ROBERT TOMSON ad. 



1557- 

 made by a frier, concerning our matter, they did put us 

 in all the disgrace they could, to cause the people not 

 to take so much compassion upon us, for that wee were 

 heretiques, & people that were seduced of the devill, & 

 had forsaken the faith of the Catholique Church of 

 Rome, with divers other reprochfull wordes, which were 

 too long to recite in this place. High Masse and 

 Sermon being done, our offences, as they called them, 

 were recited, every man what he had said and done, and 

 presently was the sentence pronounced against us. That 

 was, that the said Augustine Boacio was condemned to 

 weare his S. Benito all the dayes of his life, and put into 

 perpetuall prison, where hee should fulfill the same, and 

 all his goods confiscated and lost. And I the saide 

 Tomson to weare the S. Benito for three yeeres, and 

 then to be set at libertie. And for the accomplishing 

 of this sentence or condemnation, we must be presently 

 sent downe from Mexico, to Vera Cruz, and from thence 

 to S. John de Ullua, and there to be shipped for Spaine, 

 which was 6§. leagues by land, with strait commande- 

 ment, that upon paine of looo. duckets, the Masters 

 every one should looke straitly unto us, and carry us to 

 Spaine, and deliver us unto the Inquisitors of the Holy 

 house of Sivill, that they should put us in the places, 

 where we should fulfill our penances that the Archbishop 

 of Mexico had enjoyned unto us, by his sentence there 

 given. For performance of the which, we were sent 

 downe from Mexico, to the Sea side, which was 6^. 

 leagues, with fetters upon our feete, and there delivered 

 to the Masters of the ships, to be caried for Spaine, 

 as before is said. And it was so, that the Italian, fearing 

 that if he had presented himselfe in Spaine before the 

 Inquisitors, that they would have burned him, to prevent 

 that danger, when wee were comming homeward, and 

 were arrived at the yland of Ter9era, one of the ysles of 

 the A9ores, the first night that we came into the said 

 port to an ancker, about midnight he found the meanes 

 to get him naked out of the ship into the sea, & swam 



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