On the Inquisition. THIS great tribunal that has so long and so unsparingly been held up for public abhorrence by English writers and travellers, who under the affectation of philosophy and to lerance, are ever misleading the public understanding, whenever the manners and religion of rival states becomes a topic of discussion, will ap pear on investigation to be founded on principles of more humanity and political propriety than many of their own institutions. Any man that ever Spain produced has not done more for her, to preserve that unity of understand ing, tranquility, and civilization, which eminently characterizes the Spanish name than St. Dominick. This Holy man, who is said to be founder of the Inquisition, with a prophetic eye, saw the condition of those States, which fanaticism was to lay waste. He saw England and Germany teeming with fanatics with the Bible in one hand and the sword in the other, reversing thrones and Scourging society in the name of God. He saw Ireland bleeding under the devout hands of Cromwell and his holy officers. He saw innovations of the most fruitful variety assuming the agency of Heaven, heated into existence by every enor mity, and afterwards defended as efforts of the human understanding to accelerate religious liberty and rational modes of thinking. The expulsion of the Moors from Spain, is constantly dwelt on, by its heretical antagonists as an act of the most flagrant despotism and priestcraft, of monarchial fanaticism and gloomy superstition, which when stripped of an English description, and English a perity, that allows no nation to be fairly given to the pubhe eye, that is not a dupe to her thirst of gain, or a dependent sufferer of her attempts at universal dominion. The Inquisition will be found to equal any regulation of England for the preservation of regular society, and superior to many laws she enacted under the solemn decisions of legisla tive authorities. The Moors like others of the followers of Mahomet who possessed themselves of great part of the Christian world, invaded Spain, and continued for many centuries in the country, after conquering the finest provinces of that delightful peninsula. Their hostility to the rest of Spain, and the continual inroads they made on the remaining provinces heid by the christians, became so alarming to the unfortunate inhabi tants that nothing but a general resistance, on the part of the christians, could give any hopes of security. This spirit which common danger, communicated, was aided by the sanction of the church, whose bene. dictions and approbation named it a duty which Heaven itself would ap prove, and finally crown with success. It required not much understanding or artificial incitements, to rouse a great people to vindicate their patrimonics and their liberties, against the rapacious hands of their fanatical invaders. They flew to arms, and under the standard of the cross, headed by the most eminent of their countrymen, and regulated by the animation. which a lettered clergy, could introduce to soften the asperities of war, without relaxing any of their courage, the brave and spirited Spaniards after years of milifary triumph, compelled the Ara ban hordes to recross the Mediterra nean and for ever to relinquish their former conquests. This is a bri-f description of the fanatical ferocity ascribed to Spain and to the Catholic faith, by the English philosopher. Suck Such as chose to recant the restless and intolerant belief of Mahomet, were baptized and allowed to continue in Spain, and amalgamate with the other inhabitants, many thousands attached to their properties, and to the country of their birth, accepted of this alternative, and became reconciled to the religion and interests of their conquerors, others equal in numbers, made an outward profession of the national faith and manners, but inwardly retained the abhorrence of the Spanish name and doc trines, and such an inveterate impatience at their reverses of their countrymen, they kept up a secret and dangerous intercourse with their banished brethren, this intercourse was frequently detected and many hundreds of the Mahometans were found under the disguise of the most reverend appearances. Mahometan enthusiasts, were even in the church as Priests and Monks, others of the laiety were as remarkable for apparent piety as any of the most exemplary Catholics, to such an ingenious and complete perfection did they personate the character of the most religious, that it embarrassed the most discern ing men, in the state and church so seriously that a possibility of detection in their treasons, could not be affected without sometimes departing from the ordinary rules of evidence. The people of the sea coast, were constantly carried away into captivity, their towns and villages laid waste and and plundered by the piratical Moors from the opposite coasts, the time of attack, the value to be obtained, the absence of adequate protection, were correctly given by their traitorous Countrymen disguised in Spain. These enormities and the causes of the perpetration, exasperated, and the conviction of the traitors though frequent, gave but little of ease or security, the people continued to be swept into slavery, and the soil vio⚫ lated. To apply an ordinary remedy, had been long and ineffectually used, it then became an act of state necessity, and defensive duty, to enquire into the sincerity of Christians of Moorish origin, and to this cause the tribunal of the Inquisition is to be attributed, a political rather than a religious institution, embracing in its regulations, not only an investigation and cognizance of every