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Qass— 13>X  JLXX.S 

Book i.O  ^  O  6> 


E.  O  5AMO XD      -CTJLBEIIT  S  COT. 


ROSAMOND: 

OR,  A 

NARRATIVE 

OF  THE 

CAPTIVITY   AND   SUFFERINGS 

OP  AN 

AMERICAN   FEMALE 

UNDER  THE  POPISH  PRIESTS,  IN  THE  ISLAND  OP  CUBA 

WITH  A  FULL  DISCLOSURE  OF 
\ 

THEIR  MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS, 
WRITTEN  BY  HERSELF. 

EMBELLISHED  WITH  NUMEROUS  COPPERPLATE  ENGRAVINGS. 
.      .  rt-ITH  AN ' 

INTRODUCTION  AND   NOTES, 
BY  SAMUEL  B.  SMITH, 

LATE  A  PRIEST  IN  THE  CHURCH  OP  ROME. 
SECOND  EDITION. 

Read,  blush,  and  weep  ;— the  picture  stirkes  with  fear;— 

The  mask  aside,  what  Monsters  now  appear! — 

And  must  the  tale  he  told?— ring  through  our  land?— 

It  must : — for  danger  ur^es  his  command. 

We  blush  to  tell ;— -but  blushes  must  be  waiv'd, 

Pop'ry  expos'd,  and  our  dear  country  sav'd. 

NEW  YORK: 
LEAVITT,    LORD,    &   CO., 

BOSTON  :   CROCKER  &  BREWSTER, 

1836. 


Entered, 
According  to  the  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1836,  by 
SAMUEL   B.    SMITH, 
In  the  Clerk's  office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  Southern  District  of 

- :  :  ;  r  i5fEw:YoEK.e : 


STEREOTYPED   BY    F.    P.    RXPLBY, 
KBWYOBX. 


PUBLISHERS'  PREFACE  TO  THE  SECOND  EDITION. 

Justice  to  ourselves,  as  well  as  respect  for  the  opinions  of  those 
editors  who  have  expressed  surprise  at  our  publication  of  Rosamond's 
Narrative,  would  seem  to  require  a  word  of  comment  in  issuing 
another  edition. 

We  doubt  not  that  the  invectives  of  some  of  our  presses  have  been 
pointed  by  other  influences,  than  a  regard  to  the  public  morals.  Those 
who  have  been  warmest  in  their  denunciations,  and  when  any  good 
is  attempted  to  be  done,  are  ever  foremost  in  the  breach  to  thwart  the 
desired  purpose^  are  daily  outraging  the  public  taste  by  their  lives 
and  letters.  The  influence  of  their  papers,  filled  as  they  are  with  over- 
wrought portraitures  of  crime  and  criminals — panegyrics  of  pros- 
titutes— has  the  effect  to  caricature  virtue,  and  enamel  vice.  The 
description  Bertram  gives  ofParolles — "whose  nature  sickens,  but 
to  speak  a  truth,"  is  not  inapplicable  to  them. 

In  regard  to  the  mechanical  execution  of  the  first  edition  there 
was  room  fbr  criticism.  Some  of  the  engravings  were  illy  executed, 
and  a  few  more  illy  conceived — we  have,  however,  availed  ourselves 
of  the  first  opportunity  we  have  had,  of  expurgating  the  work  in  this 
respect — the  first  edition  having  been  got  up  without  our  consulta- 
tion. 

The  Narrative  remains,  as  it  came  from  the  pen  of  the  authoress, 
There  is  an  honest  difference  of  opinion  (as  to  the  propriety  of  its  pub- 
lication) from  suspicions  of  its  authenticity,  apprehensions  that  its  dis- 
closures will  not  accomplish  any  good,  or  that  the  good  will  be  out- 
weighed by  evils  consequent  on  exposure  of  such  crimes. 

Vice,  of  whatever  name  or  influence,  to  be  corrected,  must  be  ex- 
posed— the  manner  must  be  decided  by  the  character  of  the  evil,  and 
the  extent  of  its  influence. 

Here  is  an  institution,  enrobed  with  the  externals  of  Christianity, 
and  enjoying  the  respect  of  many,  charged  with  the  grossest 
abuse.  The  prejudices  of  those  educated  within  its  pale  are  too 
strong  to  suspect  their  spiritual  fathers  of  any  abuse  of  confidence, 
for  they  are  believed  to  be  divested  of  the  passions  of  our  nature  ; 
then  how  "  shall  they  hear  without  a  preacher  1  and  how  shall  they 
preach  except  they  be  sent  V* 

