The Phantom Ship

by Frederick Marryat

  CHAPTER THIRTY SIX.

  Previous to continuing our narrative, it may be as well to give ourreaders some little insight into the nature, ceremonies, and regulationsof the Inquisition, and in describing that of Goa, we may be said todescribe all others, with very trifling, if any, variation.

  The Santa Casa, or Inquisition of Goa, is situated on one side of alarge square, called the Terra di Sabaio. It is a massy handsome pileof stone buildings, with three doors in the front: the centre one islarger than the two lateral, and it is through the centre door that yougo into the Hall of Judgment. The side-doors lead to spacious andhandsome apartments for the Inquisitors, and officers attached to theestablishment.

  Behind these apartments are the cells and dungeons of the Inquisition;they are in two long galleries, with double doors to each, and are aboutten feet square. There are about two hundred of them; some are muchmore comfortable than the others, as light and air are admitted intothem: the others are wholly dark. In the galleries the keepers watch,and not a word or a sound can proceed from any cell without their beingable to overhear it. The treatment of those confined is, as far asrespects their food, very good: great care is taken that the nourishmentis of that nature that the prisoners may not suffer from the indigestionarising from want of exercise. Surgical attendance is also permittedthem; but unless on very particular occasions no priests are allowed toenter. Any consolation to be derived from religion, even the office ofconfessor and extreme unction, in case of dissolution, are denied them.Should they die during their confinement, whether proved guilty or notof the crime of which they are accused, they are buried without anyfuneral ceremony, and tried afterwards; if then found guilty, theirbones are disinterred, and the execution of their sentence is passedupon their remains.

  There are two Inquisitors at Goa: one the Grand Inquisitor, and theother his second, who are invariably chosen from the order of St.Dominique; these two are assisted in their judgment and examinations bya large number selected from the religious orders, who are termeddeputies of the Holy Office, but who only attend when summoned: theyhave other officers, whose duty it is to examine all published books,and ascertain if there is anything in their pages contrary to the holyreligion. There is also a public accuser, a procureur of theInquisition, and lawyers, who are permitted to plead the case of theprisoners, but whose chief business and interest it is to obtain theirsecrets and betray them. What are termed _Familiars_ of theInquisition, are in fact, nothing but this description of people: butthis disgraceful office is taken upon themselves by the highestnobility, who think it an honour, as well as a security, to be enrolledamong the Familiars of the Inquisition, who are thus to be founddispersed throughout society; and every careless word, or expression, iscertain to be repeated to the Holy Office. A summons to attend at theInquisition is never opposed; if it were, the whole populace would riseand enforce it. Those who are confined in the dungeons of theInquisition are kept separate; it is a very uncommon thing to put twotogether: it is only done when it is considered that the prolongedsolitude of the dungeon has created such a depression of spirits as toendanger the life of the party. Perpetual silence is enjoined andstrictly kept. Those who wail or weep, or even pray, in their utterdarkness, are forced by blows to be quiet. The cries and shrieks ofthose who suffer from this chastisement, or from the torture, arecarried along the whole length of the corridors, terrifying those who,in solitude and darkness, are anticipating the same fate.

  The first question put to a person arrested by the Inquisition, is ademand, "What is his property?" He is desired to make an exactdeclaration of everything that he is worth, and swear to the truth ofhis assertions; being informed that, if there is any reservation on hispart, (although he may be at that time innocent of the charges producedagainst him) he will, by his concealment, have incurred the wrath of theInquisition; and that, if discharged for the crime he is accused of, hewill again be arrested for having taken a false oath to the Inquisition;that, if innocent, his property will be safe, and not interfered with.It is not without reason that this demand is made. If a person accusedconfesses his crime, he is, in most cases, eventually allowed to gofree, but all his property becomes confiscated.

  By the rules of the Inquisition it is made to appear as if thosecondemned have the show of justice; for, although two witnesses aresufficient to warrant the apprehension of any individual, seven arenecessary to convict him; but as the witnesses are never confronted withthe prisoners, and torture is often applied to the witnesses, it is notdifficult to obtain the number required. Many a life is falsely swornaway by the witness, that he may save his own. The chief crimes whichare noticed by the Inquisition are those of sorcery, heresy, blasphemy,and what is called _Judaism_.

