not know what you might do, under the protection of a British force; but I should not like (smiling, and pressing his capacious sides,) to trust my body in their hands.' "We then had some conversation on the subject of giving the Scriptures to the native Roman Catholics. I had heard before, that the Bishop was by no means hostile to the measure. I told him that I should probably find the means of translating the Scriptures into the Malabar language, and wished to know whether he had any objection to this mode of illuminating the ignorant minds of the native Christians. He said he had none. I visited the Bishop two or three times afterwards. At our last interview he said, I have been thinking of the good gift you are meditating for the native Christians; but believe me, the Inquisition will endeavour to counteract your purposes by every means in their power.' I afterwards conversed with an intelligent native priest, who was well acquainted with the state and character of the Christians, and asked him whether he thought they would be happy to obtain the Scriptures? Yes,' answered British and Foreign Bible Society have voted a large supply of paper in aid of the design. Dr. Buchanan likewise urges the printing of an edition of the Syriac Scriptures for distribution in Malayala, and also in Mesopotamia. We trust that the Bible Society will not be inattentive to this important object. In the course of his travels through different parts of the East, the author had an opportunity of witnessing the degrading effects produced by the papal corruptions. On one occasion he beheld the tower of Juggernaut employed to celebrate a Christian festival. While the author reviewed these corruptions, he was always referred to the Inquisition at Goa, as the fountain head. This determined him, if possible, to visit Goa before he left India. He had learnt, from every quarter, that this tribunal was still in opera he, those who have heard of them.' I asked tion, though restricted as to the if he had got a Bible himself?—No,' he said; but he had seen one at Goa."" pp. 226, 227. The account of the Syriac manuscripts, which Dr. Buchanan succeeded in obtaining, and of the ancient tablets, on which are re corded the rights and privileges granted to the Christians, supposed to have been lost, but lately recovered by the exertions of Colonel Macaulay, has been, in some measure, anticipated in our volume for 1807. Most of these manuscripts, together with copper-plate fac-similes of the tablets, are deposited in the public library of the university of Cambridge. The translation of the Scriptures into the Malayalim, which was set on foot, as we have seen, at Dr. Buchanan's suggestion, was prosecuted by the Bishop without intermission. In the following year Dr. Buchanan visited Travancore a second time, and carried the manuscript version of the New Testament to Bombay to be printed, learned natives being sent from Travancore to superintend the press. It is intended to continue the translation until the whole Bible is completed. The publicity of its proceedings; and that its power extended to the extreme boundary of Hindostan. "That, in the present civilized state of Christian nations in Europe, an inquisition should exist at all under their authority, appeared strange; but that a papal tribunal plied toleration and countenance of the of this character should exist under the im British government; that Christians, being subjects of the British empire, and inhabiting the British territories, should be amena ble to its power and jurisdiction, was a statement which seemed to be scarcely credible; but, if true, a fact which demanded the most public and solemn representation." p. 240. Dr. Buchanan accordingly adopted the resolution of visiting Goa, and, after overcoming difficulties which would have deterred any man less bold than himself, we find him lodged in the convent of the Augustinians, in that city, under the especial protection of Josephus a Doloribus, one of the inquisitors, The whole of Dr. Buchanan's jour nal, while he remained at Goa, would prove, in the highest degree, interesting to our readers; but our limits oblige us to be content with a single extract, We are per suaded that no one who reads it of surprize I concluded it must be the Alwill object to its length. « Goa, Augustinian Convent, 27 th Jun. 1807. "On the second morning after my arrival, I was surprised by my host, the inquisitor, coming into my apartment, clothed in black rabes from head to foot; for the usual dress of his order is white. He said he was going to sit on the tribunal of the holy office. I presume, father, your august office does not occupy much of your time.' Yes,' answered he, much. I sit on the tribunal three or four days every week.' "I bad thought, for some days, of putting Dellon's book into the inquisitor's hands; for if I could get him to advert to the facts stated in that book, I should be able to learn, by comparison, the exact state of the inquisition at the present time. In the evening he came in, as usual, to pass an hour in my