The spirit of the martyrs revived in a brief compendious collection of the most remarkable passages and living testimonies of the true church, seed of God, and faithful martyrs in all ages: contained in several ecclesiastical histories & chronological accounts of the succession of the true church from the creation, the times of the fathers, patriarchs, prophets, Christ and the Apostles.

The manner of the Merciless Inquisitors Tormenting such as are brought into the Popish Inquisition in Spain.

When they purpose to torture any one, the Gaoler is commanded to bring forth his Prisoner into the accustomed place where it is to be given, which place is under the Earth, and very obscure, then go∣ing thorow many turnings, and thorow sundry Doors, so as the hor∣rible cries of those who are there tortured can in no wise be heard, there is a Seat prepared for the Inquisitors on high, with a Rigister also, to behold their Tragical Act; the Torches being lighted, those who are to Act their parts in this woful Tragedy are brought in, the Tormentor who attends their coming is covered all over with a black Garment, close to his Body, and on his Head a black Hood, which hides his Face from being seen, having only two or three holes made therein for himself to see and to breath at; and all this is to terrifie the more the poor patient, who beholdeth as it were a grim Devil ready to Torment him; these Fathers being set upon their Seat, begin again to charge the Prisoner voluntary to con∣fess the Truth, which if he refuse to do, and if it then happen, that

Arm, or any other Member of his Body be broken, or that they die on the Torture (for that is all the favour he hath shewed him) they made it his own fault, and none of theirs; after they have used all the terrible threats that can be, they cause him or her to be stripped stark naked, whether Man, Woman or Maid, though they be never so mo∣dest and bashful, many having fallen into their bloody fingers thus to to have their nakedness discovered in the sight of others, was more greivous then all their Torments besides which they endured, laying aside then all Humanity in unclothing them, they put upon them linnen Bretches, as if their secret parts were better and more honestly covered with Bretches then with Shirt or Smock, or as if the Tor∣ments they meant to put them to would not pierce deep enough as well in the one as in the other; with such shameless Spectacles the chast Inquisitors fed their Ages, and with such cruel Lust, satisfied their infamous and detestable virginity.

The Man or Woman standing naked, then only covered with lit∣tle Bretches, they beckon to the Tormenter, (who is well aquainted with their secret sign and watch word, and can readily discern what Torments the holy Fathers would have them put to, to teach them the Faith of the Roman Church.

Then standing thus naked, they exhort them once again to tell the truth. If the Patient be to endure the Cord, they tye his hands behind his back pulling him up eight or ten times, according to the number of twitches limited by the Inquisitors to the Tormentor, that so nothing may be done there without order; at the first encounter are reckon∣ed up to him all his Articles, and then, besides binding his hands, they tye his Thumbs together with a small Cord, then they tye his Hands and Tumbs unto a greater Cord, hoisting him up by a Pulley very high, which done, they put upon his Legs heavy Bolts, if he have not them on before, to which are yet added for the first pull, an Iron weight of twenty five pounds, which is hanged to those Bolts between his Feet; being thus arrayed the Tormenter draws him up on high, the Register and Inquisitor mixing therewith their for∣mer Exhortations, confess; when he comes to touch the Pulley with his Head, they urge him yet then to confess; if he obey, they present∣ly let him down, if not, then they let him hang in this condition un∣til he have answered their demands; now after he hath hung thus without making any Confession, they let him down to redouble on his feet the former weight, and then pulling him up again, threat∣ning him, to hang there till he die, if he declare not to them, what they ask of him, commanding thet Tormenter to let him hang a long while, that through the heaviness of the weight, which hangs at his Feet, all his Members and Joynts are stretched out beyond mea∣sure; when the Patient through the extremity of Torment which he endures cryes out, they in like sort cry as loud as they can, that he should now confess what he knows, if not, then they let him fall; for when they perceive he continues constant, then they command∣ed the Officer to let go the Cord, which is as soon done as spoken, yet not wholly and altogether to the mid way, but a certain stop which

hinders his falling to the ground, by reason whereof he receives such a suddain check, his Body is pitifully and miserably stretched.

