shall be convinced not to have kept their Oath of Secrecy (which is ex∣torted
from them before they are set at Liberty) renders the Mysteries of
the Inquisition of impenetrable, that it is almost impossible ever to learn
the truth, unless to him who hath the unhappiness to be carried into her
Prison, and make the experience of them in his own Person: Or to
yield under so great an Adversity. Moreover, it is necessary that he
who hath been shut up in the horrible Solitudes of the Holy Office,
should have taken care, during his imprisonment, diligently to observe
what passed; and after his enlargement, hath the courage to relate with∣out
any fear, what himself hath learned and experienced.
These are the reasons that very few persons truly know what passeth
in that terrible Tribunal; and as after the obligation of rendring to God
what we owe to him, there is no duty more pressing than that of ser∣ving
our Neighbour, and especially the publick. I thought my self ob∣liged
to relate what I have suffered, and what I observed in the Prisons
of the Inquisition at Goa; adding to it what I learned from cerdible per∣sons,
whom I knew familiarly during the time of my imprisonment,
and after my enlargement.
I doubted a long time whether I ought to publish this Relation, for
it is more than eight years since I returned into France, and it is more
than four since this Relation was writ. I feared to scandalize the Holy
Office, and violate my Oath, and this fear was confirmed in me by
Pious, but timerous Persons, who were of the same Opinion as my self;
but other persons no less Pious, and who seemed to me more Rational,
at last convinced me, that it concerned the Publick upon many accounts
to know this Tribunal well; that this Relation might be useful even
to the Ministers of the Holy Office, if they knew how to profit by it;
and much more to those who have a right to regulate the proceedings,
and limit the jurisdiction of it. And as for the Oath of Secrecy, so un∣justly
extorted, as that is which the Inquisition extorteth under pain of
burning; the publick good sufficiently dispenseth with it, for to set at
liberty the Conscience of him who took it, and consequently puts him
into a kind of obligation to relate what he knoweth.
See the Reasons which hindred me from publishing this Relation before,
and those which now engage me to publish it at present; if the delay of
it hath deprived the Publick of an useful knowledge; at least it will
serve to assure me that I have precipiated nothing, and that the resent∣ment
of those ill treatments which I suffered, had no share in this ac∣count.
In fine, what I here say of the Inquisition of Goa, is to be un∣derstood
of those also of Portugal and Spain; for although this last be less
cruel than the other two, upon this account, that those publick Execu∣tions,