apartment. After some conversation I took the pen in my hand to write a few notes in my journal; and, as if to amuse him, while I was writing, I took up Dellon's book, which was lying with some others on the table, and handing it across to him, asked him whether he had ever seen it. It was in the French language, which he understood well. Relation de l' Inquisition de Goa,' pronounced he, with a slow, articulate voice. He had never seen it before, and began to read it with eagerness. He had not proceeded far, before he betrayed evident symptoms of uneasiness. He turned hastily to the middle of the book, and then to the end, and then ran over the table of contents at the beginning, as if to ascertain the full extent of the evil. He then composed himself to read, while I continued to write. He turned over the pages with rapidity, and when he came to a certain place, he exclaimed in the broad Italian accent, Mendacium, Mendacium.' I requested he would mark those passages which were untrue, and we should discuss them afterwards, for that I had other books on the subject. Other books,' said he, and he looked with an inquiring eye on those on the table. He continued reading till it was time to retire to rest, and then begged to take the book with him. "It was on this night that a circumstance happened which caused my first alarm at Goa. My servants slept every night at my chamber door, in the long gallery which is common to all the apartments, and not far distant from the servants of the convent. About midnight I was waked by loud shrieks and expressions of terror, from some person in the gallery, In the first moment guazils of the holy office, seizing my servants to carry them to the inquisition. But, on going out, I saw my own servants standing at the door, and the person who had caused the alarm (a boy of about fourteen) at a little distance, surrounded by some of the priests, who had come out of their cells on hearing the noise. The boy said he had seen a spectre, and it was a considerable time before the agitations of his body and voice subsided.-Next morning, at breakfast, the inquisitor apologized for the disturbance, and said the boy's alarm proceeded from a phantasma animi,' a phantasm of the ima gination. "After breakfast we resumed the subject of the inquisition. The inquisitor admitted that Dellon's description of the dungeons, of the torture, of the mode of trial, and of the Auto da Fè were, in general, just; but he said the writer judged untruly of the motives of the inquisitors, and very uncharitably of the character of the holy church; and I admitted that, under the pressure of his peculiar suffering, this might possibly be the case. The inquisitor was now anxious to know to what extent Dellon's book had been circulated in Europe. I told him that Picart had published to the world extracts from it, in his celebrated work called Religious Ceremonies;' together with plates of the system of torture and burnings at the Auto da Fè. I added that it was now generally believed in Europe that these enormities no longer existed, and that the inquisition itself had been totally suppressed; but that I was concerned to find that this was not the case. He now began a grave narration to shew that the inquisition had undergone a change in some respects, and that its terrors were mitigated. "I had already discovered, from written or printed documents, that the inquisition at Goa was suppressed by royal edict, in the year 1775, and established again in 1779. The Franciscau Father before mentioned, witnessed the annual Auto da Fè, from 1770, to 1775. 'It was the humanity, and tender mercy of a good king,' said the old father, which abolished the inquisition.' But immediately on his death, the power of the priests acquired the ascendant, under the queen dowager, and the tribunal was re-established. after a bloodless interval of five years. It has continued in operation ever since. It was restored in 1779, subject to certain restrictions, the chief of which are the two following, 'That a greater number of witnesses should be required t❤ convict a criminal than were before neces- continuance had been called in question; that I had myself written on the civiliza- The chief argument of the inquisitor to prove the melioration of the inquisition was the superior humanity of the inquisitors. 1 remarked that I did not doubt the huma nity of the existing officers; but what availed humanity in an inquisitor? he must pronounce sentence according to the laws of the tribunal, which are notorious enough; and a relapsed Heretic must be burned in the flames, or confined for life in a dungeon, whether the inquisitor be humane or not. But if, said I, you would satisfy my mind completely on this subject, shew me the inquisition.' He said it was not permitted to any person to see the inquisition. 