dorothea, and ta 
 provide for her. She was the only sister I had, and 
 at that time in the eighteenth year of her age. From 
 our youth we had tenderly loved one another ; and 
 upon her account, quitting my studies, I gave myself 
 up to her company. This tender brotherly love 
 produced in my heart at last another sort of love for 
 hcT ; and though I never showed her my passion, I 
 was a sufferer by it. I was ashamed within myself 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 145 
 
 to see that I could not master nor overcome this 
 irregular inclination ; and percieving that the per- 
 sisting in it would prove the ruin of my soul, and 
 my sister's too, I finally resolved to quit the country 
 for a while, to see whether I could dissipate this 
 passion, and banish out of my heart this burning and 
 consuming fire ; and after having settled my affairs, 
 and put my sister under the care of an aunt, I took 
 my leave of her, who being surprised at this unex- 
 pected news, she upon her knees begged me to tell 
 the reason that moved me to quit the country ; and 
 after telling her that I had no reason, but only a 
 mind and desire to travel two or three years, and 
 that I begged of her not to marry any person in the 
 world, until my return home, I left her and went to 
 Rome. By letters of recommendation, by money, 
 and my careful comportment, I got myself in a little 
 time into the favor and house of cardinal A. I. Two 
 years I spent in his service at my own expense, and 
 his kindness to me was so exceeding^'great, that I 
 was not only his companion, but his fovorite and 
 confidant. All this while, I was so raving and in so 
 deep a melancholy, that his eminence pressed upon 
 me to tell him the reason. I told him that my dis- 
 temper had no remedy : but he still insisted the more 
 to know my distemper. At last, I told him the love 
 I had for my sister, and that it bemg impossible she 
 should be my wife, my distemper had no remedy. 
 To this he said nothing, but the day following went 
 to the sacred palace, and meeting in the pope's anti- 
 chamber cardinal P. I., he asked him whether the 
 
 19 
 
146 HISTORYOFTHE 
 
 pope could dispense with the natural and divine 
 impediment between brother and sister to be married ; 
 and as cardinal P. I. said that the pope could not, 
 my protector began a loud and bitter dispute with 
 him, alleging reasons by which the pope could do it. 
 The pope, hearing the noise, came out of his chamber, 
 and asked what was the matter ? He was told it, 
 and flying into an uncommon passion, said the pope 
 may do every thing, I do dispense with it, and left 
 them with these words. The protector took testi- 
 mony of the Pope's declaration, and went to the 
 datary and drew a public instrument of the dispensa- 
 tion, and coming home, gave it to me, and said, 
 though I shall be deprived of your good services and 
 company, I am very glad that I serve you in this to 
 your heart's desire and satisfaction. Take this dis- 
 pensation, and go whenever you please to marry 
 your sister. I left Rome, and came home, and after 
 I had rested from the fatigue of so long a journey, I 
 went to present the dispensation to the bishop and 
 to get his license ; but he told me that he could not 
 receive the dispensation, nor give such a license ; I 
 acquainted my protector with this, and immediately 
 an excommimication was despatched against the 
 bishop, for having disobeyed the pope, and com- 
 manding him to pay a thousand pistoles for the 
 treasure of the church, and to marry me himself ; so 
 I was married by the bishop, and at this time I have 
 five children by my wife and sister. 
 
 From these accounts, christian reader, you may 
 judge of that popes temper and ambition, and you 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 147 
 
 may likewise think of the rest as you may see it in 
 the following discourse. 
 
 The title, head or direction of this bull is, to all 
 the faithful christians, in the kingdoms and dominions 
 of Spain, who should help, or serve in the war, 
 which the king makes against Turks, Infidels, and 
 all the enemies of the holy Catholic faith; or to 
 those that should contribute, and pray for the union 
 among the christian princes, and for the victory over 
 the enemies of Christianity. 
 
 The Roman Catholics, with the Pope, say and 
 firmly believe (I speak of the generality) that no man 
 can be saved out of their communion ; and so they 
 reckon enemies of their faith all those that are of a 
 different opinion ; and we may be sure that the 
 Protestants or heretics (as they call them) are their 
 irreconcilable enemies. 
 
 They pray publicly for the extirpation of the 
 heretics, Turks, and Infidels in the mass ; and they 
 do really believe, they are bound in conscience to 
 make use of all sorts of means, let them be ever so 
 base, inhuman, and barbarous, for the murdering of 
 them. This is the doctrine of the church of Rome, 
 which the priests and confessors do take care to sow 
 in the Roman Catholics ; and by their advice, the 
 hatred, malice, and aversion is raised to a great height 
 against the heretics, as you shall know by the follow- 
 ing instances. 
 
 First, in the last war between Charles the Hid, 
 and Philip the Vth, the Protestants confederate with 
 Charles did suffer very much by the country people. 
 
148 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 Those encouraged by the priests and confessors of 
 PhiUp's part, thinking that if any Christian could kill 
 a heretic, he should do God service, did murder in 
 private many soldiers both English and Dutch. I 
 saw, and I do speak now before God and the world, 
 in a town called Ficentes de Ebro, several arms and 
 legs out of the ground in the field, and inquiring the 
 reason why those corpses were buried in the field (a 
 thing indeed not unusual there) I was answered, that 
 those were the corpses of some English heretics, 
 murdered by the patrons or land-lords, who had 
 killed them to show their zeal for their religion, and 
 an old maxim among them : De los Enemigos los 
 menos : let us have as few enemies as we can. 
 Fourteen English private men were killed the night 
 before in their beds, and buried in the field, and I 
 myself reckoned all of them ; and I suppose many 
 others were murdered, whom I did not see, though I 
 heard of it. 
 
 The murderers make no scruple of it, but out of 
 bravery, and zeal for their religion, tell it to the father 
 confessor, not as a sin, but as a famous action done 
 by them in favor of their faith. So great is the 
 hatred and aversion the Catholics have against the 
 Protestants and enemies of their religion. We could 
 confirm the truth of this proposition with the cruelty 
 of the late king of France against the poor Hugono- 
 tes, whom we call now refugees. This is well known 
 to every body, therefore I leave Lewis and his coun- 
 cellors, where they are in the other world, where it is 
 to be feared they endure more torments than the 
 
P O P I S H C H U R C H. 149 
 
 banished refugees in this present one. So to con- 
 clude what I have to say upon the head or title of 
 this bull, I may positively affirm that the pope's 
 design in granting it, is, first, out of interest ; secondly, 
 to encourage the common people to make war, and 
 to root up all the people that are not of his commu- 
 nion or to increase this way, if he can, his revenues, 
 or the treasure of the church. 
 
 I come now to the beginning of the bull, where 
 the pope or his subdelegate, deputy, or general 
 commissary, doth ground the granting of it in that 
 passage of the prophet Joel, chap, iii, v. 18. expressed 
 in these words : That he saw for the comfort of all, 
 a mystical fountain come out from God in his 
 house, (or as it is in Spanish in the original bull) 
 from God and from the Lord^s house, which did 
 water and wash the sins of that people. 
 
 The reflections which may be made upon this text, 
 I leave to our divines, whose learning I do equally 
 covet and respect : I only say, that in the Latin Bible 
 I have found the text thus : Et fons e domo Jehovce 
 prodibit, qui irrigabit vallem cedrorum Lectissima- 
 rum. And in our English translation : And a foun- 
 tain shall come forth of the house of the Lord, and 
 shall water the valley of Shittem. Now I leave the 
 learned man to make his reflections, and I proceed to 
 the application. 
 
 Seeing then our most holy father (so goes on) 
 Clement the Xlth, for the zeal of the Catholic king, 
 for the defence of our holy faith, to help him in this 
 holy enterprise, doth grant him this bull, by which 
 
150 HISTORYOPTHE 
 
 his holiness openeth the springs of the blood of 
 Christ ; and the treasure of his inestimable merits, 
 and with it encourageth all the Christians to the 
 assistance of this midertaking. 
 
 I said before that the pope grants every year snch 
 a bull as this for the same purpose : so every year he 
 openeth the springs of Christ's blood. heaven ! 
 what is man that thou shouldst magnify him ? Or 
 rather, what is this man that he should magnify 
 himself, taking upon him the title of most holy father, 
 and that of his holiness ? A man (really a man) for 
 it is certain that this man and many others of his 
 
 predecessors, had several b s. This man (I say) 
 
 to take upon himself the power of opening the springs 
 of Christ, and this every year ! ! Who will not be 
 surprised at his assurance, and at his highest provo- 
 cation of the Lord and his Christ ? 
 
 For my part, I really believe that he openeth the 
 springs of the blood of Christ, and openeth afresh 
 those wounds of our Redeemer, not only every year, 
 but every day without ceasing. This I do believe, 
 but not as they believe it ; and if their doctrine be 
 true among themselves, by course they must agree 
 with me in this saying, that the pope doth crucify 
 afresh our Saviour Christ without ceasing. In the 
 treatise of vices and sins, the Romish divines propose 
 a question : utrum, or whether a man that takes 
 upon himself one of God's attributes, be a blasphe- 
 mous man, and whether such a man by his sins can 
 kill God and Christ, or not ? As to the first part of 
 the question, they all do agree that such a man is a 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 151 
 
 blasphemous man. As to the second part, some are 
 of an opinion that such an expression, of killing God, 
 has no room in the question. But the greater part 
 of scholastic and moral authors do admit the expres- 
 sion, and say such a man cannot kill God effectively, 
 but that he doth it affectively ; that is to say, that 
 willingly taking upon himself an attribute of God, 
 and acting against his laws, he doth affront and 
 offend in the highest degree that supreme lawgiver ; 
 and by taking on himself the office of a high priest, 
 the power of forgiving sins, which only belong to our 
 Saviour Jesus, he affectively offends, and openeth 
 afresh his wounds and the springs of his blood : and 
 if it were possible for us to see him face to face, 
 whom no man living hath seen yet ; as we see him 
 through a glass now, we should find his high indig- 
 nation against such a man. But he must appear 
 before the dreadful tribunal of our God, and be judged 
 by him according to his deeds : he shall have the 
 same judgment with the anti-christ, for though we 
 cannot prove by the Scripture that he is the anti- 
 christ, notwithstanding we may defy anti-christ him- 
 self ; whoever he be, and whenever he comes, to do 
 worse and more wicked things than the pope doth. 
 0, what a fearful thing is it to fall mto the hands of 
 a living God ! Now I come to the articles of the bull ; 
 and first of all, 
 
 1. His holiness grants a free and full indulgence 
 and pardon of all their sins to those who, upon their 
 own expenses, go to or serve personally in the war 
 against the enemies of the Roman Catholic faith ; but 
 
152 HISTORY OP THE 
 
 this must be understood if they continue in the army 
 the whole year : so the next year they are obUged 
 to take this bull, and to continue in the same service, 
 if they will obtain the same indulgence and pardon, 
 and so on all their life time, for if they quit the service, 
 they cannot enjoy this^ benefit, therefore, for sake of 
 this imaginary pardon, they continue in it till they 
 die, for otherwise there is no pardon of sins. 
 
 Let us observe another thing in this article. The 
 same indulgence and pardon is granted to those that 
 die in the army, or going to the army before the ex- 
 pedition, or before the end of the year : but this 
 must be understood also, if they die with perfect 
 contrition of their sins ; or if they do confess them 
 by mouth, or if they cannot, if they have a hearty de- 
 sire to confess them. As to the first condition, if they 
 die with perfect contrition, no Roman or Protestant 
 divine will deny that God will forgive such a man's 
 sins, and receive him into his everlasting favor, so Xo 
 such a man, a free and full indulgence and pardon is 
 of no use ; for without it, he is sure to obtain God's 
 mercy and forgiveness. 
 
 As to the second condition, or if they do confess 
 them by mouth, or have a hearty desire to do it : if 
 a man want a hearty repentance, or is not heartily 
 penitent and contrite, what can this condition of con- 
 fessing by mouth, or having a hearty desire for it, 
 profit such a man's soul ? It being certain that a 
 man by his open confession may deceive the confes- 
 sor and his own soul, but he cannot deceive God 
 Almighty, who is the only searcher of our hearts. And 
 
POPlSHCHURCa* 153 
 
 if the Catholics will say to this, that open confession 
 is a sign of repentance, we may answer them, thdt 
 among the Protestants it is so, for being not obliged 
 to do it, nor by the laws of God, nor by those of the 
 church, when they do it, it is in all human probability, 
 a sure sign of repentance : but among the Roman 
 Catholics, this is no argument of repentance, for very 
 often their lips are near the Lord, but their hearts 
 very far off. 
 
 How can we suppose that an habitual sinner, that 
 to fulfil the precepts of their church, confesses once a 
 year ; and after it, the very same day, falls again 
 into the same course of life ; how can we presume, I 
 say, that the open confession of such a man is a sign 
 of repentance ? And if the Roman Catholics reply to 
 this, that the case of this first article is quite different, 
 being only for those that die in the war with true 
 contrition and repentance, or open confession, or 
 hearty desire of it ; I say that in this case it is the 
 same as in others. For whenever and wherever a 
 man dies truly penitent and heartily sorry for his sin, 
 such a man, without this bull and its indulgences and 
 pardons, is forgiven by God, who hath promised his 
 holy spirit to all those that ask it ; and on the 6ther 
 side, if a man dies without repentance, though he 
 confesseth his sins, he cannot obtain pardon and 
 forgiveness from God, and in such a case the pope^s 
 indulgences and pardons cannot free that man from 
 the punishment his impenitent heart hath deserved. 
 
 Observe likewise, that to all those warriors against 
 the enemies of the Romish faith, the pope grants the 
 
 SO 
 
154 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 same indulgences which he grants to those, that go- 
 to the conquest of the holy land, in the year of jubilee. 
 The Roman Catholics ought to consider, that the 
 greatest favor we can expect from God Almighty, is 
 only the pardon of our sins, for his grace and ever- 
 lasting glory do follow after it. Then if the pope 
 grants them free, full and general pardon of their 
 sins in this bull, what need have they of the par- 
 dons and indulgences, granted to those that go to 
 the conquest of the holy land, and in the year of 
 jubilee ? 
 
 But because few are acquainted with the nature 
 of such indulgences and graces granted in the year 
 of jubilee, I must crave leave from the learned 
 people to say what I know in this matter. I will 
 not trouble the public with the catalogue of the 
 pope's bulls, but I cannot pass by one article con- 
 tained in one of these bulls, which may be found in 
 some libraries of curious gentlemen and learned 
 divines of our church, and especially in the earl of 
 Sunderland's library, which is directed to the Roman 
 Catholics of England in these words : Filii mei date 
 mihi cor da vestra, et hoc sufficit vobis : My children 
 give me your hearts, and this is sufficient. So by 
 this, they may swear and curse, steal and murder, 
 and commit most heinous crimes ; if they keep their 
 hearjts for the pope, that is enough to be saved. 
 Observe this doctrine, and I leave it to you, reader, 
 whether such an opinion is according to God's will, 
 nay, to natural reason, or not ? 
 
 The article of the bull for the year of jubilee doth 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 155 
 
 contain these words : If any christian, and profes- 
 sor of our Catholic faith, going to the holy land, 
 to th€ war against the Turks and Infidels, or in 
 the year of jubilee to our city of Rome, should 
 happen to die in the way, we declare that his soul 
 goes straightway to heaven. 
 
 The preachers of the holy crusade, in their circuits, 
 are careful in specifying in their sermons, all these 
 graces and indulgences, to encourage the people, 
 -either to go to the war or to make more bulls than 
 one. With this crowd of litanies and pardons, the 
 pope blinds the common people, and increases his 
 treasure. 
 
 In this same first article of our present bull, it is 
 said, that the same graces and indulgences are 
 granted to all those, who, though they do not go 
 personally, should send another upon their own 
 expenses ; and that if he be a cardinal, primate, 
 patriarch, archbishop, bishop, son of a king, prince, 
 duke, marquis, or earl, he must send ten, or at least 
 four soldiers, and the rest of the people one, or one 
 between ten. 
 
 Observe now, that according to the rules of their 
 morality, no man can merit, by any involuntary 
 action ; because, as they say, he is compelld and 
 forced to it. How can, then, this noble people merit, 
 or obtain such graces and indulgences, when they do 
 not act voluntarily : for if we mind the pope's ex- 
 pression, he compels and forces them to send ten 
 soldiers, or at least four. They have no liberty to 
 the contrary, and consequently they cannot merit by 
 it. 
 
156 HISTORYOFTHE 
 
 The Second Article of this Bull. 
 
 The pope compriseth in this command of sending 
 one soldier, chapters, parish churches, convents of 
 friars, and monasteries of nuns, without excepting 
 the mendicant orders ; but the pope in this doth favor 
 the ecclesiastical persons more than the laity, for as 
 to the laity, he says, that three or four may join 
 together, and send one soldier ; and as to the ecclesi- 
 astical persons, he enlarges this to ten persons, that 
 if between them, ten do send one soldier, they all, 
 and the person sent by them, obtain the said graces. 
 I do believe there is a great injustice done to the 
 laity ; for these have families to maintain, and the 
 ecclesiastics have not, and the greatest part of the 
 riches are in their hands. This I can aver, that I 
 read in the chronicles of the Franciscan order, written 
 by Fr. Anthony Perez, of the same order, where^ ex- 
 tolling and praising the providence of God upon the 
 Franciscan friars, he says, that the general of St. 
 Francis's order doth rule and govern continually 
 600,000 friars in Christendom, who having nothing 
 to live upon, God takes care of them, and all are well 
 clothed and maintained. There are in the Roman 
 Catholic religion seventy different orders, governed 
 by seventy regular generals, who, after six years of 
 command, are made either bishops or cardinals. I 
 say this by the by, to let the public know the great 
 number of priests and friars, idle and needless people 
 in that religion ; for if in one order only there are 
 600,000 friars, how many shall be found in seventy 
 
POPISH CHUBCH. 157 
 
 different orders ; I am sure if the pope would com- 
 mand the fiftieth part of them to go to this holy war, 
 the laity would be relieved, the king would have a 
 great deal more powerful army, and his dominions 
 would not be so much embroiled with divisions, nor 
 so full of vice and debauchery, as they are now. 
 
 The Third Article. 
 
 It is lawful for the priests and friars to go to this 
 war to preach the word of God in it, or serve, or help 
 in it, without incurring irregularity. They do preach 
 and encourage the soldiers to kill the enemies of their 
 religion, and to make use of whatever means they 
 can for it ; for in so doing there is no sin, but a great 
 service done to God. 
 
 Out of this war if a priest strike another and there 
 is mutilation, or if he encourage another to revenge 
 or murder, he incurs irregularity, and he cannot 
 perform any ecclesiastical or divine service, till he is 
 absolved by the pope, or his deputy : But in the war 
 against the enemies of their religion, nay, out of the 
 war they advise them to murder them, as I have 
 said before, and this without incurring irregularity. 
 blindness of heart ! He endeth this article by 
 excusing the soldiers from fasting when they are in 
 the army, but not when they are out of it ; a strange 
 thing that a man should command more than God. 
 Our Saviour Jesus Christ commands us to fast from 
 sin, not from meat ; but more of this in another 
 article. 
 
158 HISTORY or THE 
 
 The Fourth Article. 
 
 In this article the pope compriseth all the people, 
 and puts them upon double charges and expenses, 
 for besides the contribution for a soldier, every body 
 must take the bull if he will obtain the said graces, 
 and must give two reals of plate, i. e. thirteen pence 
 half penny. This is a bitter and hard thing for the 
 people : but see how the pope sweetens it. I grant, 
 besides the said graces, to all those who should take 
 this bull and give the charity undermentioned, that 
 even in the time of suspension Of divine and ecclesi- 
 astical service, they may hear and say mass, and 
 other devotions, &c. Charity must be voluntary to 
 be acceptable to God : How then can he call it 
 charity, when the people must pay for the bull, or 
 some of their goods shall be sold ? And not only 
 this, but that their corpse cannot be buried in sacred 
 ground without it, as is expressed in the fifth article. 
 
 The Sixth Article. 
 
 The pope doth excuse all that take this bull not 
 only from fasting, but he gives them license to eat 
 flesh in lent by the consent of both physicians spirit- 
 ual and temporal. This is, if a man is sick, he must 
 consult the physician, whether he may eat flesh or 
 not ; and if the physician gives his consent, he must 
 ask his father-confessor's consent too, to eat flesh ill 
 lent and other days of ecclesiastical prohibition. 
 Only a stupid man will not find out the trick of this 
 granting, for in the first place, necessitas caret lege ; 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 159 
 
 necessity knows no law : If a man is sick, he is 
 excused by the law of God, nay, by the law of nature 
 from hurtful things, nay, he is obliged in conscience to 
 preserve his health by using all sorts of lawful means. 
 This is a maxim received among the Romans, as 
 well as among us. What occasion is there then of 
 the pope's and both physicians' license to do such a 
 thing ? Or if there is such a power in the bull, why 
 doth not the pope grant them license absolutely, 
 without asking consent of both physicians ? We 
 may conclude that such people must be blindly 
 superstitious, or deeply ignorant. 
 
 But this great privilege must be understood only 
 for the laity, not for the secular, nor regular priests, 
 except the cardinals, who are not mentioned here, 
 the knights of the military order, and those that are 
 sixty years of age and above. But the priests and 
 'friars (notwithstanding this express prohibition) if 
 they have a mind, evade it on pretence of many 
 light distempers, of the assiduity of their studies, or 
 exercise of preaching the lent's sermons ; and by 
 these and other, as they think, weighty reasons, they 
 get a license to eat flesh in lent. So we see, that 
 they will preach to the people obedience to all the 
 commandments of the pope, and they do disobey 
 them ; they preach so, because they have private 
 ends and interests in so doing ; but they do not 
 observe them themselves, because they are against 
 their inclinations, and without any profit, and so 
 advising the people to mind them, they do not mind 
 them themselves. 
 
160 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 The Seventh and Eighth Jlrticles. 
 
 To the same, the pope grants fifteen years, ancf 
 fifteen quarantains of pardon, and all the penances 
 not yet performed by them, &c. Observe the igno- 
 ranee of that people : the pope grants them f^teen 
 years and fifteen quarantains oi pardon by this bull, 
 and they are so infatuated that they take it every 
 year indeed they cannot desire more than the free 
 and general pardon of sins ; and if they obtain it by 
 one bull for fifteen years, and fifteen quarantains^ 
 what need or occasion have they for a yearly bull^ 
 Perhaps some are so stuped as to think to heap up 
 pardons during this life for the next world, or to 
 leave them to their children and relations : but 
 observe, likewise, that to obtain this, they must fast 
 for devotion's sake some days not prohibited by the 
 church. They really believe, that keeping them- 
 selves within the rules of ecclesiastical fasting, they 
 merit a great deal ; but God knows, for as they say, 
 the merit is grounded in the mortification of the 
 body, and by this rule, I will convince them that 
 they cannot merit at all. 
 
 For let us know how they fast, and what, and 
 how they eat ? Now I will give a true account of 
 their fasting in general ; the rules which must be 
 observed in a right fasting are these — In the morning, 
 it is allowed by all the casuistical authors, to drink 
 whatever a body has a mind for, and eat an ounce 
 df bread, which they call parva materia, a small 
 matter. And as for the drink, they follow the pope's 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 161 
 
 declaration concerning chocolate. Give me leave to 
 acquaint you with the case. 
 
 When the chocolate begun to be introduced, the 
 Jesuits' opinion was, that being a great nourishment, 
 it could not be drunk without breaking fast ; but the 
 lovers of it proposing the case to the pope, he 
 ordered to be brought to him all the ingredients of 
 which the chocolate is made, which being accordingly 
 done, the pope drank a cup, and decided the dispute, 
 ^B^ym^ypotusnonfrangitjejuniurn: Liquid doth 
 not break fasting, which declaration is a maxim put 
 into all their moral sums ; and by it every body 
 may lawfully drink as many cups as he pleases and 
 eat an ounce of bread, as a small matter in the 
 morning ; and by the same rule any body may drink 
 a bottle of wine or two without breaking his fasting, 
 for liquid doth not break fasting. 
 
 At noon they may eat as much as they can of all 
 sorts of things, except flesh ; and at night, it is 
 allowed not to sup, but to take something by way of 
 collation : in this point of collation, the casuists do 
 not agree together ; for some say that nobody can 
 lawfully eat but eight ounces of dry and cold things 
 as bread, walnuts, raisins, cold fried fishes, and the 
 lilce. Other authors say, that the quantity of this 
 collation, must be measured with the constitution of 
 the person who fasts ; for if the person is of a strong 
 constitution, tall, and of a good appetite, eight ounces 
 are not enough, and twelve must be allowed to such 
 a man, and so of the rest. This is the form of their 
 fasting in general : though some few religious and 
 
 21 
 
162 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 devout persons eat but one meal a day ; nay, some 
 used to fast twenty-four hours without eating any 
 thing ; but this is once in a year, which they call a 
 fast with the bells, that is, in the holy week, among 
 other ceremonies, the Roman Catholics put the con- 
 secrated host or wafer in a rich urna or box, on 
 Thursday, at twelve of the clock in the morning ; 
 and they take it out on Friday at the same time ; 
 these twenty -four hours every body is in mourning, 
 nay, the altars are veiled, and the monument where 
 they place the image of Jesus Christ upon the cross, 
 is all covered with black. The bells are not heard 
 all this while ; and, as I said, many used to fast with 
 the bells ; and they make use of this expression to 
 signify that they fast twenty -four hours without 
 eating any thing at all. 
 
 From these we may easily know whether their 
 bodies are mortified with fasting or not ? For how 
 can a man of sense say, that he mortifies his body 
 with fasting, when he drinks two or three cups of 
 chocolate, with a small toast in the morning, eats as 
 much as he can at dinner, and eight ounces at night: 
 Add to this, that he may sit in company and eat a 
 crust of bread, and drink as many bottles of wine as 
 he will: this is not accounted eolation, because 
 liquid doth not break fasting. This is the form of 
 their fasting, and the rules they must observe in it, 
 and this is reckoned a meritorious work ; and there- 
 fore doing this, they obtain the said indulgences and 
 pardons of this bull. 
 
 Observe likewise, that the Roman Catholics of 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 163 
 
 Spain are allowed to eat, in some days, prohibited 
 by the church, and especially Saturdays, the follow- 
 ing things: The head and pluck of a sheep, a 
 eheevelet of a foul, and the like ; nay, they may boil 
 a leg of mutton, and drink the broth of it. This 
 toleration of eating such things was granted by the 
 pope to king Ferdinand, who being in a warm war 
 against the Moors, the soldiers suffered very much 
 in the days of fasting for want of fish, and other 
 things eatable for such days ; and for this reason the 
 pope granted him and his army license to eat the 
 above mentioned things on Saturdays and other 
 days of fasting commanded by the church ; and this 
 was in the year 1479. But this toleration only to 
 the army was introduced among the country people, 
 especially in both Old and New Castilla, and this 
 custom is become a law among them. But this is not 
 so in other provinces of Spain, where the common 
 people have not the liberty of eating such things ; 
 among the quality only those that have a particular 
 dispensation from the pope for them and their 
 families. 
 
 There is an order of friars, called La or den de la 
 victoria, the order of the victory, whose first founder 
 was St. Francis de Paula ; and the friars are prO' 
 hibited by the rules, statues and constitution of the 
 order, to eat flesh ; nay, this prohibition stands in 
 force during their lives, as it is among the Carthusians, 
 who, though in great sickness, cannot eat any thing 
 of flesh ; but this must be understood within the 
 convent's gate ; for when they go abroad they may 
 
164 HISTORYOPTHE 
 
 eat any thing without transgressing the statue of the 
 
 order. 
 
 But the pleasantness of their practices will show 
 
 the tricks of that religion. As to the Victorian friars, 
 
 I knew in Saragossa, one father Conchillos, professor 
 
 of divinity in his convent, learned in their way, but 
 
 a pleasant companion. He was, by his daily exercise 
 
 of the public lecture, confined to his convent every 
 
 day in the afternoon ; but as soon as the lecture was 
 
 over, his thought and care was to divert himself with 
 
 music, gaming, &c. One evening, having given me 
 
 an invitation to his room, I went accordingly, and 
 
 there was nothing wanting of all sorts of recreation, 
 
 music, cards, comedy, and very good merry company. 
 
 We went to supper, which is composed of nice, 
 
 delicate eatable things, both of flesh and fish, and 
 
 for the dessert the best sweetmeats. But observing, 
 
 at supper, that my good Conchillos used to take a leg 
 
 of partridge and go to the window, and come again 
 
 and take a wing of a fowl, and do the same, I asked 
 
 him whether he had some beggar in the street, to 
 
 whom he threw the leg and wing ? No, said he to 
 
 me. What then do you do with them out of the 
 
 window ? What, said he ; I cannot eat flesh within 
 
 the walls, but the statue of my order doth not forbid 
 
 me to eat it without the walls ; and so, whenever 
 
 we have a fancy for it, we may eat flesh, putting 
 
 our heads out of the window. Thus they give a 
 
 turn to the law, but a turn agreeable to them : And 
 
 so they do in all their fastings, and abstinences from 
 
 flesh. 
 
 / 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 165 
 
 As to the Carthusians, and their abstinence and 
 fasting, I could say a great deal, but I am afraid I 
 should swell this treatise beyond its designed length, 
 if I should amuse you with an account of all their 
 ridiculous ways. This I cannot pass by, for it con- 
 duces very much to clearing this point of abstinence 
 and fasting. The order of this constitution is — 
 
 First : A continual abstinence from flesh ; and 
 this is observed so severely and strictly, that I knew 
 a friar, who, being dangerously ill, the physicians 
 ordered to apply, upon his head, a young pigeon, 
 opened alive at the breast ; which being proposed by 
 the prior to the whole community, they were of 
 opinion that such a remedy was against the constitu- 
 tion, and therefore not fit to be used any way : That 
 these poor friars must die rather than touch any 
 fleshly thing, though it be for the preserving of their 
 health. 
 
 Secondly. Perpetual silence and confinement is 
 the next precept of St. Brune, their founder : That 
 is, that the friars cannot go abroad out of the convent, 
 or garden walls, only the prior and procurator may 
 go upon business of the community. The rest of the 
 friars' lives are thus : Each of them has an apartment 
 with a room, bed-chamber, kitchen, cellar, closet to 
 keep fruit in, a garden, with a well, and a place in it 
 for firing. Next to the door of the apartment there 
 is a wheel in the wall, which serves to put the 
 victuals in at noon, and at night, and the friar turns 
 the wheel, and takes his dinner and supper, and in 
 the morning he puts in the wheel the plates, by 
 
16^ HISTORY OP THE 
 
 which the servant, that carries the victuals, kno\vi& 
 they are in good health ; and if he finds the victuals 
 again, he acquaints the father prior with it, who 
 straight goes to visit them. The prior hath a master- 
 key of all the rooms, for the friars are obliged to lock 
 the door on the inside, and to keep the room always 
 shut, except when they go to say mass in the 
 morning, and to say the canonical hours in the day 
 time ; then if they meet one another, they can say 
 no other words but these : One says, Brother, we 
 must die ; and the other answers, We knowt it. 
 Only on Thursday, between three and four in the 
 afternoon, they meet together for an hour's time, and 
 if it befair weather, they go to walk in the garden of 
 the convent, and if not, in the common hall, where 
 they cannot talk of other things, but of the lives of 
 such or such a saint ; and when the hour is over, 
 every one goes to his own chamber. So they observe 
 fasting and silence continually, but except flesh, they 
 eat the most exquisite and delicate things in the 
 world ; for commonly in one convent there are but 
 twenty friars, and there is not one convent of Carthu- 
 sians, which hath not five, six, and many, twenty 
 thousand pistoles of yearly rent. 
 
 Such is their fasting from flesh and conversation ; 
 but let us know their fasting from sins. 
 
 Dr. Peter Bernes, secular priest, belonging to the 
 parish church of the blessed Mary Magdalene, (as 
 they do call her,) being thirty-two years of age, and 
 dangerously ill, made a vow to the glorious saint, 
 that if he should recover from that sickness, he would 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 169 
 
 retire into a Carthusian convent. He recovered, and 
 accordingly, renouncing his benefice and the world,he 
 took the Carthusian habit, in the convent of the Con- 
 ception, three miles from Saragossa. For the space 
 of three years he gave proofs of virtue and singular 
 conformity with the statues of the order. His strict 
 hfe was so crowded with the disciplines and mortifi- 
 cations, that the prior gave out, in the city, that he 
 was a saint on earth. I went to see him with the 
 father prior's consent, and indeed I thought there was 
 something extraordinary in his countenance, and in 
 his words ; and I had taken him myself for a man 
 ready to work miracles. Many people went to see 
 him, and among the crowd a young woman, ac- 
 quainted with him before he took the habit, who 
 unknown to the strict friars got into his chamber, and 
 there she was kept by the pious father eighteen 
 months. In that time the prior used to visit the 
 chamber, but the Senora was kept in the bed- 
 chamber, till at last the prior went one night to 
 consult him upon some business, and hearing a child 
 cry, asked him what was the matter ; and though 
 my friend Bernes endeavored to conceal the case, the 
 prior found it out ; and she, owning the thing, was 
 turned out with the child, and the father was confined 
 forever : And this was his virtue, fasting and absti- 
 nence from flesh, &c. 
 
 To those that either fast in the abovesaid manner, 
 or keep fasting for devotion's sake, his holiness grants' 
 (takmg this bull of crusade) all the said graces, 
 pardons and indulgences ; and really, if such grace* 
 
 22 
 
170 HISTORYOFTHB 
 
 were of some use or benefit, the people thus doing, 
 want them very much ; or may be, the pope know- 
 ing these practices, doth this out of pity and compas- 
 sion for their souls, without thinking that this bull is 
 a great encouragement and incitement to sin. 
 
 The Ninth Article, 
 
 This article contains, first, that to pray with more 
 purity, every body taking this bull may choose a 
 confessor to his own fancy, who is empowered to 
 absolve sins, except the crime of heresy, reserved to 
 the pope, or apostolical see. You must know what 
 they mean by the crime heresy. Salazar Irribarren 
 and Corrella, treating of the reserved sins, say, that 
 the crime of heresy is, viz. : If I am all alone in my 
 room, and the door being locked up, talking to myself; 
 I say, I do not believe in God, or in the pope of Rome, 
 this is heresy. They distinguish two sorts of heresies ; 
 one interna, and another externa, that is public and 
 secret. The public heresy, such as that I have now 
 told you of, nobody can absolve, but the pope 
 himself The second being only in thought, every 
 body can absolve, being licensed by the bishop, 
 by the benefit of this bull. So, whoever pronounces 
 the pope is not infallible : the English or Protestants 
 may be saved ; The Virgin Mary is not to be prayed 
 to : The priest hath not power to bring down from 
 heaven J. C. with fiYQ words : Such an one is a 
 public heretic, and he must go to Rome, if he 
 desireth to get absolution. 
 Secondly. This article contains, that by the benefit 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 171 
 
 of this bull, every body may be free from restitution, 
 during his own life ; and that he may make it by his 
 heirs after his death. what an unnatural thing is 
 this ! What, if I take away from my neighbor three 
 hundred pounds, which is all he hath in the world to 
 maintain his family, must I be free from this restitu- 
 tion, and leave it to my heir's will to make it after 
 my death ? Must I see my neighbor's family suffer 
 by it ; and can I bo free before God, of a thing that 
 0od, nature and humanity, require of me to do ? 
 Indeed this is a diabolical doctrine. Add to this 
 what I have said of the bull of composition, that is, 
 if you take so many bulls, to compound the matter 
 with your confessor, you will be free forever from 
 making restitution : But really you shall not be free 
 from the eternal punishment. 
 
 Likewise, by the power of this bull, any confessor 
 may commute any vow, except those of chastity, 
 religion, and beyond seas : But this is upon con- 
 dition that they should give something for the crusade. 
 
 God, what an expression is this ! To commute 
 any vow, except those of chastity, &c. &c. So, if I 
 make a vow to kill a man, if I promise upon oath to' 
 rob my neighbor, the confessor may commute me 
 these vows, for sixpence : But if I vow to keep 
 chastity, I must go to Rome, to the pope himself. 
 What an expression is this ? I say again how many 
 millions have vowed chastity ? If I say two millions, 
 
 1 shall not lie. And how many of these two millions 
 observe it ? If I say five hundred, I shall not lie. 
 And for all this, we see nobody go to Rome for abso- 
 lution. 
 
173 HISTORY OF THB 
 
 The Roman Catholics will say, that by these 
 words, vow of chastity^ must be only understood 
 abstaining from marriage ; but I will leave it to any 
 man of reason, whether the nature of chastity com- 
 priseth only that ? Or let me ask the Roman 
 Catholics, whether a priest, who has made a vow of 
 chastity, that is, never to marry, if he commits the 
 sins of the flesh, will be accounted chaste or not ? 
 They will, and must say, not. Then, if so many 
 thousands of priests live lewdly, breaking the vow of 
 chastity, why do they not go to the pope for absolu- 
 tion ? To this' they never can answer me ; therefore 
 the pope, in this bull, doth blind them, and the priests 
 do what they please, and only the common people 
 are imposed upon, and suffer by it. God Almighty, 
 by his infinite power, enlighten them all, that so the 
 priests may be more sincere, and the people lew 
 darkened. 
 
 The Tenth Article, 
 
 The pope grants the same indulgences to those 
 that should die suddenly, if they die heartily sorry 
 for their sins. Of this I have spoken already, and 
 said, that if a man dies truly penitent he hath no 
 occasion for the pope's pardon, for his true penitence 
 hath more interest (if I may thus express myself) 
 with God Almighty, than the pope with all his infalli- 
 bility. So I proceed to the next, which is 
 
 The Eleventh Article. 
 
 In this article the pope grants besides the said 
 indulgences, to those that take this bull, that they 
 
POPISQ CHURCH. 173 
 
 may twice more in the same year be absolved of all 
 their sins, of what nature soever, once more during: 
 their lives, and once more at the poiilt of death. 
 This is a bold saying, and full of assurance, poor 
 blind people ! Where have you your eyes or under- 
 standing ? Mind, I pray, for the light of your con- 
 sciences, this impudent way of decieving you, and 
 go along with me. The pope has granted you in the 
 aforesaid articles, all you can wish for, and now 
 again, he grants you a nonsensical privilege, viz. 
 that you may twice at the point of death, be absolved 
 of all your sins. Observe, passing by, that a simple 
 priest, who hath not been licensed by the ordinary to 
 hear confessions, upon urgent necessity, i. e. upon 
 the point of death, is allowed by all the casuistical 
 authors, nay, by the councils, to absolve all sins 
 whatsoever, if there be not present another licensed 
 priest. Again, nobody can get such an absolution, 
 as is expressed in this bull, but at the point of his 
 soul's departing from the body, i. e. when there is no 
 hope of recovery ; and the confessors are so careful 
 in this point, that sometimes, they begin to pronounce 
 the absolution, when a man is alive, and he is dead 
 before they finish the words. 
 
 Now pray tell me how can a man be twice in such 
 a point ? And if he got once as much, as he cannot 
 get the second time, what occasion hath he for the 
 second full, free, and plenary indulgence, and abso- 
 lution of all his sins ? I must stop here, for if I was 
 to tell freely my opinion upon this point, some will 
 think I do it out of some private ends j which I never 
 do upon delivering matters of fact. 
 
174 HISTORTOPTHB 
 
 The Twelfth Article. 
 
 Here the most holy father gives his power and 
 authority to the general apostolical commissary oi 
 the crusade, and all other graces and faculties, to 
 revoke and suspend all the graces and indulgences 
 granted in this bull, by his holiness, during the year 
 of publishing it; and not only to suspend them upon 
 any restriction or limitation, but absolutely, though 
 this, or any other bull, or brief of indulgences, granted 
 by this or other popes, did contain words contrary to 
 it, viz : Suppose if Clement, or another pope, should 
 say, I grant to such an one such faculties, and I 
 anathematize all those that should attempt to suspend 
 the said faculties. This last expression would be of 
 no force at all, because this bull specifies the contrary. 
 So it is a thing very remarkable, that the pope 
 dispossesseth himself by this bull, of all his power 
 and authority, and giveth it to the general apostolical 
 commissary, insomuch that the apostolical commis- 
 sary hath more power than the pope himself, during 
 the year : and this power and authority is renewed 
 and confirmed to him by his holiness. And not only 
 he has this power over the pope, but over all the 
 popes, and their briefs, in whatsoever time granted 
 to any place, or person whatsoeveV. For it is in the 
 apostolical commissary's power to suspend all graces 
 and privileges whatsoever, granted since the first 
 pope began to grant indulgences, which things are 
 all inconsistent with the independency and supremacy 
 of the holy father, nay, according to the principles 
 
P O P I S H C H U R C H. 175 
 
 and sentiments of their own authors, but we see they 
 are consistent with their blindness and ignorance. 
 
 The Thirteenth Article. 
 
 This article showeth us plainly the reason, why 
 
 the pope acts thus in granting of his power to the 
 
 general apostolical commissary of the crusade, for he 
 
 grants him authority to revoke and suspend all the 
 
 indulgences here granted by himself and other popes, 
 
 but he grants him the same authority to call again 
 
 the very same indulgences, and to make them good 
 
 again. And next to this power (observe this) he 
 
 grants him and his deputies power to fix and settle 
 
 the price or charity, the people ought to give for the 
 
 bull. This is the whole matter, and we may use the 
 
 English saying. No cure, no pay, quite reverse. No 
 
 payx^aa cure, no indulgence nor pardon of sins. The 
 
 treasiire of the church (being a spiritual gift) cannot 
 
 be sold for money, without Simony. And if the 
 
 Romans say that the pope has that power derived 
 
 from Christ, or given gratis to him, let them mind 
 
 the words : Quod gratis accepistis, gratis date. If 
 
 the pope payeth nothing for having such power, if 
 
 he has it gratis, why does he sell it to the faithful ? 
 
 Gan a private man, or his deputy put a price an a 
 
 spiritual thing ? blindness of heart ? 
 
 The Fourteenth Article. 
 
 In this article the general apostolical commissary 
 
 makes use of his powei: and authority, he says, In 
 
 favor of this holy bully we do suspend, during tht 
 
17$ HISTORY OP THE 
 
 year^ all the graces, indulgences, and faculties of 
 this or any other kind, ^^c. Though they be in 
 J'avor of the building of St. Peter^s church at Rome. 
 Except only from this suspension of the privileges 
 granted to the superiors of the mendicant orders. 
 He excepts only from this suspension the privileges 
 of the four mendicant orders, because the friars of 
 those orders, being mendicants or beggars, they can 
 be no great hindrance of this project. I ask my 
 countrymen this- question : If Dn. Francis Anthony 
 Ramirez has such a power, to do and undo, in despite 
 of the pope, whatever he pleases for a whole year ; 
 and this power is renewed to him every year, by a 
 fresh bull ; of what use is the pope in Spain ? And 
 if he has resigned his authority to Don Ramirez, why 
 do they send every year to Rome for privileges, 
 dispensations, faculties, bulls, &c., and throw their 
 money away ? If Ramirez has power to stop, and 
 make void any concession by the pope, what need 
 have they for so great trouble and expense ? Is not 
 this a great stupidity and infatuity ? Observe the 
 next article. 
 
 The Fifteenth Article, 
 
 All those prohibitions and suspensions aforemen*- 
 tioned, are only to obhge the people to take the bull ; 
 for the general apostolical commissary says ; Wt 
 declare that all those that take this hull, do obtain 
 and enjoy all the graces, and faculties, 8fc. which 
 have been granted by the popes, Paul the Vth, and 
 Urbannus the Vlllth, Sfc. So if a poor man takes no 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 177 
 
 bull, though he be heartily penitent, there is no 
 pardon for him. I say, there is no pardon for him 
 from the pope and his commissary, but there is surely 
 pardon for him from God ; and he is in a better way 
 than all the bigots that take the bull, thinking to be 
 free by it from all their sins. 
 
 Observe also the last words of this article : We 
 
 command that every body that takes this bull, be 
 
 obliged to keep by him the same, which is here 
 
 printed, signed and sealed with our name and seal ; 
 
 and that otherwise they cannot obtain, nor enjoy 
 
 the benefit of the said bull. This is a cheat, robbery, 
 
 and roguery ; for the design of the general apostohcal 
 
 commissary is, to oblige them to take another bull. 
 
 The custom is, that when they take every year a new 
 
 bull, they ought to show the old one, or else they 
 
 must take two that year. Now let us suppose that 
 
 all the contents of the bull are as efficacious as the 
 
 bigots do believe them to be. A man takes the bull, 
 
 pays for it, and performs and fulfileth the contents of 
 
 it. Is not this enough to enjoy all the graces, &c ? 
 
 What is the meaning then of commanding to keep 
 
 the same bull by them, but a cheat, robbery, and 
 
 roguery ? I do not desire better proof of this than 
 
 what the commissary affords me in his following 
 
 words, by which he contradicts himself. He says, 
 
 and whereas you (speaking with Peter Dezuloaga, 
 
 who was the man that took the bull which was left 
 
 at the publisher's shop) havegiwn two reals ofplate^ 
 
 and have taken this bull, and your nam^e is written 
 
 in it, we declare that you have already obtained' 
 
 23 
 
178 HISTORY OP THE 
 
 and art granted the said indulgences, S^c. And 
 that you may enjoy and make use of them, 8fC. 
 
