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Ol, TRUE AMERICANS’ MANUAL. 85
INTERESTING DESCRIPTION OF THH
DESTRUCTION OF THE INQUISITION AT MADRID.
Coponrn Leswanouskt, formerly an officer
under Napoleon, now a minister of the Lu-
theran Church, gives the following vivid
sketch of a scene, of which he was an cyc-
witness: .
In the year 1809, being at Madrid, my
attention was directed to a Roman Catholic
Inquisition in the neighborhood of that city.
Napoleon had previously issued adceree for
the suppression of these institutions wher-
ever his victorious troops should extend
theirarms. I reminded Marshal Soult, then
Governor of Madrid, of. this decree, who
directed me to proceed to its execution on
this far-famed establishment. With my re-
giment, the 9th of the Polish lancers, he
guve me two others, one of which the li7th,
was under the command of Col, de Lile, who
is now, like myself, & minister of the Gospel.
With these troops, I proceeded to the In-
quisition, which was about five miles from
the city. It was surrounded by a wall of
great strength, and defended by about four
hundred soldiers. When we arrived at the
wallsaI addressed one of the sentinels, and
summoned the holy fathers to surrender to
the imperiai army, and open the gate of the
Inquisition. The sentinel, Who was stand-
ing on the wall, appeared to enter into con-
versution for a few moments with some one
within, at the close of which he presented
his musket and shot. one of my men. This
was a signal for attack, and Lordered my
troops to fire upon those who appeared on
the wall,
It was soon obvious that it was an un-
equal warfare. Qur troops were in the open
plain, and exposed to a destructive fire.
We had no cannon, nor could we scale the
walls, and the gates successfully resisted all
attempts at forcing them. I saw that it was
necessary to change the mode of attack,
and directed some trees to be cut down and
trimmed and brought on the ground, to be
used as battering-Tams. Presently the walls
began to tremble, and, under the well-di-
rected and persevering application of, the
ram, a breach was made, and the imperial
troops rushed into the Inquisition.
Here we met with an incident which
nothing but Jesuitical effrontery is equal to.
The Inquisitor General, followed by the
father confessors in their priestly robes, all
came out of their rooms as we were making |
ly
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thorized by them, hoping they should thus
have a better opportunity in the confusion
and plunder of the Inquisition, to escape.
Their artifice was too shallow... I. cause
them to be placed under guard, and all the
soldiers of the Inquisition to be secured as
prisoners.
We then proceeded through room after
room—found altars and crucifixes, and wax
candles in abundance—the proportions of
the architecture were. perfect—the ceiling
and floors were scoured and highly polished
—there was everything to please the eye
aud gratify a cultivated taste 5 but whero
were those horrid instruments of torture, of
which we had been told, and where those
dungeons in which human beings were said
to be buried alive? We searched in vain.
The holy fathers assured us that they had
been belied—that awe had scen all; and
was prepared to believe it. .
But Col. de Lile was not so ready to give
up the search. At his instance, water.was
brought in and poured over. the marble
floor, the slabs of which were large and
beautifully polished. Presently an opening
was discovered, and, as all Jiands were at
work for further discovery, a soldier, with
the butt of his musket struck a spring, when
the marble slab flew up. Then the faces of
the inquisitors grew pale, and, as Belshaz-
zar, When the hand writing appeared on the
wall, so did these. men of Belial shake and
quake in every bone, joint, and sinew. We
gaw a staircase. Istepped to a table and
took one of the candles, four feet in length,
which was burning, that I might explore
what was before us; as I was doing this, [
was arrested by one of the inquisitors, who
laid his hand gently on my arm, and with &
very demure and holy look, said: “ My son,
ou must not take that with your profane
and bloody hand; it is holy.” * Well, well,”
said I, 1 want something that is holy, to
see if it will not shed light on iniquity: 1
will bear the responsibility.”
I touk the candle and proceeded down the
staircase, when we entered a large room
called the Hall of Judgment, In the centre
of it was a Jarge block, and achain fastened
to it. On this they had been accustomed to
place the accused, chained to his seat. On
ne side of the room was an elevated seat,
called the Throne of Judgment. This the
our way into the interior of the Inquisition, | Inquisitor-Gencral occupied, and on either
and with long faces and their arms crossed side were seats less elevated, for the holy
over their breasts, a3 though they, had been | fathers when engaged in the solemn busi-
deaf to all the noise of the attack and
de- | ness of the Holy Inquisition.
From. this
fence, and had just learned what was going | rooin, we procecded to the right, and ob-
on, addressed themselves in the language of
rebuke to their own soldiers, saying, “Why
do you fight our friends, the French?”
Their intention, apparently, was to make
us think that this defence was wholly unau-
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tained access to small cella extending the
entire length of the edifice; and here, what
a sight met our eyes! How has the bene-
volent religion of Jesus been abused and
slandcred by its professed friends!