$925.4, 
bakin: ‘the” various ‘corjo~ 
fations) and? which’ diets’ were “the 
Stoutid-work' of ‘all ‘that’ followed. © In 
ps thet 1550, Charles V. imagined hiin- 
Selfundeé¥ the necessity, from the rapid 
increase’ of the sectarians, of renewing 
atid ‘strengthening those edicts. ° It was 
Oi that octasion that the city of An- 
Werp opposed the Inquisition, and had 
thé Good fortune’ to eseape its grasp. 
But the character of the Inquisition in 
the*Netherlands, mm compliance with the 
gtifitis of that cotintry, was rather more 
htimanée; ‘and’ had not, until then, any 
foreigners, ‘still’ less a Dominican monk 
for its governor. It had for’ its guide 
mas edicts which every one knew ; and, 
OWirig'to ‘that, the Inquisition was less 
objécted’ to, because its proceedings 
Were less arbitrary, and not so much 
involved in mystery ‘as the Spanish: 
though ‘the former was sufficiently cruel 
it its judgments. F 
~'But it was’ the wish of Philip to pre- 
pure the way for a genuine’ Spanish In- 
uisition in’ the Netherlands, because he 
corisidered it’ as ‘the best means to 
destroy the spirit of that nation, and to 
prepare it’ for a despotic government. 
He n by insisting on’ the religious 
decrees of ‘his father, and’ by enlarging 
thé’ power of the Inquisition progres- 
sively, and’ making its proceedings still 
more’ arbitrary and independent of the 
civil jurisdictions : ‘so that the tribunal 
of the Netherlands soon wanted nothing 
more than the name of the Spanish In- 
juisition, and a Dominican monk at its 
ad, to become completely what Philip 
desired.’ Mere suspicion was enough 
to tear away ‘a citizen from the protec- 
tion of the municipal laws, and from the 
ciréle’of his family; and the slightest 
mony justified the application of the 
torture.’ Whoever fell into that pit 
néver rose again. The maternal care 
of’ justice “extended to him no more. 
Out of the pale of the world, malice and 
madness pronounced judgment on the 
victiin; ‘his’ accuser never known to 
hit’; and seldom even his crime. The 
critiinal was to be forced to find out his 
trespass ; and in the agony of pain on 
the’ rack; or in’ the weariness of ‘the 
lofig imprisonment in*’which he was bu- 
ried alivé; he was miade to’confess crimes 
vin perhaps were never committed ; 
least had never been known to his 
j Cad 
ithe estates of the convict were con- 
ed; informers’ were encouraged, by 
tenders of pardon and reward. No pri- 
vilege;'no" divil ‘jurisdiction; was avail-" 
Pub 
On Meteorological Inquiries. 
491 
able against the holy power. ‘ The civil 
powers had no other share ‘in the ‘pro- 
ceedings, ‘but submissively ‘to> exécute 
the sentence.’ The temporal happiness, 
andthe life*of the most innocent, were 
placed in’ the hands of every wretch. 
Every concealed enemy, ‘every repiner, 
every expectant, had now the> most 
dangerous allurements'to an impercep= 
tible sacrifice and infallible’ revenge: 
The security of friendship, the frank- 
ness of conversation, was at an end; all 
the ties of relationship, and’ even those 
of love, were loosened. An infectious 
suspicion poisoned social life ; and the 
apprehession of a spy, glared in every 
look, and paralyzed every tongue. No 
one could’ be trusted; and all that is 
held sacred amongst men sunk’ im the 
unmanned estimation of the subjects of 
the Inquisition. : 
These horrors, it may be ‘said, have 
partly passed away ; and perhaps, even 
in Spain, they cannot be quite renewed; 
but, as the system of espionage is con= 
ducted on the same principle as that! of 
the abominable Inquisition, and/as ‘it is 
at present so much used ‘as an‘instru-" 
ment by continental despots, it behoves 
the English, whose prosperity, as a free 
and commercial people, cai only exist 
while the freedom of ‘social confidence 
shall remain inviolate, to. be on’°their 
guard, and use their utmost’ diligence, 
througi the medium of the press, and 
the influence of their popular represén= 
tation, to exclude every measure whith 
might tend to the prevalence of that 
system of espionage, which, to say the 
best of it, is but the political spawn of 
that theological Jaga Naut, the Spanish” 
Inquisition. , 
— a 
For the Monthly Magazine: 
On MeEtrorotogicat Inquiries. 
6 hee science of Meteorology appears 
to be acquiring, gradually, that de- 
gree of attention from ‘sciéntific men, 
which its’ great importance ‘demands. 
It is obvious that calculations respect- 
ing the probable occurrence of any Spe- 
cies of atmospheric phenomena, must, 
at the very best, be attended with great 
anomalies. Such’an infinite variety of 
circumstances operate in producing the’ 
changes to which our proverbially 
changeable climate is subject, that it is 
not surprizing hypothesis should suc- 
ceed hypothesis, and new theories be_ 
substituted for old ones, in accounting 
for the various anomalies which con- 
stantly occur, and which, in reality, 
may be said to battle’ all calculation. 
3R2 Nothing 