But yet this sufficeth not, for then if through their importunity he will confess nothing, they augment the weight the third time, and if the poor creature, in regard of his intollerable pain, call upon the Lord to help him, and desire to be let down, then they Scoff and Mock at him, pressing him to confess, telling him, that is not all, threatning him by the Strappado, as before. This Hellish Torture be∣ginneth at nine, and lasteth till one a clock; and when they please to make an end, they ask the Tormenter, if he have the other Engines ready, and at their going, all the comfort they give their dissolate Patient, is thus; this shall suffice, say they, for this time, but look between this and to morrow, thou advisest thy self well, what thou oughtest to confess, other wayes, thou art like to die under Torture; nor think to escape by what thou hast endured, for that is but a Bed of Roses in regard of the Torment which is to come; they being gone, his clothes is put on, and if he be not able to go, he is carried again unto Prison; a few dayes after they send for him again, re∣newing their threats, that if he will not reveal those that are of his O∣pinion, he must prepare himself for the Torture, wherein if he any way miscarry, or Death follows, the fault shall be his, and not theirs; if he continue unmovable in his mind, they cause the Goaler to bring him to the place of Torture, and there they sitting in their Tribunal com∣mand him to be stripped naked, and then tormented after the same manner as is before related; besides, as an addition thereunto, they tye his thighes and hamstrings together with a small Cord, forcing the same with pieces of Wood, so that the Cords do eat into his very Flesh, in which extremity they leave him for three or four hours plying him the whilst with infinite threats and derisions, which is all the comfort that they minister unto him in this his most miserable condition.

Thus in short the Reader hath an Account of the cruel Inquisition of these pretended Christians in Spain. Now I shall proceed to give a further Account of some that suffered under these Papists cruelty in divers parts of France and Flanders.

A Woman of Tours (whose Husband the Papists had not long before drowned) having an Infant sucking at her Brest, about seven weeks old, and a Daughter about sixteen Years Old, who was very beautiful; this Woman accompained with her Children, they hailed to the River side, where kneeling down, she prayed to the Lord, the Child suc∣king at her Brest, then she shifted her Child in the Sun, and laid it up∣on the Grass, commending it to God, in the mean while this Hellish Crew used many words to turn the Young Maid from her Religion; the Mother being ready to be plunged into the Water, exhorted her Daughter to persist in the Truth; the Daughter beholding their out∣rage, cryed out in these words, I will, said she, live and die with my Mother, whom I know to be a virtuous woman; as for your threats and promises, I regard them not, do with me what you please: The

Mother was not yet dead when these merciless wretches threw in the Daughter also,* 1.1 and so they yielded up their Souls together as Witnes∣ses against the Papists cruelty; the Infant was taken up by a Souldier, who having kept it a day and a night, laid it in a Steeple-House-Porch, whence being taken and given to a Nurse to keep, it would never take the Brest after, but within two dayes it died.

In the same City suffered one Glee an honourable woman, and con∣stant to her Profession, and when news was brought her, that she was condemn'd to be hang'd, she received it with joy, being conducted with the rest of the Prisoners about the second hour in the afternoon towards the place of Execution, they would have put a lighted Torch into her hand, and have had her to acknowledge she had offended God and the King. Away, away with it, said she, I have neither offended God nor the King, I need no such light to help me ask for∣giveness of my sins, use such things your selves, who sit and walk in the Darkness of Ignorance and Errour.

The one of her Kindred meeting her in the way presented to her veiw her little Children, praying her to have compassion on them, seeing that by renouncing your Religion, you may preserve your life. This caused the tears to flow down, and this answer she made, I must needs say, I love my Children dearly, but yet neither for love I bear to them, or any thing else in this World, will I renounce the Truth, or my God, who is and will be a Father unto them; and therefore to his Provi∣dence and Protection I commend and leave them; and so passed on, and with cheerfulness finished her Testimony with the loss of her life.

The Body of Coqueville being stripped naked, was dragged by the Murtherers from Valongues (being low Normandy) up and down his House with derision into a Chamber, where they used to meet, and there spurning the dead body with their feet, they bid him, Now pray to his God, and preach if he could; the Priests stuffing the dead Mouth with the leaves of Bibles, and said to the dead Corps, Preach the Truth of your God, and call upon him now to help you.

Notes

• * 1.1

  An. 1562.