What  is  there  in  this  Narrative  that  hundreds  of  American  tra- 
vellers do  not  know  to  characterize  the  Spanish  and  French  cler- 
gy ]  And  has  their  transportation  across  the  Atlantic  washed  and 
purified  them  from  the  infirmities  of  human  nature  ?  Is  it  not  pass- 
ing strange  that  we  should  receive  foreigners  and  foreign  instructers 
with  so  much  confidence  ?     Suppose  some  of  our  own  Presbyterian 


clergy,  professing  more  z^al  than  their  brethren,  should  take  upon 
themselves  vows  of  celibacy,  and  devote  their  lives  to  the  education 
of  females.  Let  them  select  some  beautiful  site  on  one  of  our  rivers ; 
erect  spacious  accommodations,  and  overshadow  them  with  all  the 
trees  of  the  forest,  and  enclose  them  with  walls  impassable  by  men, 
and  inscrutable  to  human  ken.  Let  nature  and  art  be  taxed  to  contri- 
bute of  their  influence  to  array  these  premises  in  the  bloom  of  an 
eternal  spring.  Let  it  be  intersected  by  gravelled  walks — emplant- 
ed  by  all  varieties  of  shrubbery — enamelled  with  flowers  of  every  odor 
and  color — provided  with  arbors,  summer  houses,  and  retreat* — cooled 
by  bubbling  fountains,  and  enlivened  with  singing  birds  of  every  note. 
Now  would  the  same  inducements  which  preists  offer,  for  pa- 
rents to  avail  themselves  of  these  institutions  for  the  education 
of  their  daughters,  be  deemed  satisfactory  if  presented  by  some  of 
our  home-bred  clergy  1  Would  professions  of  celibacy  from  them  be 
deemed  conclusive  proof  of  the  piety  of 'their  hearts  and  purity  of  their 
lives  ?  Would  the  requirement  on  the  part  of  the  Misses  of  a  change  of 
dress,  assumption  of  another  name,  and  vow  of  entire  seclusion  from 
the  world  and  friends — be  considered  protection  enough  for  the  inno- 
cence of  the  pupils,  or  sufficient  restraint  on  the  passions  of  their 
teachers "?  No  !  common  sense  declares  such  a  disguise  would  only 
aggravate  rather  than  modify  the  features  of  the  scheme. 

Why  then  so  discriminate  between  a  Priest  and  Protestant  1  Are 
our  clergymen  of  more  passionate  temperament  than  French  Catho- 
lics 1  Does  the  cognomen  of  the  latter,  like  a  charm,  dispossess  its 
owner  of  the  infirmities  of  our  nature  7  Is  the  mantle  of  its  name, 
a  sufficient  guarantee  for  the  morality  of  all  that  wear  it  ?  or  are  they 
of  like  passions  as  we  are  ? 

But  our  witness,  we  are  told,  was  a  participator  in  the  crimes  she 
reveals.     How  shall  the  public  learn  the  length  and  breadth  of  the 
dark  habitations  of  cruelty  except  from  those  who  have  trodden  them  1 
Our  criminal  courts  allow  in  evidence  a  witness  to  criminate  as- 
sociates in  crime  under  open  promise  of  pardon  to  himself.     And 
why  should  we  turn  a  deaf  ear  to  the  evidence  of  one,  testifying 
without  any  conceivable  motive  but  the  good  of  others,   under  no 
influence  but  that  of  truth — under  pressure  of  no  circumstances  but 
such  as  are  calculated  to  give  the  greater  weight  to  her  evidence  1 
"They  say  the  tongue  of  dying  men 
Enforce  attention,  like  deep  harmony — 
Where  words  are  scarce,  they  are  seldom  spent  in  vain, 
For  they  breathe  truth,  that  breathe  their  words  in  pain." 

LEAVITT,  LORD  &  CO, 
180  Broadway,  Ayril  20,  1836. 


INTRODUCTION. 


In  the  Narrative  which  is  now  to  be  laid  before  the  public,  the 
world  will  have  a  fair  specimen  of  Popery  reduced  to  practice. 
A  sure  criterion  by  which  to  judge  of  a  religion,  is  to  consider  it 
in  all  its  relations,  and  especially,  in  the  influence  it  has  over 
the  moral  conduct  of  those  who  live  under  its  control. 

It  is  vain  to  tell  us,  pointing  to  a  book,  "  there  is  our  re- 
ligion ;  those  are  our  principles ;  that  is  our  doctrine."  Religion 
is  not  an  abstract  good ;  not  a  mere  painting  to  please  the  eye  ; 
neither  does  the  essence  of  religion  consist  in  ceremony,  nor  in 
a  firm  belief  in  creeds  and  doctrines.  All  this  is,  as  it  were,  the 
mere  bark  ;  the  substance  and  the  pith  lie  in  the  heart.  It  is  not 
through  the  bark  that  the  sap  is  conveyed  to  the  leaves,  the  flow- 
ers, and  the  fruit,  but  through  the  veins.  Nothing  is  plainer, 
or  more  simple,  than  the  Christian  religion.  It  may  be  com- 
pared to  a  tree  perpetually  verdant,  whose  blossoms  diffuse  their 
fragrance  all  around,  whose  expansive  branches  extend  a  reviving 
shade  to  the  wandering  traveler,  parched  and  panting  with  the 
heat  of  the  day,  and  whose  mellow  fruit  hangs  in  profusion,  at 
once  to  assuage  his  thirst,  and  to  nourish  his  body. 

