The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-05-21 00:00:00

Tllf 51A:111WN.
4

INQUISI77ON 1N 7N1)14.

This monster of the Church of Rome, the Itiqui-.
salon, Las reigned about 200 years at Goa, a Portu-
guese settlement, in India, now occupied by British
arms; a tribunal comprising in itself all the horrors
of religious persecution, under. Ihe most dreadful
Mid inhuman forms, whereliy many innocent victims
have been sacrificed to ricks, dutigeons,•burnings,
tortures, and deaths: and sometimessfor trilling of-
yfences, or the bare suspicion of heresy. The tribu-
nal is styled the " Holy Qicitcp,r and its horrid pro:,
ceedings, are called " Aft?, of. Pitith4: Dr. Buena.,
liati, during his " Resilarches its' ihe East," visited
the Inquisition'of GOW, With 'I 46414 of eteploring
fits present slate, but tkaidd It so guarded by the jea-
lousy and secrecy of this republic of priests
(amounting to more than *000), that he was obliged
1 to proceed eith great•outellen, so as not to excite
alarm, whereby his object Would be
.11efeate4.: The
forts in the harbour of Goa, being recuptedbY Er 6
tish troops, he was accontpanied to the -44' Holy
Office" by two British officers, in whose counte-
nance he observed the marks of indignation, ea con-
templating. a place where formerly their own eosin-
: trymen had been condemned to the flames, and into
which they themselves might now he suddenly thrown,'
without the possibility of rescue. The Inquititlou
being an authority, from whose sentence there is no
appeal in India.
Our traveller having been introduced to Jos. a
I)oloribus, Second Inquisitor, took leave of his
friends; but it had been previously intimated to him
by Colonel Adams (half-way between jest and ear-
nest), " that if they did not hear from him, at the
fort, within three days, he would march down the
18th, and storm the Inquisition !" Apartments
. were assigned to our traveller in the college, adjoin-,
in; the convent, and neat to the rooms of the In-
quisitor, by whom he was treated with hospitality
and candour; the'subject of his enquiry being con-
sidered to he ora literary nature. The day after his
arrival, our notbor was introduced by his host to the
Archbishop elf Goa, by whom he was treated with.
kindness, 'earl shewu iaito the archiepiscopal library,
in which was, a valuable collection of books. Ile
was also invited to dine with the Chief inquisitor;at
his house in the country, where, accompanied by
the Second Inquisitor, he found a respectable num-
ber of Priests, and a sumptuous entertainment.' Al-
though our author, hitherto, had said but likle•con-
corning the Inquisition, he had indirectly. gleaned
considerable information, by discussions ,on literary
subjects; having also access to several libraries.—
some enquiry was made concerning the nature "and
frequency of punishments within the walls, bet no
satisfactory answer was made, it being alleged, that
'every thing transacted there was sacrum ct secretum.
1 It was allowed there were constantly captives in the
I dungeons, some were liberated after long confine-
! ment, whilst others suffered according to their sen-
! tence ; but that according to the fixed laws of the
tribunal, a relapsed heretic must be burned in the
flames, or confined to a 'dungeon for life, whether
1 the Inquisitor be hamane or not. Dr. Buchanan
asked if he might be permitted to see the Inquisition,
saying, that as he had written on the civilization of
India, it could not be expected bat that he should
notice the Inquisition, and wished the facts lie might
state, to be of the first authority. He observed the
countenance of the Inquisitor evidently to alter on
this intimation, nor did it ever after .i holly regain
its wonted placidity.—After some hesitation, how-
! ever, a promise Wei made, that all that was proper
should be shewn to him the next day.
On the following morning the Itiquisitor visited,
our author, dressed iu the robes of the holy office,
for the purpose of shewing him the Inquisition, which
was distant a quarter of a mile from the convent ; his
countenance appeared more severe than usual, end
his attendants less civil. On their arrival at the
dreadful place, the Inquisitor requested of our coun-
tryman, that he would be satisfied with a transcient
view of the Inquisition, and retire whenever he
should desire it; this inspired him with confidence,
and they entered the great hall, where they met
a number of familiars and attendants of the holy
office, who bowed low to the Inquisitor, and looked
with surprise on the stranger. In the great hall the
prisoners are marshalled barefoot for the procession 1
of the Auto da Fe, or final judgment, a place which 1
! our author traversed for some time, with slow step, 1
1 reflecting on its former scenes (the Inquisitor walk- !
! ing by his side in silence). He thought of the mul-
titude of inuocent victims that hat passed through
that place, condemned by a tribunal of their fellow
sinners, their bodies devoted to the flames, and their
souls to perdition ; he asked his guide, "Would not
the holy church wish, hi her mercy, to have those
souls back again, that she may allow them a little
„farther probation ?" The Inquisitor answered no-
; thing, but beckoned him to a door at the end of the
hall, which led to some small rooms, and thence to
thi spacious apartments, of the Chief Inquisitor.—
1-ifiviiig surveyed these, the traveller was conducted
back to the great hall, where he thought his '
aide . appeared desirous he should depart.
' sow, Father," said he, " lead me to the dun-
geons below, I want to see the captives."--
4 'No," said he, " that cannot be." I urged him
-with earnestness, but he steadily resisted, and seem.
ed ta:be offended, or rather to be agitated with my
hisportunlty., 66 Lead me down "•said 1, " and let
me pisi through the two hundrea dungeons, ten feet
square; let me count the captives, let me converse
1 with then'. ' I want to see if there be among them
• (
affY subjects of Great Britain, to whom we owe pro-
' tectieti; I want to ask how long they have been
I there, how long since they have beheld the light of
'the run, and whether they ever expect to see it
ii again? Shaw me the chamber of torture, and declare
what modes of execution or of punishment, are now
pratised.within the walls of the Inquisition. If after
all that has passed, Father, you resist this reason-
able request, I shall be justified in believing that you
are afraid of exposing the real state of the Inquisi-
tion In India." To these observations the Inquisitor
made no reply, but seemed impatient that his visitor
should withdraw.
66 My good Father, (continued he) I am about to
take my leave or you, and to thank
.you for your
hospitable attentions, and I wish atways to preserve,
esti my mind, a 'ffivoerable sentitnent of your kindness
and candour. Yoq cannot, you say, show me the
captives and, dungseni; ;.Ite, pleased, tine merely tio

