the country at their own expense. They are not so numerous as the qualificators; for in a trial of the Inquisition, where all ought to be present, I did reckon once 160, and twice as many qualificators. I saw the list of them both, viz. of the whole kingdom of Aragon, wherein are qualificators of the secular priests 243, and of the regular 406.-Familiars 208.

The royal castle, formerly the palace of the kings of Aragon, called Aljaferia, was given to the inquisitors, to hold their tribunal there, and prison too. The best apartments were for the three inquisitors and their families, the rest for the sheriff and subaltern officers. It is a musket shot distance from the city on the river side; but after the battle of Almanza, when the duke of Orleans, came as generalissimo of the Spanish and French armies, he thought that place necessary to put a strong garrison in, so he made the marquis de Torsy

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governor of the fort of Aljaferia, and turned out the inquisitors, who being by force obliged to quit their apartments, took a large house near the carmelites' convent; but two months after, finding the place was not safe enough to keep the prisoners in, they removed to the palace of the earl of Tuentes, in the great street called coso, of which they were turned out by monsieur de Legal, as I shall tell bye and bye.

A Form of their Public Trial.

If a trial is to be made publicly in the hall of the holy office, the inquisitors summon two priests out of every parish church; and two regular priests out of every convent. All the qualificators and familiars that are in the city. The sheriff and all the under officers, the secretary, and the inquisitors; all the

aforesaid meet at the common hall on the day appointed for the trial, at ten in the morning.

The hall is hung in black, without any windows, or light but what comes through the door. At the front there is an image of our Savior on the cross, under a black velvet canopy, and six candlesticks, with six thick yellow wax candles, on the altar table. On one side there is a pulpit with another candle, where the secretary reads the crimes; three chairs for the three inquisitors, and round about the hall seats and chairs for the summoned priests, friars, familiars, and other officers.

When the inquisitors are to come in, an under officer crieth out, silence, silence, silence, the holy fathers are coming; and from that very time till all is over, nobody speaks, nay, nor spits, and the thoughts of the place puts every body under respect, fear, and attention.

The holy fathers, with their hats on their heads, and serious countenances, go, and kneeling down before the altar, the first inquisitor begins to give out, Veni Creator Spiritus, mentes tuorum visita, &c. and the congregation sing the rest, and the collect being said by him also, every body sits down. Then the secretary goes up to the pulpit, and the holy father rings a small silver bell, which is the signal for bringing in the criminal. What is afterwards done will be known by the following trials and instances, at which I was present, being one of the youngest priests of the cathedral, and therefore obliged to go to these dismal tragedies, in which the first thing after the criminal comes in, and kneels down before the inquisitors, he receives a severe bitter reproof from the first inquisitor, who measures it according to the nature of the crimes committed by the criminal; of all which, to the best of my memory, I will give an account in the first trial.

TRIAL I.

Of the reverend Father Joseph Silvester, Franciscan Friar; and the Mother Mary, of Jesus, Abbess of the Monastery of Epila, of Franciscan Nuns.

Father Joseph was a tall lusty man, 40 years of age, and had been twelve years professor of philosophy and divinity in the great convent of St. Francis. Sor* Mary was 32 years old, mighty witty, and of an agreeable countenance, The two criminals were drest in brown gowns, painted all over with flames of fire, representing hell, a thick rope tied about their necks, and yellow wax candles in their hands. Both, in this droll appearance, came and prostrated themselves at the inquisitors' feet,

* Sor is a title given to the nuns, which answers to Sister, as coming from the latin Soror.