The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1839-09-21
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY Ii. WEBB.

Did no one step forward to assist her
to raise her up, and offer her restoratiyes
No--not one. Hundreds would have done
so, but they dared not, she was an outcast,
excommunicated, abandoned, and lost; and
should any one moved by compassion for a
suffering fellow creature, have ventured to
raise her up would have been looked upon
with suspicion, and most probably have been
arraigined and have had to settle the affair
OF conscience with the Holy Inquisition.
After short time two Of the officers of
the Inquisition went to Anime and raised
her again IN her seat, land she recovered sufli-
cienty to enable her to retain her posture.
A sermon was then preached by Domn-
can monk, in which he portrayed the tender
mercies, the paterna love of the holy office.
He compared the inquisition to the ark of
Noah, out of which all the animals walked
after the deluge, but with this difference
highly in favor of the holy office, that the
animals went forth from the ark no better
than they went in, whereas those who had
gone into the inquisition with all the cruel
ty Of disposition, and with the hearts of
wolves, came out as mild and patient as
lambs.
The public accuser then mounted the pull
pit and read from it all the crimes of those
who had been condemned and the punish
ments which they were TO undergo. Each
prisoner, as the sentence was read, was
brought forward TO the pulpit by the officers
to hear their sentence, standing up, with
their wax candles lighted in their hands,
AS soon as the sentences of all those whose
lives were spared were read, the Grand In
quisitor put on his priestly robes, and follow.
ed by several 9th ers, took off from them the
ban of excommuncation (which they were
supposed to have fallen underl By throwina
holy water on them with small broom.
AS soon as this portion of the ceremony
was over, those who were condemned to suf-
fer, and the efliges of those who had escap-
ed by death. were brenght up one by one
and their sentence read; the winding up of
the condemnation of all was in the same
words, that the holy Inquisition found it
impossible on account of their hardness OF
their hearts and the magnitude of their
| crimes to pardon them. With great con-
Germ it handed them over to secular Justice
to undergo the penalty of the laws; exhort-
ing the authorities at the same time 10 show
clemency and mercy toward the unhappy
wretches, and if they must suffer death that
all events it might be without the SpMing
Of blood! What mockery was this appar-
ent intercession, no to shed blood, when to
comply with their request, they substituted
the agony and the torment at the stake
Anime was the last who was led forward
to the pulpit, which was fixed against one
Of the massive columns of the centre aisle
close TO the throne occupied by the Grand
Inqusitcr.
You, Anime Vanderdecken," cried the
public accuser' AT this moment an unu-
sual bustle was heard in the crowd under
the pulpit, there was struggle and expostula-
tion; and the officers raised their wands for
order and decorum-but it continued.
"You Anime Vanderdecken, beinr ac-
cused-"
Another violent struggle and from the
crowd darted yong man, who rushed to
where Anime was standing and caught her
in his arms.
Philip Philip p' screamed Anime fall
ling on his bosom; as he caught her, the cap
of flames fell off her head and rolling along
the marble pavement.
"My Amine--my wife-my adored one
is it thus we meet? My Lord; she is
innocent" "Stand off men, continued the
officers of the Inquisition, who would have
torn them asunder. "Stand off or your
lives shall answer for it."
This threat of the officers, and the def
ance of all rules were not to be borne, the