 If he has already obtained all, of what use may it 
 be to keep the bull by him ? How can the commis- 
 sary make these expressions agree together ? First. 
 If he doth not keep the bull by him, he cannot enjoy 
 the benefit of the bull. Second. Jls soon as he takes 
 it, he has already obtained all the graces, S^c, and 
 enjoys the benefit of the bull. These are two quite 
 contrary ^things. Then the design in the first is 
 robbery and roguery, and in the second, cheat, fraud 
 and deceit. 
 
 Reflect again : Whereas you have taken the bull 
 and paid for it, you have already obtained all the 
 indulgences and pardons af sins. By this declara- 
 tion, infallible to the Romans, let a man come from 
 committing murder, adultery, sacrilege, &c., if he 
 takes and pays for the bull, his sins are already 
 pardoned. Is not this a scandalous presumption ? 
 If a man is in a state of sin, and has no repentance 
 in his heart, how can such a man be pardoned at so 
 cheap a rate as two reals of plate ? If this was sure 
 and certain, the whole world would embrace their 
 religion, for they then would be sure of their salva- 
 tion. Again, if they believe this bull to be true, 
 how can they doubt of their going to heaven imme- 
 diately after death? For a man, whose sins are 
 pardoned, goes straightway to heaven ; so if the sins 
 of all men and women (for every body takes the 
 bull) are pardoned by it, and consequently go to 
 heaven, why do they set up a purgatory ? or why 
 are they afraid of hell ? 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 179 
 
 Let us say, that we may suspect, that this bull 
 sends more people into hell, than it can save from it ; 
 for it is the greatest encouragement to sin in the 
 world. A man says, I may . satisfy my lusts and 
 passions, I may commit all wickedness, and yet I am 
 sure to be pardoned of all, by the taking of this bull 
 for two reals of plate. By the same rule, their 
 consciences cannot be under any remorse nor trouble, 
 for if a man commits a great sin, he goes to confess, 
 he gets absolution, he has by him this bull, or 
 permission to sin, and his conscience is at perfect 
 ease, insomuch that after he gets absolution, he may 
 go and commit new sins, and go again for absolution. 
 
 If we press with these reflections and arguments 
 the Roman Catholic priests, especially those of good 
 sense, they will answer that they do not believe any 
 such thing ; for if a man (say they) doth not repent 
 truly of his sins, he is not pardoned by God, though 
 he be absolved by the confessor. Well, if it be so, 
 why does the pope, by his general apostolical com- 
 missary, say, Whereas you have taken and paid Jor 
 this bull, you have already obtained pardon for 
 your sins, 8^c. We must come then to say, that the 
 cheat, fraud, and deceit is in the pope, and that Don 
 Ramirez is the pope's instrument to impose so grossly 
 upon the poor Spaniards. The confessor grants free 
 and full indulgence and pardon of all sins, and of all 
 the pains and punishments which the penitent was 
 obliged to endure for them in purgatory. By virtue 
 of this absolution then, we may say, no soul goes to 
 purgatory especially out of the dominions of the king 
 
180 HISTORY OF THfi 
 
 of Spain, for as I said, in the beginning of the expla- 
 nation of the bull, every living soul, from seven years 
 of age and upwards, is obliged to take the bull, and 
 consequently, if every soul obtains the grant of being^ 
 pardoned of all the pains which they were to endure 
 and suifer in purgatory, all go to heaven. Why do 
 the priests ask masses, and say them for the relief of 
 the souls in purgatory. 
 
 Let us from these proceed to the sum of the esta- 
 tions and indulgences granted to the city of Rome, 
 which the pope grants likewise to all those that take 
 the bull, and fulfil the contents of it. 
 
 Estations, in this place, signify the going from one 
 church to another, in remembrance of Christ's being, 
 or remaining so long on Mount Calvary, so long in 
 the garden, so long on the cross, so long in the 
 sepulchre. 
 
 We call also estations, or to walk the estations, to 
 go from the first cross to the mount Calvary &c. 
 This is a new thing to many of this kingdom, there- 
 foi*e, a plain account of that custom among the 
 Romans, will not be amiss in this place. 
 
 There is in every city, town and village, a mount 
 Calvary out of the gates, in remembrance of the 
 Calvary where our Saviour was crucified. There 
 are fourteen crosses placed at a distance one from 
 another. The first cross is out of the gates, and from 
 the first to the second, the Romans reckon so many 
 steps or paces, more or less from the second to the 
 third, and so on from one to another of the remaining^ 
 till they come to the twelfth cross, which is in the 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 181 
 
 middle of two crosses, which represent two crosses 
 which the two malefactors were crucified on each 
 side of Christ. They walk these twelve estations in 
 remembrance of all the steps and paces our Saviour 
 walked from the gates of the city of Jerusalem to 
 mount Calvary, where he was crucified. In the first 
 estation^ you will see the image of Jesus, with the 
 cross on his shoulders, in the second, falling down, 
 &c. In the last cross, our last estation of the three 
 crosses, Jesus is represented crucified between two 
 malefactors. 
 
 Every Friday in the year, the devout people walk 
 the estations, and kneel down before every cross, and 
 say so many pater nosters, &c., and a prayer for the 
 meditation of what did happen to our Jesus at that 
 distance. When the weather hinders the people 
 from going to the great Calvary, they have another 
 in every church, and in the cloisters of the convents, 
 and monasteries, and they walk the estations there, 
 and especially in lent, there is such a crowd of people 
 every Friday in the afternoon, that there is scarcely 
 room enough in the highway for all to kneel down. 
 
 On good Friday in the evening, is the great pro- 
 cession, at which almost all the poople assist with 
 lanterns in their hands. The people, both men and 
 women, old and young, go to church in the after- 
 noon. The parish minister, dressed in a surplice, 
 and a sacredotal cloak on, and a square black cap on 
 his head, and the rest of the clergy in their surplices, 
 and the reverend father preacher in his habit. This 
 last begins a short exhortation to the people, recom- 
 
182 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 mending to them devotion, humility, and meditation 
 of our Saviour's sufFerir.gs ; after he has done, the 
 prior of the fraturnity of the blood of Christ, ordereth 
 the procession in this manner : First of all, at the 
 head of it, a man in a surplice, carrieth the cross of 
 the parish, and two boys on each side, with two 
 high lanterns, immediately after begins the first es- 
 tation of our Saviour, painted in a standard, which 
 one of the fraternity carrieth, and the brethren of 
 that estation follow him in two lines : and the 
 twelve estations ordered m the same manner, follow 
 one another. After the estations, there is a man re- 
 presenting Jesus Christ, in a Tunica or a Nazarine's 
 gown, with a crown of thorns on his head, that 
 carrieth on his soldiers a long, heavy cross, and 
 another man, representing Simon, of Cirene, behind 
 helps the Nazarine to carry the cross. After him 
 the preacher, clergy, and parish minister, and after 
 them all the people, without keeping any form or 
 order. Thus the procession goes out of the church, 
 singing a proper song of the passion of Jesus ; and 
 when they come to the first cross of the estations of 
 Calvary, the procession stops there, and the preacher 
 makes an exhortation, and tells what our Saviour 
 did suffer till that first step, and making the same 
 exhortations in each of the eleven crosses ; when 
 they come at the twelfth, the preacher, on the foot 
 of the cross which is placed between the two crosses 
 of the malefactors, begins the sermon of the passion 
 and sufferings of Christ, and when he has done, the 
 procession comes back again to the church, and 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 183 
 
 there the preacher dismisses the people with an'act 
 of contrition, which the people repeat after him. 
 
 These are the estations of the holy Calvary ; but 
 besides the estations of the holy sepulchre ; that is, 
 to visit seven churches, or seven times one church, 
 on holy Thursday, when Jesus is in the monument : 
 but of these things I shall treat in another place. 
 
 Now, by these foregoing indulgences, and full 
 pardon of sins, the pope does not grant to all those 
 that take the bull, and fulfil the contents of it (which 
 are only to pay for it) any body may easily know a 
 list of the days in which any one that visits the 
 churches mentioned in it enjoys at Rome all the 
 aforesaid faculties, pardon of sins, and indulgences, 
 and as you may observe, at the end of the summario, 
 that every day of the year, there are, at Rome, many 
 indulgences and pardons granted in some church or 
 other, to all those that go to visit them. So by the 
 grant of the pope, in the bull of Crusade, the same 
 indulgences and pardons are given, and in the same 
 day) that is every day of the year) to all those that 
 take the bull. From this any body may draw the 
 same consequence as before, that a man cannot be 
 afraid in the Romish church, to go to hell ; he may 
 commit every day all villanies in the world, and yet 
 every day, having the bull, is sure of getting free and 
 full pardon of his sins, and this without the trouble 
 of going to confess : for if they will take the pains to 
 read the contents of the bull, with a serious mind, 
 they will find the truth of what I say. That without 
 the trouble of confessing sins, any body obtains full 
 pardon of all the crimes he has committed. 
 
184 HISTORY OP THE 
 
 For the general apostolical commissary, (who has 
 the pope's power and authority) says, that he that 
 takes the bull, payeth for it, and writes his name in 
 it, ipso facto, i. e. already obtains all the indulgences 
 and pardon of sins, &c. mentioned in the bull ; and 
 he does not say. If he confess, or, if he be a hearty^ 
 penitent ; but already, without any limitation or 
 reservation, already he enjoys all, and may make 
 iLse of all the graces, ^c. So, by these expressions, 
 it appears, that a man, taking the bull, paying for it, 
 and writing his name in it, may commit murder and 
 robbery, &c. and yet obtain every day free and full 
 pardon of his sins, without the trouble of confessing 
 them to a priest, who if covetous, will ask money for 
 absolution, or money for masses, for the relief of the 
 souls in purgatory. 
 
 This I must own of my country people, that they 
 are kept in so great ignorance by the priests, that I 
 might dare to say, that not one of a thousand that 
 takes the bull, reads it, but blindly submits to what 
 the minister of the parish tells him, without further 
 inquiry This is a surprising thing to all the Protest- 
 ants ; and it is now to me, but I can give no other 
 reasons for their ignorance in point of religion, as 
 for the generality, but their bigotry, and blind faith 
 in what the preachers and priests tell them; and, 
 next to this, that is not allowed to them to read the 
 Scripture, nor books of controversy about religion. 
 
 I come now to the days in which every body 
 takes a soul out of purgatory. Observe those marked 
 with a star, and besides them, there is in every 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 
 
 1^5 
 
 convent and parish church, at least, one privileged, 
 altar, i. e. any body that says five times pater nostre, 
 &c., and five times Ave Maria, with Gloria Patria^ 
 &c., takes a soul out of purgatory, and this at any 
 time and in any day of the year, and not only in 
 Spain, by the virtue of the bull, but in France, 
 Germany, Italy, and in all the Romon Catholic 
 countries where they have no bull of Crusade. Froni 
 this, I say, that if there is a purgatory, it must be aii 
 empty place, or that it is impossible to find there 
 any soul at all, and that the Roman Catholics take 
 every year more souls out of it, than can go into it ; 
 which I shall endeavor to prove by evident argu- 
 ments, grounded on their principles and belief. 
 
 For, first of all, there is in the bull nine day^ in: 
 the year in which every living person takes a soul 
 out of purgatory, and by this undeniable truth 
 among themselves, it appears that every living per- 
 son, man, woman, or child, from seven years of age 
 and upwards, takes every year nine souls out of 
 purgatory. 
 
 Secondly. Every body knows the Roman Catholic's 
 opinion, that nobody can be saved out of theiT com- 
 munion ; atid by this infallible (as they believe) 
 principle, they do not allow any place in purgatory 
 to the souls of Protestants, and other people of other 
 professions; and so only Roman Catholic souls are 
 the proprietors of that place of torment. 
 
 Thirdly. It is undeniable, by the Romans, that 
 evet since the -place of purgatory was built up by the 
 popes ahd councils, the Roman Catholics have en- 
 
 24 
 
186 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 joyed the granting of a privileged altar in every 
 church, that, by their prayers, the souls of their 
 parents or friends may be relieved and delivered out 
 of that place. 
 
 Fourthly. That to this granting, the popes have 
 been so generous, that they have granted, in such 
 days, special privileges to some churches, for all 
 those that should visit them, to take souls out of 
 purgatory. 
 
 Fifthly. That all the prayers said before such 
 altars for such a soul in purgatory, if the soul is out 
 of it when the person says the prayers, those prayers 
 go to the treasure of the church ; and by this opinion, 
 undeniable by them, the treasury of the church is 
 well stocked with prayers, and when the pope has a 
 mind to grant, at once, a million of prayers, he may: : 
 take a million of souls out of purgatory. 
 
 These five principles and observations are incon- 
 testable by any of the Roman Catholics. Now let, 
 us compute the number of Roman Catholics that are 
 alive, and the number of the dead every year. I say, 
 compute, that is, suppose a certain number of the 
 living and of the dead every year. And I begin 
 with the kingdom of Spain, and its dominions, as the., 
 only partakers of the privileges granted in the bull-' 
 of Crusade. 
 
 First.' Let us suppose, that in the whole dominions 
 of Spain, there are about six millions of living 
 persons ; I speak of the Roman Catholics : and that 
 three millions of those Catholics die ev^ry year; and 
 that all their souls go to purgatory ; for though the 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 187 
 
 mipposition is disadvantageous to my purpose, I will 
 allow them more than they can expect. In the first 
 place, by reasonable computation, half of the living 
 persons do not die every year : but I suppose this, to 
 make my argument so much the stronger. Secondly. 
 In their opinion, very many of the souls of those that 
 die, go to heaven, and some to hell, which is con- 
 trary to the bull. By this computation, the three 
 millions of people that remain alive, by the bull, take 
 out of purgatory, seven and twenty millions of souls 
 that very year. For there are nine days, in the bull 
 fixed, on which every living person takes one soul 
 out of purgatory ; if then, only three millions of 
 people die annually, how can the three remaining 
 alive take out twenty -seven millions, it being impos- 
 sible that there should be more than three millions of 
 souls in purgatory that year. And besides this plain 
 demonstration, and besides the nine days appointed 
 in the bull, according to their belief, and every day 
 in the year, and, toties quoties, they pray at a privi- 
 leged altar, they take out of purgatory that soul for 
 which they pray, or if that soul is not in purgatory, 
 any other which they have a mind for, or else the 
 prayer goes to the treasure of the church : and so, by 
 this addition, we may say, that if, out of three 
 millions of living persons, only half a million of people 
 pray every day ; this half million take out of purga 
 tory, yearly, one hundred and eighty-two millions 
 and a half of souls. If they scruple this number, let 
 them fix any other living persons, and then multiply 
 nine times more the number of souls delivered out of 
 
188 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 purgatory every year, by virtue of the nine days 
 mentioned in the bull ; or by the privileged altars, 
 multiply one to three hundred sixty-five souls de- 
 livered out of the flames every year, by every living 
 person, as I shall demonstrate more plainly hereafter. 
 
 As for France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, and 
 other Roman Catholic countries, as I said before, 
 they have their privileged altars to take a soul out 
 of purgatory, toties quoties, a Roman says so many 
 pater nosters, and ave marias before them. And so 
 use the same multiplication to convince them, that 
 there cannot be so many souls in purgatory as they 
 deliver out of it every year, or that purgatory of 
 course, must be an empty place, &c. 
 
 If they answer to this strong reason, that we must 
 suppose for certain, that the souls of many millions 
 of people, for many years past, are in purgatory, and 
 that there is stock enough taken out of it every year, 
 if there were ten times iSiore living persons than there 
 are now in the Roman Catholic countries ; I say, that 
 the supposition has no room at all, and that it is im- 
 possible ; for let us begin at the time when purgatory 
 was first found out by the pope, and let us suppose, 
 gratis, that there is such a place, which we deny. 
 
 The first year that that imaginary place was 
 settled among the Romans, the very same year the 
 privileged altars were in fashion. The people that 
 were left alive that year took out all the souls of the 
 persons dead the same year, and more too, for as the 
 new privilege was granted them, every body was 
 more charitable in taking the souls of his relations 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 189 
 
 and friends out of sufferings at so cheap a rate as five 
 pater nosters S^c. The next year the same, and so 
 on, year by year, till this present time, so that it is 
 impossible to believe that there are a greater number 
 of souls than of persons dead. 
 
 I say again, that by these principles, sure among 
 the Romans, the Catholics only of Spain, and all the 
 dominions belonging to it, are enough to deliver out 
 of purgatory all the souls of all the Catholics dead, 
 from the beginning of the world in Christendom. If 
 what they believe were certain, it should be certain 
 too, that since the bull is granted to the Catholic kings 
 and their dominions, which is since the reign of king 
 Ferdinand, the Catholic, only the Spaniards have de- 
 livered out of purgatory more souls than persons 
 have died since the universal flood : for every living 
 person, from that time till this present day, has taken 
 out of purgatory, every year, 365 souls by the privi- 
 leged altars, and nine more by virtue of the bull. 
 Now 1 leave to the curious reader to make use of the 
 rule of multiplication, and he will find clear demon- 
 strations of my saying. I do not talk now of those 
 innumerable souls that are freed from this place 
 every day of the year by the masses, leaving this for 
 another place. 
 
 Indeed I have searched among the sophistries of 
 the Roman Catholics, to see whether I could find 
 some reason or answer to this : and I protest, I could 
 not find any ; for as I am sure, they will endeavor 
 to cloud this work with groundless subterfuges and 
 sophistries, I was willing to prevent all sorts of ob- 
 
190 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 jections, which may be made by them. Only one 
 answer, which I may beUeve they will give me, 
 comes now into my head, and it is this, that as the 
 Romans cannot answer any thing contrary to my 
 demonstration, it is to be feared that they will say, 
 that I reason and argue as an ignorant, because I do 
 not know that the souls in purgatory are fruitful 
 beings, that one produces a great many little ones 
 every year, I say, it is to be feared, that being press- 
 ed, they must come at last to such nosensical, fantas- 
 tical, dreaming reasons, to answer to this urgent 
 argument. So we may safely conclude, and with a 
 Christian confidence say, that if there is such a place 
 as purgatory, it must be an empty place, or that it is 
 impossible to find there any souls, or that the Roman 
 Catholics take every year more souls out of it, than 
 can go into it ; all which, being against the evidence 
 of natural reason, and computation made, it is a 
 dream, fiction, or to say the truth, roguery,,robbery, 
 and a cheat of the pope and priest. As for the pope, (if 
 the report in the public news be true,) I must beg 
 leave to except for a while this present pope, who, 
 in his behaviour, makes himself the exception of the 
 rule. I say, for a while, for by several instances, 
 (as I shall speak of in the third part,) many popes 
 have had a good beginning, and a very bad end. 
 God enlighten him with his holy spirit, that he may 
 bring in all papist countries to our reformation. And 
 I pray God Almighty, from the bottom of my heart, 
 to give to all the Romans such a light as his infinite 
 goodness has been pleased to grant me ; and that ail 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 191 
 
 my country people, and all those that call themselves 
 Roman Catholics, would make the same use of that 
 light which I have endeavored to make use of myself, 
 to know the corruptions of their church, and to 
 renounce them with as firm and hearty resolution as 
 I have done myself: And I pray God, who is to be 
 my judge, to continue in me the same light, and his 
 grace, that I may live and die in the religion I have 
 embraced, and to give me the desired comfort of my 
 heart, which is to see many of my beloved country 
 people come and enjoy the quietness of mind and con- 
 science which I enjoy, as to this point of religion, and 
 way of salvation ; and I wish I could prevail with them 
 to read the bull, which, they believe, is the sancto 
 sanctorum, the passport to heaven ; and I am sure 
 they would find the contrary, and see that it is only 
 a dream, a dose of opium to lull them asleep, and 
 keep them always ignorant. That Almighty God 
 may grant them and me too all these things, is my 
 constant prayer to Him. 
 
PART III. 
 
 A practical account of their Masses, Privileged Altars, Tran- 
 substantiation, and Purgatory. 
 
 I comprise all the four heads in one chapter, because there isr 
 a near relation between them all, though I shall speak of themi 
 separately, and as distinct articles. 
 
 ARTICLE I. 
 
 Of their Masses. 
 
 The Mass for priests and friars is better, and has 
 greater power and virtue than the loadstone, for this 
 only draws iron, but that allures and gets to them 
 silver, gold, precious stones, and all sorts of fruits of 
 the earth ; therefore it is proper to give a description 
 of every thing the priests make use of to render the 
 mass the most magnificent and respectful thing in 
 the world, in the eyes of the people. 
 
 The priest every morning, after he has examined 
 his conscience, and confessed his sins, (which they 
 call reconciliation,) goes to the vestry and washes 
 his hands ; afterwards, he kneels down before an 
 image of the crucifix, which is placed on the draws, 
 where the ornaments are kept, and says several 
 prayers and psahns, written in a book, c^MeAprepara- 
 terium. When the priest has done, he gets up, and 
 goes to dress himself, all the ornaments being ready 
 upon the draws, which are like the table of an altar; 
 
 25 
 
194 HISTORYOFTHE 
 
 then he takes the Ambito, which is hke an Holland 
 handkerchief, and kissing the middle of it, puts it 
 round about his neck, and says a short prayer. After 
 he takes the Alva, which is a long surplice with 
 narrow sleeves, laced round about with fine lace, 
 and says another prayer while he puts it on. The 
 clerk is always behind to help him. Then he takps 
 the Cingulum^ i. e. the girdle^ and says a prayer ; 
 after he takes the *S'^o/«, which is a long list of silk, 
 with a cross in the middle, and two crosses at the 
 ends of it, and says another prayer while he puts it 
 on his neck, and crosses it before his breast, and ties 
 it with the ends of the girdle. After he takes the 
 ManipuluTn, i. e. a short list of the same silk, with 
 as many crosses in it, and ties it on the left arm, 
 saying a short' prayer. Then he takes the Casulltty 
 i. e. a sort of a dress made of three yards of silk stuff, 
 a yard wide behind, and something narrower before, 
 with a hole in the middle, to put his head through it. 
 After he is thus dressed, he goes to the corner of the 
 table, and taking the chalice, cleans it with a little 
 Holland towel, with which the chalice's mouth is 
 covered ; after he puts a large host on the patena, 
 i. e. a small silver plate gilt, which serves to cover 
 the chalicey and puts on the host a, neat piece of fine 
 holland laced all over. Then he covers all with .a 
 piece of silk, three quarters of a yard in square. 
 After he examines the co^porales, i. e. two pieces of 
 fine well-starched holland, with lace round about ; 
 the first is three quarters of a yard square, and the 
 second half a yard ; and folding them both, puts them 
 
POPISHCHURCH. 195 
 
 in a flat cover, which he puts on the chalice, and 
 taking a squared cap, if he is a secular priest, puts it 
 on his head, and having the chalice in his ^hands, 
 makes a great bow to the crucifix, says a prayer, and,- 
 goes out of the vestry to the altar, where he designs 
 to say mass. This is, as to the private mass. Now 
 before I proceed to the great mass, which is always 
 sung, it is fit to talk of the riches of their ornaments. 
 
 As in the Romish church are several festivals, viz. 
 those of our Saviour Christ, Christmas, Circumcision, 
 Epiphany, Easter, Ascension, Penticostes, and Trans- 
 figuration : Those of the Holy Cross j those of the 
 blessed Virgin Mary ; those of the angels, apostles, 
 martyrs, confessors, virgins, &c. So there are several 
 sorts of ornaments, and of divers colors ; white for 
 all the festivals of Jesus Christ, except penticostes, in 
 which the ornaments are red; white also for the 
 festivals of the Virgin Mary, confessors, and virgins ; 
 red for martyrs; violet color for advent and lent; 
 and black for the masses of the dead. 
 
 The same rule is observed in the front of the altar's 
 table, or ara altaris, which are always adorned with 
 hangings the color of the day's festivals. In every 
 parish church and convent, there are many ornaments 
 of each of the said colors, all of the richest silks, with 
 silver^ gold and embroidery. There are many long 
 cloaks or palia of all sorts of colors, several dozens 
 of alvas, or surplices of the finest holland, with the 
 finest laces round about them, chalice of silver, the 
 inside of the cup gilt, many of gold set with dia- 
 monds and precious stones. There is one in the 
 
196 HISTORY OF THB 
 
 cathedral of St. Salvator, in the city of Saragossa^ 
 which weighs five pounds of gold, set all over with 
 diamonds, and is valued at 15,000 crowns, and this 
 is not accounted an extraordinary one. 
 
 A possenet of silver, gilt all over, to keep the holy 
 water and hysop, with a silver handle, to be used in 
 holy days at church, is an indispensable thing almost 
 in every church : as also two big candlesticks four 
 feet high, for the two accolits or assistants to the 
 great mass. In several churches there are two 
 ciriales, i. e. big candlesticks five feet high all of sil- 
 ver ; which weigh two hundred pounds in some 
 churches, and another bigger than these for the 
 blessed candle on candlemas day. Six other middle 
 silver candlesticks, which serve on the ara or altar's 
 table, silver, and (in many churches) gold bottles 
 and plate to keep the water and wine that is used 
 in the mass, a small silver bell for the same use, an 
 incensary, and stand for the missal or masss-book, 
 and another stand of silver two feet high, for the 
 deacon and sub-deacon to read on it the epistle and 
 gospel. 
 
 There is also in the great altar, the custodia, i. e. 
 a figure of the sun and beams made of gold, and 
 many of them set with precious stones to keep in the 
 centre of it the great consecrated host, in the middle 
 of two crystals : The foot of the custodia is made of 
 the same metal ; it is kept in a gilt tabernacle, and 
 shown to the people on several occasions, as I will 
 mention in another place. 
 
 Besides this rich custodia, there is a large silver 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 197 
 
 or gold cup kept in the same, or another tabernacle 
 on another altar, which is to keep the small conse- 
 crated wafers for the communicants. Before those 
 tabernacles a silver lamp is burning night and day. 
 The altars are adorned on several festivals with the 
 silver bodies of several saints, some as large as a 
 man, some half bodies with crowns or mitres set 
 with precious stones. 
 
 I could name several churches and convents, 
 where I saw many rarities and abundance of rich 
 ornaments, but this being a thing generally known 
 by the private accounts of many travellers, I shall 
 only give a description of the rarities and riches of 
 the church of the lady del Pilar, and that of St. Sal- 
 vator, in the city of Saragossa ; because I never met 
 with any book which did mention them, and the 
 reason, as I believe, is, because foreigners do not 
 travel much in Spain, for want of good conveniences 
 on the roads, and for the dismal journey in which 
 they cannot see a house, sometimes in tAventy miles, 
 and sometimes in thirty. 
 
 In the Cathedral church of St. Salvator, there are 
 forty-five, prebendaries, besides the dean, arch-dea- 
 con, chanter, and sixty-six beneficiates, six priests 
 and a master, and twelve boys for the music, and 
 sixty clerks and under clerks, and sextons. The 
 church contains thirty chapels, large and small, and 
 the great altar, thirty feet high and ten broad, all of 
 marble stone, with many bodies of saints of the 
 same, and in the middle of it the transfiguration of 
 our Saviour in the mount Tabor, with the apostles 
 
198 HISTORYOFTHE 
 
 all represented in marble figures. The front of the 
 altar's table is made of solid silver, the frame gilt, and 
 adorned with precious stones. In the treasure of the 
 church they keep sixteen bodies of saints of pure silver 
 among which, that of St. Peter Argues, (who was a 
 prebendary in the same church, and was murdered 
 by the Saracens,) is adorned with rich stones of a 
 great value. Besides these they keep twelve half 
 silver bodies of other saints, and many relics set 
 with gold and diamonds. Forty-eight silver candle- 
 sticks for the altar's table, two large ones, and the 
 third for the blessed candle, 300 pound weight each : 
 thirty-six small silver candlesticks ; and six made of 
 solid gold for the great festivals. Four possenets of 
 silver, two of solid gold, with the handles of hysops 
 of the same. Two large crosses, one of silver, the 
 other of gold, ten feet high, to carry before the pro- 
 cessions. Ten thousand ounces of silver in plate, 
 part of gilt, to adorn the two corners of the altar on 
 great festivals, and when the archbishop officiates, 
 and says the great mass. Thirty-three silver lamps, 
 of which the smallest is an hundred and fifty pounds 
 weight, and the largest, which is before the great 
 altar, gilt all over, is six hundred and thirty pounds 
 weight. Abundance of rich ornaments for priests, 
 of inexpressible value. Eighty-four chalices, twenty 
 of pure gold, and sixty-four of silver, gilt on the 
 inside of the cup ; and the rich chalice, which only 
 the arch-bishop makes use of in his pontificial dress. 
 All these things are but trifles in comparison with 
 the great custodia they make use of to carry the 
 
:P0PisH CHURCH. 199 
 
 great host through the streets on the festival of 
 Corpus Christi: This was a present made to the 
 cathedral by the arch-bishop of Sevil who had been 
 prebendary of that church before. The circumfer- 
 ence of the sun and beams is as big as the wheel of 
 a coach ; at the end of each beam there is a star. 
 T^he centre of the sun, where the great host is placed 
 between two crystals, set with large diamonds ; the 
 beams are all of solid gold set with several precious 
 stones, and in the middle of each star, a rich emerald 
 set in gold. The crystal with the great host is fixed 
 in the mouth of the rich chalice, on a pedestal of 
 silver, all gilt over which is three feet high. The 
 whole custodia is fiVQ hundred pounds weight ; and 
 this is placed on a gilt base, which is carried by 
 twelve priests, as I shall tell you in another article. 
 Several goldsmiths have endeavored to value this 
 piece, but nobody could set a certain sum upon it. 
 One Said that a million of pistoles was too little. 
 And how the Archbishop could gather together so 
 many precious stones, every body was surprised at, 
 till we heard that a brother of his grace died in Peru, 
 and left him great sums of money, and a vast 
 quantity of diamonds and precious stones. 
 
 I come now to speak of the treasure and rarities 
 of the Lady del Pilar. In the church of this lady 'is 
 the same number of prebendaries and beneficiates, 
 musicians, clerks, and sextons, as iu the Catholic 
 Church of St. Salvator, and as to the ornaments and 
 silver plate, they are very much the same, except 
 only that of the great custodia, which is not so rich. 
 
*00 HISTORY OP THE 
 
 But as to the chapel of the blessed Virgin, there isy 
 without comparison, more in it than in the cathedral, 
 I shall treat of the image in another chapter. Now 
 as to her riches, I will give you an account as far as^ 
 I remember, for it is impossible for every thing ta be 
 kept in the memory of man. 
 
 In ths little chapel, where the image is on a pillar^ 
 are four angels, as large and tall as a man, with a 
 big candlestick, each of which is made wholly of 
 silver gilt. The front of two altars is solid silver^ 
 with gilt frames, set with rich stones. Before the. 
 image there is a lamp, (as they call it,) a spider of 
 crystal, in which twelve wax candles burn night and 
 day : The several parts of the spider are set with 
 gold and diamonds, which was a present made to the 
 Virgin by Don John, of Austria, who also left her in 
 his last will, his own heart, which accordingly was 
 brought to her, and is kept in a gold box set with 
 large diamonds, and which hangs before the image. 
 There is a thick grate round about the little chapel, 
 of solid silver : Next to this is another chapel to say 
 mass in before the image ; and the altar-piece of it is 
 all made of silver, from the top to the altar's table, 
 which is of jasper stone, and the front of silver, with 
 the frame gilt, set with precious stones. The rich 
 crown of the Virgin is twenty-five pounds weight, 
 set all over with large diamonds. Besides this rich 
 one, she has six pounds more of pure gold, set with 
 rich diamonds and emeralds, the smallest of which is 
 worth half a million. 
 
 The roses of diamonds and other precious stones 
 
POPISH CHURCH, 201 
 
 she has to adorn her mantle, are innumerable ; for 
 though she is dressed every day in the color of the 
 churches festival, and never uses twice the same 
 mantle, which is of the best stuff, embroidered with 
 gold ; she has new roses of precious stones, every 
 day for three years together ; she has three hundred 
 and sixty -five necklaces of pearls and diamonds, and 
 six chains of gold set with diamonds, which are put 
 on her mantle on the great festivals of Christ. 
 
 In the room of her treasure are innumerable heads, 
 arms, legs, eyes, and hands, made of gold and silver, 
 presented to her by the people, which have been 
 cured as they believe, by miracle, through the 
 Virgin's divine power and intercessions. In this 
 second chapel are one hundred and ninety-five silver 
 lamps, in three lines, one over the other. The lamps 
 of the lowest rank are bigger than those of the second, 
 and these are bigger than those of the third. The 
 five lamps facing the image are about five hundred 
 pounds weight each, the sixty of the same line four 
 hundred pounds weight, and those of the third line, 
 one hundred pounds weight. Those of the second 
 line are two hundred pounds weight. Tliere is the 
 image of the Virgin in the treasure, made in the 
 shape of a woman five feet high, all of piu-e silver, 
 set with precious stones^ and a crown of gold set 
 with diamonds, and this image is to be carried in a 
 public procession the days appointed. I will speak 
 of the miraculous image in the following chapter. 
 
 I remember that when the Rt. Hon. Lord Stanhope, 
 then General of the English forces, was in Saragossa, 
 
 26 
 
202 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 after the battle, he went to see the treasure of the 
 
 lady of Pilar, which was shown to him, and I heard 
 
 him say these words : IJ all the kings of Europe 
 
 should gather together all their treasures and 
 
 precious stones, they could not buy half of the riches 
 
 of this treasury. And by this expression of so wise 
 
 and experienced a man, every body may judge of 
 the value. 
 
 After this short account of the ornaments to be 
 used at mass, and the incomparable treasures of the 
 Romish church, I proceed to a description of the great 
 or high masses, their ceremonies, and of all the 
 motions and gestures the priests make in the cele- 
 bration of a mass. 
 
 Besides the priest, there must be a deacon, sub- 
 deacon, two acoliti, i. e. two to carry the large 
 candlesticks before the priest, and one to carry the 
 incensary. The incenser helps the priest when he 
 dresses himself in the vestry, and the two acoliti 
 help the deacon and subdeacon. When all three are 
 dressed, the incenser and the two acoliti in their 
 surplices, and large collars round about their necks^ 
 made of the same stuff as that of the priest's casullay 
 and deacon and subdeacon's almatices, i. e. a sort of 
 carulla, with open sleeves, I say, the incenser puts 
 fire in the incensary, and the acoliti takes the candle- 
 sticks with the wax candles lighted, and the sub- 
 deacon takes the chalice and corporals, and so 
 making a bow to the crucifix in the vestry, they go 
 out into the church to the great altar. There are 
 commonly three steps to go up to the altar, and the 
 
POPISHCHURCH. 203 
 
 priest and five assistants kneel down at the first step, 
 then leaving the incense and acoliti to stay there, the 
 priest, deacon and subdeacon go up to the altar's 
 table, and all kneel down there again. The sub- 
 deacon leaves the chalice on a little table next to the 
 altar's table at the right hand, and then they turn 
 l^ack again to the highest step, and kneeling down 
 a^ain, the priest, deacon, and subdeacon get up, 
 leaving the incenser and acoliti on their knees, and 
 begin the mass by a psalm, and after it the priest says 
 the general confession of sins, to which the deacon 
 and subdeacon answer Misereatur tui, Sfc. Then 
 they say the general confession themselves, and after 
 it the priest absolves them, and saying another 
 psalm, they go up again to the altar's table, which 
 the priest kisses, and he and the two assistants kneel 
 down, and rise again. Then the incenser brings the 
 incensary and incense, and the priest puts in three 
 spoonsfuU of it, and taking the incensary from the 
 deacon's hands, he incenses three times the taberna- 
 cle of the Eucharistia, and goes twice to each side 
 of it, he kneels down then, and the deacon takes up 
 the hem of the priest's casuUa, and so goes from the 
 middle of the altar to the right corner, incensing the 
 table, and returning from the corner to the middle, 
 then kneels down and gets up, and goes to the left 
 cornier, and from the left goes again to the right 
 corner, and giving the incensary to the deacon, he 
 ^HaijQienses three times the priest, and gives the incen- 
 j§ary tQ the incenser, and this incenses twice the 
 deacon. The assistants always follow the priest, 
 making the motions that he does. 
 
204 HISTORY OP THB 
 
 The incenser has the missal or mass-book ready 
 on the altar's table at the right corner, and so the 
 priest begins the psalm of the mass : all this while 
 the m^^sicians are singing the beginning of the mass 
 till kyrie eleijon ; and when they have finished, the 
 priest sings these three words : Gloria in excelsis 
 deo. And the musicians sing the rest. While they 
 are singing, the priest, deacon, and subdeacon, 
 making a bow to the tabernacle, go to sit on three 
 rich chairs at the right hand of the ara or altar^s 
 table ; and as soon as the music has ended the gloria, 
 they go to the middle of the table, kneel down, and 
 get up, and the priest kissing the table turns to the 
 people, opening his arms, and says, in Latin, The 
 Lord be with you, to which, and all other expres- 
 sions the music and the people answer ; then turns 
 again his face to the altar, kneels down, gets up, and 
 the assistants doing the same, the priest goes to the 
 Tight corner, and says the collect for the day, and 
 two, or sometimes five or six prayers in eommemo- 
 ration of the saints ; and last of all, a prayer for the 
 pope, king and bishop of the diocess, against heretics, 
 infidels and enemies of their religion or the holy 
 €atholic faith. 
 
 Then the subdeacon, taking the book of the 
 epistles and gospels, goes down to the lowest step, 
 and sings the epistle, which ended, he goes up to the 
 priest, kisses his hand, leaves the book of the gospels 
 on the little table, takes the missal or mass-book, 
 and carries it to the left corner. Then the priest goe% 
 to the middle, kneels down, kisses the altar, says a 
 
fOFISH CHURCH. 205 
 
 pTayer, and goes to say the gospel, while the music 
 is singing a psalm, which they call Tr actus gradualism 
 The gospel ended, the priest goes again to the middle, 
 kneels down, rises and kisses the table, and turns 
 half to the altar, and half to the people, and the 
 deacon, giving him the incense-box, he puts in three 
 spoonsfull of it, and blesses the incense : The incen- 
 ser takes it from the deacon, who taking the book of 
 the gospel, kneels down before the priest and asks his 
 blessing. The priest gives the blessing, and the 
 deacon kisses his hand, and then he goes to the left 
 corner and sings the gospel, viz : the left corner, as 
 to the people of the church, but as to the altar, it is 
 the right. While the deacon sings the gospel, the 
 priest goes to the opposite corner and there stands 
 till the gospel is ended : Then the deacon carrieth 
 to him the book open, and the priest kissing it, goes 
 to the middle of the table, and kneeling, rising, 
 .kissing the table, the assistants doing the same, he 
 turns his face to the people, openeth his arms, and 
 says again. The Lord be with you. Then he turns 
 again before the altar, and says. Let us pray. The 
 music begins the offertory, when there is no creed to 
 be sung, for there is no creed in all their festivals. 
 
 While the musicians sing the offertory, the deacon 
 prepares the chalice, that is, he puts the wine in it, 
 and after him, the subdeacon pours in three drops of 
 water, and cleaning nicely the mouth of the cup, the 
 deacon gives it to the priest, who takes it in his hands, 
 and offering it to the Eternal, sets it on the clean 
 eorporales, and covers it with a small piece of fine 
 
206 HISTORY OP THE 
 
 hoUand : then he says a prayer, and putting incense 
 in the incensary as before, kneels, and then rising, 
 incences the table, as is said, which done, the sub- 
 deacon pours water on the priest's fore-fingers, which 
 he washes and wipes with a clean towel, and after 
 returns to the middle of the table, and after some 
 prayers, he begins to sing the preface, which ended, 
 he says some other prayers. Before the consecration, 
 he joins his two hands, and puts them before his face, 
 shuts his eyes, and examines his conscience for twQ 
 or three minutes ; then opening his eyes and arms, 
 says a prayer, and begins the consecration. At this 
 time every body is silent, to hear the words, and 
 when the priest comes to pronounce them, he says 
 with a loud voice, in Latin, Hoc est enim corpus 
 Tneum. Then he leaves the consecrated Host on the 
 ara, kneels down, and getting up, takes again the 
 host with his two thumbs and two foremost fingers, 
 and lifts it up as high as he can, that every body may 
 see it, and leaving it again on the same ara, kneels 
 down, and then rising up, takes the chalice, and after 
 he has consecrated the wine, leaves it on the ara, 
 and making the same motions and bows, he lifts it 
 up as he did the host, and placing it on the ara, 
 covers it, and with the same gestures, he says a 
 prayer in remembrance of all the saints, all parents, 
 relations, friends, and of all the souls in purgatory, 
 but especially of that soul for whom the sacrifice of 
 that mass is offered to God by Jesus Christ himself, 
 I say, by Jesus Christ himself, for as Chrysostom and 
 
POPISH C H t R C H. 1^07 
 
 Amb.* say, the priest, not only representing Christ, 
 hut in the act of celebrating and consecrating is the 
 very same Christ himself. Thus it is in the cate- 
 chism published by decree of the council of Trent.t 
 Between this and the sumption, or the taking of 
 the host, and drinking of the cup, the priest says 
 some prayers, and sings Our Father, in Latin, 
 kneeling down several times. — ^When he comes to 
 th6 communion, he breaks the host by the middle, 
 leaves one part on the table, and breaks off the other 
 half, a little piece, and puts it into the cup ; this done, 
 he eats the two half host, and drinks the wine ; and 
 for fear any small fragments should remain in the 
 cup, the deacon puts in more wine, and the priest 
 drinks it up, and going to the corner with the chalice, 
 the sub-deacon pours water upon the priest's two 
 thumbs and foremost fingers, and being well washed, 
 goes to the middle of the table, and drinks up the 
 water. Then the deacon takes the cup and wipes 
 it, and putting on every thing, as when they came to 
 the altar, gives it to the sub-deacon, who leaves it 
 on the little table near the altar. After this is done, 
 the priest, kneeling and getting, up, and turning to 
 
 * Horn. 2. in 2d Timoth. and Horn, de proud, Judse Amb. lib. 
 4, de sacram, C. 4. 
 
 •j- Sed unus etiam, atque idem Sacerdos est Christus Dominus. 
 Nam Ministri qui Sacrificium faciunt, non suam sed Christi 
 personam accipiunt, cum ejus Corpus et Sanguinem conficiunt, 
 id quod et ipsius Consecrationis Verbis ostenditur, Sacerdos 
 inquit: Hoc est Corpus meum, personam videlicet Christi 
 Domini gerens, panis et vini Substantiam in Teran ejus Corporis 
 et Sangunis Substantiam convertit. 
 
208 HIITORY OF THK 
 
 the people and opening his arms, says, The Lord 5e 
 with you, and two or more prayers ; and last of all, 
 the gospel of St. John, with which he ends the mass, 
 so in the same order they went out of the vestry, 
 they return into it again, saying a prayer for the 
 souls in purgatory. After the priest : is undrest, the 
 incenser and acoliti kneel down before him, and kiss 
 his right hand : Then they undress themselves, and 
 the priest goes to the humiliatory to give God thanks 
 for all his benefits. 
 
 The same ceremonies, motions and gestures the 
 priest makes in a private mass, but not so many in 
 a mass for the dead. They have proper masses for 
 the holy trinity, for Christ, the Virgin Mary, angels,, 
 apostles, martyrs, confessors, virgins, and for the dead ; 
 the ornaments for this last are always black. This 
 is a true description of the ceremonies of the mass : 
 Now let us give an account of the means the priests 
 make use of for the promoting of this sacrifice, and 
 increasing their profit. 
 
 The custom, or rule for public masses, which are 
 always sung, is this : the person that goes to the 
 clerk and asks a mass to be sung, carries at least six 
 wax candles, which burn upon the altar's table, 
 while the mass lasts, and a good offering for the 
 priest, and besides that, must give the charity, which 
 is a crown, and the same for a mass sung for the dead j 
 but if a person have a mind to have a mass sung, such 
 or such a day forever, he must give, or settle upon the 
 chapter or community, a pistole every year> and 
 these are called settled masses, and there are of these 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 209 
 
 masses in every parish, church and convent, more 
 than the priests and friars can say in a year ; for 
 ever since the comedy of the mass began to be acted 
 on the stage of the church, the bigots of it succes- 
 sively have settled masses every year ; the priests 
 and friars then cannot discharge their conscience, 
 while they keep the people ignorant of the truth of 
 the matter. 
 
 Thus they blind the people : Suppose to be in a 
 convent one hundred friars and priests, and that in 
 that convent are two hundred private and public 
 masses settled every day, the charity of one hundred 
 is a manifest fraud and robbery, for they receive it, 
 and cannot say the masses. And nevertheless, they 
 accept every day new foundations and settlements 
 of masses; for if the people ask the dean, or prior, 
 whether there is a vacancy for a mass, they will 
 never answer no ; and this way they increase the 
 yearly rents continually. 
 
 This is to be understood of the chapter or commu- 
 nity, and I must say, that the chapters, and parish 
 churches, are not so hard upon the people as the 
 convents of friars are, though they are not so rich as 
 the communities : The reason is, because a parish 
 priest has during his life, his tithes and book money. 
 But a prior of a convent commands that community 
 only three years; therefore, while the office lasts, 
 they endeavor to make money of every thing. I 
 knew several priors very rich after their priorship ; 
 and how did they get riches, but by blinding and 
 cheating the people, exacting money for masses 
 
 27 
 
210 HISTORY OP THE 
 
 which never were said, nor sung, nor ever will 
 be? 
 
 As to the private priests and friars, and their 
 cheating ways, there is so much to be said on them 
 that I cannot, in so small a book as this, give a full 
 account of all ; so I shall only tell the most usual 
 methods they have to heap up riches by gathering 
 thousands of masses every year. 
 