Every  tree  has  bark,  and  the  bark  of  religion  is  its  exterior 
form.  Every  soul  has  a  body,  and  it  is  through  the  senses  of  this 
body  that  impressions  are  conveyed  upon  the  mind.  Being,  there- 
fore, creatures  of  a  compound  nature,  religion,  although  simple 
in  its  essence,  is,  to  a  certain  degree,  compounded  for  our  use. 
It  is  necessary,  therefore,  that  there  should  be  some  exterior  form 
of  worship,  some  bark  around  the  trunk  of  this  wide-spreading 
tree,  to  keep  the  sap  to  its  direction,  and  to  prevent  its  being  dis- 
sipated by  the  winds.  But  it  is  not  necessary  that  this  bark 
should  be  so  protuberant  and  complicated,  as  to  afford  shelter 
and  concealment  to  vermin  and  corruption  :  much  less  necessary  3 
that  it  should  be  overloaded  with  moss  and  fungus. 

The  religion  of  Christ  has  its  forms,  but  like  its  divine  origi- 
nal, these  forms  are  comely,  simple,  necessary,  few.  In  the 
whole  system  of  the  Christian  dispensation,  as  it  is  delivered  to 
us  in  the  New  Testament  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour,  the  forms,  or 
the  exterior  appendages  of  religion,  are  so  simple  and  so  few,  that 
we  are  almost  at  a  loss  to  point  them  out.  They  are  all  reduce- 
able  to  these  :  the  formation  of  a  visible  Church,  who  are  com- 
manded to  worship  the  Father  "  in  spirit  and  in  truth  ;"  the  Sa- 


4  INTRODUCTION. 

cramencs  of  Baptism,  and  the  Lord's  Supper,  and  the  preaching 
of  the  Gospel. 

It  cannot  be  supposed  that  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ, 
in  instituting  his  Church,  introduced  any  thing  unnecessary ;  nor 
can  we  think  that  any  thing  essentially  necessary  relative  to  the 
government,  or  to  the  prosperity  of  that  Church,  was  forgotten, 
overlooked,  or  neglected  by  him. 

In  respect  to  his  divine  mission,  Jesus  Christ  came  to  offer 
unto  God  his  Father,  a  ransom  for  a  lost  world,  to  preach  the 
glad  tidings  of  salvation,  and  to  point  out  the  path  which  leads 
to  glory.  "  /  have  finished  the  work"  (said  the  Saviour,) 
which  thou  gavest  me  to  do"  John  xvii.  4.  How,  or  where 
are  we  to  find  what  were  the  works  which  Christ  came  to  do, 
and  which  he  tells  us  he  has  finished,  except  in  his  own  Word, 
speaking  of  which  the  Psalmist  exclaims  :  "  Thy  Word  is  a 
lamp  to  my  feet,  and  a  light  to  my  path."     Ps.  cxix.  105. 

Since  Christ  came  to  save  sinners,  and  since  salvation  was 
as  attainable  in  the  days  when  Christ  dwelt  visibly  upon  earth, 
as  it  is  now,  or  ever  has  been  since  his  advent,  all  that  was 
necessary  for  the  salvation  of  man  must  have  been  accomplished 
by  our  Lord  before  he  left  the  world.  "/  have  finished  the 
work,"  says  he.  The  work  was  the  salvation  of  sinners ; — "  The 
Son  of  Man  is  come."  (said  the  Saviour,)  "  to  seek  and  to  save 
that  ivhich  was  lost."  Luke  xix.  1 0. 

Sinners  cannot  be  saved  without  faith,  for  "  without  faith," 
(says  the  Scripture,)  "it  is  impossible  to  please  God ;"  Heb.  xi. 
6;  neither  can  they  be  saved  without  works,  since  " faith  with- 
out works  is  dead  ;"  James  ii.  20;  consequently,  when  Christ 
was  upon  earth,  that  faith  which  was  necessary  for  salvation 
was  both  preached  and  believed,  since  "faith  cometh  by  hearing, 
and  hearing  by  the  Word  of  God."  Rom.  x.  17.  The  works, 
too,  without  which  "faith  is  dead"  were,  and  must  have  been 
known  and  performed  ;  since  faith  and  works,  as  the  Scriptures 
declare,  must  go  together.  "  Nov*  ye  are  clean"  (said  Christ,) 
"through  the  Word  which  I  have  spoken  unto  you."  John  xv.  3. 

