The author has sought here to hold a course that is unencumbered by religious partisanship, treating purely as a phase of history the institution for which Torquemada was so largely responsible. He has not written in the Catholic interest, or the Protestant interest, or the Jewish interest. He holds the view that on the score of intolerance it is not for Christians to cast a stone at Jews, nor Jews at Christians, nor yet Christians of one sect at Christians of another. Each will find in his own history more than enough to answer for at the bar of Humanity. And when achievement is measured by opportunity, each will discover that he is entitled to fling at the others no reproaches which the others are not entitled to fling at him. If the Spanish Inquisition is here shown as a ruthless engine of destruction whose wheels drip the blood of mangled generations, yet it is very far from being implied that religious persecution is an offence peculiar to the Church of Rome. “She persecuted to the full extent of the power of her clergy, and that power was very great. The persecution of which every Protestant church was guilty was measured by the same rule, but clerical influence in Protestant countries was comparatively weak.” Thus Lecky, whom we quote lest any should be tempted to use anything in these pages as a weapon of unchristian Christian partisanship. Let any such remember that against Torquemada, who was unfortunately well served by opportunity, may be set the bloody-minded John Knox, who, fortunately for humanity, was not; let him ponder the slaughter of Presbyterians, Puritans, and Roman Catholics under Elizabeth; let him call to mind the persecutions of the Anabaptists under Edward VI, and the Anabaptists’ own clamour for the blood of all who were not re-baptized. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. EARLY PERSECUTIONS 17 II. THE INQUISITION CANONICALLY ESTABLISHED 29 III. THE ORDER OF ST. DOMINIC 37 IV. ISABELLA THE CATHOLIC 51 V. THE JEWS IN SPAIN 71 VI. THE NEW-CHRISTIANS 89 VII. THE PRIOR OF HOLY CROSS 104 VIII. THE HOLY OFFICE IN SEVILLE 114 IX. THE SUPREME COUNCIL 130 X. THE JURISPRUDENCE OF THE HOLY OFFICE--THE FIRST “INSTRUCTIONS” OF TORQUEMADA 139 XI. THE JURISPRUDENCE OF THE HOLY OFFICE--THE MODE OF PROCEDURE 168 XII. THE JURISPRUDENCE OF THE HOLY OFFICE--THE AUDIENCE OF TORMENT 184 XIII. THE JURISPRUDENCE OF THE HOLY OFFICE--THE SECULAR ARM 194 XIV. PEDRO ARBUÉS DE EPILA 213