Military Memoirs of Capt. George CarletonDefoe, Daniel
History
Military Memoirs of Capt. George Carleton
Defoe, Daniel
Adventure stories; Great Britain -- History, Military -- Fiction; Soldiers -- Fiction
When I came back, I found a new _Corrigidor_, as I had been told there
would, by the Dean of the Inquisition, who, at the same Time, advised me
to wait on him. I did so, soon after my Arrival, and then experienced
the Advice to be well intended; the Dean having wrote a Letter to him,
to order him to treat me with all Manner of Civility. He show'd me the
very Letter, and it was in such particular and obliging Terms, that I
could not but perceive he had taken a Resolution, if possible, to
eradicate all the evil impressions, that _Murtough's_ Behaviour might
have given too great Occasion for. This serv'd to confirm me in an
Observation that I had long before made, That a Protestant, who will
prudently keep his Sentiments in his own Breast, may command any Thing
in _Spain_; where their stiff Bigotry leads 'em naturally into that
other Mistake, That not to oppose, is to assent. Besides, it is
generally among them, almost a work of Supererogation to be even
instrumental in the Conversion of one they call a Heretick. To bring any
such back to what they call Mother Church, nothing shall be spar'd,
nothing thought too much: And if you have Insincerity enough to give
them Hopes, you shall not only live in Ease, but in Pleasure and Plenty.
I had entertain'd some thoughts on my Journey back, of taking up my old
Quarters at the Widow's; but found her so intirely converted by her
_Clerico_, that there wou'd be no room to expect Peace: For which
Reason, with the help of my fair _Vicinos_, and _Don Felix_, I took
another, where I had not been long, before I received an unhappy Account
of _Murtough's_ Conduct in _Murcia_. It seems he had kept his Resolution
in going thither; where meeting with some of his own Countrymen, though
he found 'em stanch good Catholics, he so far inveigled himself into
'em, that he brought them all into a foul chance for their Lives. There
were three of 'em, all Soldiers, in a _Spanish_ Regiment, but in a fit
of ambitious, though frantick, Zeal: _Murtough_ had wheedled them to go
along with him to _Pedro de Dios_, Dean of the Inquisition, to declare
and acknowledge before him, that they were converted and brought over to
Mother Church, and by him only. The poor Ignorants, thus intic'd, had
left their Regiment, of which the Colonel, having notice, sent after
them, and they were overtaken on the Road, their _Missionair_ with them.
But notwithstanding all his Oratory, nay, even the Discovery of the
whole Farce, one of them was hang'd for an Example to the other two.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account