It  is  true,  that  Christ  said,  addressing  his  disciples,  "  I  have 
yet  many  things  to  say  unto  you,  but  ye  cannot  bear  them  now" 
John  xvi.  12.  He  did  not  tell  them  what  those  things  were.  It 
is  probable  he  was  alluding  to  what  he  would  have  to  suffer,  and 
also  to  what  they  would  have  to  suffer  for  his  sake.  "  Howbeit," 
(continues  he,)  "  when  he,  the  Spirit  of  truth,  is  come,  he  will 
guide  you  into  all  truth."    John  xv.  13. 

"  Ye  now  therefore  have  sorrow"  (continues  the  Saviour, 
still  addressing  his  disciples:)  "bid  I  will  see  you  again,  and 
your  heart  shall  rejoice."  John  xvi.  22.  Christ,  to  comfort  his 
disciples,  who  were  afflicted  at  the  thought  of  having  to  part  with 
their  divine  Lord  and  Master,  as  to  his  visible  presence,  promises 


INTRODUCTION".  5 

them  the  Spirit  of  truth,  the  Comforter,  to  lead  and  direct  them 
in  all  their  doubts,  to  strengthen  them  in  their  spiritual  warfare, 
and  to  console  them  in  their  afflictions. 

This  was  accomplished  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  when  "  they 
v?pre  all  filed  with  the  Holy  Ghost."  Acts  ii.  4. 

Being  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  they  were  guided,  as  Christ 
had  told  them,  "  into  all  truth."  The  sum  and  substance  of  the 
truth,  which  they  preached,  were  committed  by  them  to  writing, 
in  the  Holy  Scriptures.  This  is  the  Word  of  God,  which  the 
true  followers  of  Christ  now  hold,  and  ever  have  held,  as  a  suf- 
ficient, and  their  only  rule  of  faith  and  conduct ;  for,  as  the  Apostle 
says,  "  All  Scripture  is  given  by  inspiration  of  God,  and  is 
prof  table  for  doctrine,  for  reproof  for  correction,  for  instruc- 
tion in  righteousness ;  that  the  man  of  God  may  be  perfect} 
thoroughly  furnished  unto  all  good  works."  2  Tim.  iii.  16,  17. 

In  order,  therefore,  that  we  might  "  be  thoroughly  furnished 
unto  all  good  works,"  the  Sacred  Scriptures,  written  by  divine 
inspiration,  have  been  transmitted  to  us  from  the  days  of  th<* 
Apostles,  down  to  the  present  time,  and  will  continue  to  shine  as 
"  a  lamp  to  our  feet,  and  a  light  to  our  path,"  through  the  dark 
vista  of  time,  to  the  consummation  of  the  world. 

With  such  a  light  as  this,  we  have  no  need  of  the  tinsel  trap- 
pings  of  Popery.  We  prefer  to  follow  the  meek  and  humble 
example  of  Christ  and  his  Apostles,  to  the  pomp,  splendor,  and 
pageantry  of  the  church  of  Rome.  The  Apostles  and  disciples 
of  Christ  lived  according  to  the  maxims  they  inculcated.  They 
were  plain,  and  unostentatious  in  all  their  ways.  They  were 
never  clad  in  purple  or  scarlet.  No  rings  on  their  fingers,  nor 
crowns,  nor  tiaras,  nor  mitres  on  their  heads — No  magnificent 
palaces  had  they  for  the  residence  of  Popes,  or  Cardinals,  or 
Bishops — No  chariot  and  six,  had  Peter,  Paul,  or  the  rest  of  the 
Apostles — No  high-sounding  titles  to  flatter  piide,  such  as  the 
Right  Reverend,  the  Most  Reverend,  Eminently  Serene,  His 
Holiness,  My  Lord,  Our  Lord,  and  Most  Holy.*  Their  names 
were  unadorned  with  any  epithet  soever  to  distinguish  them  from 
the  poorest  and  lowest  of  their  Christian  friends  and  brethren. 

They  would  not  even  suffer  themselves  to  be  saluted  with  the 
common  title  Master,  or  Mister,  as  we  have  it  in  English. 

To  an  unbiassed  mind,   nothing  more  strikingly  conclusive  of 

*  Sismondi,  the  Italian  historian,  speaking  of  the  influence  that  these  pompous  titles 
had  on  the  people  of  Italy,  says:  "These  decorations  always  descended  still  lower 
among  the  commonality.  Since  thirty  years  they  no  longer  write  even  to  a  shoemaker, 
•without  calling  him  "Motto  illustre.'  But.  in  multiplying  titles,  they  only  multiplied 
discontent  and  mortification.  Each  one,  in  place  of  what,  they  granted  him.  only  saw 
what  they  refused  him:  and  there  was  no  little  gentleman,  or  dandy,  and  no  petit 
officer,  who  did  not  look  upon  himself  as  mortally  wounded,  if,  in  mistake,  he  was 
saluted  with  the  title  of  '■Most  celebrated  or  Most  Excellent.''  C Chiarissimo  ed  Ex 
cellrntissimo  ')  in  place  of  that  to  which  he  aspired, '  Most  Illustrious,'  "  Sismojidj 
Hist,  Iial.  T.  xvi.  p.  227. 

