As Described by an Officer in Napoleon's Army

The Emperor Napoleon had issued an order 011 Dec. 4, 1808, to exterminate the terrible institution of the Inquisition in Spain. The following account of the accomplishment of this work of destruction is given by Colonel Lehmanowsky, one of Napoleon's officers:

I was in Spain in 1809, attached to that part of Napoleon's army which was stationed at Madrid. While it had been decreed by the Emperor that the Inquisition and the monasteries should be suppressed, several months passed away and the decree was not executed. I used to express my opinions freely among the people respecting the priests and Jesuits of the Inquisition, and one night as I was walking along the street two armed men sprang out from an alley and made a furious attack upon me. While struggling with them I saw at a distance the lights of the French patrols, who carried lanterns and rode through the streets of the city at all hours to preserve order. I called to them, and as they hastened to my assistance, the assailants took to their heels and escaped-not, however, before I saw by their dress that they belonged to the guards of the Inquisition.

I went at once to Marshal Soult, then governor of Madrid, told him what had taken place, and reminded him of the decree to suppress the institution. The troops required were granted, and I proceeded to the Inquisition, nearly five miles from the city. It was surrounded by a wall of great strength, and defended by a company of soldiers.

When we arrived at the walls, I addressed one of the sentinels, and summoned the Jesuit fathers to surrender to the Imperial army, and open the gates of the Inquisition. The sentinel, who was standing on the wall, appeared to enter into conversation for a moment with some one within, at the close of which he presented his musket and shot one of my men. This was the signal for attack, and I ordered my troops to fire upon those who appeared upon the wall.

It was soon obvious that it was an unequal warfare. The walls of the Inquisition were covered with the soldiers of the " Holy Office;" there was also a breastwork upon the walls, behind which they partially concealed themselves as they discharged their muskets, while we were in the open plain and exposed to a destructive fire. We had no cannon, nor could we scale the walls, and the gates successfully resisted all attempts at forcing them. We could not retire and send for cannon without giving them time to lay a train for blowing up our troops. I saw, therefore, that it was necessary to change the mode of attack, and directed that trees should be cut down and trimmed, to be used as battering-rams. Two of these were taken up by detachments of men, as numerous as could work to advantage, and brought to bear upon the walls with all the power they could exert, while the troops kept up a fire to protect them from the shots that were poured upon them. Presently the walls began to tremble, a breach was made, and the Imperial troops rushed in.

Here we met with an incident to which nothing but Jesuitical effrontery is equal. The Inquisitor-General, followed by the father-confessors in their priestly robes, all came out of their rooms as we were making our way into the interior of the Inquisition ; and with long faces; and their arms crossed over their breasts, their fingers resting upon their shoulders, as though they had been deaf to all the noise of the attack and defense, and had just learned what was going on, they addressed themselves in the language of rebuke to their own soldiers, saying:"Why do you fight our friends, the French? " The intention was no doubt to make us think that the resistance was wholly unauthorized by them; and if they could have succeeded in making a temporary impression in their favor, they would have had an opportunity in the confusion of the moment to escape. But their artifice was too shallow, and did not succeed. I caused them to be placed under guard, and all of their soldiers to be secured as prisoners.

We then proceeded to examine the stately edifice. We passed from room to room, and found all perfectly in order. The apartments were richly furnished, with altars, crucifixes and wax candles in abundance, but no evidence could be discovered of iniquity being practiced there-none of the peculiar features which we expected to find in an Inquisition. Splendid paintings adorned the walls; there was a rich and extensive library. Beauty and splendor appeared everywhere, and the most perfect order on which the eyes ever rested. The architecture, the proportions were perfect. The ceiling and floors of wood were scoured and highly polished. The marble floors were arranged with a strict regard to order. There was everything to please the eye and gratify a cultivated taste; but where were those horrid instruments of torture which were reported to be there, and where were those dungeons in which human beings were said to be buried alive ?

The search seemed to be in vain. The "holy fathers " assured us that they had been belied, and that we had seen all, and I was prepared to abandon the search, convinced that this Inquisition was different from others of which I had heard. But Colonel de Lile was of a different mind, and said to me:"Colonel, you are commander to-day, and as you say so it must be ; but if you will be advised by me, let this marble floor be examined. Let water be brought and poured upon it, and we will watch and see if there is any place through which it passes more freely than others." I replied to him, "Do as you please," and ordered water to be brought accordingly. The slabs of marble were large and beautifully polished, and when the water had been poured over the floor, much to the dissatisfaction of the Inquisitors, a careful examination was made of every seam to see if the water ran through. Presently Colonel de Lile exclaimed that he had found it. By the side of one of these marble slabs the water passed through rapidly, as though there was an opening beneath.

All hands were now at work for further discovery; the officers with their swords and the soldiers with their bayonets cleared out the seam, and endeavored to raise the slab; others with the butt-end of their muskets struck the slab with all their might to break it; while the priests remonstrated against the desecration of their holy and beautiful house. When thus engaged, a soldier who was striking with the butt of his musket hit a spring, and the marble slab flew up. The faces of the Inquisitors instantly grew pale, as Belshazzar's when the handwriting appeared on the wall.