 Observe first of all, that if a priest is a parish min- 
 ister, or vicar, he has every day of the year certain 
 families, for whose souls, or the souls of their ances- 
 tors, he is to celebrate and offer the sacrifice of the 
 mass. And if he is a friar, he has but one mass 
 every week left to him, for six days he is obliged to 
 say mass for the community : So by this certain rule, 
 a parish minister cannot in conscience receive any 
 money for masses, when he knows he cannot say 
 more masses than those settled for every day in the 
 year ; and by the same rule, a friar cannot in 
 conscience receive more money than for fifty-two 
 masses every year, and consequently those that 
 receive more are deceivers of the poor ignorant peo- 
 ple, robbers of their money, and commit sacrilege in 
 so doing. 
 
 And that they take more than they in justice can, 
 shall appear in several instances. 
 
 First ; I never saw either secular or regular priests 
 refuse the charity for a mass, when a christian soul 
 asked them to say it ; and I knew hundreds of priests 
 mighty officious in asking masses from all sorts of 
 people. 
 
 Secondly : In all families whatsoever, if any one 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 211 
 
 is dangerously sick, there are continually friars and 
 priests waiting till the person dies, and troubling the 
 chief of the family with petitions for masses for the 
 soul of the deceased ; and if he is rich, the custom is, 
 to distribute among all the convents and parishes 
 one thousand, or more masses to be said the day of 
 burial. When the Marquis of St. Martin died, his 
 lady distributed a hundred thousand masses, for 
 which she paid the very same day five thousand 
 pounds sterling, besides one thousand masses, which 
 she settled upon all the convents and parish churches, 
 to be said every year forever, which amounts to a 
 thousand pistoles a year forever. 
 
 Thirdly: The friars, most commonly, are rich, 
 and have nothing of their own (as they say); some 
 are assisted by their parents, but these are very few. 
 They give two thirds of whatever they get to the 
 community ; and in some strict orders the friars 
 ought to give all to the convent ; nevertheless, they 
 are never without money in their pockets, for all 
 sorts of diversions ; and it is a general observation, 
 that a friar at cards is a resolute man; for as he does 
 iiot work to get money, or is sure of getting more if 
 he loose, he does not care to put all on one card ; 
 therefore gentlemen do not venture to play with 
 them, so they are obliged to play with one another. 
 
 I saw several friars who had nothing in the world 
 but the allowance of their community, and the 
 charity of fifty-two masses a year, venture on the 
 card fifty pistoles ; another loose 200 pistoles in half 
 an hour's time, and the next day have money 
 
212 HISTORY OP THE 
 
 enough to play. And this is a thing so well known, 
 that many of our officers that have been in spain, 
 can certify the truth of it, as eye-witnesses. 
 
 Now, as to the method they have to pick up money 
 for so many masses ; they do not tell it but as I never 
 was bound not to discover it, and the discovery of it, I 
 hope, will be very useful to the Roman Catholics, 
 though disadvantageous to priests and friars, I think 
 myself obliged, in conscience, to reveal this never- 
 revealed secret, for it is for the public good, not only 
 of Protestants, who by this shall know thoroughly 
 the cheats of the Romish priests, but of the Roman 
 Catholics too, who bestow their money for nothing 
 to a people that make use of it to ruin their souls 
 and bodies. 
 
 The thing is this, that the friars are said to have a 
 privilege from the pope (I never saw such a privi- 
 lege myself, though I did all my endeavors to search 
 and find it out) of a centenaria missa, i. e. a brief, 
 where the pope grants them the privilege of saying 
 one mass for a hundred; which privilege is divulged 
 among priests and friars, who keep it a secret among 
 themselves: so that as they say, one mass is equivalent 
 to a hundred masses. I did not question when I 
 was in the communion, that the pope could do that 
 and more, but I was suspicious of the truth of such 
 a grant. Now observe that by this brief, every friar, 
 having for himself fifty-two masses free every year, 
 and one mass being as good as a hundred, he may 
 get the charity of 5200 masses, and the least charity 
 for every mass being two reals of plate, i. e. fourteen 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 213 
 
 pence of our money, he may get near 300 pounds a 
 year. 
 
 The secular priests, by this brief of centenaria 
 snissa, have more masses than the private friars ; for 
 though they have 365 settled masses to say in a year, 
 they have, and may get the charity of ninety-nine 
 masses every day, which comes to 3,006,135 masses 
 every year. In the convents that have 120 friars, 
 and some 400, the prior, having six masses every 
 week from each of his friars, by the same rule, the 
 prior may have millions of millions of masses. 
 
 Hear now, how they do amuse the credulous 
 people : If a gentleman, or gentlewoman, or any 
 other person goes to church, and desires one mass 
 to be said for such or such a soul, and to be present 
 at it, there is always a friar ready, from six in the 
 morning, till one, to say mass. He takes the charity 
 for it, and he goes to say it, which he says for that 
 soul, as I say now : For till such time, as he gets 
 the charity of a hundred masses, which is above five 
 pounds sterling, he will not say his own mass, or the 
 mass for him. And so the rest of the friars do, and 
 many priests too. The person that has given the 
 charity, and has heard the mass, goes home fully 
 satisfied that the mass has been said for him, or to 
 his intention. 
 
 As to the communities : If somebody dieth, and 
 the executors of the testament go to a father prior, 
 and beg of him to say a thousand masses, he gives 
 them a receipt, whereby the masses are said already ; 
 for he makes them believe that he has more masses 
 
214 HISTORY OP T H^ 
 
 said already by his friars to his own intention, and 
 that out of the number he appUes 1000 for the soul 
 of the dead person ; so the executors upon his word 
 take the receipt of the masses, which they want to 
 show to the Vicar General, who is to visit the testa- 
 ment, and see every spiritual thing ordered in it, 
 accomplished accordingly. 
 
 This custom of asking money for masses is not 
 only among the friars, but among the beat as, nuns, 
 and whores too, for a beata, with an affected air of 
 sanctity goes up and down to visit the sick, and asks 
 beforehand many masses from the heads of families, 
 alleging that by her prayers and so many masses, 
 the sick may be recovered and restored to his former 
 health ; but these, if they get money for masses, they 
 give it to their spiritual confessors, who say them as 
 the beata ordereth. And according to their custom 
 and belief, there is no harm at all in so doing. The 
 evil is in the nuns, who get every where abundance 
 of masses, on pretence they have priests and friars 
 of their relations, who want the charity of masses. 
 And what do they with the money ? Every nun 
 having a Devoto, or gallant to serve her, desireth him 
 to say so many masses for her, and to give her a 
 receipt ; he promises to do it, but he never doth say 
 the masses, though he giveth a receipt : so the nun 
 keeps the money, the friar is paid by her in an 
 unlawful way, the people are cheated, and the souls 
 in purgatory (if there was such a place) shall remain 
 there forever, for want of relief. 
 
 But_the worst of all is, that a public, scandalous 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 215 
 
 woman will gather together a number of masses, on 
 pretence that she has a cousin in such a convent, who 
 wants masses, i. e. the charity for them. And what 
 use do they make of them ? — This is an abomination 
 to the Lord. They have many friars who visit them 
 unlawfully, and pay for it in masses ; so the woman 
 keeps the money in payment of her own and their 
 sins, gets a receipt from the friars, and these never 
 say the masses ; for how can we believe that such 
 men can offer the holy sacrifice (as they call the 
 mass) for such a use ? And if they do it, which is, 
 in all human probability, impossible, who would not 
 be surprised at these proceedings? Every body 
 indeed. 
 
 There is another custom in the church of Rome, 
 which brings a great deal of profit to the priests and 
 friars, viz. the great masses of brotherhoods, or fra- 
 ternities. In every parish chmrch, and especially in 
 every convent of friars and nuns, there is a number 
 of these fraternities, i. e. corporations of tradesmen ; 
 and every corporation has a saint for their advocate 
 or patron, viz. the corporation of shoe-makers has 
 for an advocate St. Chrispin and Chrispinia: the 
 Butchers St. Bartholomew, &c. and so of the rest. 
 There is a prior of the corporation, who celebrates 
 the day of their advocate with a solemn mass, music, 
 candles, and after all, an entertainment for the 
 members of the fraternity, and all the friars of the 
 community. To this the corporation gives eight 
 dozen of white wax candles to illuminate the altar 
 of their patron, when the solemn mass is sung, and 
 
216 HISTORY OP THE 
 
 whatever remains of the candles goes to the convent. 
 The prior payeth to the community twenty crowns^ 
 for the solemn mass, and ten crowns to the musicians. 
 The day following the corporation gives three dozen 
 yellow candles, and celebrates an anniversary, and 
 have many masses sung for the relief of their 
 brethren's souls in purgatory ; for every mass they 
 pay a crown. And besides all these, the corporation 
 has a mass settled every Friday, which is to be sung^ 
 for the relief of the brethren's souls, for which and 
 candles, the convent receiveth six crowns every 
 Friday. There is not one church nor convent with- 
 out two or three of these corporations every week : 
 for there are saints enough in the church for it, and 
 by these advocates of the friars, rather than of the 
 members of the corporation, every body may form 
 a right judgment of the riches the priests and friars 
 get by these means. 
 
 One thing I cannot pass by, though it has no 
 relation with the main subject of the mass ; and this 
 is, that after the solemn mass is finished, the prior of 
 the corporation, with his brethren, and the prior of 
 the convent, with his friars, go all together to the 
 refectory or common hall, to dinner, there they make 
 rare demonstrations of joy, in honor of the advocate 
 of that corporation. The prior of the convent makes 
 a short speech before dinner, recommending to them 
 to eat and drink heartily, for after they have paid all 
 the honor and reverence to their advocate that is 
 due, they ought to eat, and drink, and be merry ; so 
 they drink till they are happy, though not drunk. 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 217 
 
 I heard a pleasant story, reported in town, from a 
 faithful person, who assured me he saw, himself, a 
 friar come out of the refectory, at eight at night, and 
 as he came out of the convent's gate, the moon 
 shining that night, and the shadow of the house 
 being in the middle of the street, the merry friar 
 thinking that the light of the moon, in the other half 
 part of the street, was water, he took off his shoes 
 and stockings, and so walked till he reached the 
 shadow ; and being asked by my friend the meaning 
 of such extravagant folly, the friar cried out, a mi- 
 racle, a miracle ! The gentleman thought that the 
 friar was mad : but he cried the more, a miracle ! 
 a miracle ! — Where is the miracle ? (the people 
 that came to the windows asked him ;) / came this 
 minute through this river, (said he) and I did not 
 wet the soles of my feet; and then he desired the 
 neighbors to come and be witnesses of the miracle. 
 In such a condition the honor of the advocate of that 
 day did put the reverend friars; and this and the 
 like effects such festivals occasion, both in the mem- 
 bers of the convents and corporation. 
 
 Now I come to the means and persuasions the 
 friars make use of for the extolling and praising this 
 inestimable sacrifice of the mass, and the great igno- 
 rance of the people in believing them. First of all, 
 as the people know the debaucheries and lewd lives 
 of many friars and priests, sometimes they are loath 
 to desire a sinful friar to say mass for them, thinking 
 that his mass cannot be so acceptable to God Al- 
 mighty as that which is said by a priest of good 
 
 28 
 
218 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 morals : So far the people are illuminated by nature j 
 but to this, priests and friars make them believe, that 
 though a priest be the greatest sinner in the world, 
 the sacrifice is of the same efficacy with God, since 
 it is the sacrifice made by Christ on the Cross for all 
 sinners ; and that it was so declared by the pope, 
 and the council of Trent. 
 
 Put it together with what the same council 
 declares, that the priest doth not only represent 
 Christ when he offereth the sacrifice, but that, he is 
 the very person of Christ at that time, and that 
 therefore David calls them Christs by these words : 
 Nolite tan^ ere Christos meos, execrable thing ! 
 If the priest is the very Christ in the celebration of 
 mass, how can he at the same time be a sinner ? It 
 being certain that Christ knew no sin : and if that 
 Christ Priest, offering the sacrifice, is in any actual 
 moral sin, how can the sacrifice of the mass, which 
 is (as to them) the same sacrifice Christ did offer to 
 his eternal Father on the cross, be efficacious to the 
 expiation of the sins of all people ? For, in the 
 first place, that sacrifice offered by a Priest-Christ, in 
 an actual mortal sin, cannot be an expiation of the 
 sin by which the priest is spiritually dead. Secondlyy 
 if the Christ-Priest is spiritually dead by that mortal 
 sin, how can such a priest offer a lively spiritual 
 sacrifice ? — ^We must conclude then, that the priests,, 
 by such blasphemous expressions, not only deceive 
 the people, but rob them of their money, and commit 
 a high crime, but that the sacrifice he offers is really 
 of no effect or efficacy, to the relief of the souls ia 
 the pretended purgatory. 
 
^ POPISH CHURCH. 219 
 
 IFrom what has been said, it appears that the 
 priests and friars make use of whatever means they 
 can to cheat the people, to gratify their passions, and 
 increase their treasure. For what cheat, fraud, and 
 roguery, can be greater than this of the centenaria 
 TTiissa with which they suck up the money of poor 
 and rich, without performing wliat they promise ? 
 
 If the pope's privilege for that hundred Tnass was 
 really true, natural reason shows, it was against the 
 public good, and therefore ought not to be made use 
 of : for by it, friars and priests will never quench 
 their thirst of money and ambition, till they draw to 
 them the riches of Christendom, and by these means, 
 they will wrong the supposed souls in purgatory, 
 and ruin their own too. Decency in the sacerdotal 
 ornaments is agreeable to God our Lord, but vanity 
 and profaneness is an abomination before him. Of 
 what use can all the riches of their churches and 
 
 ornaments be ? To make the sacrifice of the mass 
 more efficacious, it cannot be for ; the efficacy of it 
 
 proceeds from Christ himself, who made use of 
 different ornaments than those the priests make use 
 of. Nor is it to satisfy their own ambition, for they 
 could get more by saying thenii ; it is only to make 
 Mistress Mass the more admired, and gain the whole 
 people to be her followers and courtiers. 
 
 that the Roman laity would consider the weight 
 of these Christian observations, and if they will not 
 believe them because they are mine, I heartily beg 
 of them all, to make pious and serious reflections 
 upon themselves, to examine the designs of the priests 
 
220 HISTORY OP THE 
 
 and friars, to mind their lives and conversations ; to 
 observe their works : to cast up accounts every year, 
 and see how much of their substance goes to the 
 clergy and church for masses. Sure I am, they will 
 find out the ill and ambitious designs of their spiritu- 
 al guides. They will experience their lives not at 
 all (most commonly,) answerable to their characters, 
 and sacerdotal functions ; and more, their own sub- 
 stances and estates diminished every year. Many 
 of their families corrupted by the wantonness, their 
 understandings blinded by the craft, their souls in 
 the way to hell, by the wicked doctrines, and their 
 bodies under suffering by the needless impositions of 
 priests and friars. 
 
 They will find also, that the pomp and brightness 
 of a solemn mass, is only vanity to amuse the eyes, 
 and a cheat to rob the purse. That the centenaria 
 missa never known to them before, is a trick and 
 invention of priests and friars, to delude and deceive 
 them, and by that means impoverish and weaken 
 them, and make themselves masters of all. 
 
 They will come at last to consider and believe, 
 that the Roman Catl^olic congregations, ruled and 
 governed by priests and friars, do sin against the 
 Lord, i. e. the spiritual heads do commit abomina- 
 tion before the Lord, and that they cannot prosper 
 here, nor hereafter, if they do not leave off their 
 wicked ways. Pray read the fifth chapter, the 
 seventeenth verse, and the following, of Judith, and 
 you shall find the ease and the truth of my last pro- 
 position. While (says he) these people sinned not 
 
POPISH CHtTRCH. 221 
 
 h^ore their God, they prospered, because the God 
 that hateth iniquity mas with them. But when 
 they departed from, the way that he appointed 
 them, they were destroyed. This was spoken of 
 the Jews, but we may understand it of all nations, 
 and especially of the Romans, who are very much 
 of a piece with the Jews of old, or no better. We 
 see the priests departed from the way that he 
 appointed them. What can they expect but destruc- 
 tion, if they do not leave off their wickedness, and 
 turn unto the Lord ? And the worst is, that the 
 innocent laity will suffer with them, for God 
 punishes, as we see in the old Testament, a whole 
 nation for the sins of their rulers. And it is to be 
 feared the same will happen to the Roman church, 
 for the sins of their priests. May God enlighten 
 them. — ^Amen. 
 
 ARTICLE IL 
 
 Of the privileged altar. 
 
 A privileged altar is the altar to which (or to some 
 image on it) the pope has granted a privilege of 
 such a nature, that whosoever says before it, or 
 before the image, so many pater nosters, ^c.; and 
 so many ave maria^s, with gloria patri, &c. obtains 
 remission of his sins, or relieveth a soul out of purga- 
 tory. Or whoever ordereth a mass to be said on the 
 <ira of such an altar, and before the image, has the 
 privilege (as thev believe) to take out of purgatory 
 that soul for which the sacrifice of the mass is offered. 
 
222 HISTORY OP THE 
 
 The Cardinals, Patriarchs, Primates, Archbishops 
 and Bishops, can grant to any image forty days of 
 full and free indulgence, and fifteen quarantains of 
 pardon, for those that visit the said image, and say 
 such a prayer before it as they have appointed at 
 the granting of such graces : So not only the images 
 of the altars in the church, but several images in the 
 corners of the streets, and on the highway, have 
 those graces granted to them by the bishop of the 
 diocess : nay, the beads, or rosary of the Virgin 
 Mary, of some considerable persons, have the same 
 grants. And what is yet more surprising, the picture 
 of St. Anthony's pig, which is placed at the saint's 
 feet, has the granting of fifteen quarantains of pardon 
 of sins for those that visit and pray before him. 
 What the people do on St. Martin's day, I shall tell 
 in another chapter. 
 
 I will not dispute now, whether the popes, and 
 bishops have authority to grant such privileges ; but 
 I only say, that I do not believe such a dream : for 
 the pope has usurped the supremacy and infallibility, 
 and his ambition being so great, he never will 
 dispossess himself of a thing by which he makes 
 himself more supreme, infallible, and rich ; by keep- 
 ing all those graces in his own hands, he would 
 oblige all the bigots to seek after him and pay him 
 for them, and have him in more veneration than 
 otherwise he would be in. 
 
 These privileges are a great furtherance to carry 
 on the ecclesiastical interests, and to bring the people 
 to offer their prayers and money, and to be blinded 
 
POPIgH CHURCH. 223 
 
 and deceived by those papal inventions. But 
 because I have already treated of these privileges, I 
 proceed to the third article. 
 
 ARTICLE III. 
 
 Of Transubstanttation, or the Eucharist. 
 
 I shall say nothing touching the scholastic opinions 
 of the Romish church, about the sacrament of the 
 Eucharist, or the real presence of Jesus Christ in it ; 
 for these are well known by our learned and well 
 instructed laity : so I will confine myself wholly to 
 their practices in the administration of this sacrament, 
 and the worship paid to it by the priests and laity ; 
 and what strange notions the preachers put in the 
 people's heads about it. 
 
 First, as to the administration of this sacrament, 
 actual or habitual intention being necessary in a 
 priest, to the vaUdity and efficacy of the sacrament, 
 open confession and repentance of his sins. He goes 
 to consecrate the bread and wine, and, (as they say, 
 believe, and make the people believe) with five 
 words they oblige Jesus Christ to descend from 
 heaven to the host with his body, soul and divinity^ 
 and that so he remains there as high and almighty 
 as he is in heaven ; which they endeavor to confirm 
 with pretended miracles, saying, that many priests 
 of pure lives have seen a little boy instead of a wafer, 
 in the consecrated host, &c. 
 
 In winter, twice every month, and in summer, 
 every week, the priest is to consecrate one great host. 
 
224 HISTORY OP THE 
 
 and a quantity of small ones, which they do in the 
 following manner : — After the priest has consecrated 
 the great and small, besides the host which he is^ 
 to receive himself, the priests of the parish, or friars 
 of the convent, come in two lines, with wax candles 
 lighted in their hands, and kneel down before the 
 altar, and begin to sing an hymn and anthem to the 
 sacrament of the altar (so it is called by them) ; then 
 the priest openeth the tabernacle where the old great 
 host is kept between two chrystals, and takes out of 
 the tabernacle the custodia, and a cup of small conse- 
 crated wafers, and puts them on the table of the altar j 
 then he takes the great old host, eats it, and so he does 
 the small ones ; then he puts the new great conse- 
 crated host between the two chrystals of the custodiay 
 and the new small ones into the communion cup, 
 because the small ones serve the common people. 
 Then he incenses the great host on his knees, and 
 having a white, neat towel round his neck, with the 
 ends of it he takes the custodia, and turns to the 
 people and makes the figure of a cross before the 
 people, and turning to the altar, puts the custodia 
 and the cup of the small wafers in the tabernacle, 
 and locketh the door, and the priests go away. 
 
 The reason why the great host and the small ones 
 are renewed twice a month in winter, and every 
 week in summer, (as they say), is (mind this reason, 
 for the same is against them) because in summer, by 
 the excessive heat, the host may be corrupted and 
 putrified, and produce worms, which many times has 
 happened to the great host, as I myself have seen* 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 225 
 
 So to prevent this, they consecrate every week in 
 summer time ; but in winter^ which is a more favor- 
 able time to preserve the host from corruption, only 
 once in a fortnight. If Christ is then in the host 
 with the body, soul and divinity, and David says, that 
 the holy one (i. e. Christ who is God blessed forever- 
 more) never shall see corruption, how comes it, that 
 that host, that holy one, that Christ, is sometimes 
 corrupted and putrified? The substance of bread 
 being only subject to corruption, being vanished, and 
 the body of Jesus Christ substituted in its place this 
 body by a just inference is corrupted; which is 
 against the Scripture, and against the divinity of 
 Jesus Christ. 
 
 Again : I ask, whether the worms engendered in 
 that host, come out of the real body of Christ, or out 
 of the material substance of the host ? If out of the 
 body of Christ, every body may infer from this 
 the consequences his own fancy suggests. And 
 if they say that the worms are engendered in the 
 material substance of the bread, then the substance 
 of the bread remains after the consecration, and not 
 (as they say) the real substance of the body of Christ. 
 
 Again : It is a rule given by all the casuists, that 
 that host must be eaten by the priest. I do ask the 
 priest that eats the host with the worms, whether he 
 believeth that host and worms to be the real body of 
 Christ or not ? If he says no, why doth he eat it to 
 the prejudice of his own health ? And if he believeth 
 it to be the real body of Christ, I do ask again, 
 whether the worms are Christ, with body, soul, and 
 
 29 
 
226 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 divinity, or not ? If they are not, I give the said 
 instance : And if they answer in the affirmative y 
 then I say, that a priest did not eat the host and 
 worms, (as I saw myself,) on pretence of the loath- 
 ing of his stomach, and after the mass was ended, he 
 carried the host, (two priests accompanying him with 
 two candles,) and threw it into a place which they 
 call Piscina ; a place where they throw the dirty 
 water after they wash their hands, which runs out of 
 the church into the street. What can we say now ? 
 If the worms and corrupted host is the real body of 
 Christ, see what a value they have for him, when 
 they throw it away like dirty water ; and if that host 
 comes out of the running piscina into the street, the 
 first dog or pig passing by (which is very common in 
 Spain) may eat it. And if they are not, besides the 
 said instance of eating it to the prejudice of their 
 health, we may add this, namely : Why do the 
 priests and two more carry the host in form of pro- 
 cession, and with so great veneration, with lights and 
 psalms, as if it was the real body of Christ ? 
 
 Now, as to the way of administering the sacrament 
 to the people, they do it in the following manner, 
 which is also against the fantastical transubstantia- 
 tion. I said that the priest or friar consecrates small 
 hosts once a week, to give them to the people when 
 they go to receive. The priest in his surplice, and 
 with the stola on, goes to the altar, says the prayer 
 of the sacrament, opens the tabernacle, and taking 
 out of it the cup, opens it, and turning to the com- 
 municants, takes one of the wafers with his thumb 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 227 
 
 and the foremost finger of his right hand, Ufts it up, 
 and says. See the lamb of God that taketh away the 
 sins oj the world, which he repeats three times ; and 
 after goes straightway to the communicants, and puts 
 a wafer into each of their mouths. When all have 
 received, he puts the cup again into the tabernacle, 
 and goes to the vestry. This is when the people 
 receive before or after mass ; but when they receive 
 at mass, the priest consecrates for himself a great 
 host, and after he has eaten it, he takes the cnp out 
 of the tabernacle and gives the small wafers, conse- 
 crated before by another priest, to the communicants, 
 and putting again the cup into the tabernacle, or 
 sacrarium, (as they call it,) drinks the consecrated 
 wine himself. 
 
 I will not spend my time in proving, that the 
 denying of the chalice to the laity is a manifest error, 
 and that it is only to extol and raise the ecclesiastical 
 dignity to the highest pitch : But I come to their 
 ridiculous, nonsensical practices in several accidental 
 cases, viz : First, I myself gave the sacrament to a 
 lady, who had on that day a new suit of clothes ; but 
 she did not open her mouth wide enough to let the 
 wafer on her tongue, and by my carelessness it fell 
 upon one of her sleeves, and from thence to the 
 ground ; I ordered her not to quit the place till I had 
 done ; so, after the communion was over, I went to 
 her again, and cutting a piece of the sleeve, where 
 the wafer had touched, and scratching the ground, I 
 took both the piece and dust, and carried them to the 
 piscina; but I was suspended ab officio and benejicio 
 
228 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 for eight days, as a punishment for my distraction, 
 and not minding well my business. But this rule 
 and custom of throwing into the piscina, among the 
 dirty water, every thing that the host had touched, 
 they ought to throw the fingers of the priest, or at 
 least the tongues of men and women into the same 
 place ; and thus, their tricks and superstitious cere- 
 monies never would be discovered nor spread abroad. 
 How inconsistent this custom is with right sense and 
 reason, every body may see. 
 
 Secondly. In the Dominican's convent it happened, 
 that a lady who had a lap-dog, which she always 
 used to carry along with her, went to receive the 
 sacrament with the dog under her arm, and the dog 
 looking up and beginning to bark when the friar 
 went to put the wafer in the lady's mouth, he let 
 the wafer fall, which happened to drop into the dog's 
 mouth. Both the friar and the lady were in a deep 
 amazement and confusion, and knew not what to do ; 
 so they sent for the reverend father prior, who 
 resolved this nice point upon the spot, and ordered to 
 call two friars and the clerk, and to bring the cross, 
 and two candlesticks with two candles lighted, and 
 to carry the dog in from the procession into the 
 vestry, and keep the poor little creature there with 
 illuminations, as if he was the host itself, till the 
 digestion of the wafer was over, and then to kill the 
 dog and throw it into the piscina. Another friar 
 said, it was better to open the dog immediately, and 
 take out the fragments of the host ; and a third was 
 of opinion, that the dog should be burnt on the spot. 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 229 
 
 The lady, who loved dearly her Cupid, (this was the 
 dog's name,) entreated the father prior to save the 
 dog's life, if possible, and that she would give any 
 thing to make amends for it. Then the prior and 
 friars retired to consult what to do in this case ; and 
 it was resolved, that the dog should be called for the 
 future, El perillo del sacramento, i. e. The sacra- 
 ment's dog. 2. That if the dog should happen to 
 die, the lady was to give him a burying in conse- 
 crated ground. 3. That the lady should take care 
 not to let the dog play with other dogs. 4. That she 
 was to give a silver dog, which was to be placed 
 upon the tabernacle where the hosts are kept. And, 
 5, That she should give twenty pistoles to the 
 convent. Every article was performed accordingly, 
 and the dog was kept with a great deal of care and 
 veneration. The case was printed, and so came to 
 the ears of the inquisitors, and Don Pedro Guerrero, 
 first inquisitor, thinking the thing very scandalous, 
 sent for the poor dog, and kept him in the inquisition 
 to the great grief of the lady. What became of the 
 dog nobody can tell. This case is worthy to be 
 reflected on by serious, learned men, who may draw 
 consequences to convince the Romans of the follies, 
 covetousness, and superstitions of the priests. 
 
 This I aver, that after this case was published, it 
 was disputed on in all the moral academies ; but as 
 I cannot tell all the sentiments and resolutions of 
 them, I will confine myself to those of the academy 
 of the holy trininty, wherein I was present when 
 the case was proposed by the president, in the 
 following terms : 
 
230 HISTORY OP THE 
 
 Most reverend and learned brethren — the case of 
 the dog (blasphemously called the sacrament's dog) 
 deserves your application and searching, which 
 ought to be carried on with a wise, christian, and 
 solid way of arguing, both in this case or any other 
 like it. For my part, I am surprised when I think 
 of the irregular, unchristian method, the priors and 
 friars took in the case, and both the case and their 
 resolution call for our mature consideration. Thanks 
 be to God, that our people give full obedience to our 
 mother the church, and that they inquire no further 
 into the matter, after some of our teachers have 
 advised them ; otherwise the honor and reputation 
 of our brethren would be quit^ ruined. For my 
 part, (salva fide^J I think, that upon the same case, 
 the priest ought to let the thing drop there, and take 
 no further notice, rather than to give occasion to 
 some critics to scandalize, and to laugh at the whole 
 clergy. Besides, that it is to abate the imcomparable 
 value of the Eueharistia, and to make it ridiculous 
 before good sensible men. 
 
 Thus the president spoke ; and fifteen members 
 of the academy were of his opinion. One of the 
 members said, that being certain that the dog had 
 eaten the real body and blood of Jesus Christ, the 
 priest, after the communion was over, was obliged 
 to call the lady in private, and give a vomit to the 
 dog, and to cast into the piscina what he should 
 throw up. Another said, that the sacrament being 
 a spiritual nourishment to the soul, he was obliged 
 to ask a question, and it was, whether the sensitive 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 331 
 
 soul of the dog was nourished by the sacrament or 
 not? All agreed in the affirmative, upon which the 
 questionist formed the following argument : The 
 soul nourished by the sacrament of the body and 
 blood of Christ, who is eternal life, is immortal; but 
 the sensitive soul of the dog was nourished by Christ, 
 according to your opinions : Ergo, the soul of tljg 
 dog is immortal ; then, if immortal, where is the 
 soul to go after death ; to heaven, to hell, or to pur- 
 gatory ? We must answer, to neither of these 
 places : So we disown that the dog did eat the body 
 of Christ ; and there is more in the sacrament than 
 we can comprehend; and {salvafide, and in the way 
 in argument) I say, that the dog ate what we see in 
 the host, and not what we believe. Thus the mem- 
 ber ended his discourse. 
 
 After all these disputes, the case was thus resolved: 
 that the priest should ask the inquisitors' advice, 
 who being the judges in matters of faith, may safely 
 determine what is to be done in such a case, and the 
 hke. 
 
 Thirdly. I have already said in another place, 
 that the reverend father friar James Garcia was 
 reputed among the learned, the only man for divinity 
 in this present age ; and that he was my master, and 
 by his repeated kindness to me, I may say, that I 
 was his well-beloved disciple. I was to defend a 
 public thesis of divinity in the university, and he 
 was to be president or moderator. The thesis con- 
 tained the following at treises : De Essentia et 
 Jlttributis Dei: De Visione Beatifica : De Gratia 
 
232 HISTORY OP THE 
 
 Justificante et *^uxiliante : De Providentia : De 
 Jictu Libera : De Trinitate : and De Sacramenti» 
 in genere. All which I had learned from him. The 
 shortest treatise, of all he taught publicly in the 
 university, was the Encharistia. The proofs of his. 
 opinion were short, and the objections against them 
 very succinct and dark. I must confess, that I was 
 full of confusion, and uneasy for fear that some 
 doctor of divinity would make an argument against 
 our opinion, touching the sacrament of Eucharistia* 
 And I endeavored to ask my master to instruct me, 
 and furnish me with answers suitable to the most 
 difficult objections that could be proposed ; but 
 though he desired me to be easy about it, and that 
 upon necessity, he would answer for me ; I replied 
 with the following objection : God will never punish 
 any man for not believing what is against the 
 evidence of our senses, but the real presence in 
 Eucharistia is so : Brgo, (salva fide,) God will not 
 punish any man for not believing the real presence 
 of Christ there. To this he told me that none of the 
 doctors would propose such an argument to me, and 
 he advised me not to make such an objection in 
 public, but to keep it in my heart. But father, (said 
 I,) I ask your answer. My answer is (said he) 
 aliud Lingua doceo, aliud Corde credo; i. e. I 
 teach one thing, and I believe another. By these 
 instances, I have given now, every body may easily 
 know the corruptions of the Romish church, and the 
 nonsensical opinions of their priests and friars, as also 
 that the learned do not delieve in their hearts, that 
 
POPISH C H U R H. 25Z 
 
 there is such a monster as iransubstantiation, 
 though for some wordly ends, they do not discover 
 their true sentiments about it. 
 
 Now I proceed to the worship, and adoration, 
 both the clergy and laity pay to the holy host or 
 sacrament. 
 
 I shall not say any thing of what the people do, 
 when the priests in a procession under a canopy 
 carried the sacrament to the sick, for this custom and. 
 the pomp of it, and the idolatrous worship and ado- 
 ration offered to it, is well known by our travellers 
 and officers of the army. 
 
 Philip the IVth, king of Spain, as he was a himt- 
 ing, met in the way a crowd of people following a 
 priest, and asking the reason, he was told that the 
 priest carried the consecrated wafer in his bosom to 
 a sick person; the priest walked, and the king, 
 leaving his horse, desired the priest to mount and 
 ride on it, and holding the stirup, bareheaded, he 
 followed the priest all the way to the house, and 
 gave him the horse for a present. From the king to 
 the shepherd, all the people pay the same adoration 
 to the holy host, which shall be better known by th**- 
 pomp and magnificence they carry the great host 
 with, in the solemn festival of corpus Christi^ or of 
 Christ's body. I shall describe only the generai 
 procession made on that day in Saragossa, of which 
 I was an eye-witness. 
 
 Though the festival of corpus Christi be a move- 
 able feast, it always falls on a Thursday. That day 
 is made the great general procession of corpus 
 
 30 
 
234 HISTORY OP THE 
 
 Christi, and the Sunday following, every congrega* 
 tion through the streets of the parish, and every 
 convent of friars and nuns thrc^ugh the cloisters of 
 the convent go with great pomp to the private pro- 
 cession of Christ's body. As to the general great 
 one, the festival is ordered in the following manner : 
 The Dean of the cathedral church of St. Salvator 
 sends an officer to summon all the communities of 
 friars, all the clergy of the parish churches, the 
 Viceroy, govenor and magistrates, the judges of the 
 civil and criminal council, with the lord chancellor of 
 the kingdom, and all the fraternities, brotherhoods^ 
 or corporations of the city, to meet together on the 
 Thursday following, in the metropolitan cathedral 
 church of St. Salvator, with all the standards, 
 trumpets, giants,* both of the greater or lesser size 
 m their respective habits of office or dignity ; and all 
 the clergy of the parish churches, and friars of 
 convents, to bring along with them in a procession, 
 with due reverence, all the silver bodies of saints on 
 a base or pedestal, which are in their churches and 
 convents. Item : Orders are published in every 
 street, that the inhabitants or housekeepers are to 
 clean the streets which the sacrament is to go throug h 
 and cover the ground with greens, and flowers, and 
 to put the best hangings in the fronts of the balconies, 
 
 * Three big giant men, and three giant women, and six little 
 ones, drest in men and women's clothes, made of thin wood, 
 and carried by a man hid under the clothes. The big ones are 
 fifteen feet high, which are kept in the hall of the city, for the 
 magnificence and splendor of that day. 
 
POPISH CHTJRCS. 235 
 
 atwi windows : All which is done accordingly ; or 
 else he that does not obey and perform such orders 
 is to pay 20 pistoles without any excuse whatsoever. 
 
 At three in the afternoon, the viceroy goes in 
 state V7ith the governor, judges, magistrates and 
 ©Mcers, to meet the archbishop in his palace, and to 
 accompany his grace to church, where all the commu- 
 nities of friars, clergy and corporations, are waiting 
 for them. The dean and chapter receive them at 
 the great porch, and after the archbishop has made 
 a prayer before th-e great altar, the music begins to 
 sing, Pange lingua gloriosa, while the archbishop 
 iakes out of the tabernacle the host upon the rich 
 clialico, and placeth it on the great custodia, on the 
 alt5ir's table. Then the quire begins the evening 
 songs, in which the archbishop in his pontifical habit 
 •officiateth, and when all is over, his grace giveth the 
 blessing to the people with the sacrament in his 
 hands. Then the archbishop, with the help of the 
 «lean, archdeacon and chanter, placeth the custodia 
 m\ a gilt pedestal, which is adorned with flowers and 
 the jewels of several ladies of quality, and which is 
 carried on the shoulders of twelve priests^, drest in. 
 the same ornaments they say mass in. This being 
 done, the procession begins to go out of the church 
 in the following order : 
 
 First of all the bagpipe, and the great and small 
 giants, dancing all along the streets. 2. The big 
 silver cross of the cathedral, carried by a elerk-priest 
 and two young assistants, with silver candlesticks 
 and lighted candles. 3. From the cross to the piper. 
 
236 HISTORY OP THE 
 
 a man with a high hook goes and comes back again 
 while the procession lasts. The hook is called St, 
 PauPs hook, because it belongs to St. Paul's church. 
 That hook is very sharp, and they make use of it in 
 that procession, to cut down the signs of taverns and 
 shops, for fear that the holy custodia should be 
 spoiled. 4. The standard and sign of the youngest 
 corporation, and all the members of it, with a wax 
 candle in their hands, forming two lines, whom all 
 the corporations follow one after another in the same 
 order. There are thirty corporations, and the small- 
 est is composed of thirty members. 5. The boys 
 and girls of the blue hospital with their master, 
 mistress, and chaplain in his alva stola, and long 
 sacerdotal cloak. 6. The youngest religion (the 
 order of St. Francis is called St. Francis^ religion, 
 and so are all orders, which they reckon seventy, and 
 which we may really, in the phrase of a satirical 
 gentleman, call seventy religions without religion) 
 with their reverend and two friars more at the end 
 of each order, drest in the ornaments they use at the 
 altar : and so all the orders go one after another in 
 the same manner. There are twenty convents of 
 friars, and on this solemn festival, every one being 
 obliged to go to the procession, we reckon there may 
 be about two thousand present on this occasion ; and 
 sixteen convents of nuns, the number of them by 
 regular computation is 1500. 7. The clergy of the 
 youngest parish, with the parish cross before, and 
 the minister of it behind them in sacred ornaments. 
 And so the clergy of other parishes follow one 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 237 
 
 another in the same order, every friar and priest 
 having a white wax candle hghted in his hand. 
 
 The number of secular priests, constantly residing 
 in Saragossa, is 1200 in that one town: So by the 
 said account, we find all the ecclesiastical persons to 
 amount to 4700, when the whole of the inhabitants 
 come to 15000 families. 
 
 8. The clergy of the cathedrals of St. Salvator, 
 and the lady of Pilar, with all their sacerdotal orna- 
 ments, as also the musicians of both cathedrals which 
 go before the custodia or sacrament, singing all the 
 way. Then the twelve priests more, that carry the 
 canopy under which the sacrament goes, and under 
 the end of it the dean, and two prebends, as deacon ' 
 and subdeacon. The archbishop in his pontifical 
 habit goes at the subdeacon's right hand, the viceroy 
 at the archbishop's, and the deacon and subdeacon, 
 one at the right and the other at the left, all under 
 the canopy. Six priests, with incense and incensa- 
 ries on both sides of the custodia, go incensing the 
 sacrament without intermission ; for while one kneels 
 down before the great host, and incenses it three 
 times, the other puts incense in his incensary, 
 and goes to relieve the other, and thus they do, from 
 the coming out of the church, till they return back 
 again to it. 
 
 9. The great chancellor, presidents, and coimcils, 
 follow after, and after all, the nobility, men and 
 women, with lighted candles. This procession lasts 
 four hours from the time it goes out, till it comes into 
 the church again. All the bells of the convents and 
 
 30* 
 
288 HISTORY OP THE 
 
 parishes ring all this time ; and if there were not so 
 many idolatrous ceremonies in that procession, it 
 would be a great pleasure to see the streets so richly 
 adorned with the best hangings, and the variety of 
 persons in the procession. 
 
 The riches of that procession are incredible to a 
 foreigner ; but matters of fact (the truth of which 
 maybe inquired into) must be received by all serious 
 people. I have spoken already of the rich custodia 
 which the archbishop of Sevil gave to the cathedral, 
 and the rich chalice set in diamonds. Now besides 
 these two things, we reckon thirty-three silver crosses 
 belonging to convents, and parish churches, ten feet 
 high, and about the thickness of the pole of a coach ; 
 thirty three small crosses which the priests and friars, 
 who officiate that day, carry in their hands ; these 
 crosses, though small, are richer than the big one, 
 because in the middle of the cross there is a relic, 
 which is a piece of wood (as they say) of the cross^ 
 on which our Saviour was crucified, and which they 
 call holy wood. This relic is set in precious stones, 
 and many of them set in diamonds. Thirty-three 
 sacerdotal cloaks to officiate in, made of Tusy d'or, 
 edged with pearls, emeralds, rubies, and other rich 
 stones. Sixty-six silver candlesticks, four feet high. 
 A large gold possenet, and a gold handle for the 
 hysop ; six incensaries, four of them silver, and two 
 of gold ; four silver incense boxes, and two gold ones. 
 Three hundred and eighty silver bodies of saints on 
 their rich gilt pedestals, of which two hundred are 
 whole bodies, andL the rest half, but many are gilt, 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 239 
 
 and several wear mitres on their heads, embroidered 
 with precious stones. 
 
 The image of St. Michael, with the devil under 
 his feet, and the image with wings, are of solid silver, 
 gilt all over. 
 
 With this magnificence they carry the sacrament 
 through the principal streets of the city, and all the 
 people that are in the balconies and lattice windows 
 throw roses and other flowers upon the conopy of 
 the sacrament as it goes by. When the procession 
 is over, and the sacrament placed in the tabernacle, 
 there is a stage before the altar to act a sacramental 
 or divine comedy, which lasts about an hour, and 
 this custom is practised also on Christmas eve. By 
 these, every body may know their bigotries, super- 
 stitions and idolatries. 
 
 Now I come to say something of the strange 
 notions the priests and friars, confessors and preachers, 
 put in the people's heads, concerning the host. 
 First, they preach and charge the people to adore 
 the sacrament, but never to touch the consecrated 
 host or wafer, this being a crime against the Catholic 
 faith, and that all such as dare to touch it, must be 
 burned in the inquisition. Secondly, to believe that 
 the real flesh and blood of Christ is in the Eucharist ; 
 and that, though they cannot see it, they ought to 
 submit their understanding to the Catholic faith. 
 Thirdly, that if any body could lawfully touch the 
 host, or wafer, and prick it with a pin, blood would 
 come out immediately, which they pretend to prove 
 with many miracles, as that of the corporales of 
 
240 HISTORY OP THE 
 
 Daroca, which as it comes a propos, I cannot pass 
 by without giving an account of it. 
 