species of infidelity and fanaticism that threatened the safety of society. An Auto da fe, two or three times in a century, might punish some blasphemous wretches, whose vissionary profligacy if suffered to vent its exuberaut innovations would convulse the country, with all the disgusting ferocities, that Germany and England had so fruitfully spread, under the pretext of indulging a liberty of thinking and an investigation of established errors. When we compare the solitary chastisement of an unfortunate atheist, a Moor, or a deist in Spain by the sentence of the Inquisition, and the immense numbers of religious men, who for more than two hundred years, were immolated, banished and plundered, under the authority of Penal Laws in Ireiand, can any man of of the most depraved mode of thinking dare to assert that the most distant line of comparison, can be drawn that can attach any degree of turpitude in all the acts of the most atrocious that can be quoted of the Inquisition, to the catalogue of horrors inflicted by the dictation, of those terrible statutes. The mind shrinks with the most affecting remembrance of the enormities committed, and the vices engendered, by solemn acts of Parliament, that, made education a capital offence, and patronized the most flagrant acts of filial disobediSchool masters, hanged and banished ence. 3 L2 banished, and children rewarded for disinheriting parents, and the crimes of the British manufacture concealed in the blood of a brave and degenerate people. The wisdom, and industry of the Inquisition now operates in Spain, her brave and illustrious people are not to be tricked out of their united firmnesss by fanatical distinctions, they are Catholics, they are in the honourable attitude of opposing an invader, though it is no great proof of their wisdom, it must give a lively impression to the surrounding nations of their high sense of honour, and their abhorrence of the government of any ambitious stranger. Catholic Affairs. The unexampled demand for our last Number, from almost every town of respectability in the kingdom, calls forth our warmest gratitude, and imposes on us an additional obligation to redouble our exertions for procuring and communicating such information as may gratify our Readers, and at the same time promote their best interests. The expressions of satisfaction and indeed of thanks, conveyed by letter and otherwise from Gentlemen of the first discernment and patriotism in the land. for our Report of the proceedings in the late Council, held at John'sLane Chapel, and of its causes and probable consequences, are such as to make us feel that we have, in that instance, at least met with the appro'bation of the Public; and we here again assert, without fear of contradiction, that our statement throughout, of that interesting business is the most comprehensive and correct that has been as yet laid before the Nation. We are duly impressed with the least importance of the measure, and,” therefore, we shall not fail to present our friends, from time to time, with our reflections on that head. Convinced as we are, in our souls, that so villainous an attempt was never before made in Ireland to sap the founda. tions of our holy religion, and thereby inevitably introduce the opposite evils of deism and atheism, For these reasons we call upon the Catholic inhabitants of Ireland to watch, without intermission, the men who first joined the minister in this most accursed and anti-national plot; and above all never to lose sight of all those who attached themselves to him-as they may rest as sured that should unfortunate circumstances ever again place the popula. tion of the country at the mercy of the minister, and leave him at liberty to avail himself of the terror of Mr. Grattan's hallow'd Insurrection and Arms Acts, (his grateful return to Irishmen for their 50,000) they may, we say, rest assured that the attempt will be repeated, and the minister will be again supported by the very same men, when the people shall on the other hand be most probably deprived of the advantages of open discussion, through the medium of a free and patriotic press. The entire of last month's Number having been rapidly bought up, we are requested by many in town and country, to republish the Article relative to the Meeting of John's lane, as by the acknowledgment of numbers who assisted at that National Synod, it is proved to contain nothing but what is substantially true--and it is our present intention to comply with that request the first convenient day, in order that every Catholic of spirit, possessing any regard for his religion, may keep it by him, and thereby be enabled to know and point out to his friends the men, in whom confidence confidence can with safety be placed, or should be distrusted in the event of a renewed attack, under the inauspicious circumstances above alluded to, for in a season of tranquillity nothing is to be apprehended on that score, at least during the present generation, as we before observed. Having in last month's publication given our opinion as to the three leading" Prelates, who distinguished themselves for the last twelve years, by their violence in forwarding almost every measure of even the worst administration, and, last of all, by the shameless and open avowal of their wishes to let the English minister have the power of excluding your best priests for ever from the digni fied honors of Episcopacy; notwith standing the universal cry of reprobation set forth against it by the laity, the inferior clergy, and nearly all the other Bishops. We now, according to promise, proceed to a very painful task; namely