IT first began by Ferdinandus and Elizabeth his wife,1 and was instituted against the Jews, which after their Baptism, professed their own ceremonies: but now it is practised against the professors of the Gospel. The Spaniards, especially the great divines, do hold, that the holy Inquisition can not err: and that the Fathers of the Inquisition can not be deceived. By the order of the Inquisition, the party called in question, if any thing be suspected or pretended, is incontinent commanded to a horrible prison, and there they find out crimes against him at leisure. In the mean time no man living so hardy (not the father for the child) as to speak for him: for if he do, he is also taken, and cast into prison: neither is it permitted for any one to enter into the prison, but there he endureth alone, where he can not see so much as the ground, and where he sustaineth moreover whippings, rackings, irons, tortures, &c. Sometimes they are brought forth, and showed in some high place, for an open spectacle of rebuke and shame: and thus are some of them detained many years, & murdered by long torments whole days together:2 during all the time what is done in the prison no man knoweth, but only the holy ⟨p. 472⟩Fathers and the tormentors: all is done in secrete: the accuser secrete, the crime secrete, the witness secrete, neither is the poor prisoner ever advertised of any thing: if he can guess who accused him, wherefore and whereof, he may be pardoned peradventure of his life, but this is very seldom, and yet is he not set at liberty, before he hath endured long time infinite torments: and this is called their Penitence: and so he is let go, yet not but that he must wear a garment with yellow colours, for a note of public infamy to him and his whole race. And if he can not guess right, showing to the judge by whom he was accused, and whereof, incontinent the horrible sentence of condemnation is pronounced against him, to be burned for an obstinate heretic: yet so the sentence is not executed till he hath endured imprisonment, in some heinous prison.
IT first began by Ferdinandus and Elizabeth his wife,1 and was instituted against the Iewes, which after their Baptisme, professed their owne ceremonies: but now it is practised against the professors of the Gospell. The Spaniardes, especially the great diuines, doo hold, that the holy Inquisition can not erre: and that the Fathers of the Inquisition can not bée deceiued. By the order of the Inquisition, the party called in question, if any thing be suspected or pretended, is incontinent commaunded to a horrible pryson, and there they find out crimes against him at leasure. In the meane time no man liuing so hardy (not the father for the child) as to speake for him: for if he do, he is also taken, and cast into prison: neither is it permitted for any one to enter into the prison, but there he endureth alone, where he can not sée so much as the ground, and where he sustaineth moreouer whippings, rackings, irons, tortures, &c. Sometimes they are brought foorth, and shewed in some high place, for an open spectacle of rebuke and shame: and thus are some of them deteined many yéeres, & murthered by long tormentes whole daies together:2 during all the time what is doone in the prison no mā knoweth, but only ye holy ⟨p. 472⟩Fathers and the tormentors: all is doone in secrete: the accuser secrete, the crime secrete, the witnesse secrete, neyther is the poore prisoner euer aduertised of any thing: if hée can gesse who accused him, wherefore and whereof, hée may bée pardoned peraduenture of his life, but this is very seldome, and yet is he not set at libertie, before hée hath endured long time infinit torments: and this is called their Penitence: and so he is let go, yet not but that hée must weare a garment with yellow coulours, for a note of publike infamie to him and his whole race. And if he can not gesse right, shewing to the iudge by whom he was accused, and whereof, incontinent the horrible sentence of condemnation is pronounced against him, to be burned for an obstinate heretike: yet so the sentence is not executed till he hath endured imprisonment, in some hainous prison.
- 1Of the execrable Inquisition of Spain.Of the execrable Inquisitiō of Spaine.
- 2Torments whole days together.Torments whole dayes together.