  To comprehend the meaning of this last crime, for which more people havesuffered from the Inquisition than for any other, the reader must beinformed, that when Ferdinand and Isabella of Castile drove all the Jewsout of Spain, they fled to Portugal, where they were received on thesole condition that they should embrace Christianity: this theyconsented, or appeared to consent, to do; but these converts weredespised by the Portuguese people, who did not believe them to besincere. They obtained the title of _New_ Christians, incontradistinction to that of _Old_ Christians. After a time the twowere occasionally intermingled in marriage; but when so, it was always areproach to the old families; and descendants from these alliances werelong termed, by way of reproach, as having a portion of the NewChristians in them.

  The descendants of the old families thus intermingled, not only lost_caste_, but, as the genealogy of every family was well known, they werelooked upon with suspicion, and were always at the mercy of the HolyOffice, when denounced for Judaism,--that is, for returning to the oldJewish practices of keeping the Passover, and the other ceremoniesenforced by Moses.

  Let us see how an accusation of this kind works in the hands of theInquisition. A really sincere Catholic, descended from one of theseunhappy families, is accused and arrested by the orders of theInquisition; he is ordered to declare his property, which,--convinced ofhis innocence, and expecting soon to be released, he does withoutreservation. But hardly has the key of the dungeon turned upon him,when all his effects are seized and sold by public auction, it beingwell understood that they never will be restored to him. After somemonths' confinement, he is called into the Hall of Justice, and asked ifhe knows why he is in prison; they advise him earnestly to confess andto conceal nothing, as it is the only way by which he can obtain hisliberty. He declares his ignorance and being sent for several times,persists in it. The period of the _auto-da-fe_, or act of faith, whichtakes place every two or three years, (that is, the public execution ofthose who have been found guilty by the Inquisition,) approaches. Thepublic accuser then comes forward, stating that the prisoner has beenaccused by a number of witnesses of Judaism. They persuade him toacknowledge his guilt. He persists in his innocence; they then pass asentence on him, which they term _Convicte Invotivo_, which means "foundguilty, but will not confess his crime;" and he is sentenced to be burntat the approaching celebration. After this they follow him to his cell,and exhort him to confess his guilt, and promise that if he does confesshe shall be pardoned; and these appeals are continued until the eveningof the day before his execution. Terrified at the idea of a painfuldeath, the wretch, at last, to save his life, consents. He is calledinto the Hall of Judgment, confesses the crime that he has notcommitted, and imagines that he is now saved.--Alas! now he hasentangled himself, and cannot escape.

  "You acknowledge that you have been guilty of observing the laws ofMoses. These ceremonies cannot be performed alone; you cannot haveeaten the Paschal lamb _alone_; tell us immediately, who were those whoassisted at those ceremonies, or your life is still forfeited, and thestake is prepared for you."

  Thus has he accused himself without gaining anything, and if he wishesto save his life, he must accuse others; and who can be accused but hisown friends and acquaintances? nay, in all probability, his
ownrelations--his brothers, sisters, wife, sons, or daughters--for it isnatural to suppose that, in all such practices, a man will trust onlyhis own family. Whether a man confesses his guilt, or dies assertinghis innocence, his worldly property is in either case confiscated; butit is of great consequence to the Inquisition that he should confess, ashis act of confession, with his signature annexed, is publicly read, andserves to prove to the world that the Inquisition is impartial and just;nay, more, even merciful, as it pardons those who have been proved to beguilty.

  At Goa the accusations of sorcery and magic were much more frequent thanat the Inquisitions at other places, arising from the customs andceremonies of the Hindoos being very much mixed up with absurdsuperstitions. These people, and the slaves from other parts, veryoften embraced Christianity to please their masters; but since, if theyhad been baptised and were afterwards convicted of any crime, they weresentenced to the punishment by fire; whereas if they had not beenbaptised, they were only punished by whipping, imprisonment, or thegalleys; upon this ground alone many refused to embrace Christianity.

  We have now detailed all that we consider, up to the present, necessaryfor the information of the reader; all that is omitted he will gather aswe proceed with our history.