I* 


6  INTRODUCTION. 

the  apostacy  of  the  Romish  church  could  be  exhibited,  than  the 
contrast  between  the  simplicity  that  every  way  characterized  the 
Apostolic  and  primitive  Church,  and  the  pomp,  splendor,  and 
baubles,  which  encumber  the  Popish. 

The  glaring  opposition,  however,  between  the  church  of  Rome 
and  the  Church  of  Christ,  is  all  glossed  over  by  the  defenders  of 
Popery,  when  they  tell  us  that  "  the  Apostles  could  not  build 
palaces,  and  live  in  pomp  and  splendor  in  those  days ;  because 
the  Christian  Church  was  yet  in  its  infancy,  the  disciples  few  in 
number,  and  their  enemies  powerful  and  intolerant.  They  would 
have  dressed  in  scarlet  and  purple,  have  lived  in  palaces,  have 
worn  crowns,  and  tiaras,  and  mitres,  &c.  had  they  not  been  re- 
strained by  fear" ! ! 

Such  reasoning  as  this  is- quite  sufficient  to  reconcile  the  minds 
of  Papists  to  the  vast  disparity  between  the  pride  and  splendor  of 
their  own  church,  and  the  primitive  simplicity  of  the  Church  of 
Christ. 

If  these  were  the  reasons  by  which  the  Apostles  were  restrain- 
ed, why,  at  least,  we  would  ask,  did  they  not  assume  some  of  the 
glorious  titles  of  the  Right  Reverend,  the  Eminently  Serene, 
His  Holiness,  My  Lord,  Most  Holy,  &c.  ?  These  titles  they 
might  have  enjoyed  with  security.  The  reason,  however,  for  the 
whole,  all  Jesuitical  subterfuge  aside,  is  this  : — The  Apostles 
trode  in  the  footsteps  of  their  divine  Master,  followed  his  pre- 
cepts, and  acted  in  conformity  with  the  doctrines  which  they 
themselves  inculcated  to  others.  Rut  the  Prelates  of  the  Romish 
church,  on  the  contrary,  have  deviated  from  Apostolical  simplici- 
ty, because  they  have  wandered  from  the  straight  and  narrow 
path  marked  out  by  Christ,  and  have  constituted  themselves  the 
infallible  judges  of  that,  by  which  they  are  to  be  judged. 

Having  now  shown,  that  the  Bible,  and  not  the  church  of  Rome, 
is  the  Christian's  guide  to  salvation,  we  rejoice  to  have  it  in  our 
power  to  prove  what  we  have  advanced,  not  only  from  Scripture 
and  reason,  as  well  as  from  the  striking  contrast  and  opposition 
between  the  Romish  church  at  large,  and  the  simplicity  of  the 
Church  of  Christ,  but  by  showing  the  practical  effects  of  the 
erroneous  and  pernicious  system  of  Popery  as  it  works  in  its  in- 
terior and  more  hidden  recesses.  The  Narrative  that  is  now  laid 
open  before  the  public  in  this  volume,  is  a  disclosure  made  by 
one  who  has  had  an  opportunity  of  knowing,  from  sad  experience, 
what  the  influence  and  effects  of  Popery  are,  in  circumstances 
where  it  can  have  full  sway. 

The  authoress  of  the  Narrative  was  a  poor,  heart-broken  widow, 
who,  by  the  death  of  her  husband,  was  left  destitute,  and  far 
from  her  home,  among  strangers.  Floating  about,  like  a  wreck, 
on  the  stormy  sea  of  life,  the  adversity  of  fortune  drove  her  to 
the  island  of  Cuba.     She  landed  at  Havanna,  the  capital  of  that 


INTRODUCTION.  / 

island,  and  there  fell  into  the  hands,  not  of  the  desperate  pirates 
whose  depredations  are  confined  to  the  highway  ocean,  but  into 
the  hands  of  those  Spiritual  Pirates  who,  under  the  cloak  of  re- 
ligion, prowl,  like  the  midnight  wolf,  to  seize  and  satiate  their 
appetites  upon  the  poor  and  wandering  sheep  who  happen  to  fall 
into  their  way. 

Hardly  had  her  foot  touched  the  shore,  before  one  of  these 
prowling  wolves  in  sheep's  clothing  scented  her  out.  He  was 
one  of  the  Reverend  Fathers  ;  honored,  revered,  and  worship- 
ed, by  his  people,  whose  vices  he  Canonized,  and  upon  whose 
credulity  he  lived.  Disguised  as  a  citizen,  with  the  baldness  of 
his  head,  shorn  according  to  the  discipline  of  his  church,  conceal- 
ed and  covered  with  a  wig,  he  pays  his  addresses  to  the  unfortu- 
nate stranger,  gains  her  affections,  conducts  her  to  his  house,  and 
constitutes  her,  at  once,  Mistress  of  his  domestic  concerns.  Had 
she  known  that  the  fond  lover  was  a  Popish  Priest,  never 
would  she  have  yielded,  as  she  declares,  to  his  amorous  solicita- 
tions. She  knew  it  not,  until  she  was  his  prisoner,  and  then  the 
door  of  escape  was  closed. 

