Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1843-10-19

cupied, on either side were seats less
eieVated, Tor. the holy fathers when en-
gagged IN the solemn business Of the Ho-
~ lnqulsltion. From the room we nro-
ceeded to the right, and obtained access
10 small cells,extendng the entire length
OF the edlfice; and here what SIGHT mel
our eyes. How has The benevolent re-
ligion OF Jesus been abused and sIandar-
ed by its professed friends.
These cells were places of SOLITARY con
ifnement, where the wretcbed objects Of
tuqulsitorial hate were confined Wear If.
ter year, Till death released them of their
suifernss and there their bodies were
suffered TO remain until they were en-
trely decayed, and tie rooms became fiji
tor others TO occupy. 10 prevent this prac
the in H1tT spiI45n ns to those who occupied
extending to the open air, suffic1ehft. 4 "a.
pacous to carry Off the o,Ior from those
decayine bodies. In the cells we found
some who had paid the debt of nature:
some of them bad been dead apparently
but a short time. while Of others nothino
remained but their bones. still chained
to the floor of their dungeon. In Others
we found the living sufferers of every age
and of both sexes, from the young men
and maiden to those of three score and
ten years, all as naked as when thew were
born in the worhl. Our soldiers imme-
diately applied themselves to release
these captiVes Of their chains, stript them
selves in part of their own clothing to
cover these wretched beings, and were
exceeding anxious to bring them up 10
the light Of day. Being aware of danger
insisted on their wants being supplied
and being brought gradually 10 the light
as they could bear it. s
When we had explored these celIs,and
opened the prison doors of those who
yet survived, we proceeded to explore
another room on the left Here we
found the instruments of torture. of ev.
cry kind, which the ingenuity of men or
devils conld invent. At the sight of
them the fury of our soldiers refused anv
longer to be restrained. They declared
that every Inquisitor, monk and soldier
of the establishment deserved to be put
to the torture. We did not attempt any
longer to restrain them. They common
ced at once the work of torture with the
Holy Fathers. | remained till I saw
four different kinds of torture applied,
and then retired from the awful scene.
which terminated not while one individu.
81 i6iiRfsaiRa9di Aff the fprmeF entity
they could wreak revenge. AS soon as
tie poor sufferers from the cells of the
! Inquisition could with safety be brought
out Of their prison to the light Of day
news having been spread far and near,
that numbers had been rescued from the
Inquisition) all who had been deprived
of friends by the holy office, came to in.
quire if theirs were among the number.
@. what a meeting was there! about a
hundred who had been buried alive for
many years, were now restored to the &C
tive world, and many of them found here
son and there daughter. here sister
and there brother, and some, alas
could recognize no friends. The scene
was such that no tongue car describe -
When this work ofrecOspition was over
to complete the business in which bad
eHSdSeu. "Sht " maui III dbu "pt1ieu
a large quantity of gun powder. which
placed underneath the edifice, and its
vaults. and as we applied the slow match
there was joyful sight to thousands OF
admiring eyes. Oh!i would have done
your heart good to see it; the wall and
massive turrets of that proud edilice,
were raised towards the heavens, and the
Inquisition of Madrid was no more