1 observed that mine might be considered as a peculiar case; that the character of the inquisition, and the expediency of its longer "Next morning, after breakfast, my host went to dress for the holy office, and soon returned in his inquisitorial robes. He said he would go half an hour before the usual time for the purpose of shewing me the inquisition. The buildings are about a quarter of a mile distant from the convent, and we proceeded thither in our manjeels*. Ou our arrival at the place, the inquisitor said to me, as we were ascending the steps of the outer stair, that he hoped I should be satisfied with a transient view of the inqui sition, and that I would retire whenever be should desire it. I took this as a good omen, and followed my conductor with tolerable confidence. He led me first to the great hall of the inquisition. We were met at the door by a number of well dressed persons, who, I af, terwards understood, were the familiars, and attendants of the holy office. They bowed very low to the inquisitor, and looked with surprise at me. The great hall is the place in which the prisoners are marshalled for the procession of the Auto da Fè. At the procession described by Dellon, in which he himself walked barefoot, clothed with the painted garment, there were apwards of one hundred and fifty prisoners. I traversed this ball for some time, with a slow step, reflecting on its former scenes, the inquisitor walking by my side in silence. I thought of the fate of the multitude of my fellow-creatures who had passed through this place, condemned by a tribunal of their fellow-sinners, their bodies devoted to the A kind of palankeen. flames, and their souls to perdition. And I could not help saying to him, 'Would not the holy church wish, in her mercy, to have those souls back again, that she might allow them a little further probation? The inquisifor answered nothing, but beckoned me to go with him to a door at one end of the hall. By this door he conducted me to some small rooms, and thence to the spacious apartments of the chief inquisitor. Having surveyed these he brought me back again to the great hall; and I thought he seemed now desirous that I should depart. • Now, father,' said I,' lead me to the dungeons below; I want to see the captives.'-' No,' said he, that cannot be.'-I now began to suspect that it had been in the mind of the inquisitor, from the beginning, to shew me only a certain part of the inquisition, in the hope of satisfying my inquiries in a general way. I urged him with earnestness, but he steadily resisted, and seemed to be offended, or rather agitated, by my importunity. I intimated to him plainly, that the only way to do justice to his own assertions and arguments, regarding the present state of the inquisition, was to show me the prisons and the captives. I should then describe only what I saw ; but now the subject was left in awful obscurity. Lead me down,' said I, to the inner building, and let me pass through the two hundred dun geons, ten feet square, described by your former captives. Let me count the number of your present captives, and converse with them. I want to see if there be any subjects of the British government, to whom we owe protection. I want to ask how long they have been here, how long it is since they beheld the light of the sun, and whether they ever expect to see it again. Shew me the chamber of torture; and declare what modes of execution, or of punishment, are now practised within the walls of the inquisition, in lieu of the public Anto da Fè. If, after all that has passed, father, you resist this reasonable request, I shall be justified in believing, that you are afraid of exposing the real state of the inquisition in India.' To these observations the inquisitor made no reply; but seemed impatient that I should withdraw. My good father, said I, I am about to take my leave of you, and to thank you for your hospitable attentions,' (it had been before understood that I should take my final leave at the door of the inquisition, after having seen the interior), and I wish always to preserve on my mind a favourable sentiment of your kindness and candour. You cannot, you say, shew me the captives and the dungeons; be pleased then merely to answer this question; for I shall believe your word:-How many prisoners are there now below, in the cells of the inquisition? The inquisitor replied, ⚫ That is a question which I cannot answer.' On his pronouncing these words, I retired hastily towards the door, and wished him farewel. We shook hands with as much cordiality as we could at the moment assume; and botli of us, I believe, were sorry that our parting took place with a clouded countenance. "From the inquisition I went to the place of burning, in the Campo Santo Lazaro, on the river side, where the victims were brought to the stake at the Auto da Fè. It is close to the palace, that the vice-roy and his court may witness the execution; for it has ever been the policy of the inquisition to make these spiritual executions appear to be the executions of the state. An old priest accompanied me, who pointed out the place and described the scene. As I passed over this melancholy plain, I thought on the difference between the pure and benign doctrine, which was first preached to India in the