With  this  fiend  in  human  shape,  (for  such  the  sequel  of  this 
volume  will  clearly  prove  him  to  have  been,)  this  forlorn  and 
unfortunate  woman  lived  five  years. 

Being  Mistress  of  his  house,  and  the  Queen  of  his  heart,  all 
the  domestic  concerns  were  under  her  control.  He  poured  out 
into  her  bosom  the  feelings  that  flowed  through  his  polluted 
heart,  and  imparted  to  her,  not  only  his  own  secrets,  but  those 
that  were  intrusted  to  him  under  the  seal  of  Confession.  She 
knew  every  thing ;  and  she  tells  us  what  she  knows.  She  was 
the  witness  of  his  character  under  all  the  various  shapes  which 
it  assumed  :  at  home,  under  the  exterior  of  a  Priest ; — abroad, 
under  that  of  a  citizen.  She  was  his  companion  at  the  ball- 
room, the  masquerades,  the  gambling-tables,  and  the  tea-parties. 
She  accompanied  him  in  the  Promenades  ;  rode  with  him  in 
his  nigbtly  excursions  for  dissipation;  was  introduced  by  him  to 
his  fellow  Priests,  who  were  as  profligate  as  himself,  and  was 
conducted,  dressed  as  a  Monk,  into  the  sacred  (!)  recesses  of  the 
Convents.  In  fine,  he  introduced  her  into  all  the  scenes  of  dis- 
sipation and  vice  in  which  he  was  accustomed  to  be  found 
Even  when  he  was  sent  by  his  Bishop,  abroad,  on  a  parochial 
visit  to  Puerto  Principe,  even  thither  she  had  to  go  to  gratify  his 
inclinations,  and  to  witness  his  atrocities.  Here,  poor  Rosa- 
mond, for  this  is  the  name  of  the  authoress,  poor  Rosamond  here 
saw  what  no  one  but  a  fiend  would  ever  have  thought  of  perpe- 
trating, and  what  none  but  a  beast  would  have  had  the  immod- 
esty to  do.  This  was  the  seduction  of  the  daughter  of  his  friend, 
a  girl,  or  child,  in  fact,  of  but  fourteen  years  of  age.  Such  was 
his  beastly  lust,  such  the  mad  phiensy  of  that  lust,  and  such  th* 


8  INTRODUCTION. 

more  than  beastly,  more  than  diabolical  pleasure  he  took  in  the 
exhibition  of  that  lust,  that,  with  a  knife  in  his  hand,  he  threat^ 
ened  death  to  Rosamond,  if  she  should  divulge  what  he  was 
going  to  do.  He  told  her  that  she  would  have  to  be  present  in 
the  room  while  the  deed  was  being  done.  Leaving  her,  then, 
paralyzed  with  fear,  he  retires,  for  a  short  time,  from  her  pre- 
sence, and,  having  heard  the  Confession  of  the  lamb  whom  he 
was  about  to  sacrifice  to  his  lust,  he  returns,  leading  his  victim, 
the  innocent  Mariette,  just  blooming  into  her  fourteenth  year, 
into  the  fatal  slaughter-house  of  her  virtue,  and  there,  in  the  pre- 
sence of  the  fainting  Rosamond,  perpetrates  a  deed,  which,  we 
think  we  may  say,  is  unparalleled  in  all  the  records  of  crime. 

We  regard  these  disclosures  as  the  most  important  of  any  that 
ever  issued  from  the  Press;  and  especially,  the  more  so,  at  the 
present  juncture  of  events.  Popery  in  Europe  is  evidently  on 
the  wane,  and  the  United  States  will  probably  be  her  cradle  and 
her  throne.  Europe,  after  being  oppressed  for  ages,  begins  to 
feel  the  weight  of  the  "  Beast"  upon  her  back.  She  now  strug- 
gles to  be  free.  Her  convulsive  throes  shake  the  mighty  "  Ba- 
bylon." The  triple  crown  begins  to  totter  on  the  head  of  the 
"Most  Holy,"  (for  this  is  the  title  of  the  Roman  Pontiff,)*  and, 
rolling  his  eyes  over  the  desolations  of  Europe,  he  has  fixed 
them  upon  this  rising  Republic,  and  has  marked  it  as  his  own. 
There  are  still  in  Europe,  as  the  Catholic  Miscellany,  a  Popish 
Paper  published  in  Charleston,  states,  no  fewer  than  one  hundred 
and  thirty  million  Roman  Catholics  now  in  the  world,  and  the 
concentration  of  that  flood  is  now  settling  upon  us. 