 Daroca is an ancient city of the kingdom of Aragon, 
 which bordereth on Castilla. It is famous among 
 the Spaniards for its situation and strength, and for 
 the mine that is in the neighboring mountain to it. 
 For the floods coming with impetuosity against the 
 walls, and putting the city in great danger, the 
 
 inhabitants dug three hundred yards from one end of 
 the mount to the other, and made a subterranean pas- 
 sage, and the floods going that way, the city is ever 
 since free from danger. But it is yet more famous 
 for what they call corporales. The story is this : — 
 When the Moors invaded Spain, a curate near 
 Daroca took all imaginable care to save the conse- 
 crated wafers that were in the tabernacle, and not to 
 see them profaned by the infidels, and open enemies 
 of their faith. There were but five small hosts in all, 
 which he put with the fine holland on which the 
 priest puts the great host when he says mass ; and 
 this piece of holland is called corporales. The Moors 
 were at that time near, and nobody could make an 
 escape ; and the priest, ready to loose his own life, 
 rather than to see the host profaned, tied the corpo- 
 rales with the five wafers in it, on a blind mule, and 
 whipped the beast out of town, said. Speed you well, 
 for I am sure that the sacrament on your back will 
 guide you to some place free from the enemies of 
 our religion. The mule journeyed on, and the next 
 day arrived at Daroca, and some people observed the 
 corporales tied with the holy stola to the mule's belly, 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 241 
 
 were surprised at so rare and unexpected a thing, 
 and called a priest of the great parish church ; he 
 came to the mule, and examining the thing, found 
 the five wafers converted into blood, and stamped 
 on the Holland cloth; which spots of blood (or 
 painting) of the bigness of a tenpenny piece, are 
 preserved till this present time. Then the priest 
 cried out a miracle, the clergy in great devotion and 
 procession came with candles and a canopy, and 
 taking the mule under it, went to the great church ; 
 and when the minister of the parish had taken the 
 stola and corporales from oiF the mule, he went to 
 place the corporales on the ara altaris, or the altar's 
 table, but the mule not well pleased with it, left the 
 company, and went up to the steeple or belfry : then 
 the parish minister (though not so wise as the mule) 
 followed the mule up stau's, and seeing the beast 
 mark a place there with its mouth, he soon under- 
 stood that the mule being blind, could neither go up, 
 nor mark that place without being inspired from 
 above ; and having persuaded the people of the same, 
 all agreed that there should be a little chapel built to 
 keep the holy corporales. When this resolution was 
 approved by the clergy and laity, the mule died on 
 the steeple. At the same time the curate having 
 made his escape, and by divine inspiration followed 
 the mule's steps, came to Daroca, and telling the 
 whole cause of his putting the sacrament on the muk 
 to save it from profanation, both clergy and laity 
 began to cry out, a miracle from. Heaven; and 
 immediately further agreed, that the mule should be 
 
242 HISTORY or the 
 
 embalmed and kept before the holy corporales in the 
 steeple, ad peyyetiiam Rei Mtmoriam : Item, to 
 make a mule of the best stone could be found, m 
 honor of the mule, and that for the future his name 
 should be the holy mule. All things being done 
 accordingly, and the city never having been mastered 
 by the Moors, (as the inhabitants say,) they instituted 
 a solemn festival, to which ever since the neighbors, 
 even fourteen leagues distant, come every year. 
 Those that go up to the steeple to see the holy 
 miracle of the wafers converted into blood, and the 
 holy mule, must pay four reals of plate. The people 
 ol Daroca, call it sometimes, the holy mystery, 
 guiother time the holy m^iracle ; the sacrament of 
 the mule by some ignorants ; the holy sacrainent on 
 a mule by the wise, &c. I myself took a journey to 
 see this wonder of Daroca, and paying the fees, went 
 up to have a full view of every thing : and really, I 
 saw a mule of stone, and ^a coffin wherein the 
 embalmed mule was kept, (as the clerk told me,) but 
 he did not open it, for the key is kept always at the 
 bisliop's palace : I saw likewise the linen with five 
 red spots in a little box of gilt silver, two candles 
 always burning before it ; and a glass lamp before 
 the mule's coffin. At that time I believed every part 
 of the story. All sorts of people believe, as an 
 infallible truth, that every body's sight is preserved 
 during life in the same degree of strength and clear- 
 ness it is in at the time they see these bloody spots, 
 which is proved by many instances of old women, 
 who by that means have excellent eyes to the last. 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 243 
 
 Item : They give out that no blind person ever 
 came before the corporales, without his sight being 
 restored to him ; which I firmly believe, for no blind 
 person ever was in the steeple. I cannot swear this 
 but I have very good reason to affirm it ; for in the 
 first place, there is a small book printed, called 
 "Directions for the faithful people,'^ teaching them 
 how to prepare themselves before they go up to see 
 the holy mystery of the corporales of Daroca. One 
 of the advices to the blind is, that they must confess 
 and receive the sacrament, and have the soul as 
 clean as crystal, and to endeavor to go up to the 
 steeple from the altar's table without any guide ; and 
 that if some cannot go as far as the chapel of the 
 belfry, it is a sign that that man is not well prepared. 
 The distance between the altar and the steeple's door 
 is about forty yards, and there are nine strong pillars 
 in the body of the church ; so the poor blind people, 
 before they can reach the belfry's door, commonly 
 break their noses, some their heads, &c. And some, 
 more cautious and careful, and happy in finding out 
 the door, when they are in the middle of the stairs, 
 find a snare or stock, and break their legs ; for I 
 remember very well, when I went up myself, I saw 
 a sort of a window in the middle of one of the steps, 
 and asking the use of it, the clerk told me, it was to 
 let down through it the rope of the great bell. Then 
 I inquired no farther ; but now, being sure that there 
 W8LS but that small window shut up in the whole 
 pair of winding stairs, I conclude, that it could not 
 be there for the said use, and in all probabiUty that 
 
244 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 window was the snare to catch the poor blind people 
 in. Therefore, the clerk being not sure of the 
 miracle, by this prevents the discovery of the want 
 erf virtue in the holy corporales, to cure all diseases, 
 and at the same time gives out a miracle, and the 
 miracle is, that the blind man has broke his leg, and 
 that it is a just punishment for daring to go up either 
 unprepared, or with little faith ; so no blind man has 
 recovered sight by the virtue of the corporales. 
 
 By means of this same direction, no sick person 
 dareth to go up ; but if they recover, it must be a 
 miracle of the holy mystery. And if a mule happen 
 to be sick, the master of it goes and makes the beast 
 give three turns around the steple, thinking that its 
 brother mule hath power to cure it. Many will be 
 apt to suspect the truth of this story ; nay, some will 
 think it a mere forgery ; but I appeal to several 
 officers of the army that went through Daroca, to be 
 witnesses for me. It may be they were not told all 
 the circumstances of it, because the people there 
 having strange notions of an heretic ; but the mule 
 and corporales being the most remarkable thing in 
 the city, I am sure many did hear of it, though 
 nobody of the heretics could see the holy mystery, 
 being a thing forbidden by their church. 
 
 With this, and the like pretended miracles, priests 
 and friars, confessors and preachers, make the people 
 believe the real presence of Christ's body in the host, 
 and the ineffable virtue of this sacrament to cure all 
 bodily distempers : nav, what is more than all these, 
 they persuade, and make the people believe, that if 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 245 
 
 a man or a woman has the consecrated wafer by 
 them, they cannot die suddenly ; nay, nor be killed 
 by violent hands. So great is the power of the host 
 (they say,) that if you show it to the enraged sea, 
 the storm immediately ceaseth ; if you carry it with 
 you, you cannot die, especially a sudden death. 
 And really, they may venture to give out this doc- 
 trine as an infallible point, for they are sure no body 
 will dare to touch the host, and much less to carry it 
 with them, it being so high a crime, that if any body 
 was found out with the consecrated wafer on his 
 body, the sentence is already passed by the inquisi- 
 tors, that such a person is to be burnt alive. 
 
 A parish priest carrying the consecrated host to a 
 sick person out of the town, was killed by a flash of 
 lightning, which accident being clearly against this 
 pretended infallible power of the host, the people 
 took the liberty to talk about it ; but the clergy 
 ordered a funeral sermon, to which the nobility and 
 common people were invited by the common cryer.^ 
 Every body expected a funeral sermon: but the; 
 preacher, taking for his text Judicium sibi mouducat 
 proved, that the priest killed by a flash of lighting, 
 was certainly damned, and that his sudden death, 
 while he had the consecrated host in his hands, was 
 the reward of his wickedness ; and that his death was 
 to be looked upon as a miracle of the holy host, 
 rather than an instance against the infinite power of 
 it; for, said he, we have carefully searched and 
 examined every thing, and have found that he was 
 not a priest, and therefore had no authority to touch 
 
 31 
 
^46 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 the host, nor administer the sacrament of the eucha- 
 rist. And with this the mnrmur of the people ceased 
 and every body afterwards thought, that the sudden 
 death of the priest was a manifest miracle wrought 
 by the host, and a visible punishment from heaven 
 for his sacrilegious crimes. 
 
 The truth is, that the priest was ordained by the 
 bishop of Tarasona, in Aragon. The thing happened 
 in the city of Calatayed, in the same kingdom ; his 
 name was Mossen Pedro Aquilar ; he was buried in 
 the church called the Sepulchre of our Lord, The 
 reverend father Fombuena was the preacher, aud I 
 was one of the hearers, and one that believed the 
 thing as the preacher told us, till after a while, some 
 members of the academy having examined the case, 
 and found that he was really a priest, proposed it to 
 the assembly, that every body might give his opinion 
 about it. The president said that such a case was 
 not to be brought into question, but the doctrine of 
 the church touching eucharistia to be believed with 
 out any scruples. 
 
 Again, That the host has no virtue nor power to 
 calm the raging sea, I know myself by experience ; 
 and a« the relation of the thing may prove effectual 
 to convince other Roman Catholics of their erroneous 
 belief, as well as the passage itself did me, it seems 
 fit in this place to give an account of it, and I pray 
 God Almighty, that it may please him to give all the 
 Roman Catholics the same conviction, some way or 
 other, his infinite goodness was pleased to give me, 
 that they may take as firm a resolution as I have 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 247 
 
 taken, to espouse the safest way to salvation : for if 
 we take our measures concerning the truths of reU- 
 gion from the rules of holy Scriptures, and the plat- 
 form of the primitive churches ; nay, if the religion 
 of Jesus Christ as it is delivered in the New Testa- 
 ment, be the true religion, (as I am certain it is) and 
 the best and safest way to salvation : then certainly 
 the Protestant religion is the purest, that is, at this 
 day, in the world ; the most orthodox in faith, and 
 the freest on the one hand from idolatry and super- 
 stition, and on the other, from whimsical novelties 
 and enthusiasms, of any now extant; and not only a 
 safe way to salvation, but the safest of any I know 
 of in the world. Now I come to my story. 
 
 After I left my country, making use of several 
 stra-tagems and disguises, I went to France, dressed 
 in officer's clothes, and so I was known by some at 
 Paris ; under the name of the Spanish officer. My 
 design was to come to England, but the treaty of 
 Utretcht not being concluded, I could not attempt to 
 come from Calais to Dover without a pass. I was 
 perfectly a stranger in Paris, and without any 
 aeq^uaintance, only one French priest, who had stu- 
 died in Spain, and could speak Spanish perfectly 
 well, which was a great satisfaction to me, for at 
 that time I could not speak French. The priest (to 
 whom I made some presents,) was interpreter of the 
 Spanish letters to the king's confessor, father le 
 Teller, to whom he introduced me ; I spoke to him 
 in Latin, and told him I had got a great fortune by 
 the death of an uncle in London, and that I should 
 
248 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 be very much obliged to his reverence , if by his 
 influence I could obtain a pass. The priest had told 
 him that I was a Captain, which the father believed; 
 and my brother having been a captain, (though at 
 that time was dead,) it was an easy thing to pass 
 for him. The first visit was favorable to me, for the 
 father confessor promised to get me a pasSy and bid 
 me call for it two or three days after, which I did ; 
 but I found the reverend very inquisitive, asking me 
 several questions in divinity : I answered to all, that 
 I had studied only a little Latin. — He then told me 
 there was no possibility of obtaining a pass for 
 England, and that if I had committed any irregular 
 thing in the army, he would give me a letter for the 
 king of Spain to obtain my pardon, and make my 
 peace with him again. I confess this speech made 
 me very uneasy, and I began to suspect some danger 
 so I thanked him for his kind offer to me, and told 
 him I had committed nothing against my king or 
 country, which I would convince him of, by refusing 
 his favor, and by returning back into Spain that very 
 week. So I took my leave of him, and the day 
 following I left Paris, and went back to St. Sebastian 
 where I kept my lodgings till I got the opportunity 
 of a ship for Lisbon. The merchants of Saragossa 
 trade to St. Sebastian, where I was afraid of being 
 known, and discovered by some of them, and for this 
 reason I kept close in my room, giving out that I 
 was not well. How to get a ship was the only 
 diificulty ; but I was freed from this by sending for 
 the father rector of the Jesuits, on pretence that 1 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 249 
 
 was very ill, and was willing to confess my sins. 
 Accordingly he came to me that very day, and I 
 began my confession, in which I only told him, that 
 as I was an officer in the army, and had killed another 
 officer, for which the king had ordered me to be 
 taken up, so that my life being in danger, and my 
 conscience in trouble on account of the murder, I 
 put both life and soul into his hands. He asked me 
 all the usual questions, but I confessing no other sin, 
 the father thought I was a good christian, and some- 
 thing great in the world ; so he bade me be easy 
 and mind nothing, but keep myself in readiness for 
 my voyage, and that he would send a captain of a 
 ship to me that very night, who should take me along 
 with him into the ship, and sail out the next morning. 
 And so all was performed accordingly, and I went 
 that night to embark. What directions the father 
 rector gave the captain I Imow not ; this I know, 
 that I was treated as if I were the son of a grandee, 
 and served by the captain himself. This was the 
 first time of my life being at sea, and I was ver ysick 
 the two first days; the third day a great storm began, 
 which put me in fear of loosing my life. But then 
 calling to my memory that the divine power was 
 said to be in a consecrated host, to calm the raging 
 sea, and knowing that a priest had power to conse- 
 crate at any time, and every where, upon urgent 
 necessity, I went into the captain's cabin, and took 
 one of the white wafers he made use of for sealing 
 letters, and being alone, I made this promise before 
 God Almighty, from the bottom of my heart, that if 
 
 31* 
 
250 HISTORYOFTHE 
 
 he would graciously condescend to remove my 
 scruples at once, by manifesting the real presence of 
 his body in the host, and its infinite power, by calming 
 the raging tempest at the sight of the one I was now 
 going to consecrate, then I would return back again 
 into my church and country, and live and die in the 
 Romish communion ; but if the effect did not answer 
 to the doctrine preached of the host, then I would 
 live and die in the church that knoweth no such 
 errors, nor obeyeth the pope. After this promise, I 
 said my prayers of preparation to consecrate ; and 
 after I had consecrated one wafer (which I was sure 
 in my conscience v^ras duly consecrated, for the want 
 of ornaments and a decent place, is no hindrance to 
 the validity of the priest's consecration,) I went up, 
 and hiding the wafer from the captain and the crew 
 of the ship, I showed it to the sea, and trembling all 
 over, stood in that condition for half an hour. But 
 the storm at that time increased so violently, that 
 we lost the mast of the ship, and the captain desired 
 me to go down. I was willing to wait a little longer 
 for the efficacy of the host, but finding none at all, I 
 went down, and kneeling, I began to pray to God, 
 and thinking I was obliged to eat the consecrated 
 host for reverence sake, I did eat it, but without any 
 faith of the efficacy and power of it. Then I vowed 
 before God, never to believe any doctrine of the 
 Romish church, but those that were taught by Jesus 
 Christ and his apostles, and to live and die in that 
 only. After this vow, though the storm did continue 
 for a day and a night, my heart was calmed, all my 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 251 
 
 fears vanished, and though with manifest danger of 
 our Uves, we got into Vigo's harbor, and safe from 
 the storm. 
 
 I left the ship there, and by land I went to Portu- 
 gal, having an inward joy and easines in my heart ; 
 but having stopped at Porto-Porto, to take a little 
 rest, I fell sick of an intermitting fever, which brought 
 m.e to the very point of death three times, in three 
 months and nine days. The minister of the parish 
 being told by my landlord, the condition I was in, 
 past hopes of recovery, came to visit me, and desired 
 me to confess and receive as a good christian ought 
 to do ; but I thanking him for his good advice, told 
 him, that I was not sick as he believed, and that I 
 would send for him if I had any occasion, and really, 
 I never believed that I was to die of that distemper, 
 and by this thought, I was freed from priests and 
 confessors. 
 
 When I was out of danger, and well recovered, I 
 went to Lisbon, where I had the opportunity of 
 talking with some English merchants, who explained 
 to me some points of the Protestant religion, and my 
 heart was in such a disposition, that their words 
 affected me more than all the sermons and moral 
 sums of the Romish Church had ever done before. 
 
 I knew a captain in the Spanish army, Don Alonzo 
 Corsega by name, who was killed at the siege of 
 Leridi, in whose bosom was found (in a little purse,) 
 the consecrated wafer, for which his body was burnt 
 to ashes. It is very likely that the poor man 
 thinking to escape from death by that means^ he took 
 
252 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 it out of his mouth when he went to receive, and 
 kept it as an amulet against the martial instruments, 
 which paid no respect to its fancied divinity. 
 
 Now by these instances I have given you aheady, 
 it appears that the practices of the Romish priests, 
 in the administration of the Eucharist, either to 
 heakhy or sick people, are only observed for 
 interest's sake, as the worship and adoration given 
 to the consecrated wafer, tends only to the increase 
 of their treasure. And lastly the doctrine of tran- 
 substantiation and real presence of Christ, which 
 they endeavor to make the people believe by sup^ 
 posed miracles, is only to cheat and blind the poor 
 laity, and raise in them a great reverence and 
 admiration of their persons and office. 
 
 Lord God, who receivest into thy favor those 
 that fear thee, and do work righteousness, suffer not 
 so many thousands of innocent people to be led in 
 the way of error, but enlighten them with thy spirit, 
 put the light of the Gospel upon the candlestick, that 
 all those who are in darlmess may by that means 
 come to the safe way of salvation, and live and die 
 in the profession of thy truth, and the purity of that 
 perfect religion taught by thine only son, our Saviour 
 Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen, 
 
Purgatory Room, 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 255 
 
 r 
 
 ARTICLE IV. 
 
 Of Purgatory, 
 
 I cannot give a real account of Purgatory, but I 
 will tell all I know of the practices and doctrines of 
 the Romish priests and friars, in relation to that 
 imaginary place, which indeed must be of vast 
 extent and almost infinite capacity, if, as the 
 priests give out, there are as many apartments m it 
 as conditions and ranks of people in the world 
 among Roman Catholics. 
 
 The intenseness of the fire in Purgatory is calcu- 
 lated by them, which they say is eight degrees, and 
 that of hell only four degrees. But there is a great 
 difference between these two fires, in this, viz. that 
 of purgatory (though more intense, active, consuming 
 and devouring) is but for a time, of which the souls 
 may be freed by the suffrages of masses ; but that of 
 hell is forever. In both places, they sa^^, the souls 
 are tormented, and deprived of the glorious sight of 
 God, but the souls in purgatory (though they endure 
 a great deal more than those in hell) have certain 
 hopes of seeing God sometime or other, and that 
 hope is enough to make them to be called the blessed 
 souls. 
 
 Pope Adrian the Third, confessed, that there was 
 no mention of purgatory in Scripture, or in the 
 writings of the holy fathers; but notwithstanding 
 this, the council of Trent has settled the doctrine of 
 purgatory withont alleging any one passage of the 
 
256 HISTORY OP THE 
 
 holy Scripture, and gave so much liberty to priests 
 and friars by it, that they build in that fiery palace, 
 apartments for kings, princes, grandees, noblemen, 
 merchants and tradesmen, for ladies of quality, for 
 gentlemen and tradesmen's wives, and for poor 
 common people. These are the eight apartments 
 which answer to the eight degrees of intensus ignis, 
 i. e. intense fire ; and they make the people believe, 
 tliat the poor people only endure the least degree ; 
 the second being greater, is for gentlewomen and 
 tradesmen's wives, and so on to the eighth degree, 
 which being the greatest of all, is reserved for kings. 
 By this wicked doctrine they get gradually masses 
 from all sorts and conditions of people, in proportion 
 to their greatness. But as the poor cannot give so 
 many masses as the great, the lowest chamber of 
 purgatory is always crowded with the reduced souls 
 of those unfortunately fortunate people, for they say 
 to them, that the providence of God has ordered 
 every thing to the ease of his creatures, and that 
 foreseeing that the poor people could not afford the 
 same number of masses that the rich could, his 
 infinite goodness had placed them in a place of less 
 sufferings in purgatory. 
 
 But it is a remarkable thing, that many poor, silly 
 tradesmen's wives, desirous of honor in the next 
 world, ask the friars whether the souls of their 
 fathers, mothers, or sisters, can be removed from the 
 second apartment (reckoning from the lowest) to the 
 third, thinking by it, that though the third degree of 
 fire is greater than the second, yet the soul would 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 257 
 
 be better pleased in the company of ladies of quality ; 
 but the worst is, that the friar makes such women 
 believe, that he may do it very easily, if they give 
 the same price for a mass the ladies of quality give. 
 I knew a shoemaker's wife, very ignorant, proud, 
 and full of punctilos of honor, who went to a 
 Franciscan friar, and told him that she desired to 
 know whether her own father's soul was in purga- 
 tory or not, and in what apartment. The friar asked 
 her how many masses she could spare for it ; she 
 said two ; and the friar answered, your father's soul 
 is among the beggars. Upon hearing this, the poor 
 woman began to cry, and desired the friar to put him, 
 if possible, in the fourth appartment, and she would 
 pay him for it ; and the quantum being settled, the 
 friar promised to place him there the next day ; so 
 the poor woman ever since gives out that her father 
 was a rich merchant, for it was revealed to her that 
 his soul is among the merchants in purgatory. 
 
 Now what can we say, but that the pope is the 
 chief Govenor of that vast place, and priests and 
 friars the quarter-masters that billet the souls accord- 
 ing to their own fancies, and have the power, and 
 give for money the king's apartments to the soul of 
 a shoemaker, and that of a lady of quality to her 
 washer-woman. 
 
 But mind reader, how chaste the friars are in 
 procuring a separate place for ladies in purgatory ; 
 they suit this doctrine to the temper of a people 
 whom they believe to be extremely jealous, and 
 really not without ground of them, and so no soul of 
 
 32 
 
258 HISTORY OP THE 
 
 a woman can be placed among men. Many seiioiif- 
 people are well pleased with this christian caution ; 
 but those that are given to pleasure do not like it at 
 all; and I knew a pleasant young collegian, who* 
 went to a friar and told him j father, I own I love 
 the fair sex; and I believe my soul will always 
 retain that inclination. I am told that no man's soul 
 can be in company with ladies, and it is a dism.al 
 thing for me to think, that I must go there, (but as: 
 for hell, I am in no danger of it, thanks to the pope,} 
 where I shall never see any more women, which will 
 prove the greatest of torments to my soul : so I have 
 resolved to agree with your reverence beforehand, 
 upon this point. I have a bill of ten pistoles upon 
 Peter la Vinna Banquer, and if you can assure me^ 
 either to send me straight to heaven when I die, or 
 to the ladies apartment in purgatory, you shall have 
 the bill ; and if you cannot, I must submit to the will 
 of God, like a good christian. The friar seeing the 
 bill, which he thought ready money, told him that 
 he could do either of the two, and that he himself 
 might choose which of the two places he pleased. 
 But father (said the collegian,) the case is, that I love 
 Danna Teresa Spinola, but she does not love me, and 
 I do not believe that I can expect any favor from 
 her in this world, so I would know whether she is 
 to go before me to purgatory or not. ! that is 
 very certain (said the friar.) I choose then (said the 
 collegian,) the ladies apartment, and here is the bill, 
 if you give me a certificate under your hand, that 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 259 
 
 tke thing shall be so ; but the friar refusing to give 
 him any authetic certifficate, the collegian laughed at 
 him, and made satirical verses upon him, which 
 were printed, and which I read. I knew the friar 
 too, who being mocked publicly, was obliged to 
 remove from his convent to another hi the country. 
 
 Notwithstanding all these railleries.^ of which the 
 inquisitors cannot take notice, being not against the 
 Catholic faith ; priests and friars do daily endeavor to 
 prove, that purgatory is a real existent place, and 
 that by masses, the souls detained in it are daily 
 delivered out of it. And this they prove by many 
 revelations made to devout, pious people ; and by 
 many apparitions. 
 
 They not only preacli thsm publicly, but books 
 are printed of such revelations., and apparitions. I 
 xemember many of them, but I shall not trouble the 
 reader with them ; only I will tell some of the most 
 remarkable ones of my time. 
 
 In the latter end of King Charles the Second's 
 reign, a nun of Guadalarajara wrote a letter to his 
 majesty, acquainting him, that it was revealed to her 
 by aa angel, that the sou] of his father, Philip the IV 
 was still in purgatory, (all alone in the royal apart- 
 ments) and likewise in the lowest chamber, the said 
 king Philip^s shoemaker, and that upon saying so 
 many masses, both should be deUvered out of it, and 
 should go to enjoy the ravishing pleasures of an 
 /eternal life. The nun was reputed a saint upon 
 jearth, and the simple king gave orders to his confes- 
 3QV to say, or order so many masses to be said, for 
 
260 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 that purpose ; after which, the said nun wrote again 
 to his majesty, congratulating and wishing him joy^ 
 for the arrival of his father to heaven ; but that the 
 shoemaker, who was seven degrees lower than Philip 
 in purgatory, was then seven degrees higher than his 
 majesty in heaven, because of his better life on earth,, 
 who never had committed any sin with women, as 
 Philip had done all his life time, but that all was 
 forgiven to him on account of the masses. 
 
 Again, they give out in the pulpit, that the pope 
 has an absolute power to make the mass efficacious 
 to deliver the soul, for which it is said, out of that 
 place ; and that his holiness can take at once all the 
 souls out of it ; as Pious the Vth did, (as they report) 
 who, when he was cardinal, was mighty devout, and 
 a great procurer of the relief of souls, and who had 
 promised them with a solemn oath, that if, by their 
 prayers in purgatory, he should be chosen Pope, 
 then he would empty purgatory of all the souls at 
 once. At last, by the intercession of the souls with 
 God Almighty, he was elected pope, and immediately 
 he delivered all the souls out of that place ; but that 
 Jesus Christ was so angry with the new pope, that 
 he appeared to him, and bade him not to do any 
 such thing again, for it was prejudicial to the whole 
 clergy and friarship. That pope delivered ail the 
 souls out of purgatory, by opening the treasure of 
 the church, in which were kept millions of masses, 
 which the popes make use of for the augmenting the 
 riches of the holy see. But he took care not to do it 
 again J for though qi(odQ%inqm solveritis in Terr a ^ 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 261 
 
 trlt solutum et in Coelis, there is not specified the 
 same power in purgatory, therefore, ever since, the 
 popes take no authority, nor Hberty to sweep purga- 
 tory at once, for it would prove their ruin, and 
 reduce the clergy to poverty. 
 
 When some ignorant people pay for a mass, and 
 are willing to know whether the soul for which the 
 mass is said, is, after the mass, delivered out of pur- 
 gatory ; the friar makes them believe, that the soul 
 will appear in the figure of a mouse within the 
 tabernacle of the altar, if it is not out of it, and then 
 it is a sign that the soul wants more masses ; and if 
 the mouse does not appear, the soul is in heaven. 
 So when the mass is over, he goes to the tabernacle 
 backwards, where is a little door with a crystal, and 
 lets the people look through it : But pitiful thing! 
 They see a mouse which the friars keep, (perhaps 
 for this purpose) and so the poor sots give more 
 money for more masses, till they see the mouse no 
 more. They have a revelation ready at hand, to say, 
 that such a devout person was told by an angel, that 
 the soul for which the mass is said, was to appear in 
 the figure of a mouse in the sacrario or tabernacle. 
 
 Many other priests and friars do positively affirm, 
 and we see many instances of it forged by them in 
 printed books, that when they consecrate the host, 
 the little boy Jesus doth appear to them in the host, 
 and that is a sign that the soul is out of purgatory. 
 There is a fine picture of St. Anthony de Paula, 
 with the host in his hand, and the little Jesus is in 
 the host, because that divine boy frequently appeared 
 
 32* 
 
262 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 to him when he said mass, as the history of his life 
 gives an account. But at the same time, they say, 
 that no layman can see the boy Jesus, because it is 
 not permitted to any man but to priests to see so 
 heavenly a sight : and by that means they give out 
 what sort of stories they please, without any fear of 
 ever being found out in a lie. 
 
 As to the second day of November, which is the 
 day of the souls of purgatory, in which every priest 
 and friar sayeth three masses for the delivery of so 
 many souls out of the pains of it, they generally say, 
 that from three of the clock, of the first day Novem- 
 ber (all saints' day) till three in the afternoon, the 
 next day, all the souls are out of purgatory, and 
 entirely free from the pains of it ; (those four and 
 twenty hours being granted by his holiness for a 
 refreshment to them) and that all that while they 
 are in the air diverting themselves, and expecting 
 the relief of so many masses, to get by them the 
 desired end, viz. The celestial habitations. On 
 these twenty hours, they ring the bells of all the 
 churches and convents, which (as they say) is a 
 great suffrage and help to the souls, and on that day 
 only, priests and friars get more money than they 
 get in two months time beside ; for every family, 
 and private persons too, give yellow wax candles to 
 the church, and money for masses and responsa, i. e. 
 a prayer for the dead, and all these twenty-four 
 hours the churches are crowded with people, and 
 the priests and friars continually singing prayers for 
 the dead, and this they call the priests and friars' fair 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 263 
 
 day ; which they solemnize with the continual ring- 
 ing of bells, though they give out, that it is a suffrage 
 for the souls of purgatory. 
 
 And on the same pretence, there is a man in every 
 parish that goes in the dark of the evening through 
 all the streets with a bell, praying for the souls, and 
 asking charity for them in every house, always ring- 
 ing the bell as a suffrage. The duke of Ossuna 
 made a witty repartee to pope Innocent the Xlth, on 
 this subject. The duke was ambassador for the king 
 of Spain at Rome, and he had a large bell on the 
 top of his house, to gather his domestics when he 
 was going out. Many cardinals lived by his palace, 
 and complained to the pope, that the ambassador's 
 bell disturbed them; (for the duke used to order to 
 ring the bell when he knew the cardinals were at 
 home) and the pope spoke immediately to the duke, 
 and asked his Excellency the reason of keeping so 
 big a bell ? To which the duke answered, that he 
 was a verv good christian, and a good friend to the 
 souls of purgatory, to whom the ringing of the bell 
 was a suffrage. The pope took in good part this 
 raillery, and desired him to make use of some other 
 signal to call his servants ; for that of the bell was 
 very noisy, and a great disturbance to the cardinals, 
 his neighbors ; and that if he was so good a friend 
 to the souls of purgatory, he would do them more 
 service by selling the bell, and giving the money for 
 
 masses. 
 
 To tell the truth the duke did not care for the 
 
 souls, but all his design was to vex the cardinals : 
 
264 HISTORY OP THE 
 
 So the next day he ordered to bring down the bell^ 
 and to put in the same place a cannon, or ordnance^ 
 and to give twelve shots every morning and twelve 
 at night, which was the time the cardinals were at 
 home. So they made a second complaint to the 
 pope ; upon this, he spoke to the duke again, and he 
 answered to his holiness, that the bell was to be sold, 
 and the m.oney to be delivered to the priests for 
 masses ; but that he had ordered the cannon as a 
 suffrage for the souls of the poor soldiers that had 
 died in the defence of the holy see. The pope was 
 very much affronted by this answer, and as. he was 
 caressing a little lap-dog he had in his arms, got up, 
 and said, — Duke, I take more care of the souls of 
 the poor soldiers than you of your own soul ; at 
 which, the duke taking out of the pope's arms the 
 lap-dog, and throwing him through the window, 
 said. And, I take care to show the pope how he 
 ought to speak with the king of Spain, to whom 
 more respect is due. Then the pope, knowing the 
 resoluteness of the duke, and that his holiness could 
 get nothing by an angry mothod, chose, to let the 
 thing drop there, rather than to make more noise ; so 
 the duke kept his cannon piece, and the cardinals 
 were obliged to remove their families into a more 
 quiet place. 
 
 A mendicant friar one day asked some charity 
 from the same duke, for the souls of purgatory, and 
 said. My lord, if you put a pistole in this plate, you 
 shall take out of purgatory that soul for which you 
 design it. The duke gave the pistole, and asked 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 265 
 
 whether the soul of his brother was already out of 
 it ? And when the friar said, Yea ; the duke took 
 again his pistole, and told the friar, Now you cannot 
 put his soul into purgatory again. And it is to be 
 wished that every one was like that duke, and had 
 the same resolution to speak the truth to the pope 
 himself and all his quarter-masters. 
 
 I have told in the first article of this chapter, that 
 every Friday is appointed to say masses for the souls 
 in purgatory, which did belong to corporations of 
 fraternities, and what great profit priests, and espe- 
 cially friars, get by it. Now by this infallible custom 
 and practice, we may say, that purgatory contains 
 as many corporations of souls, as there arie corpora- 
 tions of tradesmen here below, which fraternities are 
 more profitable to all sorts of communities of friars, 
 than the living members of them upon earth. But 
 some of these people, either o ut of pleasantry, or out 
 of curiosity, ask sometimes in what part of the world 
 or of the air, is that place of purgatory ? To which 
 the friars answer, that it is bet ^veen the centre of 
 the earth and this earthly superfices ; which they 
 pretend to prove, and make therri believe by revela- 
 tions, and especially by a story fi'om a Jesuit father, 
 who in his travels saw the earth open by an earth- 
 quake, and in the deep a great many people of a 
 flaming red color, from which nonsensical account 
 they conclude, to blind the poor people, that those 
 were the souls of purgatory, red as the very flame 
 of fire. But observe, that no priest or friar would 
 dare to tell such frivolous stories to people of good 
 
266 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 sense, but to the ignorant, of which there are great 
 numbers in those parts of the world. 
 
 When they preach a sermon of the souls, they 
 make use of brimstone, and burn it in the pulpit, 
 saying, that such flames are like those of the fire in 
 purgatory. They make use of many pictures of the 
 souls that are in the middle of devouring fire, lifting 
 up their hands to heaven, as if they wera crying for 
 help and assistance. They prove their propositions 
 with revelations and apparitions, for they cannot 
 find in the Scripture any passage to ground their 
 audacious thoughts on, and such sermons are to the 
 people of sense better diversion than a comedy ; for 
 besides the wretchedness of style and method, they 
 tell so many sottish stories, that they have enough 
 to lau2:h at afterwards for a lonsr while. 
 
 I went to hear on old friar, who had the name of 
 an excellent preacher, upon the subject of the souls 
 in purgatory, and he took his text out of the twenty- 
 first chapter of the Apoc. 27th verse : ,dnd there 
 shall ill no ivise enter into it any thing that dejileth 
 neither whatsoever ivorketh aboniination ; by 
 which he settled the belief of a purgatory, proving 
 by some romantic authority that such a passage 
 ought to be understood of purgatory, and his chief 
 authority was, because a famous interpreter, or 
 expositor; renders the text thus: There shall not 
 enter into it (meaning heaven) any thing which is 
 not proved by the fire, as silver is purified by it. 
 When he had proved this text, be came to divide it, 
 which he did in these three heads : Fii'st, that the 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 267 
 
 souls suffer in purgatory three sorts of torments, of 
 which the first was fire, and that greater than the 
 fire of hell. Secondly, to be deprived of the face of 
 God : And Thirdly, which was the greatest of all 
 torments, to see their relations and friends here on 
 earth diverting themselves, and taking so little care 
 to relieve them out of those terrible pains. The 
 preacher spoke very little of the two first points, but 
 he insisted upon the third a long hour, taxing the 
 people of ingratitude and inhumanity ; and that if it 
 was possible for any of the living to experience, only 
 for a moment, that devouring flame of purgatory, 
 certainly he would come again, and sell whatever 
 he had in the world, and give it for masses : And 
 what pity it is (said he) to know that there are the 
 souls of many of my hearers' relations there, and 
 none of them endeavor to relieve them out of that 
 place. He went on and said: I have a catalogue 
 of the souls, which, by revelation and apparition, 
 we are sure are in purgatory ; for in the first place, 
 the soul of such a one (naming the soul of a rich 
 merchant's father) appeared the other night to a godly 
 person, in the figure of a pig, and the devout person, 
 knowing that the door of his chamber was locked up, 
 began to sprinkle the pig with holy water, and con- 
 juring him, bade him speak, and tell him what he 
 wanted ? And the pig said, I am the soul of such 
 an one, and I have been in purgatory these ten years 
 for want of help. When I left the world, I forgot 
 to tell my confessor where I left 1000 pistoles, which 
 I had reserved for masses. My son found them out. 
 
2^8 HISTORY OP THE 
 
 and he is such an unnatural child, that he doth not 
 remember my pitiful condition ; and now by the 
 permission of heaven, I come to you, and command 
 you to discover this case to the first preacher you 
 meet, that he may publish it, and tell mv son, that if 
 he doth not give that money for masses for my relief 
 I shall be for ever in purgatory, and his soul shall 
 certainly go to hell. 
 
 The credulous merchant, terrified with this story, 
 believing every title of it, got up before all the people, 
 and went into the vestry, and when the friar had 
 finished, he begged of him to go along with bim to 
 his house, where he should receive money, which he 
 did accordingly, for fear of a second thought ; and 
 the merchant gave freely the 1000 pistoles, for fear 
 that his father's soul should be kept in purgatory, 
 and he himself go to hell. 
 
 And besides these cheats and tricks, they make 
 use of themselves to exact money, the)^ have their 
 solicitors and agents that go from one house to 
 another, telling stories of apparitions and revelations, 
 and these arc they which we call beatas and devotas 
 for as their modestty in paparel, their hypocritical air, 
 and daily exercises of confessing and receiving is well 
 known in the world, the common people have so good 
 an opinion of them, that they believe, as an article 
 of faith, whatever stories they tell, without further 
 inquiry into the matter : So those cunning, disguised 
 devils (or worse) instucted by the friar their confes- 
 sor, go and spread abroad many of these apparitions, 
 by which they get a grat deal of money for masses, 
 which they give to the father confessor. 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 269 
 
 Nay, of late, the old nuns, those that, to their grief, 
 the world despises, have undertaken the trade of 
 publishing revelations and apparitions of souls in 
 purgatory, and give out that such a soul is, and shall 
 be in it, until the father, mother, or sister, go to such 
 a friar, and give him so many masses, which he is to 
 say himself, and no other. And the case is, that by 
 agreement between the old skeleton, and the covet- 
 ous father, he is to give her one-third of all the 
 masses that he receives by her means and application. 
 So you see the nature of this place of purgatory, the 
 apartments in it, the degrees of the fire of it, the 
 means the priests and the friars make use of to keep 
 in repair that profitable palace ; and above all, the 
 stupidity, sottishness and blindness of the people, to 
 believe such dreams as matters of fact. What now 
 can the Roman Catholics say for themselves ? J am 
 avv^are that they will say that I am a deceiver and 
 imposter. The Jews said of our Saviour, (John vii., 
 V. 12.) some, that he was a good man; others said, 
 nay but he deceiveth the people, when he was telling 
 the truth. So I shall not be surprised at any calumny 
 or inj ury dispersed by them ; for I am sure in my 
 conscience, before God and the world, that I write 
 the truth. And let nobody mind the method in this 
 account, for now I look upon the practices and 
 cheats of the priests and friars in this point of purga- 
 tory, as the most ridiculous, nonsensical, and roguish 
 of all their tricks ; so how can a man that has been 
 among them, and is now in the right way, write 
 moderately, without ridiculing them ? 
 
 33 
 
270 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 I must dismiss this article with my address to the 
 papist priests of England and Ireland. Some of 
 them (immediately after my book was published 
 and read by them) did command their parishoners 
 in their respective mass houses (as I was told by a 
 faithful friend) not to read my book, sub pena ex- 
 communicationis. Others made frivolous remarks 
 on some of my observations and matters of fact ; 
 nay, a zealous Protestant having lent one of my books 
 to a Roman Catholic lady, she gave it to her priest, 
 and desired his opinion about it. The priest read it 
 over, and corrected only five passages with his hand 
 in the same book, of which I shall speak in my 
 second part. Above all, this article of purgatory is 
 tke hardest thing to them; but they ought to consider 
 that I speak only of my country people, and if they 
 complain I must crave leave to say, that by that, 
 they make us believe that the Spanish contagion 
 hELS reached to them, and want of the same remedy 
 with the Spaniards, namely, a narrow searching into 
 the matter, &c. 
 
PART IV. 
 
 Of the Inquisitors and their Practices. 
 
 In the time of King Ferdinand the fifth, and 
 Queen Isabella, the mixture of Jews, Moors, and 
 Christians was so great, the relapses of the new con- 
 verts so frequent, and the corruptions in matters of 
 religion so bare-faced in all sorts and conditions of 
 people, that the cardinal of Spain thought the intro- 
 ducing the inquisition could be the only way of 
 stopping the course of wickedness and vice ; so as 
 the sole remedy to cure the irreligious practices of 
 those times, the inquisition was established in the 
 year 1471, in the court, and many other dominions 
 of Spain. 
 
 The cardinal's design in giving birth to this tribu- 
 nal, was only to suppress heresies, and chastise 
 many horrible crimes, committed against religion, 
 viz ; Blasphemy, sodomy, polygamy, sorcery, sacri- 
 lege, and many others, which are also punished in 
 these kingdoms by the prerogative court, but not by 
 making use of so barbarous means as the inquisition 
 doth. The design of the cardinal was not blamable, 
 being in itself good, and approved by all the serious 
 and devout people of that time, but the performance 
 of it was not so, as will appear by and by. 
 
 I can only speak of the inquisition of Saragossa, 
 
272 HISTORY OP THE 
 
 for as I am treating of matters of fact, I may toll 
 with confidence what I knew of it, as an eye witness 
 of several tilings done there. This tribunal is com- 
 posed of three inquisitors, who are absolute iudees; 
 for, from their judgment there is no appeal, not ovou 
 to the pope himself, nor to a general council ; as doth 
 appear from what happened in the time of king 
 Philip the second, when the hiquisitors having cen- 
 sured the cardinal of Toleda, the pope sent for the 
 process and sentence, but the inquisitors did not 
 obey him, and though the council of Trent discharged 
 the cardinal, notwithstanding, they insisted on the 
 performance and execution of their sentence. 
 
 The first inquisitor is a divine, the second, a casuist 
 and the third, a civilian : the first and second are 
 always priests, and promoted from prebends to the 
 hi^h dignity of being holy inquisitors. The third 
 sometimes is not a priest, though he is dressed in a 
 clerical habit. The three inquititors of my time 
 were, first, Don Pedro Guerrero; second, Don Fran- 
 cisco Torrejon; third, Don Antonio Aliaga. This 
 tribunal hath a high sheritf, and God knows how 
 many constables and under olficers, besides the 
 otficers that belong to the house, and that live in it; 
 they have likewise an executioner: or we may say, 
 tliere are as many executioners, as oliicers and judges, 
 &:c.; besides these, there are many qualificators and 
 lamiliares, of which I will give an account by them- 
 selves. 
 
 The inquisitors have a despotic power to command 
 every living soul; and no excuse is to be given, nor 
 contradiction to be made, to their orders; nav, the 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 273 
 
 people have not liberty to speak nor complain in 
 their misfortunes, and therefore there is a proverb 
 which says, Con la inqusition chiton : Do not 
 meddle with the inquisition ; or, as to the inquisition 
 say nothing. This will be better understood by the 
 following account of the method they make use of 
 for the taking up and arresting the people : which is 
 thus: 
 
 When the inquisitors receive an information 
 against any body, which is always in private, and 
 with such secrecy that none can know who the infor- 
 mer is (for all the informations are given in at night) 
 they send their officers to the house of the acccused, 
 most commonly at midnight, and in a coach, — ^they 
 knock at the door, (and then all the family are in 
 bed) and when some body asks from the windows 
 who is there; the officers say, the holy inquisition. 
 At this word, he that answered, without any dely, 
 or noise, or even the liberty of giving timely notice 
 to the master of the house, comes down to open the 
 door. I say, without the liberty of giving timely 
 notice, for when the inquisitors send the officers, they 
 are sure, by the spies, that the person is within, and 
 if they do not find the accused, they take up the 
 whole family, and carry them to the inquisition: so 
 the answerer is with good reason afraid of making 
 any delay in opening the street door. Then they 
 go up stairs and arrest the accused without telling a 
 word, or hearing a word from any of the family, and 
 with great silence putting him into the coach, they 
 drive to the holy prison. If the neighbors by chance 
 
 33* 
 
274 HISTORYOFTHE 
 
 hear the noise of the coach, they dare not go to the 
 window, for it is well Imown that no other coach but 
 that of the inquisition is abroad at that time of night 
 nay, they are so much afraid, that they dare not 
 even to ask the next morning their neighbors any 
 thing about it, for those that talk of any thing that 
 the inquisition does, are liable to undergo the same 
 punishment, and this, may be, the night following. 
 So if the accused be the daughter, son, or father, &c.; 
 and some friends or relations go in the morning to 
 see the family, and ask the occasion of their tears 
 and grief, they answer that their daughter was stolen 
 away the night before, or the son, father or mother, 
 (whoever the prisoner be) did not come home the 
 night before, and that they suspect he was murdered, 
 &c. This answer they give, because they cannot 
 tell the truth without exposing themselves to the 
 same misfortune; and not only this, but they cannot 
 go to the inquisition to inquire for the prisoner, for they 
 would be confined for that alone. So all the comfort 
 the family can have in such a case, is to imagine that 
 the prisoner is in China, or in the remotest part of 
 the world, or in hell, where in nulhis ordo sed 
 sempiternus horror inhabitat. This is the reason 
 why nobody knows the persons that are in the inqui- 
 sition till the sentence is published and executed, 
 except those priests and friars summoned to hear 
 the trial. 
 
 The qualificators and familiares which are in the 
 city and country, upon necessity, have full power to 
 secure any person suspected with the same secrecy. 
 
POriSH CHURCH. 275 
 
 and commit him to the nearest commissary of the 
 holy office of the inquisition, and he is to take care to 
 send them safely to prison; which is all done by 
 night, and without any fear that the people should 
 deliver the prisoner, nay, or even talk of it. 
 
 Quail ficat or s. 
 
 Are those, who, by order from the inquisitors, 
 examine the crimes committed by the prisoners 
 against the Catholic faith, and give their opinions or 
 censures about it: they are obliged to secrecy as well 
 as other people; but as the number of them is great, 
 the inquisitors must commonly make use of ten or 
 twelve of the most learned that are in the city, in 
 difficult cases ; but this is only a formality, for their 
 opinions and censures are not regarded, the inquisi- 
 tors themselves being the absolute decisive judges. 
 The distinguishing mark of a qualificator is the cross 
 of the holy office, which is a medal of pure gold as 
 big as a thirteen, with a cross in the middle, half 
 Avhite and half black, which they wear before their 
 breast; but in public functions or processions, the 
 priest and friars wear another bigger cross of em- 
 broidery on their cloak or habits. To be qualificator 
 is a great honor to his whole family and relations, 
 for this is a public testimony of t^e old Christianity 
 and pure blood (as they call it) of the family. 
 
