Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-11-14
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER "A, 1927.
from the London New Monthly Magazine,l
COLONEL VAN HALEN'S ESCAPE

.kOlONEL VAN rhLEN y E,SShi IL
From the dungeons ofthe hquisition.
The volumes before US happily combine the
spirit and interest which generally belongs to
the detail Of personal adventures, with the va
rie,v and information of book Of travels, and
while nothing can be more romantic than the
scenes and events which they describe, no.
thing can be more satisfactory than the
proofs by which their reality is authenticated
Even. however, ifthe facts they contain were
less strongly supported by the Justihcator
documents which the author has thought IT
necessary 10 append to his volume, the capti>
waiting frankness of Don Juan Van Halen. and
the air of genuine sincerity and truth with
which he relates things which au,obiographers
in general think proper to omit, would plead
strongly with US 10 behalf OF his veracity, and
induce US to set him down as perfectly hon
est chronicier.
Don Juan Van Halen, after serving as an Of
ficer under Joseph BonaparIe, renewed his al
leeiance TO his "legilimate'' sovereign, Ferdi-
nand the Beloved, when that amiable monarch
re-entercd Spain, and issued the Constitutional
Code of the 9Th of May, 1914. In month
one little month, or ere his oaths were cold
Ferdinand trampled upon all his obligations,
the reign of'polcical ard religious fanaticlsm
was re. established in all its pomp Of darkness,
and celebrated with human sacrisce and patri-
OTIS groans. The political economists tell us
that patriotism, like the other virtues, is only
TO be found in countries where it leads TO dis
tinction. The distinction TO which il led in
Spain was certainly by no means to be envied.
The ensigns Of its honour were rags-its
badge halter-its highest elevation scaffold
Spanish Liberty was Graded in caverns, and
grew in dungeons. To the adventurous band
that sought TO force the tyraut to fulfil his VOWS
Iola IN cd IN. ha
aAecayue rse,nber Of one of those secret socie>
tics, so famous afterwards for the prosecutions
endured by their members under the name Of
Spanish FreemaSons
From the time OF Ferdinaud's restoration till
the year 1917, things had been steadily ap-
preaching To a political finish, and about that
time the government had reached the Turkish
or last point of despotism. Van Halen was
appointed agent, or secretary, TO small asso-
citation OF patriois--a Nirtuous lew, who had
formed Holy Alliance in the cause Of Span
ish Regeneration, consisting OF the yirtuous and
venerable Romero Alpuente, General Torrijos,
and some officers OF his brigade. The object
Of the Society was to gain throughout the
country a sufficient number OF individuals 10
effect rising in various parts OF Spain in Ia. our
OF the sacred charter offreedom; and Van Ha>
len was provided with Instructions 10 several
persons who were supposed to be favourable 10
the views OF his mission. Among these.was a
person named Calvo. who was actually fed by
the bounty Of Van Haen, and who played the
part Of q double traitor 10 friendship and lib
crafty, by betraying the secret Of his benefac-
tor TO the tyrant; In pursuance Of an order from
Madrid, Van EIalen is thrown into the dun
geons Of the lnquisition al Mercia.
sit was five o'clock when arrived before
the gates Of the Iuquisition. The prison Of the
IL
carried on with greater activity than the rest OF
the building were not yet completed conse-
quently was confined in the dungeons of the
old one. Scarcely had We entered its gates,
when the inquisitors and their subalterDs made
their appearance, and Irriberry delivered me
into their hands, blnting 10 me that his mis-
sion was not vet terminated. The senior in
quisitor then gave his orders to the gaoler, who
leading the way down flight Of stairs, guided
me through several subterraneous passages to
my dungeon, which, with four others, had I'M
fortunately survived the destruction Of the
principal part Of the building.
these dungeons, constructed in the print.
tive times, Of The Inquisition, were ON a level
with the river Segura, that trayersed the town;
so that the humidity, the cloud OF gnats that
entered through :he narrow loop holes with
which the dungeon was apparently lighted, the
q
bed to the unhappy inmate, the chains and
iron rings that hung from The walls, all con-
tributed to render this abode the most trightful
that ever met human sight. On being left alone
in this place, my mind naturally REQUIRED 10
10 the scenes OF misery that these walls mus,
have witnessed, and the number of victims
that must have sunk within this grave
Here Van Halen endures many pliva,ions,
Sharpened by insults; and, at length, is trans
ferred 20 the Inquisitinn a. Madrid. There are
some curious and minute revelations in this
part Of the book Of ",he secrets Of the prison
house." and descriptions infinitely mere strik-
ing, because more true, than have ever been
penned by any romance writer, of its damp and
dusky recesses, the mysterious cruelty of its
Judges, and the habits Of It's familiars. One of
the latter gives, Van Halen the following en-
picture Of the Inquisitorial mode Of
heretics.
"Assuming more than ever an air of humili
y, he said, with his usual feminine voice, which