The History of Persecution, from the Patriarchal Age, to the Reign of George IIChandler, Samuel
History
The History of Persecution, from the Patriarchal Age, to the Reign of George II
Chandler, Samuel
Persecution -- Great Britain; Persecution -- History
As to those who are designed for the fire, viz. such as have confessed
their heresy, and are impenitent, and negatives, viz. such who are
convicted by a sufficient number of witnesses, and yet deny their crime,
and finally such as are relapsed, they are all carried into a room
separate from the others. Their dress is different from that of the
others. They are however, clothed with the sackcloth, or kind of mantle,
which some call the Sambenito, others the Samarra or Samaretta. And
though it be of the same make as the Sambenito is, yet it hath different
marks, is of a black colour, hath flames painted on it, and sometimes
the condemned heretic himself, painted to the life, in the midst of the
flames. Sometimes also they paint on it devils thrusting the poor
heretic into hell. Other things may also be put on it; and all this is
done, that persons may be deterred from heresy by this horrible
spectacle.
As to those, who after sentence pronounced, do at length confess their
crime, and convert themselves, before they go out of jail, they are, if
not relapses, clothed with the Samarra, on which the fire is painted,
sending the flames downward, which the Portugueze call Fogo revolto; as
though you should say, the fire inverted. Besides this, they have paper
mitres put on them, made in the shape of a cone; on which also devils
and flames are painted, which the Spaniards and Portugueze call in their
language Carocha. All of them being thus clothed, according to the
nature of their crime, are allowed to sit down on the ground, waiting
for fresh orders. Those of them who are to be burnt, are carried into a
neighbouring apartment, where they have confessors always with them, to
prepare them for death, and convert them to the faith of the church of
Rome.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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