History of the Inquisition from Its Establishment Till the Present TimeSime, William
History
History of the Inquisition from Its Establishment Till the Present Time
Sime, William
Inquisition; Inquisition -- History
all that has passed, father, you resist this reasonable request,
I shall be justified in believing that you are afraid of 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, (it had been before understood that I should take my
final leave at the door of the Inquisition, after having seen the
interior,) and to thank you for your hospitable attentions, and I
wish always to preserve on my mind a favourable sentiment of your
kindness and candour. You cannot, you say, show me the captives
and 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 Inquisitor replied,
"That is a question which I cannot answer!" On his pronouncing
these words, I retired 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 burning in the _Campo
Santo-Lazaro_, on the river side, where the victims were brought
to the stake at the auto-da-fé. It is close to the palace, that
the viceroy 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 on the
difference between the pure and benign doctrine, which was first
preached to India in the 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 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 at Travancore, being an answer to a letter from
that officer.
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