Portuguese "holy tribunal"—imprisonment of Dellon in the Inquisition at Goa—preparations for celebrating an auto-da-fé—order of the procession—Dellon's sentence mitigated, and publicly read—penances enjoined upon him at his liberation.
There are some shades of difference between the procedure of the Inquisitors in Spain, and that of those in Portugal. To enumerate these, however, would afford little gratification to the reader. We shall therefore now proceed to give some account of the sufferings of Dellon, a French gentleman, who was imprisoned in 1673, in the Inquisition at Goa, a city in the East Indies, which will throw sufficient light on the Portuguese holy tribunal.
After giving a detailed account of his sufferings, from the period of his arrest, on the 24th August, 1673, at Damaun, till he arrived at the Inquisition in Goa, he informs us, that immediately upon entering the audience chamber, he cast himself at the feet of the Inquisitor, with a view of affecting the feelings of his judge by his suppliant attitude. He was, however, commanded to rise; and after being asked his name and profession, he was interrogated if he knew the cause of his arrest, which he was exhorted freely to confess, as the only means of obtaining a speedy discharge. Dellon informed the Inquisitor, that he believed he did know the cause of his imprisonment, and promised with tears, that if his judge would give him a patient hearing, he was ready to become his own accuser. The Inquisitor calmly replied, that there was no haste, that he had other matters more important to attend to and that he would let him know when he should have leisure to attend to his case. This finished the first audience, on which Dellon was remanded to his cell, where he was searched, and every article of value taken from him. It is true, that an exact inventory, as usual, was taken of his property; but this was merely a form, nothing of any consequence being ever restored, though faithfully promised by the secretary of the Inquisition.
"Immediately after I was shut up in the prisons of the holy office," he says, "I was informed that when I wanted any thing, I had only to knock gently at the door, and the guards would attend, or to ask for it when my meals were served; and that if I wished for an audience, I was to address the alcalde, who, as well as the guards, never speaks to the prisoners without a witness. I was also taught to believe that my liberation would be the consequence of confession, which caused me to importune those officers to take me before my judges."
This favour, however, notwithstanding all his entreaties, was not granted till the 31st of January, 1674. On that day, he was desired by the alcalde to follow him to the chamber of audience. He immediately obeyed, and having entered the presence of his judge, he fell on his knees, with the view of touching him with compassion. But without deigning to take the smallest notice of his grief, he was ordered to sit down on a bench at the end of the table next the Inquisitor. Here he was first ordered to swear to declare the truth, and preserve secrecy, and then asked if he knew the cause of his imprisonment, and had resolved to confess the truth. Having intimated that he was ready to do so, he minutely detailed the particulars of several conversations in which he had engaged respecting baptism and the worship of images, but concealing that he had advanced something concerning the Inquisition, which at that moment, he says, he did not recollect. The Inquisitor then asked him, if he had any thing further to say; and being answered in the negative, he terminated the audience by addressing Dellon in the following words "You have very properly resolved to become your own accuser; and I conjure you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, fully to confess all that you know; that you may experience the goodness and mercy extended by this tribunal towards those who appear to be truly sorry for their offences, by making a sincere and voluntary acknowledgment."
Dellon's next audience took place on the 15th of February, when he was interrogated anew, if he had any thing further to say, and exhorted to conceal nothing, but candidly to confess all his crimes. He replied, that after the closest consideration, he could recollect nothing more than what he had already declared. The Inquisitor then asked the names of his relatives; whether he was baptized the eighth day after his birth; by whom he was baptized; and finally, if he had been confirmed, and by what bishop. Having returned answers to all these inquiries, he was ordered to kneel down, to make the sign of the cross, to repeat the Lord's Prayer, the Ave Maria, the Creed, the commandments, &c., when the audience concluded, as formerly, with a conjuration, "by the bowels of the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ," to make immediate confession.
"From the beginning of my confinement," says he, "I had been greatly distressed, and had wept incessantly; but on returning from this audience, I entirely abandoned myself to grief, being convinced that what was required of me was impossible, as my memory did not furnish what I was solicited to avow. I attempted to put an end to my existence, by fasting. I received, indeed, the food which was brought to me, because I could not refuse it, without being liable to be beaten by the guards, who carefully notice, when the dishes are returned, whether sufficient nourishment has been taken; but my despair enabled me to deceive all their caution, and I passed several days without tasting any thing. This extreme fasting deprived me of rest, and my sole employment was to weep. At length, having made a more particular, or rather more happy recollection of what I had said or done, during my residence at Damaun, I remembered that I had used several expressions respecting the integrity of the Inquisition. I immediately demanded audience, which, however, I did not obtain until the 16th of March.
"When summoned, I had no doubt that my business would be dismissed the same day, and that after the confession I was prepared to make, I should be discharged but at the very moment that I fancied I was on the accomplishment of all my wishes, I suddenly found these delightful hopes destroyed; for having detailed every thing I had said about the Inquisition, I was coolly informed, that that was not what was expected; and having nothing more to communicate, I was instantly remanded, without even taking my confession in writing."
Dellon now regarded liberty as a blessing which he could never hope to enjoy; and abandoning himself to despair, he twice attempted to put an end to his sufferings by committing suicide. In his endeavours to effect his purpose, he was, however, providentially frustrated by the appearance of his keepers while he lay in his cell weltering in his blood. But, instead of exciting the sympathy of the Inquisitors, these guardians of the faith ordered him to be loaded with irons. This tended still further to increase his irritation; and throwing himself on the ground, and dashing his head against the pavement, he would soon have destroyed himself, had he not been watched by his keepers.
Perceiving that in the present case all measures of severity were unavailable, the Inquisitors changed their mode of procedure. They ordered his irons to be taken off; made large promises of a speedy deliverance from confinement, changed his cell, and gave him a companion, who was made responsible for his safety.