apostolic age, and that bloody code, which, after a long night of darkness, was announced to it under the same name! Aud I pondered on the mysterious dispensation, which permitted the ministers of the inqui sition, with their racks and flames, to visit these lands, before the heralds of the Gospel of Peace. But the most painful re flection was, that this tribunal should yet exist, unawed by the vicinity of British hu manity and dominion. I was not satisfied with what I had seen or said at the inqui sition, and I determined to go back again. The inquisitors were now sitting on the tribunal, and I had some excuse for returning; for I was to receive from the chief ine quisitor a letter which he said he would givę me, before I left the place, for the British Resident in Travancore, being an answer tó a letter from that officer. "When I arrived at the inquisition,and had ascended the outer stairs, the door-keepers surveyed me doubtingly, but suffered me to pass, supposing that I had returned by permission and appointment of the inquisitor. I entered the great hall, and went up di rectly towards the tribunal of the inquisition, described by Dellon, in which is the lofty crucifix. I sat down on a form, and, wrote some notes; and then desired one of the attendants to carry in my name to the inquisitor. As I walked up the hall, I saw a poor woman sitting by herself on a bench by the wall, apparently in a disconsolate state of mind. She clasped her hands as I passed, and gave me a look expressive of her distress. This sight chilled my spirits. The familiars told me she was waiting there to be called up before the tribunal of the inquisition. While I was asking questions concerning her crime, the second inquisitor came out in evident trepidation, and was about to complain of the intrusion; when I informed him I had come back for the letter from the chief inquisitor. He said it should be sent after me to Goa; and he conducted me with a quick step towards the door. As we passed the poor woman, I pointed to her, and said with some emphasis, Behold, father, another victim of the holy inquisition! He answered nothing. When we arrived at the head of the great stair, he bowed, and I took my last leave of Josephus a Doloribus, without uttering a word." Pp. 250-264. The English government, we are happy to say, had anticipated the author's suggestion, as to the propropriety of interfering, by means of its influence with the Portugueze government, to abolish the power of the Inquisition. We trust they will pay an equally humane attention to that other enormity which has been mentioned, the immolation of females, perpetrated as it is in our own territories, and within the unquestionable sphere of our own independent jurisdiction. Before our author quits the subject of the Romish Christians, he takes occasion to recommend that the Holy Scriptures, in Portugueze, should be sent to illuminate the 3000 priests of Goa, as well as the vast number of Roman catholics, in different parts of India, who speak and read the Portugueze language. The Portugueze language prevails wherever there are, or have been, settlements of that nation. Their decendants people those immense coasts which extend from the vicinity of the Cape of Good Hope to the sea of China, as well as a great part of the western coast of Africa. In many of the places which Dr. Buchanan visited, though full of Portugueze, he could not hear of a single copy of the Portugueze Scriptures. At the same time, There is a Portugueze press at Tranquebar, and another at Ve pery, near Madras; and pecuniary Dr. Buchanan next adverts to the languages of Persia and Arabia. The number of natives already professing Christianity in Persia, and who are, therefore, prepared to receive a version of the Scriptures, is considerable. Besides this, the Persian language is known far beyond the limits of Persia Proper. It is spoken at all the Mahommedan courts in India, and is the usual language of judicial proceedings, even under the British government in Hindostan. "It is next in importance," in the opinion of Dr. Buchanan," to the Arabic and Chinese, in regard to the extent of territory through which it is spoken, being generally understood from Calcutta to Damascus." In the work of translating the Scriptures into the Persian, a work requiring a perfect knowledge, not of that lan guage only, but of the Arabic also, Sabat, with whose name the readers of the Christian Observer are well acquainted, and Mirza Filrut; a Persian by descent, and a man of learning, who visited England some years ago, and now acts as Persian teacher in the College of Fort William, are employed, under the superintendance of the Rev. Henry Martyn, who is himself an Arabic and Persian scholar, and skilled in the original tongues of the sacred Scriptures. The Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Luke had already been printed, and a number of copies of them deposited for sale, in the Bibliotheca Biblica, at Calcutta, so long ago as May 1810. The importance of the Arabic language, in diffusing a knowledge |