^^^•^^•J a, Tale of the Inqnitntion. 39 



save her, or perish with her !" Without another word he hastened from 

 the convent to the palace of the Inquisition. 



Pale and haggard he entered the chamber of the grand inquisitor, to 

 winch he had always free access, and begged a private audience. The 

 inquisitor comphed with his request, astonished to see him, so uniformly 

 cold-hearted and taciturn, in such violent agitation of mind. Since the 

 leelings of a father had taken possession of his breast, and that he la- 

 boured to save the life of a child, he was animated amidst his despair 

 with the purest feeling. He related to the grand inquisitor the princi- 

 pal circumstances of his Hfe, without the least disguise; and accused 



ViV'f u'''u^^. '^i'^'^^T''^''^"^ frankness, of being the only criminal. 

 When he had finished his story, the old inquisitor held out his hand to 

 him and said, " Unhappy father ! thy child is nevertheless lost i" 



Miranda clasped his knees, and implored him in deep groans to save 

 his child!— but the judge remained inexorable. " The sentence once 

 pronounced by our tribunal, cannot be revoked !" said he, loosin- him- 

 self from the grasp of iMiranda. « You have yourself accused your 

 daughter to us : acknowledge therein the wise dispensation of Heaven 

 Mer death must be the atonement for your and Isabella's sins " 



" Venerable father !" cried i\Iiranda, distracted, " if a victim must 

 be sacrificed, let me die." 



.1, " ^^ \ ^^^ f"""^' ^""^ '^°'' y^* ^* ^'^ ^"'^- The more pure and innocent 

 thy child IS, the more tranquilly shouldst thou view her career finish 

 I once myself considered death a punishment, but now see that it is only 

 the road out of darkness into light— only the sun's ray, in which the 

 ripe fruit falls. 



Miranda saw that it was impossible to save his child. The grief which 

 had overwhelmed him gave place to the most furious rage. He drew a 

 dagger from beneath his cloak, and swore he would deal death and 

 destruction around, ere his child should perish by the hand of the execu- 

 tioner. The grand inquisitor left him with severe threats, and desired his 

 people to keep an eye upon him, and not to permit his entrance to the 

 palace of the inquisition till the auto-de-fe of the morrow was over 



In the agony of JMiranda's grief at not being able to save his dauo-h- 

 ter, nor make himself known to her, he went to the confessor appoiiUed 

 to attend her, intrusted him with the secret of her history implored 

 him to relate it to his daughter, and reconcile her to her unhappy 

 iather. I he priest promised, and kept his word. 



At length the morning dawned which was to witness the appalline- 

 scene of death. The Spanish court in full state, and the greater part 

 of tlie population of Madrid, were assembled in the Plaza de la Inqui 

 sicione, to witness the tragedy. The stern judges of the Inquisition 

 were in their places, and even JMiranda did not fail 10 be present The 

 old grand inquisitor fancied that the father had, by a severe strucro-le 

 with himself, at last conquered his feelings, and smiled graciously ifp^on 

 him ; but he could not help shuddering at the dreadful look JMiranda 

 returned. At last the procession approached under a strono- military 

 escort ; in the centre were the condemned, who advanced in mournful 

 silence ; quite the last was a female, too weak to support herself con 

 ducted by the oHicers of justice. It was Mira. But scarcely liad she 

 reached Miranda ere he rushed among the guards, like a lion deter- 

 mined to defend his young ; dashed the officers aside, seized his child 

 in his arms, pressed forward with her towards the crowd, callin<r out to 