When  the  influx  ceases,  and  the  dregs  subside,  be  assured  we 
shall  be  buried  in  the  filth,  or  shall  have  to  fly  from  our  native 
soil.  It  is  vain,  futile,  and  demonstrative  of  ignorance  too 
gross,  for  any  man,  who  calls  himself  a  Protestant  or  friend  to 
liberty,  to  pretend  that  there  is  no  danger  from  the  Popish  flood 

*  The  celebrated  Popish  theologian,  Peter  Dens,  treating  on  what  is  bordering 
upon  heresy,  says,  "  A  proposition  male  sonans  — a  proposition  that  sounds  bad,  or 
that  is  offensive  to  pious  ears  I  is  that,  which,  indeed,  does  not  convey  a  meaning 
that  is  openly  contrary  to  faith,  but  which  signifies,  however,  something  that  sounds 
wrong,  unbecoming,  and  unworthy ;  for  instance,— if  any  one  should  say,  that  the 
Roman  Pontiff  is  not  rightly  called  Most  Holy,  (Sanctissimum,")  Dens'  Theol.  de 
Virt.  Fidei  N.  55. 

Here  we  see  that  it  is  bordering  upon  heresy,  and  sounds  bad  in  Popish  ears,  to 
say,  that  the  Roman  Pontiff  is  not  rightly  called  "  Most  Holy."  Be  he  what  he  may. 
—ever  so  wicked,— and  that  wicked,  and  abandoned  some  have  been,  Papists  them- 
selves cannot,  and  do  not  deny,  still  he  must  be  called  "Most  Holy."  What  can  we 
say  to  this?  What  can  any  rational  man  think  about  it?  What  a  perversion  of 
language  !  What  violation  of  truth  !  What  execrable  wickedness  !  to  call  a  man 
"  Most  Holy."  who  is  known  to  be  most  unholy.  It  is  wicked  enough  in  the  Popish 
church  to  Canonize  and  worship  their  Saints ;  but  here  their  wickedness  stretches 
Itself  to  so  superlative  a  degree  of  blasphemy,  that  they  blush  not  to  Canonize,  that 
Us,  to  beatify,  and  to  declare  ''Most  Holy"  the  very  devil  himself;  or,  what  is  the 
same  thing,  his  image,  inasmuch  as  an  abandoned  sinner,  is,  at  least,  a  figure  of  Satan, 
whose  image  he  bears.  Well  may  we  say,  of  those  whose  doctrine  is  such  as  this, 
^rhat  John  said  of  the  Jews,  «  Ye  are  of  your  father -,  the  devil."    John  viii.  44. 


INTRODUCTION.  \J 

that  is  pouring  in  upon  us.  One  hundred  and  thirty  millions  of 
these  restless  devotees,  all  fixing  their  eyes  on  our  smiling  val- 
leys of  the  West: — the  Jesuits,  that  horde  of  spiritual  highway- 
robbers,  those  restive  arch-politicians,  whose  intrigues  have  con- 
vulsed the  strongest  monarchies  of  Europe,  just  suppressed,  and 
suppressed  forever  !  by  the  "Royal  Order"  of  the  kingdom  of 
Spain,  (as  we  read  even  in  their  own  "Irish  Advocate,"  publish- 
ed in  Montreal,  September  1st,  of  the  present  year,)  this  horde 
of  ruthless  marauders,  driven  from  their  native  Popish  soil,  whi- 
ther can  they  fly,  but  to  the  wilds  of  our  own  dear  country  ? — 
Europe  has  again  repudiated  them,  disfranchised  them,  spurns 
them,  and  confiscates  their  Monastic  rendezvous  to  the  public 
good.  The  Spaniards,— even  the  Spaniards, — the  very  name 
sounds  Popish,  and  strikes  a  panic  through  the  heart, — the  Span- 
iards themselves  have  drawn  that  sword,  which  they  were  taught 
to  plunge  in  the  heart,  and  to  stain  with  the  blood  of  heretics ; 
have  drawn  it  at  last,  to  defend  their  rights  against  the  Jesuits, 
and  against  their  Jesuitical  influence. 

Whither  can  they  fly  ? — I  ask  again — Whither,  but  to  our  own 
devoted  country  ? — Every  thing  here  conspires  to  give  them 
complete  success.  Our  Constitution  secures  unto  them,  and 
theirs,  the  right  of  suffrage.  One  million  and  a  half  of  their 
adherents  are  already  here.  Their  colleges,  and  cathedrals,  and 
churches,  and  Nunneries,  are  rising  on  every  hill,  and  spreading 
through  every  vale.  The  soft  persuasion  of  their  eloquence 
drops  like  honey  on  the  carnal  heart,  and  many  are  the  victims, 
especially  in  the  West,  who  are  caught  in  the  snare  of  these 
arch-fowlers.  All  the  rabble  in  the  land  is  theirs,  in  preference 
to  the  pure  and  holy  Gospel  of  our  faith.  And,  for  a  handful  of 
their  Popish  gold,  many  is  the  traitor  that  will  sell  the  dearest 
interests  of  his  country. 

