allel on to the other; whereby both my shoulders were dislocated, and a considerable quantity of blood issued from my mouth. This torture was repeated thrice; after which I was again taken to my dungeon, and put in the hands of physicians and surgeons, who in setting my bones, put me to exquisite pain.

Two months after, being a little recovered, I was again conveyed to the torture om; and there made to undergo another kind of punishment twice. The reader may judge of its hor ror, from the following description thereof.

The torturers turned twice round my body a thick iron chain, which, crossing upon my stomach, terminated afterwards at my wrists. They next set my back against a thick board, at each extremity whereof was a pulley, through which they run a rope, that catched the ends of the chains at my wrists. The tormentors then stretched these ropes, by means of a roller, pressed or bruised my stomach, in proportion as the ropes were drawn tighter. They tortured me on this occasion to such a degree, that my wrists and shoulders were put out of joint.

The surgeons however set them presently after; but the barbarians not having yet satiated their cruelty, made me undergo this torture a second time, which I did with fresh pains, though with equal constancy and resolution. I was then remanded back to my dungoon, attended by the surgeons who dressed my bruises; and here I continued till the Auto da Fè, or gaol delivery.

The reader may judge from the faint description, of the dreadful anguish I must have laboured under, the nine different times they put me to the torture. Most of my limbs were put out of joint, and bruised in such a manner, that I was unable, during some weeks, to lift my hand to my mouth; my body being vastly swelled, by the inflammations caused by the frequent dislocations. I have but too much reason to fear, that I shall feel the sad effects of this cruelty so long as I live; being seized from time to time with thrilling pains, with which I never was afflicted, till I had the misfortune to fall in the merciless and bloody hands of the Inquisitors.

The day of the Auto da Fè being come, I was made to walk in the procession, with the other victims of this tribunal. Being come to St. Dominic's church, my sentence was read, by which I was condemned to the galley (as they term it) during four

years.

Four days after this procession, I was conveyed to this galley; and joined, on the morrow, in the painful occupation of my fellow slaves. However, the liberty I had of speaking to my friends, after having been deprived of even the sight of them.

during my tedious, wretched abode in the prison of the inquisition; the open air I now breathed; with the satisfaction I felt in being freed from the dreadful apprehensions which always overspread my mind, whenever I reflected on the uncertainty of my fate; these circumstances united, made me find the toils of the galley much more supportable.

As I had suffered greatly in my body, by the tortures inflicted on me in the prison of the Inquisition, of which the reader has seen a very imperfect, though faithful narrative, in the foregoing sheets; I was quite unfit to go about the painful labour that was immediately allotted me, viz. the carrying water (an hundred pounds weight) to the prisons of the city. But the fears I was under, of being exposed to the inhumanity of the guards or overseers who accompany the galley slaves, caused me to exert myself so far beyond my strength, that, twelve days after, I fell grievously sick. I was sent to the Infirmary, where I continued two months. During my abode in this place I was often visited by the Irish friars belonging to the convent of Corpo Santo, who offered to get my release, provided I would turn Roman Catholic. I assured them that all their endeavours would be fruitless; I expecting my enlargement from the Almighty alone, who, if He, in his profound wisdom thought proper, would point out other expedients for my obtaining it, than my becoming an apostate.

overseers.

Being unable, after this, to go through the toils to which I had been sentenced, I was excused, by my amply rewarding the It was now that I had full leisure to reflect seriously on the means of obtaining my liberty; and, for this purpose, desired a friend to write to my brother-in-law, Mr. Barbu, to inform him of my deplorable state; and to intreat him, humbly to address the Earl of Harrington in my favour; my brother-inlaw having the honour to live in his lordship's family. This nobleman, whose humanity and generosity have been the theme of infinitely more able pens than mine, was so good as to endeavour to procure my freedom. Accordingly, his lordship spoke to his grace the duke of Newcastle, one of the principal secretaries of state; with a view to supplicate for leave, from our sovereign, that his minister at Lisbon might demand me as a subject of Great Britain.

His Majesty interposing in my favour, and his commands being despatched to Mr. Compton, the British minister at Lisbon, that gentleman demanded my liberty of the king of Portugal, in his Britannic majesty's name; which I accordingly obtained the latter end of October, 1744. The person who came and released me from the galley, by order of the Inquisitors, took me before them. The president then told me, that Cardinal da Cun

ha had given orders for my being released. At the same time, he bid me return to the holy office in three or four days.

I could perceive, during this interval, that I was followed by the spies of the Inquisition, who kept a watchful eye over my behaviour, and the places I frequented. I waited upon our envoy, as likewise upon our consul, whom I informed of the commands which had been laid upon me at the Inquisition; and those gentlemen advised me to obey them. They cautioned me, however, to take a friend with me, for the purpose of giv ing them notice, should I be seized again. Accordingly I returned to the Inquisitors, five days after, when the president declared: "that the tribunal would not permit me to continue any longer in Portugal; and therefore that I must name the city and kingdom whither I intended to retire." I replied,"that as my family was now in London, I designed to go thither as soon as possible." They then bid me embark in the first ship that should sail for England; adding, that the instant I had found one, I must inform them of the day and hour I intended to go on board, together with the captain's name, and that of his ship.