Beneath the marble slab, now partly up, there was a staircase. I stepped to the altar and took from the candlestick one of the lighted candles, four feet in length, that I might explore the room below. As I was doing this, one of the Inquisitors laid his hand gently upon my arm, and with a very demure and sanctified look said, "My son, you must not take those lights with your bloody hands; they are holy." "Well," said I, " I will take a holy thing to shed light on iniquity; I will bear the responsibility." I took the candle and proceeded down the staircase. As we reached the foot of the stairs we entered a large square room, which was called the Judgment Hall. In the center of it was a large block, and a chain fastened to it. On' this they had been accustomed to place the accused, chained to his seat. On one side' of the room was an elevated seat, called the Throne of Judgment, which the Inquisitor-General occupied, and on either side were seats less elevated for the " Holy fathers " when engaged in the solemn business of the " Holy Inquisition."

From this room we proceeded to the right and obtained access to the small cells, extending the entire length of the edifice, and here such sights were presented as we hope never to see again. These cells were places of solitary confinement, where the wretched objects of inquisitorial hate were confined year after year, till death released them from their sufferings; and there their bodies were suffered to remain until they were entirely decayed, and the rooms had become fit for others to occupy. To prevent this being offensive to those who occupied the Inquisition, there were flues extending to the open air, sufficiently capacious to carry off the odor. In these cells we found the remains of a number who had paid the debt of nature; some who had been dead apparently but a short time; while of others, nothing remained but their bones, still chained to the floors of their dungeons.

In other cells there were living sufferers of both sexes and of every age, all in a state of complete nudity, and all in chains. Here were old men and aged women, who had been shut up many years. Here, too, were the middle-aged, and the young man, and the maiden of fourteen years old. The soldiers immediately went to work to release these captives from their chains, and took from their knapsacks their overcoats and other clothing, which they gave to cover their nakedness.

We then proceeded to explore another room on the left. Here were found instruments of torture of every kind which the ingenuity of men or devils could invent. The first was a machine by which the
victim was confined, and then beginning with the fingers, every joint in the hands, arms and body were broken or drawn, one after another, until the sufferer died. The second was a box in which the head and neck of the victim were so closely confined by a screw that he could not move in any way. Over the box was a vessel, from which one drop of water fell upon the head of the victim every second, each succeeding drop falling in exactly the same place, by which the circulation was soon suspended, and the sufferer had to endure the most excruciating agony. The third was an "infernal machine," laid horizontally, to which the victim was bound, the machine being then placed between two beams in which were a score of knives so fixed that by turning the machine with a crank the flesh of the sufferer was torn from his limbs in small pieces. The fourth surpassed the others in fiendish ingenuity. Its exterior was an immense doll, richly dressed, and having the appearance of a beautiful woman, with her arms extended ready to embrace her victim. A semicircle was drawn around her, and the person who passed over this fatal mark touched a spring which caused the diabolical engine to open ; its arms immediately clasped him, and a multitude of knives cut him in pieces while in the deadly embrace.

The sight of these engines of infernal cruelty kindled the fire of indignation in the bosoms of the soldiers. They declared that every Inquisitor should be put to the torture. They began with the " Holy fathers." The first was put to death in the machine for breaking joints. The torture of the Inquisitor that suffered death by the dropping of water on his head was most excruciating; the poor wretch cried out in agony to be taken from the fatal machine. Next the Inquisitor-General was brought before the infernal engine called "The Virgin." He was ordered to embrace her, but begged hard to be excused. " No," said the soldiers; " You have caused others to kiss her, and now you must do it." They interlocked their bayonets so as to form large forks, and with these they pushed him over the deadly circle. The beautiful image, prepared for the embrace, instantly clasped him in its arms and cut him into innumerable pieces. Having witnessed the torture of four of the barbarous Inquisitors, I sickened at the awful scene, and left the soldiers to wreak their vengeance on the other guilty inmates of that prison house of hell.

In the meantime the news had spread to Madrid that the prisons of the Inquisition were broken open, and multitudes hastened to the fatal spot. Oh, what a meeting was there! It was like a resurrection. About one hundred and fifty who had been buried for many years were now restored to life. Fathers found their long-lost daughters; wives were restored to their husbands; sisters to their brothers and parents to their children. The scene was such as no tongue can describe.

When the people had retired, I caused the library, paintings, furniture and other articles of value to be removed, and having sent to the city for a wagon-load of powder, a large quantity was deposited in the vaults beneath the building, and a slow match placed in connection with it. All having withdrawn to a distance, in a few moments the walls and turrets of the massive structure rose majestically in the air, impelled by a tremendous explosion, and then fell back to the earth an immense heap of ruins. The Roman Catholic Inquisition of Spain was no more !