 No nobleman covets the honor of being qualifica- 
 tor, for they are all ambitious of the cross of St. James, 
 of Alcantara, pf Calatravia, of Malta, and the golden 
 fleece, which are the five orders of the nobility ; so 
 
276 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 the honor of a quahficator is for those people, who 
 though their families being not well known, are 
 desirous to boast of their antiquity and christianism, 
 though to obtain such honor, they pay a great sum 
 of money : for, in the first place, he that desireth to 
 be a quahficator, is to appear before the holy tribu- 
 nal, to make a public profession of the Catholic faith, 
 and to acknowledge the holy tribunal for the su- 
 preme of all others, and the inquisitors for his own 
 judges. This is the first step. After, he is to lay 
 down on the table the certificate of his baptism, and 
 the names of his parents for four generations ; the 
 towns and places of their former habitations; and 
 two hundred pistoles for the expenses in taking in- 
 formations. 
 
 This done, he goes home till the inquisitors send 
 for him, and if they do not send for him in six 
 months time he looseth the money and all hopes of 
 getting the cross of quahficator; and this happens 
 very often for the reasons I shall give by and by. 
 
 The inquisitors send their commissaries into all 
 the places of the new proponent's ancestors, where 
 they may get some account of their lives and con- 
 versations, and of the purity of their blood, and that 
 they never were mixed with Jewish families, nor 
 heretics, and that they were old Christians. These 
 examinations are performed in the most rigorous and 
 severe manner that can be; for if some of the in- 
 formers and witnesses are in a falsity, they are put 
 into the inquisition; so every body gives the report 
 conGerning the family in question, with great cau- 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 277 
 
 tion, to the best of his knowledge and memory. 
 When the commissaries have taken the necessary 
 informations with witnesses of. a good name, they 
 examine the parish book, and take a copy of the an- 
 cestors' names, the year and day of their marriages, 
 and the year, day, and place of their burials. The 
 commissaries then return to the inquisitors with all 
 the examinations, witnesses, proofs, and convictions 
 of the purity and ancient Christianity of the propo- 
 nent's families, for four generations; and being again 
 examined by the three inquisitors, if they find 
 them real and faithful, then they send the same 
 commissaries to inquire into the character, life, and 
 conversation of the postulant, or demanding person, 
 but in this point the commissaries pass by many 
 personal failings, so when the report is given to the 
 holy inquisitors, they send for the postulant and 
 examine him concerning matters of faith, the holy 
 Scriptures, the knowledge of the ancient fathers of 
 the church, moral cases, all which is but mere 
 formality, for the generality of the holy fathers them- 
 selves do not take much pains in the study of those 
 thiiigs, and therefore the postulant is not afraid of 
 their nice questions, nor very solicitous how to 
 resolve them. 
 
 When the examination is over, they order the 
 secretary to draw the patent of the grant of the holy 
 cross to such an one in regard to his families' old 
 purity of blood and Christianity, and to his personal 
 parts and religious conversation, certifying in the 
 patent, that for four generations past, none of his 
 
278 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 father's or motlier's relations were at all suspected in 
 points concerning the holy Roman Catholic faith, or 
 mixed with Jewish or heretical blood. 
 
 The day following, the postulant appears before 
 the assembly of quaUficators in the hall of the 
 uiquisition, and the first inquisitor celebrates the 
 mass, assisted by the two qualificators, as deacon 
 and subdeacon. One of the oldest brethren preacheth 
 a sermon on that occasion, and when the mass is 
 over, they make a sort of procession in the same hall, 
 and after it, the inquisitor gives the book of the 
 gospel to the postulant, and makes him swear the 
 usual oaths; which done, the postulant, on his 
 knees, receiveth the cross or medal, from the hands 
 of the inquisitor, who, with a black ribbon, puts it 
 on the postulant's neck, and begins to sing te deum, 
 and the collect of thanks, which is the end of the 
 ceremonies. Then all the assistant qualificators con- 
 gratulate the new brother, and all go up to the 
 inquisitor's apartment to drink chocolate, and after 
 that, every one to his own dwelling place. 
 
 Tlie new qualificator dineth with the inquisitors 
 that day, and after dinner the secretary brings in a 
 bill of all the fees and expenses of the informations ; 
 which he must clear before he leaves the inquisition. 
 Most commonly the whole comes to four hundred 
 pistoles, including the two hundred he gave in the 
 beginning ; but sometimes it comes to a thousand 
 pi«toles, to those whose ancestors families were out 
 of the kingdom, for then the commissaries expend a 
 great deal more : and if it happen they find the least 
 
POPISH CHURCH. , 279 
 
 spot of Jewdaism, or Heresy, in some relation of the 
 family, the commissaries do not proceed any further 
 in the examinations, but come back again to the 
 inquisition immediately, and then the postulant is 
 never sent for by the inquisitors, who keep the two 
 hundred pistoles for pious uses. 
 
 Familiai^es, 
 
 Are always laymen, but of good sense and educa- 
 tion. These wear the same cross, and for the 
 granting of it, the inquisitors makethe same informa- 
 tions and proofs as they make for qualificators. The 
 honor and privileges are the same ; for they are not 
 subject biU to the tribunal of the inquisition. Their 
 businesses are not the same ; for they are only 
 employed in gathering together, and inquiring after 
 all books against the Catholic faith, and to watch 
 the actions of suspected people. They take a turn 
 sometimes into the country, but then they do not 
 wear their cross openly till occasion requires it. They 
 insinuate themselves into all companies, and they 
 will even speak against the inquisition, and against 
 religion, to try whether the people are of that senti- 
 ment; in short they are spies of the inquisitors. 
 They do not pay so much as the qualificators, for the 
 honor of the cross, but they are obliged to take a 
 turn now and then m the country at ther own 
 expense. They are not so many in number as the 
 qualificators, for in a trial of the inquisition, where 
 all ought to be present, I once reckoned 160, and 
 twice as many qualificators. I saw the list of them 
 
280 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 both, i. e. of the whole kmgdom of Aragon, wherem 
 are qualificators, of the secular priests, 243 ; and of 
 the regular, 40G ; familiaries, 208. 
 
 The royal castle, formerly the palace of the king 
 of Aragon, called Aljafeiria, was given to the inquis- 
 itors to hold their tribunal there, and prison too It 
 is a musket shot distant from the city, on the river 
 side. But after the battle of Almaiiza, Avhen the 
 duke of Orleans came as generalissimo of the Spanish 
 and French army, he thought that place necessary to 
 put a strong garrison in ; so he made the marquis de 
 Torsey governor of the fort of Aljafeira, and turned 
 out the inquisitors ; who, being obliged, by force, to 
 quit their apartments, took a large house near the 
 Carmelites' convent: but two months after, find- 
 ing that the place Avas not safe enough to keep 
 the prisoners in, they removed to the palace of the 
 earl of Tuents, in the great street called Coso, out of 
 which they were turned by Monsieur de Legal, as I 
 shall tell by and by. 
 
 ^ form of their public trial. 
 
 If the trial is to be made publicly, in the hall of the 
 holy office, the inquisitors summon two priests out of 
 every parish church, and two regular priests out of 
 every convent ; all the qualificators and familiares 
 that are in the city ; the sheriff, and all the under 
 officers; the secretary, and three inquisitors. All the 
 aforesaid meet at the common hall on the day 
 appointed for the trial at ten in the morning. The 
 hall is hung in black, without any windows, or light, 
 
POPISH CHURGH. 281 
 
 but what comes in through the door. At the front 
 there is an image of our Saviour on the cross, under 
 a black velvet canopy, and six candlesticks with six 
 thick yellow wax candles on the altar's table: On 
 one side there is a pulpit, with another candle, where 
 the secretary reads the crimes; three chairs for th^e 
 three inquisitors, and round about the hall, seats and 
 chairs for the summoned priests, friars, familiares, and 
 other officers. 
 
 When the inquisitors are come in, an under officer 
 crieth out, Silence, silence, silence, the holy fathers 
 are coming; — -and from that very time, till all is over, 
 nobody speaks nor spits; and the thought of the 
 place puts every body under respect, fear, and 
 attention. The holy fathers, with their hats on their 
 heads, and serious countenances, go, and kneeling 
 down before the altar, the first inquisitor begins to 
 give out, Veni Creator Spiritus, Mentos tuorum 
 ■visit a, &c. And the congregation sing the rest, and 
 the collect being said by him also, every body sits 
 down. The secretary then goes up to the pulpit, 
 and the holy father rings a small silver bell, which 
 is the signal for bringing in the criminal. What is 
 done afterwards will be known by the following trial 
 and instances, at which I was present, being one of 
 the youngest priests of the cathedral, and therefore 
 obliged to go to those dismal tragedies; in which, 
 the first thing, after the criminal comes in, and kneels 
 down before the inquisitors, who receives a severe^ 
 bitter correction from the inquisitor, who measures 
 it according to the nature of the crimes committed 
 
 34 
 
282 HISTORY or THE 
 
 by the criminal f of all which, to the best of my 
 memory, I will give an account in the first IriaL 
 
 Trial I. 
 
 Of the rererend father Joseph Sylvestre, Francis- 
 can friar; and the mother Mary of Jesus, abbess of 
 the monastery of Epila, of Franciscan nuns. Father 
 Joseph was a tall, lusty man, forty years of age, and 
 had been twelve years professor of philosophy and 
 divinity in the great convent of St. Francis. *Sor 
 Mary was thirty-two years old, mighty witty, and 
 of an agreeable countenance. These two criminals 
 were drest in brown gowns, painted all over with 
 flames of fire representing hell, a thick rope tied 
 about their necks, and yellow wax candles in their 
 hands. Both, in this dull appearance, came and 
 prostrated themselves at the inquisitor's feet, and the 
 first holy father began to correct them in the follow- 
 ing words : 
 
 Unworthy creatures, how can our Catholic Roman 
 faith be preserved pure, if those who, by their office 
 and ministry, ought to recommend its observance in 
 the most earnest manner, are not only the first, but 
 the greatest transgressors of it ? Thou that teachest 
 another not to steal, not to commit fornication, dost 
 thou steal and commit sacrilege, which is worse than 
 fornication? In these things we could show you 
 pity and compassion ; but as to the transgressions of 
 the express commandments of our church, and the 
 
 *Sor is a title given to the nuns, which answers to Sister, as 
 coming from the Latin Sorror. 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 283 
 
 respect due to us the judges of the holy tribunal, we 
 cannot; therefore your sentence is pronounced by 
 these holy fathers of pity and compassion, lord 
 inquisitors, as you shall hear now, and afterwards 
 undergo. 
 
 Sor Mary was in a flood of tears; but father 
 Joseph, who was a learned man, with great boldness 
 and assurance, said. What, do you call yourselves 
 holy fathers ef pity and compassion? I say unto 
 you, that you are three devils on earth, fathers of all 
 manner of mischief, barbarity and lewdness. 
 
 No in(|^uisitors were ever treated at such a rate 
 before, and we were thinking that friar Joseph was 
 to suffer fire, for this high affront to them. But Don 
 Pedro Guerrero, first judge, though a severe, haughty, 
 passionate man, ordered only a gag, or bit of a bridle 
 to be put into his mouth ; but friar Joseph flying into 
 a fury, said, I despise all your torments, for my 
 crimes are not against you, but against God, who is 
 the only judge of my conscience, and you do yet 
 worse things, &c. 
 
 The inquisitors ordered to carry him to prison, 
 while the crimes and sentence were reading. So he 
 was carried in, and the nun with great humility 
 heard the accusation and sentence. 
 
 The secretary, by order, began to read, 1st. That 
 friar Joseph was made father confessor, and sor Mary 
 mother abbess. That in the beginning they showed 
 a great example of humility and virtue to the nuns ; 
 but afterwards all this zeal of theirs appeared to be 
 mere hypocrisy, and a eover for their wicked actions : 
 
2S4- HISTORY OF THE 
 
 for as she had a grate in the wall of friar Joseph's 
 room, they both did eat in private, and fast in public ; 
 That the said friar Joseph was found in bed with sor 
 Mary by such a nun ; and that she was found with 
 child, and took a remedy to prevent the public proof 
 of it: That both friar Joseph and sor Mary had 
 robbed the treasure of the convent ; and that one day 
 they were contriving how to go away into another 
 country, and that they had spoken in an irreverent 
 manner of the pope and inquisitors. 
 
 This was the whole accusation against them, 
 which friar Joseph and sor Mary had denied before, 
 saymg, it was only hatred and malice of the infor- 
 mers against them, and desired the witness^^s to be 
 produced before them; and this being against the 
 custom of the holy office, the holy fathers had pro- 
 nounced the sentence, viz. That friar Joseph should 
 be deprived of all the honors of his order, and of 
 active and passive voice, and be removed to a coun- 
 try convent, and be whipped three times a week for 
 the space of six weeks. That sor Mary should be 
 deprived of her abbacy, and removed into another 
 monastery: this punishment being only for their 
 audacious and unrespectful manner of talking against 
 the pope and inquisitors. 
 
 Indeed, by this sentence we did believe, that the 
 crimes they were charged with were only an inven- 
 tion of the malicious nuns; but poor friar Joseph 
 suffered for his indiscretion; for though the next day 
 the inquisitors gave out that he escaped out of prison 
 we really believe he had been strangled in tho 
 inquisition. 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 285 
 
 This was the first trial I was present at, and the 
 second was that of Mary Guerrero and friar Michael 
 Navarro, of which I have given an account in the 
 chapter of auricular confessions. After these two 
 trials the inquisitors were turned out by monsieur de 
 Legal, and for eight months we had no inquisition. 
 How this thing happened, is worthy of observation; 
 therefore I shall give a particular account of it, that 
 I may not deprive the public of so pleasant a story. 
 
 In 1706, after the battle of Alamanza, the Spanish 
 army being divided into two bodies, one through the 
 kingdom of Valencia, to the frontiers of Catalonia, 
 commanded by the duke of Berwick; the other 
 composed of the French auxiliary troops, 14,000 in 
 number, went to the conquest of Arragon, whose 
 inhabitants had declared themselves for king Charles 
 III. The body of French troops was commanded 
 by his highness the duke of Orleans, who was the 
 generalissimo of the whole army. Before he came, 
 near the city, the magistrates went to meet him, and 
 offered the keys of the city, but he refused them, 
 saying, he was to enter it through a breach; and so 
 he did, treating the people as rebels to their lawful 
 king. And when he had ordered all the civil and 
 military affairs of the city, he went down to the 
 frontiers of Catalonia, leaving his lieutenant-general, 
 monsieur de Jofreville, governor of the town. But 
 this governor being a mild tempered man, was loath 
 to follow the orders left him as to the contribution 
 money: So he was called to the army, and the 
 lieutenant-general, monsieur de Legal, came in 
 
 34* 
 
286 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 his place. The city Avas to pay 1,000 crowns a 
 month, for the duke^s table, and every house a pistole^ 
 which by computation made the sum of 18,000 
 pistoles a month, which were paid eight months 
 together; besides this, the convents were to pay a 
 donative, or gift, proportionable to their rents. The 
 college of Jesuits were charged 2,000 pistoles, the 
 Dominicians 1,000, Augustins 1,000, Carmelites 
 1,000, &c. Monsieur de Legal sent first to the Jesuits 
 who refused to pay, saying, it was against the eccle- 
 siastical immunity: But Legal, not acquainted with 
 these sort of excuses, sent four companies of grena- 
 diers to quarter in their college at discretion : The 
 father sent immediately an express to the Idng^s 
 father confessor, who was a Jesuit, with complaints 
 about the case : But the grenadiers did make more 
 expedition in their plundering and mischiefs, than 
 the courier did in his journey. So the fathers, seeing 
 the damage all their goods had already received, and. 
 fearing some violence upon their treasure, went to 
 pay monsieur Legal the 2,000 pistoles as a donative. 
 Next to this he sent to the Dominicans. The friars 
 of this order are all familiares of the holy office, and 
 depending upon it, they did excuse themselves in a 
 civil manner, saying, they had no money, and if 
 monsieur de Legal had a mind to insist upon the 
 demand of the 1,000 pistoles, they could not ^peij 
 them, without sending to him the silver bodies of the 
 saints. The friars thought by this to frighten mon- 
 sieur de Legal, and if he was so resolute as to accept 
 the offer, to send the saints in a procession, and raiso 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 2S7 
 
 the people, crying out Heresy^ Heresy. De Legal 
 answered to the friars, that he was obliged to obey 
 the duke's orders, and so he would receive the silver 
 saints : So the friars all in a sole mn procession, and 
 with lighted candles in their hands, carried the saints 
 to the governor Legal: And as soon as he heard of 
 this public devotion of the friars, he ordered immedi- 
 ately four companies of grenadiers to line the streets 
 on both sides,before his house, and to keep their fuzees 
 in one hand, and a lighted candle in the other, to 
 receive the saints with the same devotion and vene- 
 ration. And though the friars endeavored to raise 
 the people, nobody was so bold as to expose them- 
 selves to the army, there being left eight regiments 
 to keep the mob under fear and subjection. Legal 
 received the saints, and sent them to the mint, 
 promising to the father prior to give him what 
 remained above the 1,000 pistoles. The friars being 
 disappointed in the project of raising the people, 
 went to the inquisitors to desire them to release im- 
 mediately their saints out of the mint, by excommu- 
 nicating monsieur de Legal, which the inquisitors 
 did upon the spot; and the excommunication being 
 drawn and signed, they gave strict orders to their 
 secretary to go and read it before monsieur de Legal 
 which he did accordingly : And monsieur the gov- 
 ernor, far from flying into a passion, with a mild 
 countenace took the paper from the secretary, and 
 said, Pray, tell your masters, the inquisitors, that I 
 will answer them to-morrow morning. The secretary 
 went away fully satisfied with Legal's civil beha- 
 
288 HISTORY OP THE 
 
 viour. The same minute, as if he was inspired by 
 the holy spirit, without reflecting upon any conse- 
 quence, he called his own secretary, he bid him draw 
 a copy of the excommunication, putting out the 
 name of Legal, and inserting in its place the Holy 
 Inquisitors. The next morning he gave orders for 
 four regiments to be ready, and sent them along with 
 his secretary to the inquisition, with command to 
 read the excommunication to the inquisitors them- 
 selves, and if they made the least noise, to turn them 
 out, open all the prisons, and quarter two regiments 
 there. He was not afraid of the people, for the duke 
 took away all the arms from every individual person, 
 and on pain of death commanded that nobody 
 should keep but a short sword; and besides, four 
 regiments were under arms, to prevent all sorts of 
 tumult and disturbance: So his secretary went and 
 performed the governor's orders. The inquisitors 
 were never more surprised than to see themselves 
 excommunicated by a man that had no authority 
 for it, and resenting it, they began to cry out. War 
 against the heretic de Legal; this is a public insult 
 against our Catholic faith. To which the secretary 
 answered, Holy Inquisitors, the king wants this 
 house to quarter his troops in, so walk out imme 
 diately: And as they continued in their excla- 
 mations, he took the inquisitors, with a strong guard, 
 and carried them to a private house destined for 
 them; but when they saw the laws of military dis- 
 cipline, they begged leave to take their goods along 
 with them, which was immediately granted; and the 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 289 
 
 next day they set out for Madrid, to complain to tlie 
 king, who gave them this shght answer: I am very 
 sorry for it, but I cannot help it; my crown is in dan- 
 ger and my grandfather defends it, and this is done 
 by his troops; if it had been done by my troops, I 
 by should apply a speedy remedy: But ^t-qu must 
 have patience till things take another turn. So the 
 inquisitors were obliged to have patience for eight 
 months. 
 
 The secretary of monsieur de Legal, according to 
 his orders, opened the doors of all the prisons, and 
 then the wickedness of the inquisitors were detected, 
 for four hundred prisoners got liberty that day, and 
 among them sixty young women were found very well 
 drest, who were, in all human appearance, the num- 
 ber of the three inquisitors' Seraglio, as some of 
 them did own afterwards. But this discovery, so 
 dangerous to the holy tribunal, was in some measure 
 prevented by the archbishop, who Avent to desire 
 monsieur de Legal to send those women to his 
 palace, and that his grace would take care of them; 
 and that in the mean time, he ordered an ecclesiasti- 
 cal censure to be published against those that should 
 defame, by groundless reports, the holy office of the 
 inquisition. The governor answered to his grace, he 
 would gi\re him all the assistance for it he could; 
 but as to the young women, it was not in his power, 
 the officers having hurried them away: And indeed 
 it was not; for it is not to be supposed that the in- 
 quisitors, having the absolute power to confine in 
 their ^era^/zo whomsoever they had a fancy for, would 
 
290 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 choose ordinary girls, but the best and handsomest 
 of the city: So the French officers were all so glad 
 of getting such fine mistresses, that they immediately ' 
 took them away, knowing very well they would 
 follow them to the end of the world for fear of beins: 
 confined again. In my travels in France afterwards, 
 I met with one of those women at Rotchfort, in the 
 same inn I went to lodge in that night, who had 
 been brought there by the son of the master of the 
 inn, formerly lieutenant in the French service in 
 Spain, who had married her for her extraordinary 
 beauty and good parts. She was the daughter of 
 counseller Ballabriga, and I laiew her before she 
 was taken up by the inquisitors' orders; but thought 
 she was stolen by some officer; for this was given 
 out by her father, who had died of grief and vexa- 
 tion, without the comfort of opening his trouble, nay, 
 ev^en to his confessors, so great is the fear of the in- 
 quisitors there. 
 
 I was very glad to meet one of my country-wo- 
 man in my travels; and as she did not remember me 
 especially in my then clisguise; I was taken for 
 nothing but an officer. I resolved to stay there the 
 next day, to have the satisfaction of conversing with 
 her, and have a plain account of what we could not 
 know in Saragossa, for fear of incuring the ecclesi- 
 astical censure, published by the archbishop. Now 
 my conversation with her being a propos, and ne- 
 cessary to discover the roguery of the inquisitors, it 
 seems proper to divert the reader with it. 
 
 Mr. Faulcaut, my country-woman's husband, was 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 291 
 
 then at Paris, upon some pretensions ; and though 
 her father and mother-in-law were continually at 
 home, they did not mistrust me, I being a country- 
 man of their daughter-in-law, who freely came to 
 my room at any time ; and as I was desiring her not 
 to expose herself to any uneasines on my account, 
 she answered me. Captain, we are now in France, 
 not in Saragossa, and we enjoy here all manner of 
 freedom, without going beyond the limits of sobriety ; 
 so you may be easy in that point, for my father and 
 mother-in-law have ordered me to be obliging to 
 you, nay, and to beg the favor of you to take your 
 repose here this week, if your business permit it, and 
 to be pleased to accept this their small entertainment 
 on free-cost, as a token of their esteem to me, and 
 my country-gentleman. If it had not been for my 
 continual fear of being discovered, I would have 
 accepted the proposition ; so I thanked her, and 
 begged her to return my hearty acknowledgement to 
 the gentleman and lad}^ of the house, and that I was 
 very sorry, that my pressing business, at Paris, 
 would prevent and hinder me to enjoy so agreeable 
 company : but if my business was soon despatched 
 at Paris, then, at my return, I would make a halt 
 there, may-be for a fortnight. Mrs. Faulcaut w^as 
 very much concerned at my haste to go away : but 
 she did make me promise to come back again that 
 way. So amidst these compliments from one to 
 another, supper came in, and we went to it, the old 
 man and woman, their daughter and I : none but 
 Mrs. Faulcaut could speak Spanish, so she was my 
 
292 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 interpreter, for I could not speak French. After 
 supper, the landlord and landlady left us alone, and 
 I began to beg of her the favor to tell me the accident 
 of her prison, of her sufferings in the inquisition, and 
 of every thing relating to the holy office ; and fear 
 not, (said I,) for we are in France, and not in Sara- 
 gossa ; here is no inquisition, so you may safely open 
 your heart to a countryman of yours. I will with 
 all my heart, (said she,) and to satisfy your curiosity, 
 I shall begin with the occasion of my imprisonment, 
 which was as follows. 
 
 I went one day with my mother to visit the coun- 
 tess of Attarass, and I met there Don Francisco Tor- 
 rejon, her confessor, and second inquisitor of the 
 holy office. After we had drunk chocolate, he asked 
 my age, and my confessor's name, and so many 
 mtricate questions about religion, that I could not 
 answer him. His serious countenance did frighten 
 me, and as he perceived my fear, he desired the 
 countess to tell me. that he was not so severe as I 
 took him to be: after which he caressed me in the 
 most obliging manner in the world; he gave me his 
 hand, which I kissed with great respect and modesty; 
 and when he went away, he told me, My dear child, 
 I shall remember you till the next time. I did not 
 mind the sense of the words ; for I was unexperi- 
 enced in matters of gallantry, being only fifteen years 
 old at that time. Indeed he did remember me, for 
 the very night following, while in bed, hearing a 
 hard knocking at the door, the maid went to the 
 window, and asking, Who is there? I heard say, 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 293 
 
 The holy inquisition. I could not forbear crying out. 
 Father, father, I am ruined for ever. My dear 
 father got up, and inquiring what the matter was, I 
 answered him, with tears, The inquisition; and he, 
 for fear that the maid should not open the door as 
 quick as such a case required, went himself, as 
 another Abraham, to open the door, and to offer his 
 dear daughter to the fire of the inquisitors, and as I 
 did not cease to cry out, as if I was a mad girl, my 
 dear father, all in tears, did put in my mouth a bit of 
 a bridle, to show his obedience to the holy office, and 
 his zeal for the Catholic faith, for he thought I had 
 committed some crime against religion; so the officers 
 gave me but time to put on my clothes, took me 
 down into the coach, and without giving me the 
 satisfaction of embracing my dear father and mother, 
 they carried me into the inquisition. I did expect to 
 die that very night; but when they carried me into 
 a noble room, well furnished, and an excellent bed 
 in it, I was quite surprised. The officers left me^ 
 there, and immediately a maid came in with a salver 
 of sweetmeats and cinnamon water, desiring me to 
 take some refreshment before I went to bed: I told 
 her that I could not ; but that I should be obliged to 
 her, if she could tell me whether I was to die that 
 night or not? Die, (said she,) you do not come here 
 to die, but to live like a princess, and you shall want 
 nothing in the world but the liberty of going out ; 
 and now pray mind nothing, but to go to bed, and 
 sleep easy, for to-morrow you shall see wonders in 
 this house, a,nd as I am chosen to be your waiting 
 
 35 
 
294 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 maid, I hope you will be very kind to me. I was 
 going to ask her some questions, but she told me. 
 Madam, I have not leave to tell you any thing else 
 till to-morrow, only that nobody shall come to dis- 
 turb you; and now I am going about some business 
 and I will come back presently, for my bed is in the 
 closet near your bed: So she left me there for a 
 quarter of an hour. The great amazement I was in, 
 took away all my senses, or the free exercise of them, 
 for I had not liberty to think of my parents; nor of 
 grief, nor of the danger that was so near me: So in 
 this suspension of thought, the waiting-maid came 
 and locked the chamber door after her, and told me. 
 Madam, let us go to bed, and only tell me at what 
 time in the morning you will have the chocolate 
 ready ? I asked her name, and she told it was Mary. 
 Mary, for God's sake, (said I,) tell me whether I 
 come to die or not? I have told you, madam, that 
 you came (she said) to live as one of the happiest 
 creatures in the world. And as I observed her re- 
 seivedness, I did not ask her any questions: So re- 
 commending myself to God Almighty, and to our 
 lady of Pilar, and preparing myself to die, I went to 
 bed, but could not sleep one minute. I was up with 
 the day, but Mary slept till six of the clock : Then 
 she got up, and wondering to see me up, she said to 
 me, Pray, madam, will you drink chocolate now? 
 Do what you please (said I); then she left me half 
 an hour alone, and she came back with a silver plate 
 with two cups of chocolate, and some biscuit on it. 
 I drank one cup, and desired her to drink the other, 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 295 
 
 which she did. Well, Mary, (said I,) can you give 
 iiie any account of the reason of my being here ? 
 IS* ot yet, madam, (said she,) but only have patience 
 for a little while. With this answer she left me; 
 and an hour after came again with two baskets, with 
 a line holland shift, a hoUand under petticoat, with 
 fine lace round it; two silk petticoats and a little 
 Spanish waistcoat, with a gold fringe all over it; 
 with combs and ribbons, and every thing suitable to 
 a lady of higher quality than I: But my greatest 
 surprise was to see a gold snuff-box, with a picture 
 of Don Francisco T<orrejon in it Then I soon un- 
 derstood the meaning of my confinement. So I 
 considered with myself, that to refuse the present 
 would be the occasion of my immediate death; and 
 to accept of it, was to give to him, even on the first 
 day, too great encouragement against my honor. 
 But I found, as I thought then, a medium in the 
 case ; so I said, Mary, pray give my service to Don 
 Francisco Torrejon, and tell him, that as I could not 
 bring my clothes with me last night, honesty permits 
 me to accept of these clothes, which are necessary to 
 keep me decent; but since I take no snuff, I beg his 
 lordship to excuse me, if I do not accept this box. 
 Mary went to him with this answer, and came again 
 with a picture nicely set in gold, with four diamonds at 
 the four corners of it, and told me, that his lordship 
 was mistaken, and that he desired me to accept that 
 picture, which would be a great favor to him; and 
 while I was thinking with myself what to do, Mary 
 said to me, Pray, madam^ take my poor advice. 
 
296 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 accept the picture, and every thing that he sends to 
 you; for consider, that if you do not consent and 
 comply with every thing he has a mind for, you will 
 soon be put to death, and nobody will defend you; 
 but if you are obliging and kind to him, he is a very 
 complaisant and agreeable gentleman, and will be a 
 charming lover, and yon will be here like a queen, 
 and he will give you another apartment, with a fine 
 garden, and many young ladies shall come to visit 
 you: So I advise you to send a civil answer to him, 
 and desire a visit from him, or else you will soon 
 begin to repent yourself dear God, (said I,) must 
 I abandon my honor without any remed}?-? If I 
 oppose his desire, he by force will obtain it. So, 
 full of confusion, I bid Mary to give him what ans- 
 we'f she thought fit. She was very glad of my 
 humble submission, and went to give Bon Francisco 
 my answer. She came back a few minutes after, 
 all overjoyed, to tell me, that his lordship would 
 honor me with his company at supper, and that he 
 could not come sooner on account of some business 
 that called him abroad ; but in the mean time desired 
 me to mind nothing, but how to divert myself, and 
 to give to Mary my measure for a suit of clothes, 
 and order her to bring me every thing I could wish 
 for. Mary added to this. Madam, I may call you 
 now my mistress, and must tell you, that I have 
 been in the holy office these fourteen years, and I 
 know the customs of it very well; but because 
 silence is imposed upon me under pain of deatli, I 
 cannot tell you any thing but what cancerns your 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 297 
 
 person: So, in the first place, do not oppose the 
 holy father's will and pleasure: Secondly, if you see 
 some young ladies here, never ask them the occasion 
 of their being here, nor any thing of their business, 
 neither will they ask you any thing of this nature, 
 and take care not to tell them any thing of your 
 being here ; you may come and divert yourself with 
 them at such hours as are appointed; you shall have 
 music, and all sorts of recreations; three days hence 
 you shall dine with them; they are all ladies of 
 quality, young and merry, and this is the best of 
 lives; you will not long for going abroad, you will 
 be so well diverted at home ; and when your time is 
 expired, then the holy fathers will send you out of 
 this country, and marry you to some nobleman. 
 Never mention the name of Don Francisco, nor your 
 name to any. If you see here some young ladies of 
 your acquaintance in the city, they will never take 
 notice of your formerly knowing each other, though 
 they will talk with you of indifferent matters; so 
 take care not to speak any thing of your family. 
 
 All these things together made me astonished, or 
 rather stupified, and the whole seemed to me a piece 
 of enchantment so that I could not imagine what 
 to think of it. With this lesson she left me, and told 
 me she was going to order my dinner ; and every 
 time she went out, she locked the door after her. 
 There were but two high windows in my chamber, 
 and I could see nothing through them; but examin- 
 ing the room all over, I found a closet with all sorts 
 of historical and profane books, and every thing 
 
 35* 
 
298 HISTORY OP THE 
 
 necessary for writing. So I spent my time till the 
 dinner came in, reading some diverting amorous 
 stories, which was a great satisfaction to me. When 
 Mary came with the things for the table, I told her 
 that I was inclined to sleep, and that I had rather 
 sleep than go to dinner; so she asked me whether she 
 should awaken me or not, and at what time ? Two 
 hours hence (said I,) so I lay down and fell asleep, 
 which was a great refreshment to me. At the time 
 fixed she wakened me, and I went to dinner, at 
 which was every thing that could satisfy the m.ost 
 nice appetite. After dinner she left me alone, and 
 told me, if I wanted any thing, I might ring the bell 
 and call: So I went to the closet again, and spent 
 three hours in reading. I think really I was under 
 some enchantment, for I was in a perfect suspension 
 of thought, so as to remember neither father nor 
 mother, for this run least in my mind, and what was at 
 that time most in it, I do not know. Mary came 
 and told me, that Don Francisco was come home, 
 and that she thought he would come to see me very 
 soon, and begged of me to prepare myself to receive 
 him with all manner of kindness. At seven in the 
 evening Don Francisco came, in his night-gown and 
 night-cap, not with the gravity of an inquisitor, but 
 with the gaiety of an officer. He saluted me with 
 great respect and civihty, and told me that he had 
 designed to keep my company at supper, but could 
 not that night, having some business of consequence 
 to finish in his closet; and that his coming to see me 
 was only out of the respect he had for my family, 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 299 
 
 and to tell me at the same time, that some of my 
 lovers had procured my ruin forever, accusing me in 
 matters of religion; that the informations were taken, 
 and the sentence pronounced against me, to be burnt 
 alive, in a dry pan, with a gradual fire, but that he, 
 out of pity and love to my family, had stopped the 
 execution of it. Each of these words was a mortal 
 stroke on my heart, and knowing not what I was 
 doing, I threw myself at his feet, and said, Seignor, 
 have you stopped the execution for ever? That 
 only belongs to you to stop it, or not (said he); and 
 with this he wished me a good night. As soon as he 
 went away, I fell a crying; but Mary came and asked 
 me what obliged me to cry so bitterly ? Ah ! good 
 Mary, (said I,) pray tell me what is the meaning of 
 the dry pan and gradual fire ? For I am in expec- 
 tation of nothing but death, and that by it. O, pray 
 never fear, you will see another day the pan and 
 gradual fire; but they are made for those that oppose 
 the holy fathers' will, not for you, who are so ready 
 to obey them. But, pray, was Don Francisco very 
 civil and obliging ? I do not know, (said I,) for his 
 discourse has put me out of my wits; that I Imow 
 that he saluted me with respect and civility, but he 
 has left me abruptly. Well, (said Mary,) you do 
 not know him; he is the most obliging man in the 
 world, if people are civil with him, and if not, he is 
 as unmerciful as Nero ; and so for your own preser- 
 vation, take care to oblige him in all respects: now, 
 pray go to supper, and be easy. I was so much trou- 
 bled in mind with thoughts of the dry pan and gradual 
 
300 HISTORYOPTHE 
 
 fire, that I could neither eat nor sleep that night. 
 Early in the morning Mary got up, and told me, that 
 nobody was yet up in the house, and that she would 
 show me the dry pan and gradual fire, on condition, 
 that I should keep it a secret for her sake, and my 
 own too; which I having promised her, she took me 
 along with her and showed me a dark room with a 
 thick iron door, and within it an oven, and a large 
 brass pan upon it, with a cover of the same, and a 
 lock to it ; the oven was burning at that time, and I 
 asked Mary for what use the pan was there ? And 
 she, without giving me any answer, took me by the 
 hand, out of that place, and carried me into a large 
 room, where she showed me a thick wheel, covered 
 on both sides with thick boards, and opening a little 
 window, in the centre of it, desired me to look with 
 a candle on the inside of it, and I saw all the circum- 
 ference of the wheel set with sharp razors. After 
 that she showed me a pit full of serpents and toads-. 
 Then she said to me. Now, my good mistress, I'll tell 
 you the use of these three things. The dry pan and 
 gradual fire are for heretics, and those that oppose 
 the holy father's will and pleasure, for they are put all 
 naked and alive into the pan, and the cover of it being 
 locked up, the executioner begins to put in the oven 
 a ^mall fire, and by degrees he augmenteth it till the 
 body is burnt to ashes. The second is designed for 
 those that speak against the pope, and the holy 
 fathers; and they are put within the wheel, and the 
 door being locked, the executioner turns the wheel 
 till the person is dead. And the third is for those 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 301 
 
 that contGmn the images, and refuse to give the due 
 respect and veneration to ecclesiastical persons, for 
 they are thrown into the pit, and there they become 
 the food of serpents and toads. 
 
 Then Mary said to me, that another day she would 
 show me torments for public sinners, and transgres- 
 sors of the five commandrnxcnts of our holy mother 
 the church; so I, in a deep amazement, desired Mary 
 to show me no more places, for the very thoughts of 
 those three, which I had seen, were enough to terrfy 
 me to the heart. So we went to my room, and she 
 charged me again to be very obedient to all the com- 
 mands Don Francisco should give me, or to be assured 
 if I did not I was to undergo the torment of the dry 
 pan. Indeed I conceived such an horror for the gradual 
 fire, that I was not mistress of my senses, nay, nor of 
 my thoughts: so I told Mary that I would follow 
 her advice. If you are in that disposition (said she) 
 leave off all fears and apprehensions, and expect 
 nothing but pleasure and satisfaction, and all manner 
 of recreation, and you shall begin to experience some 
 of these things this very day. Now let me dress you 
 for you must goto wish a good morrow to Don Fran- 
 cisco, and to breakfast with him. I thought really 
 this was a great honor to me, and some comfort to 
 my troubled mind; so I made all the hast I could, 
 and Mary conveyed me through a gallery into Don 
 Francisco's apartment. He was still in bed, and 
 he desired me to sit down by him, and ordered Mary 
 to bring the chocolate two hours after, and with this 
 she left me alone with Don Francisco. Mary came 
 
302 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 with the chocolate, and kneelmg down, paid me 
 homage as if I was a queen; and served me first with 
 a cup of chocolate, still on her knees, and bade me 
 give another cup to Don Francisco myself, which he 
 received mighty graciously, and having drunk up 
 the chocolate, she went out. So at ten of the clock, 
 Mary came again, and dressing me, she desired me 
 to go along with her, and leaving Don Francisco in 
 bed, she carried me into another chamber very 
 delightful, and better furnished than the first; for the 
 windows of it were lower, and I had the pleasure of 
 seeing the river and the gardens on the other side out 
 of it. Then Mary told me. Madam, the young ladies 
 of this house will come before dinner to welcome 
 you, and make themselves happy in the honor of 
 your company, and I will take you to dine with 
 them. Pray remember the advices I have given you 
 already, and do not make yourself unhappy by ask- 
 ing useless questions. She had not finished these 
 words, when I saw entering my apartment, (which 
 consisted of a large anti-chamber and a bed-chamber 
 with two large closets) a troop of young beautiful la- 
 dies, finely dressed, who all, one after another, came 
 to embrace me, and to wish me joy. My senses were 
 in a perfect suspension, and I could not speak a word, 
 nor answer their kind compliments. But one of 
 them seeing me so silent, said to me, Madam, the 
 solitude of this place will affect you in the begining, 
 but when you begin to be in our company, and feel 
 the pleasure of our amusements and recreations, you 
 will quit your pensivethoughts. Now we beg of you 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 303 
 
 the honor to come and dine with us to-day, and 
 henceforth three days in a week. I thanked them, 
 and we went to dinner. That day we had all sorts 
 of exquisite meats, and were served with delicate 
 fruits and sweeet-meats. The room was very long, 
 with two tables on each side, another at the front of 
 it, and I reckoned in it that day, fifty-two young 
 ladies, the oldest of them not exceeding twenty-four 
 years of age; six maids served the whole number of 
 us, but my Mary waited on me alone at dinner. 
 After dinner we went up stairs into a long gallery, 
 all round about with lattice windows; where, some 
 of us playing on instruments of music, others playing 
 at cards, and others walking about, we spent three 
 hours together. At last, Mary came up, ringing a 
 small bell, which was the signal to retire into our 
 rooms, as they told me; but Mary said to the whole 
 company. Ladies, to-day is a day of recreation, so 
 you may go into what room you please, until eight 
 o'clock, and then you are to go into your own cham- 
 bers: so they all desired leave to go with me to my 
 apartment, to spend the time there, and I was very 
 glad that they preferred my chamber to another ; so 
 all going down together, we found in my anti-cham- 
 ber a table, with all sorts of sweet-meats upon it, 
 iced cinnamon water, and almonds milk, and the like, 
 every one ate and drank, but nobody spoke a word, 
 touching the sumptuousness of the table, nor men- 
 tioned any thing concerning the inquisition of the holy 
 fathersw So we spent our time in merry, indifferent 
 conversation, till eight o'clock. Then every one 
 
304 HISTORY OP THE 
 
 retired into their own room, and Mary told me tliat 
 Don Francisco did wait for me, so we went to his 
 apartmentment, and supper behig ready, we both 
 alone sat at table, attended by my maid only. After 
 supper Mary went away, and next morning she 
 served us with chocolate, which we drank, and then 
 slept till ten o'clock. Then we got up, and my 
 waiting maid carried me into my chamber, where I 
 found ready, two suits of clothes, of a rich brocade, 
 and every thing else, suitable to a lady of the first 
 rank. I put on one, and when I was quite dressed, 
 the young ladies came to wish me a good morrow, all 
 dressed in different clothes, and better than the day 
 before, and we spent the second and third days in 
 the same recreation. But the third morning after 
 drinking chocolate, as the custom was, Mary told me 
 that a lady was waiting for me in the other room, 
 and desired me to get up, with a haughty look. I 
 thought that it Avas to give me some new comfort 
 and diversion; but I was very much mistaken, for 
 Mary conveyed me into a young lady's room, not 
 eight feet long, which was a perfect prison, and 
 there, before the lady, told me. Madam, this is your 
 room, and this young lady your bedfellow and com- 
 rade, and left me there with this unkind command. 
 heavens! thought I, what is this that has hap- 
 pened to me ? I fancied myself out of grief, and I 
 perceived now the beginning of my vexation. What 
 is this, dear lady, (said I) is this an enchanted palace, 
 or a hell upon earth ? I have lost father and mother 
 and what is worse, I have lost my honor and my 
 
POPISHCHURGH. 305 
 
 soul forever. My new companion, seeing me like a 
 mad woman, took me by the hands, and said to me. 
 Dear sister, (for this is the name I will give yon 
 henceforth) leave off your crying, leave off your 
 grief and vexation for you can do nothing by such 
 extravagant complaints, but heap coals of fire on your 
 head, or rather under your body. Your misfortunes 
 and ours are exactly of a piece: you suffer nothing 
 that we have not suffered before you: but we are not 
 allowed to show our grief, for fear of greater evils. 
 Pray, take good courage, and hope in God; for he 
 will find some way or other to deliver us out of this 
 hellish place; but above all things, take care not to 
 show any uneasiness before Mary, who is the only 
 instrument of our torments, or comfort, and have 
 patience till we go to bed, and then Avithout any fear, 
 I will tell you more of the matter. ,We do not dine 
 with the other ladies to-day, and may be, we shall 
 *have an opportunity of talking before night, which I 
 hope will be of some comfort to you. I was in a 
 most desperate condition, but my new sister Leonora 
 (this was her name) prevailed so much upon me^ 
 that I overcame my vexation before Mary came 
 again, to bring our dinner, which was very different 
 from that I had three days before. After dinner, 
 another maid came to take away the platter and 
 knife, for we had but one for us both, so locked the 
 door. 
 
 Now, my sister, said she, we need not fear being 
 disturbed all this night: so I may safely instruct you 
 if you will promise me, upon the hopes of salvation, 
 
 36 
 
306 HISTORYOFTHE 
 
 not to reveal the secret, while you are in this place^ 
 of the things I shall tell yon, I threw myself down 
 at her feet, and promised secrecy. Then she begun 
 to say: My dear sister, you think it a hard case 
 that has happened to you, I assure you all the ladies 
 in this house have already gone through the same^ 
 and in time you shall know all their stories, as they 
 hope to know yours. I suppose that Mary has been 
 the chief instrument of your fright, as she has been 
 of ours, and I warrant you she has shown to voii 
 some horrible places, though not all, and that at the 
 only thought of them, you were so much troubled 
 in your mind, that you have chosen the same way 
 we did to get some ease in our heart. By what has 
 happened to us, we know that Don Francisco has 
 been your Nero; for the thre e colors of our clothes 
 are the distinguishing tokens of the three holy fathers 
 The red silk belongs to Francisco, the blue to Guej- 
 rero, and the green to Aliaga. For they used to 
 give, the three first days, these colors to tho se ladies 
 that they bring for their use. We are strictly com- 
 manded to make all demonstrations'of joy, and to be 
 very merry three days, when a young lady comes 
 here as we did with you, and you must do with others. 
 But after it we live like prisoners, without seeing any 
 living soul but the six maids, and Mary, who is the 
 house-keeper. We dine all of us, in the hall, three 
 days a week, and three days in our rooms. When 
 any of the holy fathers have a mind for one of his 
 slaves, Mary comes for her at nine of the clock, and 
 conveyeth her to his apartment: but as they have so 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 307 
 
 ^ian5r, the turn comes, may -be once in a month,except 
 for those who have the honor to give them more 
 satisfaction than ordinary, those are sent for often. 
 Some nights Mary lea,ves the door of our rooms 
 open, and that is a sign that some of the fathers have 
 a mind to come that night, but he comes in so silent 
 that we do not laiow whether he is our own patron 
 or not. If one of us happen to be with child, she is 
 removed to better -chamber, and she sees no person 
 but the maid till she is delivered. The child is sent 
 away, and we do not know where it is gone. Mary 
 does not suffer quarrels between us, for If one 
 happens to be troublesome ,she is bitterly chastised 
 for it: "So we are always under ""a continual fear, 
 I have been in this house these six years, and I was 
 not fourteen years of age, when the officers took me 
 from my father's house, and I have been brought to 
 bed but once. We are at present fffty-two young, 
 ladies, and we loose every year six or eight, but we 
 do not know, where they are sent; but at the same 
 time we get new ones, and sometmies I have seen here 
 seventy-three ladies. All our continual torment is 
 to tliink, and with great reason-, that when the holy 
 fathers are tired of one, they put her to death; for 
 they will never run the hazard of being discovered 
 in these misdemeanors i So, though we cannot 
 oppose their comm-ands, and therefore we commit 
 these enormities, yet we still fervently pray God and 
 blessed mother, to forgive us them, since it is against 
 our wills we do them, and to preserve us from death 
 iu this house. So my dear sister, arm yourself with 
 
SOS HISTORY OF THE 
 
 patience, and put your trust in God, who will be our 
 only defender and deliver. 
 
