1708. ] 
ut poffent necarent. Ut autem hac inftitutio 
perpetud maneret inconvulfa, dedit eifdem 
viris poteftatem fubftituendi et alics fub certis 
conditionibus idoneos, qui memorata facultate 
gaudentes, officium inquifitionis et mortis 
in reos impuné exercerent. Leges denique 
fecretas, et notas occultas, fimul et juramenti 
eis formam prefcripfit, quibus in judicando 
et puniendo jufté procederent, /ibique mutuod nott 
alios laterent, et neceffarium in teira Saxonica 
judicium fecretius perpetud confeivarent. 
Alphabetis etiam certis inter fe u.ebantur ad 
tempus, que tamenab ufu penitis detecerunt. 
Inguifitionis tamen hujufcemodi officium ad 
préefens ufque tempus permanet, cujus minif- 
tri Feimeri vuked nuncupantur.” — oanns 
Trithemii Polygraphia. Liber fextus. 
The amount of this teitimony feems to 
be, that in the time of Trithemius there 
aGtually exifted a fecret inquifition; the 
members of which exercifed a judiciary 
power over the whole of Saxony; that 
they took cognifance of all forts of crimes 
againit religion; that their procels was 
fummary, and that they put to death the 
perfons whom they had fecretly adjudged, 
by any means in thcir power. This for- 
midabie tribunal perpetuated ittelt by 
eleSting into its own body whomloever it. 
thought fit; the members fo admitted 
were bound by an oath to adhere to the 
‘regulations of the inftiution, and to pre- 
ferve the fecrecy of its operations; in 
order to do which more effeCrually, they 
had fecret laws, occult figns, and a pecu- 
liar kind of writing, known only to the 
initiated : and, though fome of thetfe lat- 
ter contrivances had fallen into dilute, 
the exiftence of juch a tribunal was cer- 
tainly, at that time, a matter of notoriety; 
fince. the minifters of it are fpoken of as 
popularly known under the name of Fez- 
Mer. 
The obfervations which I fhall make 
on this account will be very brief. In 
the firft place, it is a kind of evidence 
which is leaft liable to fufpicion, becaufe 
it is not the direét objeét of the author in 
writing his' work; but merely an inci- 
dental circumftance connected with a de- 
tached branch of his fubje€&t: with fuch 
a view he would not furely have noticed 
any thing which was not general'y known 
to exift, however the details of its pro- 
ceedings might be volved in obfcurity. 
It is remarkable that this Secret Tri- 
bunal was fupported by the very fame 
contrivances which a late author has de- 
fcribed as the practice of the Il'uminées, 
though the fuppofed aim of the latter be 
exaétly contrary to that of the former ; 
the. one confpiring to fubvert a religion, 
which the other confpired to eftablifh, 
Tour in North America. 
103 
I fhall not compare this fyftem of efpi- 
onage and arbitrary punifhment with 
fome of more recent date; but conclude 
with recommending it to the ferious con- 
fideration of every one, how much the 
pureft caufe, and the moft worthy mo- 
tives may be difgraced by the employment 
of means fo dark anddangerous. J. S&S. 
JouRNEY FROM NEW-YoRK TO PHI- 
LADELPHIA AND THE BRANDY- 
WINE, IN THE STATE OF PENSYL- 
VANIA. 
(Continued from page 28.) 
W* gueffed at the opulence of the 
_yeomanry from. the folid con- 
ftruétion of their houfes, and the capaci- 
ouineis of their barns and granaries. ‘he 
latter, on infpuction, we found well-ftored 
with hay and corn, confidering the time' 
of year. Tele worthy people, in the 
fruit -feafon, allow ftrangers to gather and 
eat’ apples, cherries, peaches, or any 
other productions of their orchards. And 
if you afk for 1iquor to affuage your thirit, 
they wall frankly make you welcome, and 
regale you with cyder, mead, milk, or 
whatever elfe their houfes afford. ‘This 
good-humoured hofpitality is not uncom- 
mon throughout the interior of all the 
ftates; nay, I’ have my/feif experienced it 
alfo upon the farms of Long-Ifland. To 
fee the quakers here pacing along te 
market, well-mounted, and well-clad, 
after the garb and fathion of their fo- 
ciety, and converfing fluently in the fame 
mother-tongne, concurred almoft to per- 
fuade me that I was in reality not fo 
many thovfand miles from Britain, but 
actually within ic: nothing but the fre- 
quent appearance of negroes difpelled the 
delufion. One proof of the good morals 
of the white refidents was, the unfre- 
quency of the mulattoes and other people 
of colour, although the blacks were fo 
numerous. It was highly gratifying, 
to notice the white and negro children 
trudging to {chool promifcuoufly toge- 
ther, and carelefsly fauntering with their 
fatchejs and well-replenithed wallets flung 
acrofs their fhoulders, and cheerfully fa- 
luting the pafling ftranger, In travelling 
through the North-American forefts, 
nothing more aftonifhes the European, 
than their ufual freedom from brambles 
and under-wood: the ground beneath be- 
ing covered with a fmooth green fod, re- 
frefhing to the eye, and at once inviting 
to the horfeman and pedettrian. Natu- 
ralifts impute this fingular exemption to 
the inherent nature of a virgin foil: but 
the American climate, fo unlike that of 
paraile] 