,answer this question, for I shall believe your word:
ilow inany prisoners are there now below, in the
-polls of the .inquisition?". 'The lugnisi'tor replied',
" that is a question which I cannot answer." On
41pronouncing these words,. - onr countryman retired
astity towards the door. And bid him 61.6%411.
Theyihnok hands with as much cordiality, as they
could at the moment assume ; and bt,tli appeared
sorry their parting took place with a clouded
,tetiance.
Wom the Inquisition, the traveller went io the,
'piece of burning, in the Campo del Santo LazarO, on
'the river bide, where the victims were brought to the,
stake. It is close to the palace, that the Viceroys
and his Court may witness the executions; to it'has
ever been the policy of the Inquisition, to make these
spiritual executions appear to be thoie of the Rife.
Pondering on the mysterious Itiipl'nsation, *Welk
permltted the ministers of the laquisitiout with tlieir
racks and games to visit this country, instead of the
heralds of the gospel of peace, our, authni could not
hell: feeling the most painful reflection, thai this lior-
i rid tribunal should yet exist, waved by the vicinity
of British bunlatiity and dominion. " The Romans,
(says MOntesquieu) deserved well of ,hum nature, ,
for making it an article in their treaty with the Car-
thaginians, that they should abstain from *educing
their children to their gods."—Ought not then the
Engliifi' nation to imitate this example, awl endea-
vour to induce her allies to abolish the human sacri-
fices to the cruel shrine of the Inquisition ?