 This discourse of Leonora did ease me in some 
 measure, and I found every thing as she had told 
 me. And so we lived together eighteen months, in 
 which time we lost eleven ladies, and we got nine- 
 teen new ones. I knew all their stories, which I 
 cannot tell you to night, but if you will be so kind 
 as to stay here this week, you will not think your 
 time lost when you come to know them alt. I did 
 promise her to stay that week, with a great deal o/ 
 pleasure and satisfaction; but though it was very 
 late, and the people of the house were retired, I beg- 
 ged her to make an end of the story concerning 
 herself, which she did in the following manner: 
 
 After the eighteen months, one night, Mary came 
 and ordered us to follow her^ and going down stairs-, 
 she bade us go into a couch, and this we thought the 
 last day of our lives. We went out of the house, 
 but where, we did not know, and were put into 
 another house, which was worse than the first where 
 we Avere confined several months, without seeing 
 any of the Inquisitors, or Mary, or any of our com- 
 panions: And in the same manner we were removed 
 ^X)m. that house to another, where we continued till 
 we were miraculously delived by the French officers. 
 Mr. Faulcaut, happily for me, did open the door of 
 my room, and as soon as he saw me, he began to 
 show me much civility, and took me and Leonora 
 along with him to his lodgings, and after he heard 
 my whole story, and fearing that things wo\tld t\ir3a 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 309 
 
 lo our disadvantage J he ordered the next day to send 
 listo his father. We weredrest in men's clothes, to go 
 the more safely, and so we came to this house, where 
 I was kept for two years as the daughter of the old 
 man, till Mr. Faulcaut's regiment being broke, he 
 came home, and two months after, married me. Le- 
 onora was married to another officer, and they live 
 in Orleans, which being in your way to Paris, I do 
 not question but you will pay her a visit. Now my 
 husband is at court, soliciting a new commission, and 
 he will be very glad of your acquaintance, if he has 
 not left Paris before you go to it. Thus ended our 
 first entertainment the first night. 
 
 I stayed there afterwards twelve days, in which 
 she told me the staries of all the young ladies, which 
 Lsenora did repeat to me without any alteration, as 
 to the substantial points of them. But these divert- 
 ing accounts, containing more paticular circumstan- 
 ces touching the horrible procedure of the tribunal, 
 but more especially, being full of amorous intrigues, 
 I think fit not to insert them here, but to give them 
 in a separate book, to the public if desired; for as I 
 have many other things to say touching the corrup- 
 tions of the Romish priest, these acconts may be 
 inserted there, to show the ill practices and corrup- 
 tions of the inquisitors. So I proceed to speak of 
 the new quarters of the French troops in the inquisi- 
 tion, and of the restoration of the holy fathers into it, 
 and afterwards I will go on with the instances of the 
 public trials. 
 
 When the Marquis de Taurcey was chosen Gov- 
 
 36* 
 
310 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 ernor of the fort of Aljaferia, where formerly the holy 
 office was kept, he put a strong garrison into it ; the 
 holy fathers were obhged to remove, and take away 
 their prisoners ; but they did wall all the doors of 
 their secret prisons, where they used to keep the 
 hellish engines, so we could not then know any 
 thing of their barbarity in the punishment of inno- 
 cents, and I think, that as they did consider them- 
 selves as unsettled, and being in hopes to recover 
 again the former place, they did not remove their 
 inhuman instruments of torment, so there were none 
 found in the last house when they were turned out : 
 nay, among so great a number of prisoners delivered 
 out of it, we could converse with none of them, for 
 as soon as they got out, for fear of a new order from 
 the king or pope, they made their escape out of the 
 country, and they were much in the right of it, for 
 the inquisition is a place to be very much feared, and 
 not to be tried a second time, if one can help it. 
 
 At last, after eight months reprieve, the same 
 inquisitors came again with more power than before, 
 for Don Pedro Guerrero, first Inquisitor, was chosen 
 by the Pope, at King Philip's request, ecclesiastical 
 judge, for priests, friars, and nuns, to examine and 
 punish crimes of disaffection to his majesty : So, for 
 a while, he was Pope, King, and Tyrant. The first 
 thing he did was to give the public an account of 
 the crimes for which all the prisoners that had been 
 delivered, were confined in the inquisition, to vindi- 
 cate this way the honor of the three Inquisitors, 
 commanding at the same time, all sorts of persons to 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 311 
 
 discover and secure any of the said prisoners, under 
 pain of death. This proclamation was a thing never 
 before heard of, and we may say, that satisf actio non 
 petita, generat suspicionem: for really, by this, 
 they did declare themselves guilty of what was 
 charged on them, in relation to the Seraglio, in tlte 
 opinion of serious, sensible people. But every body 
 was terrified bv the said proclamation, and none 
 dared to say any thing about it. 
 
 The unmerciful Guerrero, like a roaring lion, 
 began to devour all sorts of people, showing, by this, 
 his great affection to the king, and fervent zeal for 
 the pope ; for, under pretence of their being dis- 
 affected to his majesty, he confined, and that publicly, 
 near three hundred friars, and one hundred and fifty 
 priests, and a great number of the laity. Next to 
 this, he made himself master of their estates, which 
 were sold publicly, being bought by the good loyal 
 subjects. He did suspend, ab officio et benejicio, 
 many secular priests, and banished them out of the 
 dominions of Spain ; whipt others publicly, banished 
 and whipt friars, and took the liberty insolently to go 
 into the monastery of the nuns of St. Lucia, and 
 whipt six of them for being affected to Charles the 
 Hid, and he imprisoned Donna Catharina Cavero, 
 only for being the head of the imperial faction. But 
 observe, that this whipping of the nuns is only 
 giving them a discipline, i. e. so many strokes with 
 a rod on the shoulders ; but Guerrero was so impu- 
 dent and barefaced a Nero, that commanding the 
 poor nuns to turn their habits backwards, and dis- 
 
31^ HISTORYOFTHE 
 
 cover their shoulders, he himself was the executioner 
 of this unparalleled punishment. 
 
 As to the laity that were put into the inquisition, 
 and whose estates were seized, we did not hear any 
 thing of them, but I am sure they did end their 
 miserable lives in that horrid place. Many of them 
 left a great family behind them, who all were 
 reduced to beggary ; for when the heads of them 
 were confined, all the families must suffer with 
 them: And this is the reason, why more than two 
 thousand families left the city, and every thing 
 they had, rather than undergo the miseries of that 
 time, and the cruel persecution of Guerrero, So we 
 may believe, that having so great authority as he 
 had, he soon could recruit his Seraglio. 
 
 Though Guerrero was so busy in the affairs of the 
 king, he did not forget the other business concerning 
 the Catholic faith; so, to make the people sensible of 
 his indefatigable zeal, he began again to summons 
 priests and friars to new trials, of which I am going 
 to speak. 
 
 The trial of a Friar of St. Jerome^ organist of 
 the convent in Saragossa. 
 
 All the summoned persons being together in the 
 hall, the prisoner and a young boy were brought 
 out; and after the first inquisitor had finished his 
 bitter correction, the secretary read the exaimnations 
 and sentence, as follows: 
 
 Whereas, informations were made, and by evi- 
 dences proved, that Fr. Joseph Peralta has commit- 
 
P0?1S H C HUR C H. SI 3 
 
 ted the crime of Sodomy, Avith the present John 
 Romeo, his disciple, which the said Romeo himself, 
 owned upon interrogatories of the holy inquisitors: 
 they having an unfeigned regard for the order of St. 
 Jerome, do declare and condemn the said Fr. Joseph 
 Peralta, to a year's confinement in his own convent, 
 but that he may assist at the divine service, and 
 celebrate mass. Itevi, for an example to other like 
 sinners, the holy fathers declare that the said John is 
 to be whipped through the public streets of tlie 
 town, and receive at every corner, as it is a custom, 
 five lashes; and that he shall Avear a coroza, i. e. 
 a sort of a mitre on his head, feathered all over, as a 
 mark of his crime. Which sentence is to be executed 
 an Friday next, without any appeal. 
 
 After the secretary had done, Don Pedro Guerrero 
 did ask Fr. Joseph, whether he had any thing to say 
 against the sentence or not ? And he answering, no, 
 the prisoners were carried back to their prisons, and 
 the company were dismissed. Observe the equity 
 of the inquisitors in this case : the boy was but four- 
 teen 3^ears of age, under the power of Fr. Joseph, 
 and he was charged with the penalty and punish- 
 ment Fr. Joseph did deserve. The poor boy was 
 whipped according to the sentence, and died th^ 
 next day. 
 
 The Trial of Father Pueyo, Confessor of the 
 Nims at St. Miniica. 
 
 This criminal had been but six days in the inqui- 
 sition, before he was brought to hear his sentence, 
 
314 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 and every thing being performed as before, the 
 secretary read: 
 
 Whereas father Pueyo has committed fornication 
 with five spiritual daughters, (so the nuns which 
 confess to the same confessor continually, are called) 
 which is, besides fornication, sacrilege and trans- 
 gression of our commands, and he himself having 
 owned the fact, we therefore declare that he shall 
 keep his cell for three weeks, and loose his employ- 
 ment, &c. 
 
 The inquisitor asked him whether he had any 
 thing to say against it: and father Pueyo said, holy 
 father, I remember that v/hen I was choosen father 
 confessor of the nuns of our mother St. Monica, you 
 had a great value for five young ladies of the mon- 
 astery, and you sent for me, and begged of me to 
 take care of ihem: so I have done, as a faithful ser- 
 vant, and may say unto you, Domine qidnqiie ta- 
 lent a tradldisti me, ecce alia quinque super lucra- 
 tiis sun. The inquisitors could not forbear laughing 
 at this application of the Scripture; and Don Pedro 
 Guerrero was so well pleased with this answer, that 
 he told him, you said loell: Therefore, Peccata tua 
 remitiuntur tibi, nunc vade in pace, et noli am- 
 p)lius jieccare. This was a pleasant trial, and Pueyo 
 was excused from the performance of his penance 
 by this impious jest. 
 
 The trial and sentence of the Licentiate Lizondo, 
 
 The secretary read the examinations, evidence 
 and convictions; and the said Lizondo (who was a 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 315 
 
 licentiate, or Master of Arts) himself did own the 
 fact, which was as follows: 
 
 The said Lizondo, though an ingenious man, and 
 fit for the sacredotal function, would not be ordained, 
 giving out that he thought himself unworthy of so 
 high dignity, as to have every day the Saviour of 
 the world in his hands, after the consecration. 
 And by this feigned humility he began to insinuate 
 himself into the people's opinion, and pass for a reli- 
 gious godly man, among them. He studied physic, 
 and practised it only with the poor, in the beginning; 
 but being called afterwards by the rich and espe- 
 cially by the nuns, at last he was found out in his 
 wickedness; for he used to give something to make 
 the young ladies sleep, and in this way he obtained 
 his lascivious desires. But one of the evidences 
 swore that he had done these things by the help of 
 magic, and that he had used only a.n incantation, 
 with which he made every body fall asleep: — But 
 this he absolutely denied, as an imposition and 
 falsity. — We did expect a severe sentence, but it 
 was only that the licentiate was to discover to the 
 iiiquisitors, on a day appointed by them, the receipt 
 for making the people sleep ; and that the punish- 
 ment to be inflicted on him, was to be -refered to the 
 discretion of the holy fathers. We saw him after- 
 wards every day walking in the streets; and this 
 was all his punishment. We must surely believe 
 that such crimes are reckoned but a trifle among 
 them, for very seldom they show any great displea- 
 sure or severity to those that are found guilty of 
 them. 
 
S16 HISTORY OP THE 
 
 Of the Order of the Inquisitors to arrest a Horse, 
 and to bring him to the Holy Office, 
 
 The case well deserves my trouble in giving a fnll 
 account of it ; so I will explain it from the begin- 
 ning to the end. The rector of the university of 
 Saragossa has his own officers to arrest the scholars, 
 and punish them if they commit any crime, Among 
 their officers there was one called Guadalaxara, who 
 was mighty officious and troublesome to the colle- 
 gians or students; for upon the least thing in the 
 world he arrested them. The scholars did not love 
 him at all, and contrived how they should punif^h him, 
 or to play some comical tricks upon him. At last, some 
 of the strongest agreed to be at the bottom of the 
 steeple of the university in the evening, and six of 
 them in the belfry, Avho were to let down a lusty 
 young scholar, tied with a strong rope, at the hear- 
 ing of the word ivar. So the scholars that were in 
 the yard, and at the bottom of the steple, picked a 
 quarrel purposely to bring Guadalaxara there, and 
 when he was already among them, arresting on^, 
 they cried out ivar. At which sign the six in the 
 steeple let down the tied scholar, who taking in his 
 arms Guadalaxara, and being pulled up by the six, 
 he carried him almost twenty feet high, and let him 
 fall down. The poor man was crying out, Jesus ! 
 the Devil has taken me up. The students that were 
 at the bottom had instruments of music, and put off 
 their cloaks to receive him in, and as he cried out^ 
 the Devil, the Devil, the musicians answered him 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 317 
 
 with the instruments, repeatmg the same words he 
 pronounced hmiself, and with this, gathering together 
 great numbers of scholars, they took him in the 
 middle, continuing always the music and songs, to 
 prevent, by this, the people^s taking notice of it, and 
 every body believed that it was only a mere scho- 
 lastic diversion: So, with this melody and rejoicings, 
 they carried the troublesome Guadalaxara out of the 
 gates of the city into the field, called the Burnt 
 Place, because formerly the heretics were burnt in 
 that field. There was a dead horse, and opening his 
 belly; they tied the poor officer by the hands and 
 legs, and placed him within the horse's belly, which 
 they sewed, leaving the head of Guadalaxara out, 
 under the tail of the horse, and so they went back 
 mto the city. How dismal that night was to the poor 
 man, any body may imagine; but yet it was very sweet 
 to him, in comparison to what he suffered in the morn- 
 ing; for the dogs going to eat of the dead horse's 
 flesh, he, for fear they should eat off his head, con- 
 tinually cried out, ho ! ho ! perron, i. e. dogs, and that 
 day he found that not only the scholars, but even 
 the very dogs were afraid of him, for dogs did not 
 dare approach the dead horse. The laborers of the 
 city, who were a most ignorant sort of people, but 
 very pleasant in their rustic expressions, going out 
 to the field, by break of the day, saw the dogs near 
 the horse, and heard the voice, ho! ho! perros. 
 They looked up and down, and seeing nobody, drew 
 near the horse, and hearing the same voice, fright- 
 ened out of their senses, went into the city again 
 
 37 
 
318 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 and gave out that a dead horse was speaking in the 
 burnt field; and as they affirmed and swore the 
 thing to be true, crowds of people went to see and 
 hear the wonder, or, as many others said, the mira- 
 cle of a dead horse speaking. A public notary was 
 among the mob, but no one dared to go near the 
 horse. The notary went to the inquisitors to make 
 affidavit of this case, and added that no one having 
 courage enough to approach the horse, it was proper 
 to send some of the friars, with holy water and stola^ 
 to exorcise the horse, and -find out the cause of his 
 speaking. But the inquisitors who think to com- 
 mand beast, as well as reasonable creatures, sent six 
 of their officers, with strict orders, to carry the horse 
 to the holy office. The officers having an opinion that 
 the devil must submit to them, went, and approaching 
 the horse, they saw the head under the tail, and the 
 poor man crying out, help, take me out of this putri- 
 fied grave; for God^s sake, good people, make haste^ 
 for I am not the devil, nor ghost, nor apparition, but 
 the real body and soul of Guadalaxara, the constable 
 of the university; and I do renounce, in this place, 
 the office of arresting scholars forever; and I do 
 forgive them this wrong done to me, and thanks be 
 to God, and to the Virgin of Pilar, who has preserved 
 my body from being converted into a dead horse, 
 that I am alive still. 
 
 These plain demonstrations of the nature of the 
 thing did not convince, in the least, the officers of the 
 inquisition, who are always very strict in the perfor- 
 mance of the orders given them; so they took the 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 319 
 
 dead horse and carried it to the inquisition. Never 
 were more people seen in the streets and windows 
 than on that day, besides the great crowd that 
 followed the corps, which I saw myself; the inquisitors 
 having notice beforehand, went to the hall to receive 
 the inforaiations from the horse ; and after they had 
 asked him many questions, the poor man pushed up 
 the tail with his nose to speak, to see, and to be seen 
 still answering them; the wise holy fathers trusting 
 not to his information, gave orders to the officers to 
 carry the speaking horse to the torture, which being 
 done accordingly, as they began to turn the ropes 
 through the horse's belly, at the third turning of them 
 the skin of the belly broke, and the real body of 
 Guadalaxara appeared in all his dimensions, and by 
 the horse's torture, he saved his life. The poor man 
 died three weeks after, and he forgave the scholars 
 ivho contrived this mischief, and an elegy was made 
 on his death. 
 
 Thesis defended hy F. James Garcia, in the hall 
 of the Inquisition. 
 
 The case of the Rev. father F. James Garcia, 
 made a great noise in Spain, which was thus : 
 
 This same James Garcia is the learned man of 
 whom I have spoken several times in my book. His 
 father, though a shoe-maker by trade, was very 
 honest and well beloved, and as God had bestowed 
 on him riches enough, and having but one child, he 
 gave him the best education he could, in the college 
 of Jesuits, where, in the study of grammar, he signa- 
 
 \ 
 
320 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 lized himself for his vivacity and uncommon wit. 
 After going to the miiversity, he went through 
 philosophy and divinity, to the admiration of his 
 masters; he entered St. Angiistin's order, and after 
 his novicate was ended, desired to obtain the degree 
 of master of arts; he defended public thesis of philos- 
 ophy, and after, other thesis of divinity, without any 
 moderator to answer for him in case of necessity. 
 The thesis and some propositions were quite new to 
 the learned people; for among other propositions, 
 one was Innocent ium esse verum pontijicem, non 
 est de fide, i. e. it is not an article of faith that 
 Innocent is the true pope. And next to this propo- 
 sition, this other: No2i credere quod non video y 
 non est contra fidem. It is not against the Catholic 
 faith not to believe what I do not see. 
 
 Upon account of these two propositions, he was 
 summoned by the inquisitors, and ordered to defend 
 the said propositions separately, in the hall of the 
 inquisition, and answer for six days together, to aU 
 the arguments of the learned Qualificators, which he 
 did, and kept his ground, that instead of being pun- 
 ished for it, he was honored with the cross of the 
 Qualificator, after the examinations were made of 
 the purity of his blood. 
 
 Sentence given against Lawrence Castro, gold-- 
 s^nith of Saragossa. 
 
 Lawrence Castro was the most famous and 
 wealthy goldsmith in the city, and as he went one 
 day to carry a piece of plate to Don Pedro Guerrero, 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 321 
 
 before he paid him, he bade him go and see the 
 house along with one of his domestic servants, 
 which he did, and seeing nothing but doors of iron, 
 and hearing nothing but lamentations of the people 
 within; having returned to the inquisitor's apart- 
 ment, Don Pedro asked him, Lawrence, how do you 
 like this place ? To which Lawrence said, I do not 
 like it at all, for it seems to me the very hell upon 
 earth. This innocent, but true answer, was the 
 only occasion of his misfortune ; for he was immedi- 
 ately sent into one of the hellish prisons, and at the 
 same time many officers went to his house to seize 
 upon every thing, and that day he appeared at the 
 bar, and his sentence was read: he was condemned 
 to be wipped through the public streets, to be marked 
 on his shoulders with a burning iron, and to be sent 
 forever to the gallies-, but the good, honest, unfortu- 
 nate man died that very day; all his crime being 
 only to say, that the holy office did seem to him hell 
 on earth. 
 
 At the same time, a lady of good fortune was 
 whipped, because she said in company, I do not 
 know whether the pope is a man or a woman, and 
 I hear wonderful things of him every day, and I 
 imagine he must be an animal very rare. For these 
 words she lost honor, fortune and life, for she died 
 six days after the execution of her sentence : and 
 thus the holy fathers punish trifling things, and leave 
 unpunished horrible crimes. 
 
 The following instance will be a demonstration of 
 this truth, and show how the inquisitors favor the 
 
 37* 
 
322 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 ecclesiastics more than the laity, and the reason why 
 they are more severe upon one than the other. 
 
 In the diocess of Mnrcia was a parish priest in a 
 village in the mountains. The people of it were 
 almost all of them shepherds, and were obliged to be 
 always abroad with their flocks: so the priest being 
 the commander of the shepherdesses, began to preach 
 every Friday in the afternoon, all the congregation 
 being composed of the women of the town. His 
 constant subject was, the indispensable duty of 
 paying the tithes to him, and this not only of the 
 fruits of the earth, but of the seventh of their sacra- 
 ments too, which is matrimony, and he had such 
 great eloquence to persuade them to secrecy, as to 
 their husbands, and a ready submission to him, that 
 he began to reap the fruit of his doctrine in a few 
 days, and by this wicked example, he brought into 
 tTie list of the tithes all the married women of the 
 town, and he received from them the tenth for six 
 years together; but his infernal doctrine and practice 
 was discovered by a young woman who was to be 
 married, of whom the priest asked the tithe before 
 hand; but she telling it to her sweet-heart, he went 
 to discover the case to the next commissary of the 
 inquisition, who having examined the matter, and 
 found it true, he took the priest and sent him to the 
 inquisition; he was found guilty of so abominable a 
 sin, and he himself confessed it ; and what was the 
 punishment inflicted on him? Only to confine him 
 in a friar*s cell for six months. The priest being 
 confined, made a virtue of necessity, and so com- 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 323 
 
 posed a small book, entitled, The True Penitent, 
 which was universally approved by all sorts of 
 people, for solid doctrine and morality. He dedi- 
 cated the work to the holy inquisitors, who, for a 
 reward of his pains, gave him another parish a great 
 deal better than the first. But hardened wretch ! 
 There he fell again to the same trade of receiving 
 the tithes; upon which the people of the parish com- 
 plained to the governor, who acquainted the king 
 with the case, and his majesty ordered the inquisitors 
 to apply a speedy remedy to it; so the holy fathers 
 sent him to the pope's gallies for five years time. 
 
 I must own, it is quite against my inclination to 
 give this and the like accounts, for it will seem very 
 much out of the way of a clergyman; but if the 
 reader will make reflections on them, and consider 
 that my design is only to show how unjustly the 
 inquisitors act in this and other cases, he will cer- 
 tainly excuse me; for they really deserve to be 
 ridiculed more than argued against, reasoning being 
 of no force with them, but a discovery of their 
 infamous actions and laws, may-be will produce, if 
 not in them, in some people at least, a good effect. 
 
 The Roman Catholics believe there is a purgatory, 
 and that the souls suffer more pains in it than in hell. 
 But I think the inquisition is the only purgatory on 
 earth, and the holy fathers are the judges and 
 executioners in it. The reader may form a dreadful 
 idea of the barbarity of that tribunal, by what I have 
 already said, but I am sure it will never come up to 
 what it is in reality, for it passeth all understanding, 
 
324 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 not as the peace of God, but as the war of the devil. 
 
 So that we may easily know by this, that the 
 aforesaid account, that they leave off all observance 
 of the first precepts of the holy office, and chastise 
 only those that speak either against the pope, clergy, 
 or the holy inquisition. 
 
 The only reason of settling that tribunal in Spain, 
 was to examine and chastise sinners, or those that 
 publicly contemned the faith. But now a man may 
 blaspheme and commit the most heinous crimes, if 
 he says nothing against the three mentioned articles, 
 is free from the hellish tribunal. 
 
 Let us except from this rule the rich Jews, for the 
 poor are in no fear of being confined there; they are 
 the rich alone that suffer in that place, not for the 
 crime of Jewdaism, (though this is the color and 
 pretence,) but the crime of having riches. Francisco 
 Alfaro, a Jew, and a very rich one, was kept in the 
 inquisition of Seville four years, and after he had 
 lost all he had in the world was discharged out of it 
 with a small correction : this was to encourage him 
 to trade again and get more riches, which he did in 
 four years time. Then he was put again in the 
 holy office, with the loss of his goods and money. 
 And after three years of imprisonment he was dis- 
 charged, and ordered to wear for six months, the 
 mark of San Benito, i. e. a picture of a man in the 
 middle of the fire of hell, which he was to wear 
 before his breast publicly. — But Alfaro a few days 
 after, left the city of Seville, and seeing a pig with- 
 out the gate, he hung the San Benito on the pig's 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 325 
 
 neck, and made his escape. I saw this Jew in Lis- 
 bon, he told me the story himself, adding, Now I 
 a-m a poor Jew, I tell every body so, and though the 
 inquisition is more severe here than in Spain, no 
 body takes notice of me. I am sure they would 
 confine me forever, if I had as much riches as I had 
 in Seville. Really, the holy office is more cruel and 
 inhuman in Portugal than in Spain, for I never saw 
 any publicly burnt in my OAvn country, and I saw in 
 Lisbon seven at once, four young women and three 
 men; two 3^oung women were biuiit alive and an 
 old man, and the others were strangled first. 
 
 But being obliged to dismiss this chapter, and 
 leave out many curious histories, I promise to relate 
 them in the second part of this work. Now let me 
 entreat all true Protestants to join with me in hearty 
 prayer to God Almighty. 
 
 eternal God, who dost rule the hearts of kings, 
 and orderest every thing to the glory of the true re- 
 ligion, pour thy holy spirit upon the heart of Louis 
 the first, that he may see the barbarous, unchristian 
 practices of the inquisitors, and with a firm resolu- 
 tion abolish all la\vs contrary to those given us by 
 thy only son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ our Lord. 
 
PART V. 
 
 0/ their Prayers, Adoration of Images, aiid Relics. 
 ARTICLE I. 
 
 Of their Prayers. 
 
 The prayers sung or said, in the church, are seven 
 canonical hours, or the seven services, viz: Tertia, 
 Sexta, Nona, Vesperoe, Matutina, and Completoe. 
 Prima is composed of the general confession, three 
 psalms, and many other prayers, with the Marty- 
 fologio Sanctorum, i. e. with a commemoration of 
 all the saints of that day. Tertia is a prayer or 
 service of three psalms, anthem, and the collect of 
 tlie day, &c. Sexta and Nona are the same. Ves- 
 peroe, evening songs, contain five anthems, five 
 psalms, an hymn. Magnificat, or my soul doth 
 magnify, Stc, with an anthem, collect of the day, and 
 commemorations of some saints. Matutina, or 
 matins, is the longest service of the seven, for it con^ 
 tains, 1st. The psalm. O come let us sing: 2d. 
 An hymn: 3d. Three anthems, three psalms, and 
 three lessons of the Old Testament: 4th. Three 
 anthems, three psalms, and three lessons of the day, 
 i. e. of the life of the saint of that day, or the mys- 
 tery of it: 5th. Three psalms, three lessons, of which 
 the first beginneth with the gospel of the day, and 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 327 
 
 two or three lines of it, and the rest is an homily, or 
 exposition of tho gospel: 6th. Te Beum: 7th. Five 
 anthems, five psalms, an hymn, anthem of the day, 
 the psalm, Blessed be the Lords of Israel, &c., the 
 collect of the day, and some commemorations. — 
 Complete, or complices, is the last service, which 
 contains the general confession, an anthem, three or 
 four psalms, and Lordnowl ettest thou, &c.,and some 
 other adherent prayers for the Virgin, the holy cross, 
 saints, &c. All these seven services are said, or 
 sung, in Latin, every day in the cathedral churches, 
 but not in all the parish churches. 
 
 In the cathedral churches on the festivals of the 
 first class, or the greatest festivals, as those of Christ 
 and the Virgin Mary, all the seven canonical hours 
 are sung. Prima at six in the morning, and a mass 
 after it. Tertia at ten, the great mass after, and 
 after the mass, Sexta and Nona. At two, or three in 
 the afternoon, the evening song; at seven, complices; 
 and half an hour after midnight, the matins. In the 
 festivals of the second class, as those of the apostles, 
 and some saints placed in that class by the popes, 
 Tertia, evening songs and matins are all that are 
 sung, and likewise every day, though not with 
 organ, nor music. 
 
 In the parish churches the priests sing only Tertia, 
 and evening songs on Sundays and festivals of the 
 first class; except where there are some foundations, 
 or settlements for singing evening songs on other 
 private days. But the great mass is always sung 
 in every parish church, besides the masses for tb« 
 dead, which are settled to be sung. 
 
328 HISTORY OP THE 
 
 In the convents of the friars, they observe the 
 method of the cathedral, except some days of the 
 week granted to them by the prior, as recreation 
 days, and then they say the service, and go to divert 
 themselves all the day after. As to the nuns, I have 
 given an account in the first chapter of their lives 
 and conversations. 
 
 The priests and friars that do not say, or sing the 
 service Avith the community, are obliged in conscience 
 to say those seven canonical hours every day, and 
 if they do not, they commit a mortal sin, and ought 
 to confess it among the sins of omission. Besides 
 these seven services, they have, not by precept, but 
 by devotion, the service or small office of the Virgin 
 Mary, the seven penitential psalms, and other prayers 
 af saints, which are by long custom become services 
 of precept for they never will dare to omit them, 
 either for devotion's sake, or for fear that the laity 
 would tax them with coldness and negligence in 
 matters of exemplary devotion. 
 
 As to the public prayers of the laity, they all are 
 contained in the beads or rosary of the Virgin Mary 
 and to give them some small comfort, there is a fixed 
 time in the evening in every church for the rosary. 
 The sexton rings the bell, and when the parishoners, 
 both men and women, are gathered together, the 
 minister of the parish, or any other priest, comes out 
 of the vestry, in his surplice, and goes to the altar of 
 the Virgin Mary, and lighting two or more candles 
 on the altar's table, he kneels down before the altar, 
 makes the sign of the cross, and begins the rosary 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 32^ 
 
 with a prayer to the Vhgin: and after he has said 
 half of the Ave Maria, &c., the people say the other 
 half, which he repeats ten times, the people doing 
 the same. Then he says Gloria Patri, &c.; and 
 the people answer, As it was in the beginning, &c. 
 Then, in the same manner, the priest says half of 
 Our Father J and ten times half Jive Maria, and so 
 he and the people do, till they have said them fifty 
 times. This done, the priest says another prayer to 
 the Virgin, and begins her litany, and after every 
 one of her titles, or encomiums, the people answer 
 Ora pro nobis, pray for us. The litany ended, the 
 priest and people visit five altars, saying before each 
 of them one Pater Noster, and one Jive Maria, 
 with Gloria Patri-, and lastly, the priest, kneeling 
 down before the great altar, says an act of contrition 
 and endeth with Lighten our dai^kness, we beseach 
 thee, &c. All the prayers of the rosary are in the 
 vulgar tongue, except, Gloria Patri and O^^a pro 
 nobis, i. e. Glory be to thee, &c., and Pray for us. 
 
 After the rosary; in some churches, there is 
 Oratio Mentalis, i. e. a pmyer of meditation, and 
 for this purpose the priest of the rosary, or sonie 
 other of devout life and conversation, readeth a 
 chapter in some devout book, as Thomas a Kempis, 
 or Francis be Sales, or Father Eusebio, of the 
 difi'erence between temporal and eternal things; and 
 when he has ended the chapter, every one on their 
 knees, begin to meditate on the contents of the chap- 
 ter, with great devotion and silence. They continue 
 in that prayer half an hour or more, and after it, the 
 
 38 
 
330 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 priests say a prayer of thanksgiving to God Almighty 
 for the benefits received from him by all there 
 present, &c. 
 
 I Sdiidi public prayers of the laity; for when they 
 assist at the divine service, or hear mass, they only 
 hear what the priest says in Latiuy and answer 
 Amen. Generally speaking, tbey do not. understand 
 Latin, especially in towns of 300 houses, and villages^ 
 there can scarcely be found, one Latinist, except 
 the curate, and even he very often doth not under- 
 stand, perfectly well what he reads in Latin. By 
 this universal ignorance we may say, that iliej dcf 
 not know what they pray for; nay, if a priest was 
 so wicked in heart, as to curse the people in churchy 
 and damn them all in Latin, the poor idiots must 
 answer Amen, knowing not what the priest says, 
 I do not blame the common people in this point, but 
 1 blame the pope and priests that fordid them to* 
 read the Scripture, and by this prohibition they 
 cannot know what St. Paul says about praying in 
 the vulgar tongue: So the pope and priest, and those 
 that plead ignorance, must answer for the people 
 before the dreadful tribunal of God. 
 
 Besides this public prayer of the rosary, they have 
 private prayers at home, as the crea, the Lord^s 
 prayer, a prayer to the Virgin, the act of con- 
 trition, and other prayers to saints, angels, and for 
 souls in purgatory. But this prayer of the rosary is 
 not only said in church, but is sung in streets; and 
 the custom was introduced by the Dominican friars, 
 who, in some parts of Spain, are called The Fathers 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 331 
 
 of the holy rosary, Sundays and holy days, after 
 evemiig songs, the prior of the Dominicans, with all 
 liis friars and corporation, or fraternity of the holy 
 rosary, begins the Virgin's evening songs, all the 
 while ringing the bells, which is to call for the pro- 
 cession, and when the evening songs are over, the 
 clerk of the convent, drest in his Jllva or surplice, 
 taking the standard where the picture of the Virgin 
 Mary is drawn with a frame of roses, and two 
 novices in «urpKces, with candlesticks, walking on 
 each side of the standard, the procession beginneth. 
 First, all the brethren of the corporation go cut of 
 ihe church, each with a wax candle in his hand; the 
 standard folio weth after, and all the friars, in two 
 lines, follow the standard. In this order the proces- 
 sion goes through the streets, all singing jive Maria, 
 and the laity answering as before. They stop in 
 some public street, where a friar, upon a table, 
 preacheth a sermon of the excellency and power of 
 the rosary, and gathering the people, they go back 
 again into the church, where the rosary being over, 
 another friai* preachetli upon the same subject 
 another sermon, exhorting the people to practise 
 ihis devotion of the rosary; and the}?" have carried so 
 tar this extravagant folly, that if a man is found dead 
 and has not the beads or rosary of the Virgin in his 
 pocket, that man is not reckoned a christian, and he 
 is not to be buried in consecrated ground till some- 
 body knoweth him, and certifieth that such a man 
 was a christian, and passeth his word for him. So 
 evexj body takes care to liave always the beads or 
 
332 HISTORTOFTHE 
 
 rosary in his pocket, as the characteristic of a chris^ 
 tian. But this devotion of the rosary is made so 
 common among bigots, that they are always wi th 
 the beads in their hands, and at night round about 
 their necks. There is nothing more usual in Spain 
 and Portugal, than to see people in the markets and 
 in the shops, praying with their beads, and selling 
 and buying at the same time; nay, the procurers in 
 the great Piazza are praying with their beads, and 
 at the same time contriYing and agreeing with a 
 man for wicked intrigues. So all sorts of persons 
 having it as a law to say the rosary every day: some 
 say it walking, others in company, (keeping silent 
 for a while) but the rest talking or laughing: so great 
 is their attention and devotion in this indispensable 
 prayer of the holy rosary. 
 
 But this is not the worst of their practices; for if a 
 man or priest neglects, one day to say the rosary, he 
 doth not commit a mortal sin:, though this is a great 
 fault among them; but the divine service, or seven 
 canonical hours, every priest, friar, and nun, is 
 obliged to say every day, or else they commit a 
 mortal sin, by the statutes o-f the church and popes. 
 This service, which is to be said in private, and with 
 christian devotion, is as much profaned among eccle- 
 siastics and nuns, as the rosary among the laity; for 
 I have seen mary ecclesiastics (and I have done it 
 myself several times) play at cards, and have the 
 breviary on the table, to say the divine service at 
 the same time. Others walking in company, and 
 others doing still worse things than these, have tbe 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 333 
 
 breviary in their hands, and reading the service, 
 when they at the same time are in occasione prox- 
 ima peccati ; and, notwithstanding they beUeve they 
 have performed exactly that part of the ecclesiastical 
 duty. 
 
 I know that modesty obligeth me to be more 
 cautious in this account, and if it was not for this 
 reason, I could detect the most horrible things of 
 friars and nuns that ever were seen or heard in the 
 world; but leaving this unpleasant subject, I come 
 to say something of the profit the priests and friars 
 get by their irreligious prayers, and by what means 
 they recommend them to the laity. 
 
 The profits, priest and friars get by their prayers, 
 are not so great as that they get by absolution and 
 masses ; for it is by an accident, if sometimes they 
 are desired to pray for money. — There is a custom, 
 that if one in a family is sick, the head of the family 
 sends immediately to some devout, religious friar or 
 nun, to pray for the sick, so by this custom, not all 
 priests and friars are employed, but only those that 
 are known to live a regular life. But because the 
 people are very much mistaken in this, I crave leave 
 to explain the nature of those whom the people 
 believe religious friars, or in Spanish, Gazmonnos. 
 In every convent there are eight or ten of those 
 Gazmonnos yOY devout men, who, at the examination 
 for confessors and preachers, were found quite inca- 
 pable of the performance of the great duties, and so 
 were not approved hy the examiners of the convent. 
 And though they scarcely understand Latin, they are 
 
 38* 
 
334 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 permitted to say mass, that by that means the e&B- 
 vent might not be at any expense with them. 1'hese 
 poor idiots, being not able to get any thing by seUing 
 absolutions nor by preaching, undertake the life of a 
 Gazmonnos, and live a mighty retired life, keeping- 
 themselves in their cells^ or chambers, and not con- 
 versing with the rest of the community: so thedr 
 brethem Gazmonnos, visit them, and among them- 
 selves, there is nothing spared for their diversion, and 
 the carrying on their private designs. 
 
 When they go out of the convent it must be with 
 one of the same farandula, or trade. Their faces 
 look pale; their eyes are fixed on the ground, their 
 discourse all of heavenly things, their visits in public 
 and their meat and drink but very little before the 
 world, though in great abundance between them- 
 selves, or, as they say. Inter priv at os parietes. By 
 this mortifying appearance, the people believe them 
 to be godly men, and in such a case as sickness, they 
 rather send to one of these to pray for the sick, than 
 to other friars of less public fame. — But those hypo- 
 crites, after the apprenticeship of this trade is over, 
 are very expert in it, for if any body sends for one 
 of them, either without money, or some substantial 
 present, they say they cannot go, for they have so 
 many sick persons to visit and pray for, that it is 
 impossible for them to spare any time. But if money 
 or a present is sent to him, he is ready to go and 
 pray every where. 
 
 So these ignorent, hypocritical friars, are alv/ays 
 followed by the ignorant people, who furnish them 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 335 
 
 with money and presents, for the sake of their 
 prayers, and they Uve more comfortable than many 
 rich people, and have one hmidred pistoles in their 
 pockets oftener than many of the laity who have 
 good estates. 
 
 Some people will be apt to blame me for giving 
 so bad a character of those devout men in appear- 
 ance, when I cannot be a judge of their hearts. But 
 I answer, that I do not judge thus of all of them, 
 but only of those that I knew to be great hypocrites 
 and sinners; for I saw seven of them taken up by 
 the inquisitors, and I was at their public trial, as I 
 have given an account in the former chapter. So 
 by these seven we may give a near guess of th« 
 others, and say, thett their outward mortifying ap- 
 pearance is only a cloak of their private designs. 
 
 There are some nuns likewise, who follow the 
 same trade as I have given one instance in the 
 chapter of the inquisition, and though the ignorant 
 people see every day some of these Gazmonnos 
 taken up by the inquisitors, they are so blinded, that 
 they always look for one of them to pray. These 
 hypocrites do persuade the heads of families, that 
 they are obliged in conscience to mind their own 
 business, rather than to pray, and that the providence 
 of God has ordered every thing for the best for his 
 creatures, and that he, (foreseeing that the heads of 
 families would have no time to spare for prayers) 
 has chosen such religious men to pray for them, so 
 they are well recompensed for their prayers, and 
 God only knoweth whether they pray or not. Most 
 
S36 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 commonly, when they are wanted, they are at the 
 club, with then* brethren Gazmonnos, eating and 
 drinking, afterwards painting their faces with some 
 yellow drug, to make themselves look pale and 
 mortified. good God ! how great is thy patience 
 in tolerating such wicked men. 
 
 As to the means the priests and friars make use of, 
 and the doctrine they preach to recommend this 
 exercise of praying to the people, I can give one 
 instance of them as matter of fact. Being desired to 
 preach upon the subject of prayer, by the mother 
 abbess of the nuns of St. Clara, who told me in 
 private, that many of her nuns did neglect their 
 prayers, and were most commonly at the grate with 
 their devotees, and the good mother, out of pure zeal, 
 told me that such nuns were the devils of the monas- 
 tery ; so to oblige her, I went to preach, and took 
 my text out of the gospel of St. Matthew, chap. xvii. 
 5.21. Howbeit, this kind goeth not out but by 
 prayer and fasting, but in our vulgar, the text is 
 thus, Howbeit this kind of devils, fyc. And after I 
 had explained the text, confining myself wholly to 
 the learned Silveria's commentaries, I did endeavor 
 to prove, that the persons devoted to God by a public 
 profession of monastical life, were bound in con- 
 science to pray without ceasing, as St. Paul tells us, 
 and that if they neglected this indispensable duty, 
 they were worse than devils : and after this proposi- 
 tion, I did point out the way and method to tame 
 such devils, which was by prayer and fasting. And 
 lastly, the great obhgation laid upon us by Jesus 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 337 
 
 Christ and his apostles, to make use of this exercise 
 of prayer, which I did recommend as a medium to 
 attain the highest degree of glory in heaven, and to 
 exceed even angels, prophets, patriarchs, apostles, 
 and all the saints of the heavenly court. 
 
 I do not intend to give a copy of the sermon, but I 
 cannot pass by the proof I gave to confirm my 
 proposition, to show by it, the trifling method of 
 preaching most generally used among the Roman 
 Catholic preachers. 
 
 The historiographers and chronologers of St. Au- 
 gustine's order, say, (said I) that the great father 
 Augustine is actually in heaven, before the throne of 
 the holy Trinity, as a reward for the unparalleled 
 zeal and devotion he had upon earth, for that holy 
 mystery, and because he spent all his free time on 
 earth in praying, which makes him now in heaven 
 greater than all sorts of saints. They say more, viz. 
 that in the heaven of the holy trinity, there are only 
 the Father, the Son, the Holy Ghost, the Virgin 
 Mary, St. Joseph, and, the last of all, St. Augustine. 
 Thus father Garcia, in his Santoral, printed in Sara- 
 gossa, in 1707, vide sermon on St. Augustine. 
 
 To this, I knew would be objected the 11th verse 
 of the xi. chap, of St. Matthew, Among them, that 
 are born of women, there hath not risen a greater 
 than John the Baptist. To which I did answer, 
 that there was no rule without an exception, and 
 that St. Augustine was excepted from it: and this I 
 proved by a maxim received among divines, viz. 
 Injimum supremi excedit supremum infimi, the 
 
338 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 least of a superior order exceeds the greatest of an 
 inferior. There are three heavens, as St. Paul says, 
 and, as other expositors, three orders. They place 
 in the first heaven, the three divine persons, the 
 Virgin Mar}^, St. Joseph, and St. Augustine; in the 
 second, the spiritual intelligences; and in the third, 
 St. John Baptist, at the head of all the celestial army 
 of saints. Than, if St. Augustine is the last in the 
 highest heaven, though St. John is the first in the 
 lowest, we must conclude, by the aforementioned 
 maxim, that the great father Augustine exceeds in 
 glory all the saints of the heavenly court, as a due 
 reward for his fervent zeal in praying, while he was 
 here below among men. 
 
 The more I remember this and the like nonsensi- 
 cal proofs and methods of preaching, the more I 
 thank God for his goodness in bringing me out of 
 that communion into another, where by application, 
 I learn how to make use of the Scripture, to the 
 spirilual good of souls, and not to amusements which 
 are prejudicial to our salvation. 
 
 Thus I have given you an account of the public 
 and private prayers of priests, friars, nuns and the 
 laity; of the profits they have by it, and of the 
 methods they take to recommend this exercise of 
 praying, to all sorts and conditions of people. Sure 
 I am, that after a mature consideration of their way 
 of praying, and of that we make use of in our re- 
 formed congregations, every body may easily know 
 the great difterence between them both, and that the 
 form and practice of prayers among Frpteslants, are 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 339 
 
 more agreeable to God, then those of the Romish 
 priests and friars can be. 
 
 ARTICLE II. 
 Of the adoration of Images. 
 