A report prevailed some days after, that one of the persons seized by the Inquisition for free-masonry, and who obtained his liberty by turning Roman Catholic, had been so indiscreet as to divulge the cruelties exercised in this tribunal.

I now imagined that prudence required me to secure myself from a second persecution. As there was, at this time, no English ship in the port of Lisbon, I waited upon Mr. Vantil, the resident of Holland, and besought him to speak to the Dutch admiral to admit me on board his fleet. The resident, touched with my calamities, hinted my request to the admiral, who ge nerously complied with it. I then went, together with a friend, and informed the Inquisitor, that I designed to embark for England, in the Damietta, commanded by vice-admiral Cornelius Screiver, who was to sail in a few days. Upon the Inquisitor's inquiring the exact time when I intended to go on board; I replied, at nine o'clock the next morning. He then bid me come to him precisely at that hour; adding, that he would send some officers of the Inquisition to see me on ship-board.

These orders giving me great uneasiness, I waited upon several gentlemen above mentioned when, telling them the injunctions laid upon me, they advised me to act very cautiously on this occasion. I therefore thought it would be safest for me to go on board immediately, without giving any notice of it to the Inquisitors. We lay at anchor, after this, near three weeks before Lisbon.

The Inquisitor no sooner found that I failed coming to bim at the time appointed, in order to be conducted to the ship, than he sent out about fifty spies. Nine of these coming to inquire after me, at the house where I used to lodge, searched it from top to bottom; examining every trunk, chest of drawers and closet. But their endeavours to find me being fruitless, some of the officers of the Inquisition getting into a boat, rowed several times round the three Dutch men of war lying at anchor. These officers imagined, that if I was on board, and consequently in a place of security, I should not be afraid of showing myself; a circumstance that would have put an end to their search, which cost them some pains and expense. As I did not gratify their curiosity, and we weighed anchor a few days after, I know not whether they continued it.

Their search was so open, both at the house where I lodged, as well as at other places, that I was soon informed of it; at which I should have been delighted, had not my joy been damped by the apprehension I was under, lest my dear friend, Mr. Mouton, the companion of my sufferings and tortures, merely on account of free-masonry, should likewise fall a victim to their barbarity. Speaking concerning him to the admiral, he with the utmost humanity, gave me leave to send for him on board. He coming accordingly next day, was received, with great satisfaction, by the whole ship's company, especially by myself, I having a peculiar esteem for him, which I shall ever enter

tain.

We set sail two days after. We had occasion to observe, during our whole voyage, the true pleasure which a generous mind feels, in doing a humane action, and in protecting the unhappy. This was particularly conspicuous in the admiral, he ordering the utmost care to be taken of us, all the time we were on board his ship; he sometimes condescended to admit us to his table, when he would talk to us with the utmost familiarity. This distinction won us the civility of every person in the ship, which continued till our arrival at Portsmouth, where we landed; without having been put to a farthings expense during the w hole voyage.

All these favours, so generously bestowed by the admiral, call al-oud for the strongest acknowledgments of gratitude.

To conclude, I arrived in London on the 15th of December 1744, after a long and dangerous voyage.

I here return thanks, with all the power of my soul, to the Almighty, for his having so visibly protected me from that infernal band of friars, who employed the various tortures mentioned in the former pages, in order to force me to apostatize from my holy religion.

ROMAN CATHOLIC INQUISITION AT MACERATA IN ITALY.

Narrative of Mr. Bower, who gives an account of this Court of Inquisition and of secrets hitherto unknown relative to their proceedings against heretics.

[Meth. Mag. 3rd Vol.]

"I NEVER, (says Mr. Bower,) pretended that it was for the sake of religion alone, that I left Italy; but on the contrary, have often declared, as all my friends can attest, that, had I never belonged to the Inquisition, I should have gone on, as most Roman Catholics do, without ever questioning the truth of the religion I was brought up in, or thinking of any other. But the unheardof cruelties of that hellish tribunal shocked me beyond all expression, and rendered me, as I was obliged, by my office of Counsellor, to be accessary to them, one of the most unhappy men upon earth. I therefore began to think of resigning my of fice; but, as I had on several occasions, betrayed some weakness as they had termed it, that is, some compassion and humanity, and had upon that account, been reprimanded by the Inquisitor, I was well apprized, that my resignation would be ascribed by him to my disapproving the proceedings of the holy tribunal. And indeed to nothing else could he have ascribed it, as a place at that board was a sure way to preferment, and attended with great privileges and a considerable salary. Being therefore, sensible how dangercus a thing it would be to give the least ground to any suspicion of that nature, and no longer able to bear the sight of the many barbarities practised almost daily within those walls, nor the reproaches of my conscience, in being accessary to them, I determined, after many restless nights, and much deliberation with myself, to withdraw at the same time from the Inquisitor and from Italy. In this mind, and in the most unhappy and tormenting situation that can possibly be imagined, I continued near a twelvemonth, not able to prevail upon myself to execute the resolution I had ta ken, on account of the many dangers which I foresaw would inevitably attend it, and the dreadful consequences of my failing in the attempt. But, being in the mean time ordered by the Inquisitor to apprehend a person, with whom I lived in the greatest intimacy and friendship, the part I was obliged to act on that occasion, left so deep an impression in my mind as soon prevailed over all my fears, and made me determine to put into execution, at all events, and without further delay, the design 1