512 Memoln of Don Jean 



also accompai)ic(l liim in a journey to 

 Arragon, and obtained from iiim certain 

 benefits and privileges for his native 

 country. 



In 1809 the Inquisition was abolished, 

 in Spain, by a decree of tlie new king. 

 M. L. was chosen to examine its vast 

 archives, and to write the history of tiiat 

 ecclesiastical tribunal. For two years, 

 a number of persons were at work 

 under his directions, copying or ex- 

 tracting original pieces in reference to 

 this design. These valuable materials, 

 when roUuced into order, and joined fo 

 those which M. L. had been collecting 

 from 1789, enabled him to sketch a 

 picture of the Holy Office, which pro- 

 cured him the surname of Suetonius of 

 the Inquisition. In the same year, the 

 monastic orders were supprcsseil, and 

 M. L. was appointed to superintend 

 their gradual abolition, and to take 

 account of fhe moveable properly and 

 efl'ects. This difficult and delicate mis- 

 sion he fulBIIcd so as to temper and 

 niitfgate its rigour. The important 

 office of Director General of the Na- 

 tional Effects was next confided to him. 

 Those who joined iho government of 

 Cadiz, with (he junlas who obeyed it, 

 were included in this proscription. 

 Engaged in a cause like tiiis, IVI. L. 

 could do little good, though he might 

 prevent some evil ; and herein he 

 secured to the wives, children, and rela- 

 tions, of the emigrants, tiieir goods that 

 were declared coiifisc:ited. This office 

 he did not long retain ; and Joseph, as if 

 to indemnify him for it, made him 

 Apostolical Commissary General of the 

 Holy Crusade, that is, Distributor Gene- 

 ral of the Royal Alms. This formed a 

 species of libcrnlity seldom in strict ac- 

 cordance with a « ell governed political 

 economy; and, in Spain, mostly under 

 the influence of a monastic spirit. 



While in the discharge of these diver- 

 sified employments, M. L. was publish- 

 ing, in Spain, (he first sketch of his 

 " History of (he InqnisilioD." Some- 

 whal later, he remoulded this first part, 

 and published it in French. 



In the month of August, 1812, after 

 losing the battle of Arapiles, the court of 

 Joseph was obliged to evacuate Ma- 

 drid. M. L. followed it to Valencia, 

 and there publislied some political 

 j)amphlets in favour of his party. This 

 part of tlie author's conduct we have to 

 deplore; he inveighs against the Cortes 

 of Cadiz, and the principles of their 

 Constitution, (hough grounded on the 



Anioine Lhrente. [July '. 



public opinion and real interests of the 

 nation. The successive reverses of the 

 French armies at length compelled ]M. 

 L. to quit, with them, his native soil, 

 and enter France. This he did by (he 

 way of Oieroii, after visiting Bourdeaux, 

 Toulouse, and some other towns in the 

 south of France, and arrived at Paris in 

 the month of March, 1814. The great 

 events of that year were hastening to 

 their accomiilisiiment, and Ferdinand 

 VII. re-ascended the throne of Spain. 



The party of Joseph disappeared with 

 him ; none of his adherents made any 

 difficulty of submitting to Ferdinand. 

 This prince proceeded to acts of a most 

 unjustifiable rigour, overturning the 

 establishments setup by the defenders of 

 his crown while he was a captive; and 

 involving, in one common proscription, 

 the generous citizens who had defended 

 the country and its independence, and 

 the Sjjaniards designated by the name of 

 Josephinos, whose acts of submission he 

 rejected. Among these M. Llorentc 

 was adjudged to perpetual banishment, 

 and the confiscation of his goods. 

 Among otiier effects, he lost a library of 

 more than 8000 volumes, which he had 

 left at Madrid, consisting of a great 

 immber of manuscripts and rare and 

 valuable books. He was also deprived 

 of his ecclesiastical dignities and reve- 

 nues. As a canon and dignitary of the 

 church of Toledo, he protested against 

 the rojal decree, and demanded a regu- 

 lar tiial and lull hearing ; this protesta- 

 tion was made public. The Rules of 

 Dis(i))Iinc in the Catholic church were 

 undoubtedly in his favour; the French 

 priests, wluii, at the beginning of the 

 revolution, they became the victims of 

 severe measures, appealed to the same 

 principles as those M. Llorentc ad- 

 vocated. 



In the year 1814, M. L. made an 

 excursion to London ; but, the air and 

 climate ill agreeing with his constitu- 

 tion, he determined on fixing his resi- 

 dence at Paris. Here he had easy 

 access to the vast public libraries: here 

 he entered into familiar intercourse with 

 the literati, who were anxious to do jus- 

 tice to the learning and mnifs of (he 

 Spanish priest. His residence here 

 became agreeable, so that he could 

 apply himself, without reserve, to those 

 studies for which he was so well 

 qualified. In this retreat, he drew up 

 several pieces, illustrative of Spanish 

 history ancient and modern; he ap- 

 peared, also, in some measure, on the 



stage 