 The adoration of images was commanded by 
 several general councils, and many popes, whose 
 commands and decrees are obeyed as articles of our 
 christian faith, and ev^ry one that breaketh them, or, 
 in. his outward practice, doth not conform to them, is 
 punished by the inquisitors as an heretic — therefore, 
 it is not to be wondered at, if people, educated in 
 such a belief, without any knowledge of the sin of 
 such idolatrous practices, do adore the images of the 
 saints with the same, and sometimes more devotion 
 of heart than they do God Almighty in Spirit. 
 
 I begin, therefore, this ariicle with myself, and my 
 awn forgetfulness of God. When I was in the 
 college of Jesuits to learn grammar, the teachers 
 were so careful in recommending to their scholars 
 devotion to the Virgin Mary of Pilar, of Saragossa, 
 that this doctrine, by long custom, was so deeply 
 impressed in our hearts, that every body, after the 
 school was over, used to go to visit the blessed image, 
 this being a rule and a law for us all, which was 
 observed with so great strictness, that if any student 
 by accident missed that exercise of devotion, he was 
 the next day severely whipped for it. For my part, 
 I can aver, that during the three years I went to the 
 college, I never was punished for want of devotion to 
 
340 HISTORY OP THE 
 
 the Virgin. In the beginning of our exercises, we 
 were bidden to write the following words, Dirige 
 in calamum Virgo Maria ^ meum; Govern my pen, 
 Virgin Mary ! And this was my constant practice 
 in the beginning of all my scholastical and moral 
 writings, for the space of ten years, in which, I do 
 protest, before my eternal Judge, I do not remember 
 whether I did invoke God, or call on his sacred 
 name or not. This I remember, that in all my dis- 
 tempers and sudden afflictions, my daily exclamation 
 was, O Virgin del Pilar! Help me, Virgin! &c. 
 so great was my devotion to her, and so great my 
 forge tfulness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ. 
 And indeed a man that does not inquire into the 
 matter, hath more reason, according to the doctrine 
 taught in those places, to trust in the Virgin Mary, 
 than in. Jesus Christ : for these are common expres- 
 sions in their sermons; That neither God nor Jesus 
 Christ can do any thing in Heaven, but what is 
 approved by the blessed Mary, that she is the door 
 of glory, and that nobody can enter into it, but by 
 her influence, Sj'c. And the preachers give out these 
 propositions as principles of our faith, insomuch, that 
 if any body dares to believe the contrary, he is reputed 
 an heretic, and punished as such. 
 
 But because this article requireth a full explana- 
 tion, and an account to be given of the smallest 
 circumstances belonging to it, I shall keep the class 
 and order of Saints, and of the adoration they are 
 worshipped with, by most people of the Roman 
 Catholic countries. And first of all, the image of 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 341 
 
 -lesus Christ is adored as if the very image of wood 
 was the very Christ of flesh and bones. To clear 
 this, I will give an instance or two of what I saw 
 myself. 
 
 In the cathedral church of St. Salvator, there was 
 an old image of Jesus Christ, crucified, behind the 
 <ihoir, in a small unminded chapel; nobody took 
 notice of that crucifix, except a devout prebend, or 
 canon of the church, who did use every day to 
 kneel down before that image, and pray heartly to 
 it. The prebend (though a religious man in the 
 outward appearance) was ambitious in his heart of 
 ■advancement in the church; so, one day, as he was 
 on his knees before the old image, he was begging 
 that, by its power and influence, he might be made 
 a bishop, and after a cardinal, and lastly, pope; to 
 which earnest request the image made him this 
 answer: Ettu que me ves a qui, que hazes pormi? 
 I, e. And thou seest me here, what dost thou do for 
 ^ne? These very words are written, at this present 
 day, in gilt letters upon the crown of thorns of the 
 crucifix: To which the prebend answered, Domine 
 peccavi, et m^alwm coram te feci; i. e. Lord I hai)e 
 tinned, and done evil be/ore thee. To this humble 
 request, the image said. Thou shalt he a bishop; and 
 accordingly he was made a bishop soon after. 
 These words, spoken by the crucifix of the cathedral 
 church, made such a noise, that crowds of well 
 disposed, credulous people used to come every day 
 to ofi'er their gifts to the miraculous image of our 
 Saviour; and the image, which was not minded at all 
 
 39 
 
342 HISTORY OP THE 
 
 before, after it spoke, was, and has been ever since^ 
 so much reverenced, that the offerings of the first six 
 years were reckoned worth near a miUion of crowns. 
 The history of the miracle reports, that the thing did 
 happen in the year 1562, and that the chapter did 
 intend to build a chapel in one corner of the church, 
 to put the crucifix in with more veneration and 
 decency; but the image spoke again to the prebend, 
 and said. My pleasure is to continue where I am. 
 till the end of the world: So the crucifix is kept 
 in the same chapel, but richly adorned, and nobody 
 ever since dare touch any thing belonging to the 
 image, for fear of disobliging the crucifix. It has an 
 old wig on its head, the very sight of which is enough 
 to make every one laugh; its face looks so black and 
 disfigured, that nobody can guess whether it is the 
 face of a man or woman, but every body believes 
 that it is a crucifix, by the other circumstances of the 
 cross, and crown of thorns. 
 
 The image is so much adored, and believed to 
 have such a power of working miracles, that if they 
 ever carry it out in a procession, it must be on an 
 urgent necessity: For example, if there is a want 
 of rain in such a degree that the harvest is almost lost 
 then, by the common consent of the archbishop and 
 chapter, a day is fixed to take the crucifix out of its 
 chstpel in a public procession, at which all the 
 priests and friars are to assist without any excuse, 
 and the devout people too, with marks of repentance 
 and public penances. Likewise the archbishop, 
 viceroy, and magistrates, ought to assist in robes of 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 343 
 
 mourning; so when the day comes, v^^hich is most 
 commonly very cloudy, and disposed to rain, all the 
 communities meet together in the cathedral church: 
 And ill the year 1703, 1 saw, upon such an occasion 
 as this, 600 disciplinants, whose blood ran from their 
 shoulders to the ground, many others with long 
 heavy crosses, others with a heavy bar of iron, or 
 chains of the same, hanging at their necks; with such 
 dismal objects in the middlc'^of the procession, twelve 
 priests drest in black ornaments, take the crucifix on 
 their shoulders, and with great veneration carry it 
 through the streets, the eunuchs singing the litany. 
 
 I said, that this image is never carried out but 
 when there is great want of rain, and when there is 
 sure appearance of plenteous rain ; so they never are 
 disappointed in having a miracle published after 
 smell a procession: Nay, sometimes it begins to rain 
 before the crucifix is out of its place, and then the 
 people are almost certain of the power of the image: 
 So that year the chapter is sure to receive double 
 tithes: For every body vows and promises two out 
 of ten to the church for the recovery of the harvest. 
 
 But what is more than this, is, that in the last 
 wars between king Philip and king Charles, as the 
 people were divided into two factions, they did give 
 cut by the revelation of an ignorant, silly beata^ 
 that the crucifix was a biitijiero, i. e. affectionate to 
 king Philip; and at the same time there was another 
 revelation, that his mother, the Virgin of Pilar, was 
 an imperialist, L e. for king Charles; and the minds 
 of the people were 30 much prejudiced with their 
 
S44 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 opinions, that the partizans of Philip did go to tlie 
 crucifix, and those of king Charles to the Virgin of 
 Pilar. Songs were made upon this subject: one saidy 
 When Charles the Third mounts on his horse, ths 
 Virgin oj Pilar, holds the stirnp. The other said- 
 When Philip comes to our land, the Crucifix of 
 St. Salvator gtddes him by his hand. By these 
 two factions, both the Virgin and her son's image 
 began to lose the presents of one of the parties, aad 
 the chapter, having made bitter complaint to the 
 inquisitors, these did put a stop to their sacrilegious 
 practices. So high is the people's opinion of the 
 image of the crucifix, and so blind their faith, that 
 all the world would not be able to persuade them 
 that that image did not speak to the canon ar preben- 
 dary, and that it cannot work miracles at any time. 
 Therefore our custom was, after'school, to go first to 
 to visit the crucifix, touch its feet with our hands^^ 
 and kiss it, and from thence go to visit the image of 
 the Virgin of Pilar, of which I am going to speak, 
 as the next image to that of Jesus Christ, though, m 
 truth, the first as to the people's devotion. 
 
 And because the story, or history of the image, is not 
 well known, (at least, I never saw any foreign book 
 treat of it,) it seems proper to give a full account of it 
 here, to satisfy the curiosity of many that love to 
 read and hear; and this, I think, is worth every 
 body's observation. 
 
 The book, called The History of our Lady of 
 Pilar, and her Miracles, contains, to the best Qimj 
 memory, the following account: 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 345 
 
 The apostle St. James came, with seven new con- 
 verts, to preach the gospel in Saragossa, (a city 
 famous for its antiquity, and for its founder Caesar 
 Augustus; but more famous for the heavenly image 
 of our lady,) and as they were sleeping on the river 
 Ebro's side, a celestial music awakened them at mid- 
 night, and they saw an army of angels, melodiously 
 singing, come down from heaven, with an image on 
 a pillar, which they placed on the ground, forty 
 yards distant from the river, and the commanding 
 angel spoke to St. James and said. This image of our 
 queen shall be the defence of this city, where you 
 come to plant the Christian religion, take therefore 
 good courage, for, by her help and assistance, you 
 shall not leave this city without reducing all the 
 inhabitants of it to your Master's rehgion; and as 
 she is to protect you, you also must signalize your- 
 self in building, a decent chapel for her. The angels 
 leaving the image on the earth, with the same melody 
 ahd songs, went up to heaven, and St. James and 
 his seven converts, on their knees began to pray, 
 and thank God for this inestimable treasure sent ta 
 them; and the next day they began to build a chapel 
 with their own hands. 
 
 I have already given an account of the chapel, 
 and the riches of it; now I ought to say something of 
 the idolatrous adoration given to that image, by all 
 the Roman Catholics of that kingdom, and of all that 
 go to visit her. 
 
 The image has her own chaplain, besides the 
 chapter of the prebends and other priests, as I have 
 
 39* 
 
S46 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 told before. The Virgin chaplain has more privilege 
 and power than any king, archbishop, or any ecclesi- 
 astical person, excepting the pope; for his business is 
 only to dress the image every morning, which he 
 doth in private, and without any help: I say in 
 private, that is drawing the four curtains of the 
 Vigin's canopy, that nobody may see the image 
 naked. Nobody has liberty, but this chaplain, to 
 approach so near the image, for as the author of the 
 book says, ^n archbishop (who had so great assur- 
 ance as to attempt to say mass on the altar table of 
 the Virgin,) died upon the spot, before he began 
 Tnass. I saw king Philip and king Charles, when 
 they went to visit the image, stand at a distance 
 from it. With these cautions it is very easy to give 
 out, that nobody can know of what matter the image 
 is made, that being a thing referred to the angels only 
 so all the favor the Christians can obtain from the 
 Virgin, is only to kiss her pillar, for it is contrived, 
 that by having broke the wall backwards, a piece of 
 pillar, as big as two crown pieces is shown, which is 
 set out in gold round about, and there kings, and 
 other people, kneel down to adore and kiss that part 
 of the stone. The stones and lime that were taken, 
 when the wall was broke, are kept for relics, and it 
 is a singular favor, if any can get some small stone, 
 by paying a great sum of money. 
 
 There is always so great a crowd of people, that 
 many times they cannot kiss the pillar; but touch \%. 
 with one of their fingers, and kiss afterwards the 
 part of the finger that touched the pillar. The large 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 347 
 
 chapel of the lamp is always, night and day,, 
 crowded with people; for as they say, that chapel 
 was never empty of Christians, since St. James built 
 it; so the people of the city, that work all day, go 
 out at night to visit the image, and this blind devo- 
 tion is not only among pious people, but among the 
 profligate and debauched too, insomuch that a lewd 
 woman will not go to bed without visiting the 
 image; for they certainly believe, that nobody can 
 be saved, if they do not pay this tribute of devotion 
 to the sacred image. 
 
 And to prove this erroneous belief, the chaplain, 
 who dresses the image (as he is reckoned to be a 
 heavenly man) may easily give out what stories he 
 pleases, and make the people believe any revelation 
 from the Virgin to him, as many of them are written 
 in the book of the Virgin of Pilar, viz. Dr. Augus- 
 tine Ramirez, chaplain to the image, in 1542, as he 
 was dressing it, it talked with him for half a quarter 
 of an hour, and said. 
 
 My faithful and well beloved Augustine, I am 
 very angry with the inhabitants of this my city for 
 their ingratitude. Now, I tell you as my own chap- 
 lain, that it is my will, and I command you to pub- 
 lish it, and say the following words, which, is my 
 speech to all the people of Saragossa: — Ungrateful 
 people, remember that after my son died for the re- 
 demption of the world, but more especially for you 
 the inhabitants of this my chosen city, I was pleased 
 two years after I went up to heaven, in body and 
 soul, to pitch upon this select city for my dwelling 
 
348 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 place; ihorotoiv 1 ooinmandod the aiiirols lo make 
 ail image perfectly like my body, aiid another ot' my 
 sou Jesus, on my aruis, and to set them both ou a 
 pillar, whose matter nobody can know, and when 
 both were fmished, 1 ordered them to be carried m 
 a procession, round about the heavens, by the prin- 
 cipal angels, the heavenly host following, ami after 
 them the Trinity, wiio look me hi the middle: and 
 when this proeossion was over in heaven, I sent 
 them down with ilhnhnations and music to awake- 
 my beloved .lames, who was asleep on the river 
 side, commanding him by my ambassador Gabrial, 
 to build with his own hands a chapel for my image^ 
 wliich he did accordingly; and ever since I have 
 been the defence of this city against the Saracen 
 army, when by my mighty power. I killed in one 
 night at the breach, 50,000 of them, putting the rest, 
 to a precipitate llight. After this visible miracle, 
 (for many saw me in the air fighting,) 1 have deli- 
 vered them from the oppression of the jNloors, and 
 preserved the laith and religion unpolluted for many 
 years, in this my city. How many times have I 
 succored them with vain in time o( need? How 
 many sick have 1 healed ? How much riches are 
 they masters of, by my unshaken atfection to them 
 all ? And what is the recompense they give me lor 
 all these benefits? Nothing but ingratitude. I 
 have been ashamed tliese fifteen years, to speak 
 before the eternal Father, who made me i]^ueen of 
 this city: many and many times I am at court, with 
 the three persons, to give my consent for pardoning 
 
POPISH c 11 ir u c If. 340 
 
 several sinners; and when llie Father asketh nie 
 about my city, I am so bashful that I cannot Hft up 
 my eyes to him. lie knowcth very Avell their hi- 
 gratitude, and blameth mo for sulFerins^ so long their 
 covetousness: and this very morning, being called to 
 the council of the Trinity for passing the divine 
 decree, under our hands and seal for tlie bishoprick 
 of Saragossa, the Holy Spirit has affronted me, 
 saying I was not worthy to be of the private council 
 of heaven, because I did not know how to govern 
 and punish the criminals of my chosen city; and I 
 have vowed not to go again to the heavenly court, 
 until 1 get satisfaction from my offenders. So I 
 thunder out this sentence, against the inhabitants of 
 Saragossa, that I have resolved to take away my 
 image from them, and resign my government to 
 Lucifer, if they do not come, for the space of fifteen 
 days, every day with gifts, tears and penances, to 
 make due subnussion to my image, for the faults 
 committed by them these fifteen years. And if they 
 come witli prodical hands, and true hearts, to ap- 
 pease my wrath, which I am pleased with, they 
 shall see the rainbow for a signal, that I receive 
 them again into my favor. But, if not, they may be 
 sure that the Prince of Darkness shall come to rule 
 and reign over them; and further, I do declare, that 
 they shall have no appeal, from this my sentence, to 
 the tribunal of the Father; for this is my will and 
 pleasure. 
 
 After this revelation was published, all the inhabi- 
 tants of the city were under such a concern, that the 
 
350 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 magistrates, by the Archbishop's order, pubUshed an 
 ordinance for all sorts of people to fast three days 
 every week, and not to let the cattle go out those 
 days, and to make the cattle fast as well as the 
 reasonable creatures-, and as for the infants, not to 
 suckle them but once a day. All sorts of work were 
 forbidden for fifteen days time, in which the 
 people went to confess and make public penances, 
 and offer whatever money and rich jewels they bad, 
 to the Virgin. 
 
 Observe now, that the publishing of the revelation 
 was in the month of May, and it is a customary 
 thing for that country to see almost every day the 
 rainbow at that time : so there was by all proba- 
 biiity, certain hopes that the rainbow would not fail 
 to show its many colored faces to the inhabitants of 
 Saragossa, as did happen on the eleventh day ; but 
 it was too late for them, for they had bestowed all 
 their treasures on the ima2:e of the Virgin. Then 
 the rejoicings began, and the people were almost 
 mad for joy, reckoning themselves the most happy, 
 blessed people in the universe. 
 
 By these and the like re^^elations, given out every 
 day by the Virgin's chaplain, the people are so much 
 mfatuated, that they certainly believe there is no 
 salvation for any soul without the consent of the 
 Virgin of Pilar ; so they never fail to visit her image 
 every day, and to pay her due homage, for fear that 
 if she is angry again, Lucifer should come to reign 
 over them. And this is done by the Virgin's crafty 
 chaplain, to increase her treasure and his own too. 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 351 
 
 As to him, I may aver, that the late chaplain, Don 
 Pedro Valenzula was but five years in the Virgin's 
 service ; yearly rent is 1000 pistoles, and when he 
 died, he left in his testament, 20,000 pistoles to the 
 Virgin, and 10,000 to his relations ; now how he got 
 30,000 pistoles clear in six years, every body may 
 imagine. 
 
 As to the miracles wrought by this image, I could 
 begin to give an account, but never make an end ; 
 and this subject requiring a whole book to itself, I 
 will not trouble the reader with it, hoping in God 
 that if he is pleased to spare my life some years, I 
 shall print a book of their miracles and revelations^ 
 that the world may, by it, know the inconsistent 
 grounds and reasons of the Romish communion. 
 
 Now, coming again to the adoration of images, I 
 cannot pass by one or two instances more of the 
 image of Jesus Christ, adored by the Roman Catholics. 
 
 The first is that of the crucifix in the monument, 
 both on Thursday and Friday of the holy week. 
 The Roman Catholics have a custom on holy Thurs- 
 day, to put the consecrated host in the monument 
 till Friday morning at eleven of the clock, as I have 
 already said, treating the estation of the holy Calvary. 
 
 Now I will confine myself wholly to the adoration 
 paid to the crucifix, and all the material instruments 
 of our Saviour's passion, by priests, friars, and magis- 
 trates. In every parish church and convent of friars 
 and nuns, the priests form a monument, which is of 
 the breadth of the great altar's front, consisting of 
 ten or twelve steps, that go gradually up to the Ara, 
 
352 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 or altars table, on which hes a box, gilt, and adorned 
 with jewels, wherein they keep for twenty-four 
 hours, the great host, which the priest that officiates, 
 has consecrated on Thursday, between eleven and 
 twelve. In this monument, you may see as many 
 wax candles as parishioners belonging to t?iat church, 
 and which burn twenty-four hours continually. At 
 the bottom of the monument there is a crucifix laid 
 down on a black velvet pillow, and two silver dishes 
 on each side. At three of the clock, in the afternoon, 
 there is a sermon preached by the Lent preachers, 
 whose constant text is, Mandatum novuTn do vobis, 
 ut diligatis invicein, sictit dilexi vos. Expressing 
 in it, the excessive love of our Saviour towards us. 
 After it the prelate washes the feet of twelve poor 
 people, and all this while the people that go from 
 one church to another, to visit the monuments, kneel 
 down before the crucifix, kiss its feet, and put a 
 .piece of money hito one of the dishes. The next 
 day, in the morning, there is another sermon of the 
 passion of our Saviour, wherein the preacher recom- 
 mends the adoration of the cross according to the 
 solemn ceremony of the church. That day, i. e. 
 Good Friday, there is no Mass in the Romish church, 
 for the host which was consecrated the day before, 
 is received by the minister, or prelate, that officiates, 
 and when the passion is sung then they begin the 
 adorafon of the crucifix, which is at the bottom of 
 the monument, which is performed in the following 
 manner : First of all, the priest that officiates, or the 
 bishop when he is present, pulling off his shoes, goes 
 
3?GPISH CHURCH. 353 
 
 s^nd kneels down three times before the crucifix, 
 kisses its feet, and in the same manner comes back 
 again to his own place. All the priests do the same, 
 but without putting any thing into the dish, this 
 l;)eing only a tribute to be paid by the magistrates 
 and laity. This being done by all the magistrates, 
 the priest bids them to come at four in the afternoon, 
 to the descent of Jesus Chsist, from the cross, and 
 tliis is another idolatrous ceremony and adoration. 
 
 The same crucifix that was at the bottom of the 
 monument, is put on the great altar's table, veiled 
 or covered with two curtains, and when the people 
 are gathered together in the churchy the chapter or 
 community comes out of the vestry, and kneeling 
 down before the altar, begins in a doleful manner to 
 sing the psalm, Miserere, and when they come to 
 the verse, Tthi soli peccavi, S^^c, they draw the cur- 
 tains, and show the image of Christ crucified to the 
 people. Then the preacher goes up to the pulpit, to 
 preach of the pains and afflictions of the Virgin 
 Mary, (whose image shedding tears is placed before 
 the image of her son.) I once preached upon this 
 occasion in the convent of St. Augustine, in the city 
 of Huesca, and my text was, Jlnimam meam per- 
 transivit gladius. After the preacher has exagge- 
 rated the unparalleled pains of the Virgin Mary, 
 seeing her son suffer death in so ignominious a 
 manner, he orders Satellites (so they call those that 
 stand with the nails, hammer and other instruments 
 used in their crucifixion) to go up to the cross, and 
 take the crown of thorns off the crucifixes head, and 
 
 40 
 
354 HISTORY oy the 
 
 then he preaches on that actian representhig to the 
 people his sufferings as movingly as possible. After 
 the Satellites have taken the nails out of the hands 
 and feet, they bring down the body of Jesns, and 
 i'ay him in the coiEn, and when the sermon is over, 
 the procession begins, all in black, which is called 
 the burying of Christ. In that procession, which i& 
 always in the dark of the evening, there are vast 
 numbers of disciplinants that go along with it, whip- 
 ping themselves, and shedding their blood, till the 
 body of Jesus is put into the sepulchre. Then every 
 body goes to adore the sepulchre, and after the 
 adoration of it, begins the procession of the estations 
 of the holy Calvary, of which I have spoken already 
 in the second chapter of this book. 
 
 I will not deprive the public of another supersti- 
 tious ceremony of the Romish Priests, which is very 
 diverting, and by which their ignorance will be more 
 exposed to the world; and this is practised on the 
 Sunday before Easter, which is called Dominica 
 Palmarum, in which the church commemorates the 
 triumphat entry of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem, sitting 
 on an ass, the people spreading their clothes and 
 branches of olive trees on the ground: so, in imita- 
 tion of this triumph, they do the same in some 
 churches and convents. 
 
 The circumstance of one being representative of 
 Jesus, on an ass, I never saw practised in Saragossa, 
 and I was quite unacquainted with it till I went to 
 Alvalate, a town that belongs to the archbishop in 
 temporalibus and spiritualibus, whither I was obliged 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 355 
 
 to retire witli his Grace, in his precipitate flight 
 from King Charles"'s army., for fear of being taken 
 prisoner of state. We were there at the Franciscan 
 convent on that Sunday., and the archbishop being 
 Invited to the ceremony of the rehgions triumph, I 
 went Avitii him to see it, which was performed in the 
 following manner. 
 
 All the friars being in the body of the church, the 
 guardian placing his Grace at the right hand, the 
 procession began, every friar having a branch of 
 olive trees in his hand, which was blessed by the 
 Rev. Father Guardian ; so the cross going before, the 
 procession went out of the church to a large yard 
 before it : But, what did we see at the door of the 
 church, but a fat friar, di^ssed hke a Nazareen, on a 
 clever ass, two friars holding the stirrups, and 
 another pulling the ass by the bridle. The represen- 
 tative of Jesus Christ took place before the arch- 
 bishop. Tlie ass was an he one, though not so fat 
 as the friar, but the ceremony of throwing branches 
 and clothes before him, being quite strange to him, 
 lie began to start and caper, and at last threw down 
 the heavy load of the friar. — The ass ran away, 
 leaving the reverend on the ground, with one arm 
 broken. This unusual ceremony was so pleasing to 
 us all, that his Grace, notwithstanding his deep 
 melancholy, laughed heartily at it. The ass was 
 brought back, and another friar, making the repre- 
 sentative, put an end to this asslike ceremony. 
 
 But the ignorance and superstition begins now ; 
 W^^en the ceremony v/as over, a novice took the ass 
 
3^6 HISTORY OP THE 
 
 by the bridle, and began to walk in the cloister, and 
 every friar made a reverence, passing by, and the 
 people kneeling down before him, said, happy ass Z 
 But his Grace displeased at so great a superstition^ 
 spoke to the guardian, and desired him not to suffer 
 his friars to give such an example to the ignorant 
 people, as to adore the ass. The guardian was a- 
 pleasant man, and seeing the archbishop so melan- 
 choly, only to make him laugh, told his Grace that 
 it was impossible for him to obey his Grace, without 
 removing all his friars to another convent, and bring; 
 a new community. Why so? said his Grace. Be- 
 cause (replied the guardian) all my fi'iars are he asses. 
 And you the guardian of them (answered his Grace.) 
 Thus priests and friars excite the people, to adore 
 images. 
 
 But because this article of images, and that of 
 relics, contribute very much to the discovery of the. 
 idolatries, and of the bigotries and superstitions of all 
 those of that communion, I shall not leave this 
 subject, without giving an account of some remarka- 
 ble images which are worshiped and adored by 
 them alL 
 
 They have innumerable images of Christ, the 
 Virgin Mary, the angels and saints in the streets, ia 
 small chapels built within the thickness of the Avails, 
 and most commonly in the corners of the streets,., 
 which the people adore, kneel down before, and 
 make prayers and supplications to. They say, that 
 many of those images have spoken to some devoul 
 persons, as that of St. Philip Nery did to a eertaii^ 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 357 
 
 ambitious priest, who, walking through the street 
 where the image was, was talking within himself, 
 and saying. Now I am a priest, next year I hope to 
 be a dean, after bishop, then cardinal, and after all, 
 summus pontifex. To which soliloquy the image of 
 St. Philip answered, xlnd after all these honors comes 
 death, and after death hell and damnation forever. 
 The priest, being surprised at this answer, so much 
 apropos, and looking up and down he saw the mouth 
 of the image open, by which he concluded that the 
 image had given him the answer; and so, taking a 
 firm resolution to leave all the thoughts of this 
 deceitful v/orld, with his own money he purchased 
 the house where the image was, and built a decent 
 chapel in honor of St. Philip, which now, by the 
 gifts of pious people, is so much enlarged, that we 
 reckon St. Philip's church and parish to be the third 
 in the city for riches, the number of beneficiate 
 priests being forty-six, besides the rector. 
 
 In St. Philip's church there is a miraculous cru- 
 cifix, called El santo Christo de las Peridas; The 
 holy Christ of child-bed women; which is much 
 frequented by all people, but chiefly by the ladies, 
 who go there to be churched, and leave the purifica- 
 tion offering mentioned hi the ceremonial law of 
 Moses. And as there is this image which is an ad- 
 vocate of women delivered of child, there are also 
 two images, who are advocates of barren women, 
 one of the Virgin in the convent of Recolet friars of 
 St. Augustine, and another of St. Antonio del Paula: 
 The first is called the barren women, the second, the 
 
 40* 
 
358 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 intercessor of the barren ladies. This second image m 
 in the convent of Victorian friars, and is S:ept in a 
 gilt box in a chapel within the cloister, and the door 
 is always locked up, and the key kept by the father 
 corrector, i. e. the superior of the convent. 
 
 Another practice, of paying worship and adoration 
 to the Virgin Mother, and her child Jesus in a man- 
 ger, is observed on Christmas, and eight days after : 
 But especially the nuns do signalize themselves on 
 this festival, and that on which Jesus was lost and 
 found again in the temple; for they hide the child 
 in some secret place under the altar's table, and 
 after evening songs they run up and down through 
 the garden, cloisters and church, to see whether they 
 can find the innocent child, and the nun that finds 
 him out, is excused ; for that year, from all the pain- 
 ful offices of the convent; but she is to give, for three 
 days together, a good dinner to alt the nuns and 
 and father confessor; and that year she may go to 
 the grate at any time, without any leave or fear, for 
 she doth not assist at the public service of prayers; 
 in short, she has liberty of conscience that year, for 
 finding the lost child, and she is often lost too at the 
 end of the year, by following a licentious sort of a 
 life. 
 
 These are, in some measure, voluntary devotions 
 and adorations, but there are many others by pre- 
 cept of the church, and ordinances of several popes, 
 who have granted proper services to several images, 
 with which priests and friars do serve and adore 
 them, or else they commit a mortal sin, as well as if 
 
POPISH CHURCH. 359 
 
 they neglected the divine and ecclesiastical service, 
 and the due observance of the ten commandments of 
 the law of God. I will give a few instances of these 
 adorations by precept, and with them I shall conclude. 
 
 There are in the church of Rome, proper services 
 granted by the popes for the invention or finding out 
 of the cross, and for the exaltation of it, and every 
 priest, friar, and nun, is obliged in conscience, to say 
 these services in honor of the cross, and this is pro- 
 perly adoration, for they say in the hymn. Let us 
 come and adore the holy cross, &c., and the people 
 do the same after them. T'hey carry the cross on 
 the third of May, and on the great Litany-days, in 
 a solemn procession, to some high place out of the 
 town, and after the officiating priest has lifted up the 
 cross towards the south, north, west, and east, bless- 
 ing the four parts of the world, and singing the 
 Litany, the procession comes back to the church. 
 These festivals are celebrated Avith more devotion 
 and veneration, as to the outward appearance, than 
 pomp and magnificence, except in the churches dedi- 
 cated to the holy cross, where this being the titular 
 festival, is constantly performed with all manner of 
 ceremonies, as the days of the first class. 
 
 There are proper services granted to the Virgin 
 Mary, under the following names: The Virgin of 
 the rose of St. Dominick, of the girdle of St. Augus- 
 tine, or the rope of St. Francis, and of the scapulary 
 of Mount Carmel. All these distinguishing signs of 
 the Virgin Mary, are celebrated by the church and 
 fraternities of devout people, and adored by all 
 
360 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 christians, being all images and relics to be worshiped 
 by the command of the pope. Now, by what has 
 been said, where can we find expressions fit to ex- 
 plain the wickedness of the Romish priests, the ig- 
 norance of the poople, committed to their charge, 
 and theidolatrous, nonsensical, ridiculous ceremonies 
 with which they serve, not God, but saints, giving 
 them more tribute of adoration than to the Almighty? 
 I must own, that the poor people who are easily 
 persuaded of every thing, are not so much to be 
 blamed, but the covetous, barbarous clergy; for these 
 (though many of them are very blind) are not to be 
 supposed ignorant of what sins they do commit, and 
 advise the people to commit: so, acting against the 
 dictates of their own consciences, they, I believe, 
 must answer for their illguided flock, before the 
 tribunal of the living God, 
 
THE 
 INaUISITION OF GO A. 
 
 [from dr. Buchanan's researches in asia.] 
 
 ^'Goa, Convent of the ^ugustinians, Jan. 23, ISOS. 
 
 '^^Oii my arrival at Goa, I was received into the 
 house of Captain Schuyler, the British Resident. 
 The British force here is commanded by Col. Adams, 
 of his Majesty's 78th regiment, with whom I was 
 formerly well acquainted in Bengal.* Next day I 
 was introduced by these gentlemen to the Viceroy 
 of Goa, the Comit de Cabral. I intimated to his 
 excellency my wish to sail up the river to old Goa,t 
 (where the Inquisition is,) to which he politely 
 acceded. Major Pareira, of the Portuguese estab- 
 
 *The forts in the harbor of Goa were then occupied by British, 
 troops, (two King's regiments, and tv/o regiments of native 
 infantry,) to prevent its falling into the hands of the French. 
 
 fThere is an Old and New Goa. The old city is about eight 
 miles up the river. The Viceroy and the chief Portuguese 
 inhabitants reside at New Goa, which is at the mouth of the river, 
 within the forts of the harbor. The old city, where the Inquisi- 
 tion and the Churches are, is now almost entirely deserted by 
 the secular Portuguese, and is inhabited by the priests alone. 
 The unheal thiness of the place, and the ascendancy of the priests, 
 are the causes assigned for abandoning the ancient city. 
 
362 INQUISITION OF GOA. 
 
 iishment, who was present, and to whom I had 
 letters of introduction from Bengal, offered to accom- 
 pany me to the city, and to introduce me to the 
 archbishop of Goa, the Primate of the Orient. 
 
 ^'I had communicated to Col. Adams, and to the 
 British Resident, my purpose of inquiring into the 
 state of the Inquisition. These gentlemen informed 
 me, that I should not be able to accomplish my 
 design without difficulty; since every thing relating 
 to the Inquisition was conducted in a very secret 
 manner, the most respectable of the lay Portuguese 
 themselves being ignorant of its proceedings; and 
 that, if the priests were to discover my object, their 
 excessive jealousy and alarm would prevent their 
 communicating with me, or satisfying my inquiries 
 on any subject. 
 
 '•On receiving this intelligence, I perceived that it 
 would be necessary to proceed with caution. I was, 
 m fact, about to visit a republic of priests ; whose 
 dominion had existed for nearly three centuries; 
 whose province it was to prosecute heretics, and 
 particularly the teachers of heresy; and from whose 
 authority pdid sentence there was no appeal in India. 
 "It happened that Lieutenant Kemp thorn e. Com- 
 mander of His Majesty's brig Diana, a distant con- 
 nexion of my own, was at this lime in the harbor. 
 On his learning that I meant to visit Old Goa, he 
 offered to accompany me, as did Captain Stirling, of 
 His majesty's 84th regiment, which is now sta- 
 tioned at the forts. 
 ^'We proceedee up the river in the British Hesi- 
 
INQUISITION OF GO A. 463 
 
 dent's barge, accompanied by Major Pareira, who 
 was well qualified by thirty years' residence, to give 
 information concerning local circumstances. From 
 him I learned that there were upwards of two 
 hundred Churches and Chapels in the province of 
 Goa, and upwards of two thousand priests. 
 
 ''On our arrival at the city, it was past twelve 
 o'clock; all the churches were shut, and we were 
 told that they would not be opened again till two 
 o'clock. I mentioned to jMajor Pa.reira, that I 
 intended to stay at Old Goa some days; and that I 
 should be obliged to him to find me a place to sleep 
 in. He seemed surprised at this intimation, and 
 observed that it would be difficult for me to obtain a 
 reception in any of the Churches or Convents, and 
 that there were no private houses into which I could 
 be admitted. I said I could sleep any where; I had 
 two servants with me, and a travelling bed. When 
 he perceived that I was serious in my purpose, he 
 gave directions to a civil officer in that place, to clear 
 out a room in a building which had long been unin- 
 habited, and which Avas then used as a Avarehouse 
 for goods. Matters at this time presented a very 
 gloomy appearance: and I had thoughts of return- 
 ing with my companions from this inhospitable 
 place. In the mean time we sat down in the room 
 I have just mentioned, to take some refreshment, 
 while Major Pareira went to call on some of his 
 friends. During this interval, I communicated to 
 Lieut. Kempthorne the object of my visit. I had in 
 my pocket Qellon's Account of the Inquisition at 
 
364 INQUISITIOK OF GOA. 
 
 Goa;'* and I mentioned some particulars. While 
 we were conversing on the subject, the great bell of 
 the Cathedral began to toll; the same which Dellon 
 observes, always tolls before day-light, on the morn- 
 ing of the Auto da Fe. I did not myself ask any 
 questions of the people concerning the inquisition; 
 but Mr. Kempthorne made inquiries for me : and he 
 soon found out that the Santa Casa, or Holy Office 
 was close to the house where we were then sitting. 
 The gentlemen went to the window to view the 
 horrid mansion; and I could see the indignation of 
 free and enlightened men arise in the countenances 
 of the two British officers, while they contemplated 
 a place where formerly their own countrymen were 
 condemned to the flames, and into which they them- 
 selves might now suddenly be thrown, without the 
 possibility of rescue. 
 
 "At two o'clock we went out to view the churches 
 which were now open for the afternoon service; for 
 there are regular daily masses; and the bells began 
 to assail the ea.r in every quarter. 
 
 *'The magnificence of the churches of Goa, far 
 exceeded any idea I had formed from the previous 
 description. Goa is properly a city of Churches; and 
 the wealth of provinces seems to have been expended 
 in their erection. The ancient specimens of archi- 
 
 *Moiisleur Dellon, a physician, was imprisoned in a dungeon of the 
 Inquisition at Goa for two years and witnessed an Auto da Fe, when 
 some heretics were burned; at which time he walked barefoot. After 
 his release he wrote the history of his confinement. His descriptions 
 are in general very accurate. 
 
INQUISITION OF GOA. 365 
 
 tecture at this place, far excel any thing that has 
 been attempted in modern - times, in any other part 
 of the East, both in grandeur and in taste. The 
 chapel of the palace is built after the plan of St. 
 Peter's at Rome, and is said to be an accurate model 
 of that paragon of architecture. The church of St. 
 Dominic, the founder of the Inquisition, is decorated 
 with paintings of Italian masters. St. Francis Xavier 
 lies enshrined in a monument of exquisite art, and 
 his coffin is enchased with silver and precious stones. 
 The cathedral of Goa is worthy of one of the princi- 
 pal cities of Europe; and the church and convent of 
 the Augustinians (in which I now reside) is a noble 
 pile of building, situated on an eminence, and has a 
 magnificent appearance from afar. 
 
 "But what a contrast to all this grandeur of the 
 churches is the worship offered in them ! I have been 
 present at the chapels every day since I arrived; and 
 seldom see a single worshipper, but the ecclesiastics. 
 Two rows of native priests, kneeling in order before 
 the altar, clothed in coarse black garments, of sickly 
 appearance, and vacant countenances, perform here, 
 from day to day, their laborious masses; seemingly 
 unconscious of any other duty or obligation of life. 
 
 "The day was now far spent, and my companions 
 were about to leave me. While I was considering 
 whether I should return with them. Major Pareira 
 said he would first introduce me to a priest, high in 
 office, and one of the most learned men in the place. 
 We accordingly walked to the convent of the Augus- 
 tinians, where I was presented to Josephus a Dolor- 
 
 41 
 
S66 INQUISITION OF GO A. 
 
 ibus, a man well advanced in life, of pale visage'^ 
 and penetrating eye, rather of a reverend appearance 
 and possessing great fluency of speech and urbanity 
 of manners. At first sight he presented the aspect 
 of one of those acute and prudent men of the world, 
 the learned and respectable Italian Jesuits, some of 
 whom are yet found, since the demolition of their 
 order, reposing in tranquil obscurity, in different parts 
 of the East. After half an hour's conversation in 
 the Latin language, during which he adverted rapidly 
 to a variety of subjects, and inquired concerning some 
 learned men of his own church, whom I had visited 
 in my tour, he politely invited me to take up my 
 residence with him during my stay at old Goa. I 
 was highly gratified by this unexpected invitation ; 
 but lieutenant Kempthorn did not approve of leaving 
 me in the hands of the Inquisitor : for judge our 
 surprise, when we discovered that my learned host 
 Avas one of the Inquisitors of the holy office, the 
 second member of that august tribunal in rank, but 
 the first and most active agent in the business of the 
 department. Apartments were assigned to me in 
 the college adjoining the convent, next to the rooms 
 of the Inquisitor himself; and here I have been four 
 days at the very fountain-head of information, in 
 regard to those subjects which I wished to investi- 
 gate. I breakfast and dine with the Inquisitor 
 almost every day, and he generally passes his even- 
 ings in my apartment. As he considers my inquiries 
 to be chiefly of a literary nature, he is perfectly can- 
 did and communicative on all subjects. 
 
INQUISITION OF GOA. 367 
 
 '^Next day after my arrival, I was introduced by 
 my learned conductor to the Archbishop of Goa. 
 We found him reading the Latin Letters of St. 
 Francis Xavier. On my adverting to the long dura- 
 lion of the city of Goa, while other cities of Euro- 
 peans in India had suffered from war or revolution, 
 the Archbishop observed that the preservation of Goa 
 was ^ owing to the prayers of St. Francis Xavier.' 
 The Inquisitor looked at me to see what I thought of 
 this sentiment. I acknowledged that Xavier was 
 considered by the learned among the English to have 
 been a great man. ^Vhat he wrote himself bespeaks 
 him a man of learning, of original genius, and great 
 fortitude of mind; hut what others have written for 
 him and of him, has tarnished his fame, by making 
 him the inventor of fables. The Archbishop signified 
 h s assent. He afterwards conducted me into his 
 private chapel, which is decorated with images of 
 silver, and then into the Archiepiscopal Library, 
 which possesses a valuable collection of books. As 
 I passed through our convent, in returning from the 
 Archbishop's I obseiwed among the paintings in the 
 cloisters a portrait of the famous Alexis de Menezes, 
 Archbishop of Goa, who held the Synod of Diamper 
 near Cochin in 1599, and burned the books of the 
 Syrian Christians. From the inscription underneath 
 I learned that he was the founder of the magnificent 
 church and convent in which I am now residing." 
 
 '• On the same day I received an invitation to dine 
 with the chief Inquisitor, at his house in the country. 
 T'iie second Inquisitor accompaniad me, and we 
 
368 INQUISITION OF GOA. 
 
 found a respectable company of priests, and a 
 sumptuous entertainment. In the library of the 
 chief Inquisitor, I saw a register containing the 
 present establishment of the Inquisition at Goa, and 
 the names of all the officers. On my asking the 
 chief Inquisitor whether the establishment was as 
 extensive as formerly, he said it was nearly the 
 same. I had hitherto said little to any person con- 
 cerning the Inquisition, but I had indirectly gleaned 
 much information concerning it, not only from the 
 Inquisitors themselves, but from certain priests, whom 
 I visited at their respective convents, particularly from 
 a father in the Franciscan convent, who had himself 
 repeatedly witnessed an Auto da Fe. '' 
 
 " Goa, Jiu^Lstinian Convent, 2Qth Jan, 1808. 
 
 " On Sunday, after Divine Service, which I attend- 
 ed, we looked over together the prayers and portions 
 of Scripture for the day, which led to a discussion 
 concerning some of the doctrines of Christianity. 
 We then read the third chapter of St. John's Gospel, 
 in the Latin Vulgate. I asked the Inquisitor 
 whether he believed in the influence of the Spirit 
 there spoken of. He distinctly admitted it; conjointly 
 however he thought in some obscure sense with 
 water. I observed that water was merely an em- 
 blem of the purifying ofl'ects of the Spirit, and could 
 be but an emblem. We next adverted to the expres- 
 sion of St. John in his first epistle, 'This is he that 
 came by water and blood: even Jesus Christ; not by 
 water only, but by water and blood;' — blood tQ 
 
INQUISITION OF GOA. 369 
 
 atone for sin, and water to purify the heart; justifi- 
 cation and sanctification, both of which were 
 expressed at the same moment on the cross. The 
 inquisitor was pleased with the subject. I referred to 
 the evangeUcal doctrines of Augustin (we were now 
 in the Augustinian convent) plainly asserted by that 
 father in a thousand places, and he acknowledged 
 their truth. I then asked him, in what important 
 doctrine he differed from the protestant church ! He 
 confessed that he never had had a theological discus- 
 sion with a protestant before. By an easy transition 
 we passed to the importance of the Bible itself, to 
 illuminate the priests and people. I noticed to him, 
 that after looking through the colleges and schools, 
 there appeared to me to be a total eclipse of Scriptural 
 light. He acknowledged that religion and learning 
 were truly in a degraded state. I had visited the 
 theological schools, and at every place I expressed 
 my surprise to the tutors, in presence of the pupils, 
 at the absence of the Bible and almost total want of 
 reference to it. They pleaded the custom of the place, 
 and the scarcity of copies of the book itself. Some of 
 the younger priests came to me afterwards, desiring 
 to know by what means they might procure copies. 
 This inquiry for Bibles was like a ray of hope beam- 
 ing on the walls of the Inquisition. 
 
 " I pass an hour sometimes in the spacious library 
 of the Augustinian convent. There are many rare 
 volumes, but they are chiefly theological, and almost 
 all of the sixteenth century. There are few classics ; 
 
 41^ 
 
370 INQUISITION OF GOA. 
 
 and I have not yet seen one copy of the origmal 
 Scriptures m Hebrew or Greek. '' 
 
 Goa, f^ugustinian Convent, Jan. 1808. 
 
 " On the second morning after my arrival, I was 
 surprised by my host, the Inquisitor, coming into my 
 apartment clothed in black robes from head to foot ; 
 for the usual dress of his order is white. He said he 
 was going to sit on the tribunal of the Holy Office. 
 ^I presume, Father, your august office does not occupy 
 much of your time.' ^Yes,' ans^^ered he, 'much. I 
 sit on the tribunal three or four days every week.' 
 
