The remainder of Dellon's history adds nothing to what we have already
heard of the Inquisition. He was taken to Lisbon, and, after working in
a gang of convicts for some time, was released on the intercession of
some friends in France with the Portuguese government. With regard to
his despair, and attempts to commit suicide, when in the holy house,
we may observe that, as he states, suicide was very frequent there.
The contrast of his disconsolate impatience with the resignation and
constancy of Christian confessors in similar circumstances, is obvious.
As a striking illustration of the difference between those who suffer
without a consciousness of divine favor, and those who rejoice with joy
unspeakable and full of glory, we would refer the reader to that noble
band of martyrs who suffered death at the stake, at the Auto held in
Seville, on Sunday, September 24, 1559. At that time twenty-one
were burnt, followed by one effigy, and eighteen penitents, who were
released.
"One of the former was Don Juan Gonzales, Presbyter of Seville, an
eminent preacher. With admirable constancy he refused to make any
declaration, in spite of the severe torture, saying that he had not
followed any erroneous opinions, but that he had drawn his faith from
the holy Scriptures; and for this faith he pleaded to his tormentors in
the words of inspiration. He maintained that he was not a heretic, but
a Christian, and absolutely refused to divulge anything that would bring
his brethren into trouble. Two sisters of his were also brought out to
this Auto, and displayed equal faith. They would confess Christ, they
said, and suffer with their brother, whom they revered as a wise and
holy man. They were all tied to stakes on the quemadero, a piece of
pavement, without the walls of the city, devoted to the single use of
burning human victims. Sometimes this quemadero [Footnote: Llorente, the
historian of the Spanish Inquisition, says, "So many persons were to be
put to death by fire, the governor of Seville caused a permanent raised
platform of masonry to be constructed outside the city, which has
lasted to our time (until the French revolution) retaining its name of
Quemadero, or burning-place, and at the four corners four large hollow
stalutes of limestone, within which they used to place the impenitent
alive, that they might die by slow fires."] was a raised platform of
stone, adorned with pillows or surrounded with statues, to distinguish
and beautify the spot. Just as the fire was lit, the gag, which had
hitherto silenced Don Juan, was removed, and as the flames burst from
the fagots, he said to his sisters, 'Let us sing, Deus laudem meam ne
tacueris.' And they sang together, while burning, 'Hold not thy peace,
O God of my praise; for the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the
deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a
lying tongue.' Thus they died in the faith of Christ, and of his holy
gospel."
APPENDIX IV.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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