to record and hand down to future generations the conduct of the remaining three, who gave their votes for keeping the ques❤ tion undecided at present, and consequently for leaving it in the power of any artful English Minister, with the assistance of our irreligious " Association of Catholic Hacks, to carry his point on some future day by coruption, or menaces, or both, Little did we suspect that any Irish Prelate, except the three staunch Friends of every Administration described in our former Number, could be found hardy or indeed senseless enough to lend their aid to a set of Aristocratic Usurpers, who were bent on introducing the most alarming and degrading innovations into the prac tice of the Church, in cases of the most essential nature. But time, which reveals all things, has brought to public view the sentiments and acts of three men, or rather of one man (the other two being considered by all who know them, as his crewtures) whose patriotism and religious feelings we never before (to use the words of Dr. Milner in his famous Letter to a Parish Priest) judged of being suspected one of the Prelates alluded to, candidly declares that he never did, or never will dissent from his metropolitan on any subject (suck is his opinion of his judgment !)— and the other, having been appointed chiefly through an influence with the clergy never have been considered very Canonical; and having walked, some time back, at the head of a public procession (such is the report of many newspapers) composed of electors, who had just returned, as their representative to the imperial parliament, an avowed enemy to our emancipation, and of course to his country. We pass them over, and hold ourselves bound to consider their last unhappy vote as the act of their metropolitan, At this last gentleman's behaviour on the late occasion we must confess our astonishnient and deep regret, as we heard with pride and pleasure of many traits of public spirit in his life, which would do honor to any character in any country; but perhaps his best apology is, that he is surrounded by Catholic Lords, Baronets and Upstarts, illiterate Moneybrokers and Flatterers, whose society has destroyed the popularity of every prelate and priest, who listens to their ambitious plans for obtaining power. To this may be added, he is now old and unnerved, besides, he has, according to report, lately acquired the possession of a very large propertyand Plutus, the god of wealth, is painted blind. We cannot, consistently with our duty, as impartial writers for the public, avoid stating that this bishop is greatly censured by many for what they they put down as a most grievous omission on his part-we mean his never having once come forward by any public act in favor of his poor people, ten thousand of whom under his very eye were racked, murdered, or banished from their homes and friends; whereas he was always ready to give his signature to every slavish address set on foot by the Aristocrats. Doctors Bray, Delany, and Caufield, who appeared at the Synod to recant their error of 1799, have done themselves immortal honor. -When the two bishops, who alone absented themselves from the council, shall have published a similar recantation, it will afford us infinite pleasure to notice their repentance, until then we must suppose them unchanged in principle, tho' not so devoid of feeling as the few who publicly and strenuously fought the Battle of the Minister and the Irish Junta" to the last moment, October 31, 1808. Description of Madrid. MADRID was long only an obscure town, appertaining to the archbishop of Toledo; but while so many flourishing and illustrious cities, enjoying every advantage of situati. on, have sunk into deserted villages, this town, built in a sterile and ungrateful soil, has become one of the finest cities in Europe. On approaching Madrid, nothing announces to the traveller that he is near the capital of the Spanish monarchy. The inns within two leagues of that city are equally dirty and desfitute of all conveniencies with those in every other part of the kingdom, The soil appears barren without either trees or verdure. But on arriv. ing at the Manzanares, a superb and extremely necessary bridge, though it has been ridiculed by the question, "where is the river?" Near the vicinnity of the royal residence. This bridge is about a thousand paces in length, and, at the beginning, about twenty-two in breadth, though it nar rows towards the center, where it is not more than twelve. It is built of cut stones, and has a parapet breast high. The gate of the city which leads to it is called the gate of Segovia, from which the bridge has taken its name. It was built under Philip II. after the designs of the famous John de Herrera. The bridge of Toledo, which is much more modern, cannot compare with it for beauty, as it is ornamented in an extravagant taste with arches, as are the greater part of the bridges of Spain. Almost all the streets of Madrid are straight, wide, clean, and well pav. ed. The largest and most frequented are the street of Alcala, that of Atocha, that of Toledo, and the Calle grande, or great street. Madrid has also several squares, which, in general are not very regular. The prin. cipal are those of San Joachim, Sol, Lasganitas, San Domingo, La Cevada, and the Piaza Mayor. The latter especially deserves notice for its spaci ousness and regularity, and the elegant and lofty houses it contains. It is fifteen hundred and thirty-six feet in circuit. The houses, of which there are a hundred and thirty-six, are of five stories, ornamented with balconies, the first of which, supported |