 "I had thought, for some days, of putting Dellon's 
 book into the Inquisitor's hand; for if I could get 
 him to advert to the facts stated in that book, I 
 should be able to learn, by comparison, the exact 
 state of the Inquisition at the present time. In the 
 evening he came in, as usual, to pass an hour in my 
 apartment. After some conversation, I took the 
 pen in my hand to write a few notes in my journal ; 
 and, as if to amuse him, while I was writing, I took 
 up Dellon's book, which was lying with some others 
 on the table, and handing it across to him, asked him 
 whether he had ever seen it. It was in the French 
 language, which he understood well. — 'Relation de 
 I'Inquisition de Goa,' pronounced he, with a slow 
 articulate voice. He had never seen it before, and 
 began to read with eagerness. He had not pro- 
 ceeded far, before he betrayed evident symptoms of 
 uneasiness. He turned hastily to the middle of the 
 book, and then to the end, and then ran over the 
 
INQUISITION or GOA. 373 
 
 table of contents at the beginning, as if to ascertain 
 the full extent of the evil. He then composed him- 
 self to read, while I continued to write. He turned 
 over the pages with rapidity, and when he came to 
 a certain place, he exclaimed in the broad Italian 
 accent * Mendacium, Mendacium.' I requested he 
 would mark those passages which were untrue, and 
 we should discuss them afterwards, for that I had 
 other books on the subject. ' Other books,' said he, 
 and he looked with an enquiring eye on those on the 
 table. He continued reading till it was time to retire 
 to rest^ and then begged to take the book with him. 
 It was on this night that a circumstance happened 
 Tvhich caused my first alarm at Goa. My servants 
 slept every night at my chamber door, in the long 
 gallery which is common to all the apartments, and 
 not far distant from the servants of the convent. 
 About midnight I was awaked by loud shrieks and 
 expressions of terror, from some person in the gallery. 
 In the first moment of surprise, I concluded it must 
 be the Mguazils of the holy office, seizing my ser- 
 vants to carry them to the Inquisition. But, on 
 going out, I saw my own servants standing at the 
 door, and the person who had caused the alarm (a 
 boy of about fourteen) at a little distance, surrounded 
 by some of the priests, who had come out of their 
 cells on hearing the noise. The boy said he had 
 seen a spectre, and it was a considerable time before 
 the agitation of his body and voice subsided. Next 
 morning at breakfast the Inquisitor apologized for 
 the disturbance, and said the boy's alarm proceeded 
 
374 INQUISITION OF GO A. 
 
 from a ^phantasma animi/ a phantasm of the imagi- 
 nation. 
 
 '•After breakfast we resumed the subject of the 
 Inquisition. The Inquisitor admitted that Dellon's 
 descriptions of the dungeons, of the torture, of the 
 mode of trial, and of the Auto da Fe, were in gene- 
 ral, just; but he said the writer judged untruly of 
 the motives of the Inquisitors, and very uncharitably 
 of the character of the Holy Church; and I admitted 
 that under the pressure of his peculiar suffering, this 
 might possibly be the case. The Inquisitor was 
 now anxious to know to what extent Dellon's book 
 had been circulated in Europe. I told him that 
 Picart had published to the world extracts from it, 
 in his celebrated work called 'Religious Ceremonies;' 
 together with plates of the system of torture and 
 burniugs at the Auto da Fe. I added that it was 
 now generally believed in Europe, that these enor- 
 mities no longer existed, and that the Inquisition 
 itself had been totally suppressed; but that I was con- 
 cerned to find that this was not the case. He now 
 began a grave narration to show that the inquisition 
 had undergone a change in some respects, and that 
 its terrors were mitigated.'^* 
 
 * The following were the passages in Mr. Dellon's narrative, to 
 which I wished particularly to draw the attention of the Inquisitor. 
 Mr. B. had been thrown into the Inquisition at Goa, and confined in 
 a dungeon, ten feet square, where he remained upwards of two years, 
 without seeing any person but the jailer, who brought him his victuals, 
 except when he was brought to his trial, expecting daily to be brought 
 to the stake. His alleged crime was, charging the Inquisition with 
 cruelty, in a conversation he had with a Priest at Daman, another 
 part of India. 
 
INQUISITION OP GO A. SlS 
 
 "I had already discovered, from written or printed 
 documents, that the Inquisition at Goa was sup- 
 pressed by Royal Edict in the year 1775, and estab- 
 lished again in 1799. The Franciscan father before 
 mentioned, witnessed the annual Auto da Fe, from 
 1770 .to 1775. ^It was the humanity and tender 
 
 "During the months of November and December, I heard every 
 morning, the shrieks of the unfortunate victims, who were undergoing 
 the Question. I remembered to have heard, before I was cast intO 
 prison, that the Auto da Fe was generally celebrated on the lirst 
 Sunday in Advent, because on that day is read in the Churches that 
 part of the Gospel in which mention is made of the xast judgsiext ; 
 and the Inquisitors pretend by this ceremony to exhibit a living em- 
 blem of that awful event. I was likewise convinced that there were 
 a great number of prisoners besides myself; the profound silence 
 which reigned within the walls of the building, having enabled me to 
 count the number of doors n'hich were opened at the hours of meals. 
 However, the first and second Sundays of Advent passed by without 
 my hearing of any thing, and I prepared to undergo anothei year of 
 melancholy captivity, when I was aroused from my despair on the 11th 
 of January, by the noise of the guards removing the bars from the 
 doors of my prison. The Jilcaide presented me with a habit, which 
 he ordered me to put on, and make myself ready to attend him when 
 he should come again. 1'hus saying, he left a lighted lamp in my 
 dungeon. The guards returned, about two o'clock in the morning, 
 and led me out into a long gallery, where I found a number of the 
 companions of my fate, drawn up in a rank against the wall : I placed 
 myself among the rest, and several more soon joined the melancholy 
 band. The profound silence and stillness caused them to resembl« 
 statues more than the animated bodies of human creatures. The 
 women, who were clothed in a similar manner, were placed in a neiglt- 
 boring gallery, where we could not see them ; but I remarked that a 
 number of peisons stood by themselves at some distance, attended by 
 others who wore long black dresses, and who walked backwards and 
 forwards occasionally. I did not then know who these were : but I 
 
376 INQTJISITION OF GOA. 
 
 mercy of a good king,' said the old father, ^which 
 abohshed the inquisition.' But immediately on his 
 death, tlie power of the priests acquired the ascen- 
 dant, under the queen dowager, and the tribunal 
 was re-established, after a bloodless interval of five 
 years. It has continued in operation ever since. It 
 
 was afterwards informed that the former were the victims who were 
 condemned to be burnt, and the others were their confessors. 
 
 "After we were all ranged against the wall of this gallery, we 
 received each a large wax taper. They then brought us a number of 
 dresses made of yellow cloth, v/ith the cross of St. Andrew painted 
 before and behind. Tliis is called the San Benito. The relapsed 
 heretics wear another species ef robe, called the Samarra, the ground 
 of which is gtey. The portrait of the sufferer is painted upon it, 
 placed upon burning torches with, flames and demons all round. Caps 
 were then produced, called Carrochas, made of pasteboard pointed 
 like sugar-loaves, all covered over with devils and flames of fire. 
 
 "The great bell of the Cathedral began to ring a little before sunrise, 
 which served as a signal to warn the people of God to come and 
 behold the august ceremony of the Auto da Fe; and then they made 
 us proceed from the gallery one by one. I remarked as we passed 
 into the great hall, that the Inquisitor was sitting at the door with his 
 secretary by him, and that he delivered every prisoner into the ha. ids 
 of a particular person, who is to be his guard to the place of burinrg. 
 These persons are called Parrains, or Godfathers. My Godfather was 
 the commander of a chip. I went forth with him, and as soon as we 
 were in the street, I saw that the procession was commenced by the 
 Dominican Friars, who have this honor, because St. Dominic founded 
 the Inquisition. These are followed by the prisoners, who walk one 
 after the other, each having his Godfather by his side, and a lighted 
 taper in his hand. The least guilty go foremost ; and as I did not 
 pass for one of them, there were many who took precedence of m<i. 
 The women were mixed promiscuously with the men. We all 
 walked barefoot, and the sharp stones of the streets of Goa wounded 
 jjjy tender feet, and caused the blood to stream; for they made us 
 
INQUISITION OF GOA. 377 
 
 was restored in 1779, subject to certain restrictions, 
 the chief of which are tiie two following: ^That a 
 greater number of witnesses sliould be required to 
 convict a criminal then were before necessary;' and 
 
 march through the chief streets of the city ; and we were regarded 
 «very where by an innumerable crowd of people, who had assembled 
 from all parts of India to behold this spectacle ; for the Inquisition 
 lakes pains to announce it long before, in the most remote parishes. 
 At length we arrived at the church of St. Francis, which was, for this 
 time, destined for the celebration of the Act of Faith, On one side 
 of the Altar, was the Grand Inquisitor and his Councellors, and on 
 the other the Viceroy of Goa and his Court, All the prisoners 
 are seated to hear a sermon. I observed that those prisoners who 
 wore the horrible Carrochas came in last in the procession. Orve 
 of the Augustin Monks ascended the pulpit, and preached for a 
 quarter of an hour. The sermon being concluded, two readers 
 went ap to the pulpit, one after the other, and read the sentences 
 of the prisoners. My joy was extreme, when I heard that my 
 sentence was not to be burnt, but to be a galley slave for five 
 years. After the sentences were read, they summoned forth 
 those miserable victims who were destined to he immolated by 
 the Holy Inquisition. The images of the heretics who had died 
 in the prison were brought up at the same time, their bones being 
 contained in small chests, covered with flames and demons. An 
 officer of the secular tribunal now came forward, and seized these 
 unhappy people, after they had each received a slight blow upon 
 the breast, from the Alcaide, to intimate that they were abandoned. 
 They were then led away to the bank of the river, where the 
 Viceroy and his Court were assembled, and where the faggots 
 had been prepared the proceeding day. As soon as they arrive 
 at this place, the condemned persons are asked in what religion 
 they choose to die ; and the moment they have replied to this 
 question, the executioner seizes them, and binds them to a stake 
 in the midst of the faggots. The day after the execution, the 
 jrortraits of the dead are carried to the Church of Dominioans. 
 The heads only are represented (which are generally very accu- 
 
 42 
 
378 INQUISITION OF GOA. 
 
 « That the Auto da Fe should not be held publicly a'S 
 "before; but that the sentences of the tribunal should 
 be executed privately, within the walls of the Inqui* 
 sition.' 
 
 "In this particular, the constitution of the new 
 Inquisition is more reprehensible than that of the old 
 one; for as the old father expressed it, Nunc sigillum 
 non revelat Inquisito.' Formerly the friends of 
 those unfortunate persons who were thrown into its 
 prison, had the melancholy satisfaction of seeing 
 them once a year walking in the procession of the 
 Auto da Fe; or, if they were condemned to die, they 
 
 witnessed their death, and mourned for the dead. 
 But now they have no means of learning for years 
 whether they be dead or alive. The policy of this 
 new code of concealment appears to be this, to pre- 
 serve the power of the Inquisition, and at the same 
 time to lessen the public odium of its proceedings, in 
 the presence of British dominion and civilization. I 
 asked the father his opinion concerning the nature 
 and frequency of the punishment within the walls. 
 He said he possessed no certain means of giving a 
 satisfactory answer; that every thing transacted 
 there was declared to be sacrum et secretum.' But 
 this he knew to be true, that there were constantly 
 "captives in the dungeons; that some of them are 
 liberated after long confinement, but that they never 
 
 lately drawn ; for the Inquisition keeps excellent limners for the 
 purpose,) surrounded by flames and demons ; and underneath is 
 vke name and crime of the person who had been burned." — Mela- 
 Hon df, V Inquisition de Goa, chap. xxiv. 
 
IXqTTlSlTIOJf OF GOA. 379 
 
 s.T^sak afterwards of what passed within the place. 
 He added that, of all the persons he had known, 
 who had been liberated, he never knew one who did 
 Mot carry about with him what might be called, ^the 
 mark of the Inqnisition-,' that is to say, who did not 
 s'l ow in the solemnity of his countenance, or in his 
 peculiar demeanor, or his terror of the priests, that 
 he liad been in that dreadful place. 
 
 ''Tiie chief argurneitt q[ the Inquisitor, to prove 
 t}v3 melioration of the Inquisition, was the superior 
 kumaruty of the loquisiiors. I remarked that I did 
 raot doubt ihe humanity of th« existing officers; but 
 what availed humanity i\\ an Inquisitor? he must 
 pronounce sentence a,ccording to the laws of the 
 Tribunal, which are notorious enough; and a rt- 
 lapsed Heretic must be burned in the flames, or con- 
 fined for life in a dungeon, whether the Inquisitor be 
 humane or not. But ii^ said I, you would satisfy 
 my mind completely on this subject, ^show rne the 
 inquisition.^ He said it was not permitted to any 
 person to see the Inquisition. I observed that mine 
 might be considered a peculiar case; that the char- 
 acter of the Inquisiti-on, and the expediency of its 
 long continuance, had been called in question; that 
 I myself had writteii on the civilization of India, 
 and might possibly publish something more on the 
 subject, and that it could not be expected that I 
 should pass over the Inquisition without notice, 
 knowing whai I did of its proceedings; at the same 
 time I should not Av^isli to state a single fact without 
 liis authority, or at least his admission of its truth. I 
 added, that he himself had been pleased to commu- 
 nicate with me very fully on the subject, and that in 
 all our discussions we had both been actuated, I 
 hoped, bv a good purpose. The countenance of the 
 Inquisitor evidently altered on receiving this intima- 
 iioii, nor did it ever after wholly regam its wonted 
 
380 INQUISITION OF GOA. 
 
 frankness and placidity. After some hesitation, 
 however, he said, he would take me with him to 
 tlie Inquisition the next day. I was a good deal 
 surprised at this acquiescence of the Inquisitor, but I 
 did not know what was in his mind. 
 
 "Next morning, after breakfast, my host went to 
 dress for the Holy Office, and soon returned in his 
 inquisitorial robes. He said he would go half an 
 hour before the usual time, for the purpose of show- 
 ing me the Inquisition. The buildings are about 
 a quarter of a mile distant from the convent, and we 
 proceeded thither in our Miwjeels. On our arrival 
 ^t the place, the inquisitor said to me, as we were 
 ascendmg the steps of the outer stair, that he hoped 
 I should be satisfied with a transcient view of the 
 inquisition, and that I would retire whenever he 
 should desire it. I took this as a good omen, and 
 followed my conductor with tolerable confidence. 
 
 "He led me first to the great hall of the Inquisi- 
 tion. We were met at the door by a number of 
 well-dressed persons, who, I afterwards understood, 
 were the familiars, and attendants of the Holy Office ; 
 They bowed very low to the inquisitor, and looked 
 with surprise at me. The great hall is the place in 
 which the prisoners are marshalled for the procession 
 of the Auto da Fe. At the procession described by 
 Dellon, in which he himself walked barefoot, clothed 
 with the painted garment, there were upwards of 
 one hundred and fifty prisoners. I traversed this 
 hall for sometime, with a slow step, reflecting on its 
 former scenes ; the inctnisitor walked by my side, in 
 silence. I thought of the fate of the multitude of my 
 fellow-creatures who had passed through this place, 
 condemned by a tribunal of their fellow-sinners, their 
 bodies devoted to the flames, and their souls to per- 
 dition. And I could not help saying to him, 'Would 
 not tlie holy church \vishj in her mercy, to haye thpsa 
 
INQUISITION OP GO A, 381 
 
 souls back again, that she might allow them a little 
 further probation V The inquisitor answered no- 
 thing, but beckoned me to go with him to a door at 
 one end of the hall. By this door he conducted me 
 to some small rooms, and thence to the spacious 
 apartments of the chief inquisitor. Having surveyed 
 these, he brought me back again to the great hall; 
 and I thought he seemed now desirous that I should 
 depart. 'Now father,' said I, 4ead me to the dun- 
 geons below, I want to see the captives.' 'No,' said 
 he, 'that cannot be.' I now began to suspect that it 
 had been in the mind of the Inquisitor, from the be- 
 ginning, to show me only a certain part of the inqui- 
 sition, in the hope of satisfying my inquiries in a 
 general way. I urged him with earnestness, but he 
 steadily resisted, and seemed to be offended, or rather 
 agitated, by my importunity. I intimated to him 
 plainly, that the only way to do justice to his own 
 assertions and arguments, regarding the present state 
 of the Inquisition, was to show me the prisons and 
 captives. I should then describe only what I saw ; 
 but now the subject was left in awful obscurity. 
 *Lead me down,' said I, 'to the inner building, and 
 let me pass through the two hundred dungeons, ten 
 feet square, described by your former captives. Let 
 me count the number of your present captives, and 
 converse with them. I want to see if there are any 
 subjects of the British government, to whom we owe 
 protection. I want to ask how long they have been 
 here, how long it is since they beheld the light of the 
 sun, and whether they ever expect to see it again. 
 Show me the chamber of Torture ; and declare what 
 modes of execution or of punishment, are now 
 practised within the walls of the Inquisition, in lieu 
 of the public Auto da Fe. If, after all that has 
 passed. Father, you resist this reasonable request, I 
 
 sUail be justified in believing that you are afraid of 
 
 42* 
 
S82 INQUISITION OP GOA. 
 
 exposing the real state of the Inquisition in India.' 
 To these observations the inquisitor made no reply; 
 but seemed impatient that I should withdraw. 'My 
 good Father/ said I, 'I am about to take my leave 
 of you, and thank you for your hospitable attentions, 
 (it had been before understood that I should take 
 my final leave at the door of the Inquisition, after 
 having seen the interior,) and I wish always to pre- 
 serve on my mind a favorable sentiment of your 
 kindness and candor. You cannot, you say, show 
 me the captives and the dungeons ; be pleased then 
 merely to answer this question, for I shall believe 
 your word: How many prisoners are there now 
 below, in the cells of the Inquisition?'' The inqui- 
 sitor replied, 'That is a question which I cannot 
 answer.' (>n his pronouncing these words, I re- 
 tired hastily towards the door, and wished him 
 farewell.' We shook hands with as much cordiality 
 as we could at the moment assume ; and both of us, 
 I believe, were sorry that our parting took place with 
 a clouded countenance. 
 
 *'From the Inquisition I went to the place of burn- 
 ing in the Campo Santo Lazaro, on the river side, 
 where the victims were brought to the stake at the 
 Auto da Fe. It is close to the palace, that the Vice- 
 roy and his court may witness the execution ; for it 
 has ever been the policy of the inquisition to make 
 these spiritual executions appear to be the executions 
 of the state. An old priest accompanied me, who 
 pointed out the place, and described the scene. As 
 I passed over this melancholy plain, I thought of the' 
 difference between the pure and benign doctrine, 
 which was first preached to India in Apostolic age, 
 and that bloody code, which after a long night of 
 darkness, was announced to it under the same name ! 
 And I pondered on the mysterious dispensation, 
 which permitted the ministers of the inquisition, with 
 
INQUISITION OF GOA. 3S3 
 
 their racks and flames, to visit these lands, before 
 the heralds of the Gospel of Peace. But the most 
 painful reflection was, that this tribunal should yet 
 exist, unawed by the vicinity of British humanity 
 and dominion. I was not satisfied with what I had 
 seen or said at the Inquisition, and I determined to 
 go back again. The inquisitors were now sitting on 
 the tribunal, and I had some excuse for returning; 
 for I was to receive from the chief inquisitor a letter 
 which he said he would give me, before I left the 
 place, for the British Resident in Travancore, being 
 an answer to a letter from that officer. 
 
 " When I arrived at the Inquisition, and had as- 
 cended the outer stairs, the door-keepers surveyed me 
 doubtingly, bat suffered me to pass, supposing that I 
 had returned by permission and appointment of the 
 inquisitor. I entered the great hall, and went up di- 
 rectly towards the tribunal of the Inquisition^ de- 
 scribed by Dell on, in which is the lofty crucifix. I sat 
 down on a form and wrote some notes ; and then de- 
 sired one of the attendants to carry in my name to the 
 inquisitor. As I walked up the hall, I saw a poor wo- 
 man sitting by herself, on a bench by the wall, appa- 
 rently in a disconsolate state of mind. She clasped 
 her hands as I passed, and gave me a look expressive 
 of her distress. This sight chilled my spirits. The 
 familiars told me she was waiting there to be called 
 up before the tribunal of the Inquisition. While I 
 was asking questions concerning her crime, the 
 second inquisitor came out in evident trepidation, 
 and was about to complain of the intrusion, when I 
 informed him that I had come back for^the letter from 
 the chief inquisitor. He said it should be sent after me 
 to Goa; and he conducted me with a quick step 
 towards the door. As we passed the poor woman, I 
 pointed to her, and said, with some em.phasis, ^Be- 
 hold, Father, another victim of the holy Inquisition I 
 
3S4 INQUISITION or GOA. 
 
 His answered nothing. When we arrived at the 
 head of the great stair, he bowed, and I took my last 
 leave of Josephus a Doloribus, without uttering a 
 word. 
 
 Note. — The Inquistion of Goa was abolished in the 
 month of October, 1812. 
 
THE 
 
 INaUlSlTIOX AT McVCERATA. 
 
 IN ITALY. 
 
 Narrative of Mr. Bower ^ who gives an account of 
 this Court of Inquisition, and of secrets hitherto 
 iinkiiGwn, relative to their proceedings agaiJist 
 heretics. 
 
 [Meth. Mag. 3d Vol.] 
 
 " I never (says Mr. Bower,) pretended that it v/as 
 for the sake of religion alone, that I left Italy; but 
 on the contrary, have often declared, as ail my 
 friends can attest, that, had I never belonged to the 
 Inquisition, I should have gone on, as most Roman 
 Catholics do. without ever questioning the truth of 
 the religion I was brought up in, or thinking of any 
 other. But the unheard of cruelties of that helhsh 
 tribunal shocked me beyond all expression, and 
 rendered me, as I was obliged, by my offi.ce of Coun- 
 sellor, to be accessary to them, one of the most unhappy 
 men upon earth. I therefore began to think of resign- 
 ing my office; but as I had on several occasions, betray- 
 ed some weakness, as they termed it, that is, some com- 
 passion and humanity, and had upon that accoimt 
 been reprimanded by the Inquisitor, I was well 
 apprized, that my resignation would be ascribed by 
 him to my disapproving the proceedings of the holy 
 tribunal. And indeed, to nothing else could he have 
 ascribed it, as a place at that board was a sure way 
 to preferment, and attended with great privileges, 
 and a considerable salary. Being, therefore, sensible 
 how dangerous a thing it would be to give the least 
 grotind to any suspicion of that nature, and no longer 
 
3SS INQUISITION AT MACE RATA. 
 
 able to bear the sight of the many barbarities prac^ 
 tised aUnost daily within those walls, nor the 
 reproaches of my conscience in bein^^ acessary to 
 them, I determined, after many restless nights, and 
 much deliberation with myself, to withdraw at the 
 same time from the Inquisitor, and from Italy. In 
 this mind, and in the most unhappy and tormenting 
 situation that can possibly be imagined, I continued 
 near a twelvemonth, not able to prevail upon myself 
 to execute the resolution I had taken, on account of 
 the many dangers which I foresaw would inevitably 
 attend it, and the dreadful consequences of my failing 
 in the attempt. But, being in the mean time, order- 
 ed by the Inquisitor to apprehend a person, with 
 whom I lived in the greatest intimacy and friendship, 
 the part I was obliged to act on that occasion, left 
 so deep an impression in my mind as soon prevailed 
 over all my fears, and made me determine to put 
 into execution, at all events, and without further 
 delay, the design I had formed. Of that remarkable 
 transduction, therefore, I shall give here a particular 
 account, the rather as it will show in a very strong 
 light, the nature of the proceedings in that horrid 
 court. 
 
 The person whom the inquisitor appointed me to 
 apprehend, was Count Vicenzo della Torre, descen- 
 ded from an illustrious family in Germany, and 
 possessed of a very considerable estate in the terri- 
 tory of Macerata. He was one of my very particu- 
 lar friends, and had lately married the daughter of 
 Signior Constantini, of Fermo, a lady no less famous 
 for her good sense than her beauty. With her 
 family too, I had contracted an intimate acquaintance, 
 while Professor of Rhetoric in Fermo, and had often 
 attended the Count during his courtship, from Mace- 
 rata to Fermo, but fifteen miles distant. I therefore 
 lived with both in the greatest friendship and inti- 
 
INQUISITION AT MACERATA. 389 
 
 macy; and the count was the only person that lived 
 with me, after I was made Comisellor of the Inquisi- 
 tion, upon the same free footing as he had done till 
 that time: my other friends being grown shy of me, 
 and giving me plainly to understand, that they no 
 longer cared for my company. 
 
 As this unhappy young gentleman was one day 
 walking with another, he met two Capuchin friars; 
 and turning to his companion, when they were 
 pissed, 'What fools/ said he, 'are these, to think they 
 shall gain heaven by wearing sackcloth and going 
 bare-foot ! Fools indeed, if they think so, or that there 
 is any merit in tormenting one's self; they might as 
 well live as we do, and they would get to heaven 
 quite as soon.' Who informed against him, whether 
 the friars, his companion, or somebody else, I knew 
 not; for the Inquisitors never tell the names of the 
 informers to the Counsellors, nor the names of the 
 witnesses, lest they should except against them. It 
 is to be observed, that all who hear any proposition, 
 that appears to them repugnant to, or inconsistent 
 with the doctrine of the holy mother church, is bound 
 to reveal it to the Inquisitor, and likewise to discover 
 the person by whom it was uttered ; and, in this 
 affair, no regard is to be had to any ties, however 
 sacred ; the brother being bound to accuse the brother, 
 the father to accuse the son, the son the father, the 
 wife her husband, and the husband his wife ; and all 
 bound on pain of eternal damnation, and of being 
 deemed and treated as accomplices, if they do not 
 denounce in a certain time; and no confessor can 
 absolve a person Avho has heard any thing said, in 
 jest or in. earnest, against the belief or practice of the 
 church, till that person has informed the Inquisitor 
 of it, and given him all the intelligence he can con- 
 cerning the person by whom it was said. 
 
 Whoever it was that informed against my un- 
 
 43 
 
390 
 
 INQUISITION AT MACERATA. 
 
 happy friend, whether the friars, his companion, OT 
 somebody else wha might have overheard him, the 
 Inquisitor acquainted the board one night (for to be 
 less observed, they commonly meet, out of Rome, in 
 the night) that the abovementioned propositions had 
 been advanced gravely, at the sight of two poor 
 Capuchins^: that the evidence was unexceptionable ; 
 and that they were therefore met to determine the 
 quality of the proposition, and proceed against the 
 delinquent agreeably to that determination. There 
 are in each Inquisition twelve counsellors, viz. four 
 Divines, four Canonists, and four Civilians. It is 
 chiefly the province of the divines to determine the 
 quality of the proposition, viz. Whether it is hereti- 
 cal, or only savors of heresy; whether it is blas- 
 phemous and injurious to God and his saints, or 
 only erroneous, rash, schismatical, or offensive to 
 pious ears. 
 
 That part of the proposition, ^ Fools, if they think 
 that there is any merit in tormenting one's self,' was 
 judged and declared heretical, as openly contradict- 
 ing the doctrine and practice of holy mother church, 
 recommending austerities as highly meritorious. 
 The inquisitor observed, on this occasion, that by 
 the proposition, 'Fools, indeed,' &c. were taxing 
 with folly not only the holy fathers, who had all to 
 a man practised great austerities, but St. Paul him- 
 self, who 'chastised his body,' that is, whipped him- 
 self, as the inquisitor understood it, adding that the 
 practice of whipping one's self, so much recommended 
 by all the founders of religious orders, was borrowed 
 of the great apostle of the gentiles. 
 
 The proposition being declared heretical, it was 
 imanimously agreed by the b oar ct, that the person 
 who had uttered it, should be apprehended and pro- 
 ceeded against agreeably to the laws of the Inquisi- 
 tion. And now the person was named ; for till it 
 
INQUISITION AT MACERATA. 391 
 
 is determined whether the accused person should or 
 should not be apprehended, his name is kept con- 
 cealed from the counsellors, lest they should be 
 biased, says the directory, in his favor, or against 
 iiim. For, in many instances, they keep up to an 
 appearance of justice and equity, at the same time 
 that, in truth, they act in direct opposition to all the 
 known laws of justice and equity. No words can 
 express the concern and astonishment it gave me to 
 hear, on such an occasion, the name of a friend for 
 whom I had the greatest esteem and regard. The in- 
 quisitor was apprized of it; and, to give mean oppor- 
 tunity of practising what he had so often recom- 
 mended to me, viz. of conquering nature with the 
 assistance of grac^, he appointed me to apprehend 
 the criminal, as he styled him, and to lodge him safe, 
 before day-light, in the prison of the holy Inquisition. 
 I oifered to excuse myself, but with the greatest 
 submission, from being any ways concerned in the 
 execution of that order ; an order, I said, which I 
 entirely approved of, and only wished it might be 
 |)ut in execution by some other person; for your 
 lordship knows, I said, the connexion. But the 
 Inquisitor shocked at the word, 'What?' said he, 
 with a stern look and angry tone of voice, 'talk of 
 connexions where the faith is concerned? there is 
 your guard, (pointing to the Sbirri or baliffs, in 
 waiting,) let the criminal be secured in St. Luke's 
 cell (one of the worst) before three in the morning.' — 
 He then withdrew with the rest of the counsellors, 
 and as he passed me, ^Thus,' he said, 'nature is 
 conquered.*'' I had betrayed some weakness, or sense 
 of humanity, not long before, in fainting away while 
 I attended the torture of one who was racked with 
 the utmost barbarity; and I had, on that occasion, 
 been reprimanded by the Inquisitor for suffering 
 nature to get the better of grace; it being an inex- 
 
392 INQUISITION AT MACEKATA. 
 
 cusable weakness, as he observed, to be any way 
 affected with the suffering of the body, howevej 
 great, when afflicted, as they ever are in the Holy 
 Inquisition, for the good of the soul. And it was, I 
 presume, to make trial of the effect this reprimand 
 had upon me, that the execution of this cruel order 
 was committed to me. As I could by no possible 
 means decline it, I summoned all my resolution, aftei 
 passing an hour by myself, I may say in the agonies 
 of death, and set out a little after two in the morning, 
 for my unhappy friend's house, attended by a notary 
 of the Inquisition, and six armed Sbirri. 
 
 We arrived at the house by different wa37's, and 
 knocking at the door, a maid-servant looked out of 
 the window, and inquiring who knocked, was ans- 
 wered the Holy Inquisition, and at the same time, 
 ordered to awake nobody, but to come down directly 
 and open the door, on pain of excommunication. At 
 these words, the servant hastened down, half naked 
 as she was, and having with much ado, in her great 
 fright, at last opened the door, she conducted us, as 
 she was ordered, pale and trembling, to her master's 
 bed-chamber. She often looked very earnestly at 
 me, as she knew me, and showed a great desire of 
 speaking to me; but of her 1 durst take no kind of 
 notice. I entered the bed-chamber with the notary, 
 followed by the Sbirri, when the lady awakening at 
 the noise, and seeing the bed surrounded by armed 
 men, screamed out aloud, and continued screaming, 
 as out of her senses, till one the Sbirri, provoked at 
 the noise, gave her a blow on the forehead, that made 
 the blood run down her face, and she swooned away. 
 I rebuked the fellow very severely, and ordered him 
 to be whipped as soon as I returned to the Inquisi- 
 tion. 
 
 In the meantime the husband awakening, and 
 seeing me with my attendants, cried out in tbo 
 
INQUISITIOX AT MACERATA. 393 
 
 Utmost surprise, 'Mr. Bower V He said then no more ; 
 nor could I for some time, utter a single word; and it 
 was with much ado that, in the end, I masteredmy grief ^ 
 so far as to be able to let my unfortunate friend know 
 that he was a prisoner of the Holy Inquisition. 'Of 
 the Holy Inquisition ! he replied, alas ! what have I 
 done ? My dear friend, be my friend now.' He 
 said many affecting things; but as I knew it was not 
 in my power to befriend him, I had not the courage 
 to look him in the face, but turning my back to him, 
 withdrew, while he dressed, to a corner of the room, 
 to give vent to my grief there. The notary stood 
 by him while he dressed, and as I observed, quite 
 unaffected. Indeed, to be void of all humanity, to 
 be able to behold one's fellow-creatures groaning and 
 ready to expire in the most exquisite torments cruelty 
 can invent without be'ng in the least affected with 
 their sufferings, is one of the chief qualifications of 
 an Inquisitor ; must strive to attain it. It often 
 happens, at that infernal tribunal, that while an 
 unhappy, and probably an innocent person is crying 
 out in their presence on the rack, and begging by all 
 that is sacred for one moment's relief, in a manner 
 one would think no human heart could withstand; it 
 often happens, I say, that the Inquisitor and the rest 
 of that inhuman crew, quite unaffected with his 
 complaints, and deaf to his groans, to his tears and 
 entreaties, are entertaining one another with the 
 news of the town; nay, sometimes they even insult, 
 with unheard of barbarity, the unhappy wretches 
 in the height of their torment. 
 
 To return to my unhappy prisoner; he was no 
 sooner dressed, than I ordered the Bargello, or head 
 of the Sbirri, to tie his hands with a cord behind his 
 back, as is practised on such occasions, without dis- 
 tinction of persons; no more regard being shown by 
 the Inquisition to men of the first rank, when charged 
 
 43* 
 
394 INQUISITION AT MACERATA. 
 
 with heresy, than to the meanest artificers. Heresy 
 dissolves all friendship ; so that I durst no longer 
 look upon the man with whom I had lived in the 
 greatest friendship and intimacy as my friend, or 
 show him, on that account, the least regard or 
 indulgence. 
 
 As we left the chamber, the countess, who had 
 been conveyed out of the room, met us, and^screaming 
 out m a most pitiful manner, upon seeing her hus- 
 band with his hands tied behind his back, like a thief 
 or robber, flew to embrace him, and hanging on his 
 neck, begged, with a flood of tears, we would be so 
 merciful as to put an end to her life, that she miglit 
 have the satisfaction, the only satisfaction she wished 
 for in this world, of dying in the bosom of the man 
 whom she had vowed never to part with. The 
 count, overwhelmed with grief, did not utter a single 
 word. I could not find in my heart, nor was I in a 
 condition to interpose; and indeed, a scene of greater 
 distress was never beheld by human eyes. How- 
 ever, I gave signal to the notary to part them, which 
 he did accordingly, quite unconcerned; but the 
 countess fell into a swoon, and the count was, in the 
 meantime, carried down stairs, and out of the house 
 aipidst the loud lamentations and sighs of his ser- 
 vants, on all sides ; for he was a man remarkable for 
 the sweetness of his temper, and his kindness to all 
 about him. 
 
 Being arrived at the Inquisition, I consigned my 
 prisoner into the hands of the goaler, a lay brother 
 of St. Dominic, who shut him up in the dungeon 
 mentioned above, and delivered the key Xo me. I 
 lay that night in the palace of the Inquisition, where 
 every counsellor has a room, and returned next 
 morning the key to the inquisitor, telling him that 
 his order had been punctually complied with. The 
 inquisitor had been already informed of my whole 
 
INQUISITION AT MACERATA. 395 
 
 conduct by the notary; and therefore, upon my dehv- 
 ering the key to him, 'You have acted (said he,) hke 
 one who is desirous at least to overcome with the 
 assistance of grace, the incUnations of nature; that 
 is, like one who is desirous, with the assistance of 
 grace, to metamorphose himself from a human crea- 
 ture, into a brute or a devil. 
 
 In the Inquisition, every prisoner is kept the first 
 week of his imprisonment, in a dark narrow dungeon, 
 so low that he cannot stand upright in it, without 
 seeing any body but the jailer, who brings him, 
 every other day, his portion of bread and water, the 
 only food that is allowed him. This is done, they 
 sa3^, to tame him, and render him, thus weakened, 
 more sensible of the torture, and less able to bear it. 
 At the end of the w^eek, he is brought in the night 
 before the board to be examined ; and on that occa- 
 sion, my poor friend appeared so altered, in a week^s 
 time that, had it not been for his dress, I should not 
 have known him ; and indeed no wonder ; a change 
 of condition so sudden and unexpected; the un- 
 worthy and barbarous treatment he had already met 
 with; the apprehension of what he might, and pro- 
 bably should suffer; and perhaps, more than any 
 thing else, the distressed and forlorn condition of his 
 once happy wife, whom he tenderly loved, whose 
 company he had enjoyed only six months, could be 
 attended with no other effect. Being asked, accord- 
 ing to custom, whether he had any enemies, and 
 desired to name them; he answered, that he bore 
 enmity to no man, and hoped th:^t no man bore 
 enmity to him. For as, in the Inquisition, the person 
 accused is not told of the charge brought against 
 him, nor of the person by whom it is brought ; the 
 Inquisitor asks him whether he has any enemies, 
 and desires him to name them. If he names the 
 informer, all further proceedings are stopped till the 
 
396 INQUISITION AT MACERATA. 
 
 informer is examined anew; and if the information 
 is found to proceed from ill-will, and no collateral 
 proof can ^e produced, the prisoner is discharged. 
 Of this piece of justice they frequently boast, at the 
 same time that they admit, both as informers and 
 witnesses, persons of the most infamous characters, 
 and such as are excluded by all other courts. In the 
 next place, the prisoner is ordered to swear that he 
 will declare the truth, and conceal nothing from the 
 holy tribunal, concerning himself or others, that he 
 knows, and the holy tribunal is desirous to know. 
 He is then interrogated for what crime he has been 
 apprehended and imprisoned by the Holy Court of 
 the Inquisition, of all courts the most equitable, the 
 most cautious, the most merciful. To that interro- 
 gatory the count answered, with a faint and tremb- 
 ling voice, that he was not concious to himself of any 
 crime,, cognizable by that Holy Court, nor indeed by 
 any other; that he believed, and ever had believed 
 whatever holy mother church believed, or required 
 him to believe. He had, it seems, quite forgot what 
 he had unthinkingly said at the sight of the two 
 friars. The Inquisitor, therefore, finding he did not 
 remember, or would not own his crime, after many 
 deceitful interrogatories, and promises which he 
 never intended to fulfil, ordered him back to his 
 dungeon, and allowing him another week, as is 
 customary in such cases, to recollect himself, told 
 him, that if he could not in that time prevail upon 
 himself to declare the truth, agreeable to his oath, 
 means would be found of forcing it from him; and he 
 must expect no mercy. 
 
 At the end of the week he was brought again 
 before the infernal tribunal, and being asked the 
 same questions, returned the same answers, adding, 
 that if he had done or said any thing amiss, unwit- 
 tingly or ignorantly, he was ready to own it provided 
 
INQUISITION AT MACERATA. 397 
 
 the least hint of it were given him by any there pre- 
 sent, which he entreated them most earnestly to do. 
 He often looked at me, and seemed to expect, which 
 gave me such concern as no words can express, that 
 I should say something in his favor. Bat I was not 
 allov/ed to speak on this occasion, nor was any of 
 the counsellors; and had Ibeen allowed to speak, I 
 durst not have said any thing in his favor; the advo^ 
 cate appointed by the inquisition, and commonly 
 styled, 'The Devil's Advocate,' being the only per- 
 son that is suffered to speak for the prisoner. I'his 
 advocate belongs to the Inquisition, receives a salary 
 of the Inquisition, and is bound by an oath to aban- 
 don the defence of the prisoner if he undertakes it, 
 or not to undertake it, if he finds it cannot be defend- 
 ed agreeably to the laws of the Holy Inquisition; so 
 that the whole is mere sham and imposition. I have 
 heard this advocate, on other occasions, allege some- 
 thing in favor of the person accused; but on this oc- 
 casion he declared that he had nothing to offer in 
 defence of the criminal. 
 
 In the Inquisition, the person accused is always 
 supposed guilty, unless he has named the accuser 
 among his enemies: and he is put to the torture if 
 he does not plead guilty, and own the crime that is 
 laid to his charge, without being so much as told 
 what it is ; whereas, in all other courts, where 
 tortures are used, the charge is declared to the party 
 accused before he is tortured ; nor are they ever in- 
 flicted without a credible evidence brought of his 
 guilt. But in the inquisition, a man is frequently 
 tortured upon the deposition of a person whose evi- 
 dance would be admitted in no other court, and in 
 all cases without hearing his charge. As my unfor- 
 timate friend continued to maintain his innocence, 
 not recollecting what he had said, he was, agreeably 
 to the laws of the Inquisition, put to the torture. 
 
S9S INQUISITION AT MACERATA. 
 
 He had scarce borne it 'twenty minutes, crying out 
 the whole time, 'Jesus Maria,' when his voice failed 
 him at once, and he fainted away. He was then 
 supported, as he hung by his arms, by two of the 
 Sbirri, whose province it is to manage the torture, 
 till he returned to himself. He still continued to 
 declare that he could not recollect his having said or 
 done any thing contrary to the Catholic faith, and 
 earnestly begged they would let him know with what 
 he was charged, being ready to own it, if it was 
 true. The Inquisitor was then so gracious as to put 
 him in mind of what he had said on seeing the two 
 Capuchins. The reason why they so long conceal 
 from the patry accused, the crime he is charged with 
 is, that if he should be conscious to himself of his 
 having ever said or done any thing contrary to the 
 faith, which he is not charged with, he may discover 
 that too, imagining it to be the very crime he is 
 accused of. After a short pause, the goor gentleman 
 owned that he had said something to that purpose ; 
 but, as he had said it with no evil intention, he had 
 never more thought of it from that time to the 
 present. He added, but with so faint a voice as 
 scarce could be iieard, that for his rashness, he was 
 willing to undergo what punishment soever the holy 
 tribunal should think fit to impose on him; and he 
 again fainted away. Being eased for a while of his 
 torment, and retiu*ned to himself, he was interrogated 
 by the promoter fiscal (whose business it is to accuse 
 and to proseciUe, as neither the informer nor the 
 witnesses are ever to appear) concerning his inten- 
 tion. For, in the Inquisition, it is not enough for 
 the party accused to confess the fact, he must like- 
 wise declare whether his intention was heretical or 
 not : and many, to redeem themselves from the tor- 
 ments they can no longer endure, own their intention 
 was heretical, though it really was not. My poor 
 
INQUISITION AT MACERATA. 399 
 
 friend often told ns he was ready to say whatever 
 he pleased; but, as he never directly acknowledged 
 his intention to have been heretical, as is required 
 by the rules of that court, he was kept on the torture 
 till, quite overcome with the violence of the anguish, 
 he was ready to expire; and being then taken down 
 he was carried quite senseless, beck to his dungeon ; 
 and there, on the third day, death pur. an end to his 
 sufferings. The inquisitor wrote a note to his 
 widow, to desire her to pray for the soul of her late 
 husband, and warn her not to complain of the holy 
 inquisition, as capable of any injustice or cruelty. 
 The estate was confiscated to the inquisition, and a 
 small jointure allowed out of it to the widow. As 
 they had only been married six months, and some 
 part of the fortune was not yet paid, the inquisitor 
 sent an order to the Constantini family, at Fermo, to 
 pay to the holy office, and without delay, what they 
 owed to the late count della Torre. For the effects 
 of heretics are all ipso facto confiscated to the inqui- 
 sition, and confiscated from the very day, not of 
 their conviction, but of their crime; so that all dona- 
 tions made after that time are void ; and whatever 
 they have given, is claimad by the inquisition, into 
 whatsoever hands it mas have passed; even the 
 fortunes they have given to their daughters in mar- 
 riage, have been declared to belong to, and are 
 claimed by the Inquisition; nor can it be doubted, 
 that the desire of those confiscations is one great 
 of the injustice and cruelty of that court. 
 
 The death of the unhappy count della Torre was 
 soon publicly known ; but no man cared to speak of 
 it, not even his nearest relations, nor so much as to 
 mention his name, lest any thing should inadvertently 
 escape them that might be construed into a disappro- 
 bation of the proceedings of the most holy tribunal; 
 so great is the awe all men live in of that jealous and 
 merciless court. 
 
409 INQUISITION AT MAC ERATA. 
 
 The other instance of the cruelty of the Inquisition, 
 related in the spurious account of my escape pub- 
 lished by Mr. Baron, happened some years before I 
 belonged to the Inquisition; and I do not relate it as 
 happening in my time, but only as happening in the 
 Inquisition of ivlacerata. It is related at length in 
 the annals of that Inquisition, and the substance of 
 the relation is as follows: An order was sent from 
 the high tribunal at Rome, to all the inquisitors 
 throughout Italy, enjoining them to apprehend a 
 clergyman minutely described in that order. One 
 answering the description in many particulars being 
 discovered in the diocese of Osimo, at a small dis- 
 tance from Macerata, and subject to that inquisition, 
 he was there decoyed into the Inquisition, and by an 
 order from Rome, so racked as to loose the use of his 
 senses. In the mean time the true person being 
 apprehended, the unhappy wretch was dismissed by 
 a second order from Rome; but he never recovered 
 the use of his senses, nor was any care taken of him 
 by the Inquisition. Father Piazza, who was then 
 Vicar at Osimo to Father Montecuccoli, Inquisitor 
 at Macerata, and died some years ago a good Pro- 
 testant, at Cambridge, published an account of this 
 affair, that entirely agrees with the account I read of 
 it in the records of the Inquisition. 
 
 The deep mipression that the death of my un- 
 happy friend, the most barbarous and inhuman 
 treatment he had met with, and the part I had been 
 obliged to act in so affecting a tragedy, made on my 
 mind, got at once the better of my fears; so that 
 forgetting in a manner the dangers I had till then so 
 much apprehended, I resolved, without further delay, 
 to put in execution the design I had formed of 
 quitting the Inquisition, and bidding forever adieu 
 to Italy. 
 
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