But  our  greatest  danger  lies  in  this — the  apathy,  the  ignorance, 
and  the  indifference  of  our  people  in  relation  to  this  momentous 
subject.  We  see,  or  might  see,  would  we  but  open  our  eyes, 
what  the  experience  of  Europe  has  taught  the  potentates  there ; 
and  yet  we  hear  there  is  no  danger.  The  chorus  of  this  no- 
danger  ditty,  when  two  millions  more  of  these  Papists  arrive 
among  us,  will,  I  fear,  be  the  clashing  of  shillalahs, — down  with 
the  heretics.  This  tune  has  already  tingled  in  our  ears  in 
Broadway-Hall ;  and  the  star-spangled  banner  of  our  Republic, 
in  St.  Louis,  has  done  obeisance  to  the  Consecrated  Wafer,  and 
has  been  virtually  pledged  to  espouse  the  cause  of  Popery. 

No  danger  still, — and  no  danger  will  be  the  lullaby  till  the 
fangs  of  the  Serpent  clench  the  very  vitals  of  our  Republic,  and 
his  fiery  tail  sweep  us  from  our  shores. 

If  the  horrid  picture  of  Popery  which  is  laid  before  the  public 
in  these  disclosures,  is  not  sufficient  to  convince  our  fellow- 


10  INTRODUCTION. 

citizens  that  the  diffusion  of  it  through  this  country,  is  an  evil 
to  be  deprecated  by  every  philanthropist,  I  am  at  a  loss  how  to 
conceive  what  will  convince  them. 

The  Narrative  is  the  unadorned  effusions  of  a  soul  that  has 
been  beguiled  by  Priestly  solicitations ;  kept  in  captivity  during 
five  years  ;  deluded, — lost, — bewildered, — and  undone, by  Priest- 
craft. 

She  represents,  not  the  licentiousness  of  a  single  Priest,  but 
the  general  depravity  of  a  whole  country.  She  presents  us  with 
the  picture  of  Popery  as  it  exists  in  Cuba;  and  the  same,  we 
have  no  reason  to  doubt,  extends  through  all  the  West-India 
islands  that  are  under  the  Priestly  control  of  Rome.  Many  of 
the  important  statements  that  she  makes,  are  confirmed  by  testi- 
mony that  cannot  be  rejected.  This  we  have  introduced  into 
the  notes.  Among  other  credentials,  the  thirty-two  letters  of  the 
Rev.  Father  Pies,  stand  not  the  least  conspicuous. 

That  these  letters  were  written  by  the  Reverend  Father, 
whose  signature  they  bear,  we  are  ready  to  prove  by  two  witnesses 
who  are  now  in  this  city.  We  prove  them  too,  by  confronting 
them  with  his  own  handwriting,  which  it  would  be  futile  for 
him  to  deny. 

We  are  sorry  to  have  it  to  state,  that  the  authoress,  on  her 
way  in  the  steamboat  from  Philadelphia  to  New-York,  had  her 
trunk  stolen,  or  carried  away  by  mistake.  In  this  were  some 
important  scrips,  and  several  letters  written  by  her  Priest,  the 
Rev.  Father  Canto,  and  by  other  Priests.  These  would  have 
been  an  inestimable  appendage  to  the  work.  They  would  have 
shown,  as  the  authoress  has  observed,  "the  Rev.  Father's  heart." 

While  we  are  touching  upon  this  unfortunate  occurrence,  we 
would  take  the  opportunity  of  requesting  any  one  soever,  who  may 
know  any  thing  relative  to  where  those  papers  and  letters  may  be 
found,  to  inform  us  of  it.  The  letters  must  be  in  the  hands  of 
some  one;  others  may  have  seen  them  ;  and  we  may  yet  have 
the  satisfaction  of  ascertaining  where  they  may  be  found. 
Should  they  yet  be  recovered,  they  shall  be  spread  before  the 
public. 

In  regard  to  the  truth  of  the  statements  contained  in  this  Nar- 
rative, we  can  say  we  have  not  the  least  doubt.  We  are  person- 
ally acquainted  with  the  authoress,  and  we  hesitate  not  to 
express  our  opinion  that  she  is  a  sincere  convert,  and  a  devout 
Christian.  She  appears  before  the  public  with  the  best  of 
recommendations ;  and  we  pray  that  her  life  may  be  spared  ;  and 
that  she  may  long  continue  to  be  a  bright  and  shining  light,  and 
an  ornament  to  the  Church  of  which  she  is  a  member. 

We  can  say  that  no  pecuniary  inducement  led  to  the  writing 
of  this  work.  She  was  actuated  by  no  other  motive  than  the 
loye  of  God,  and  the  good  of  the  world. 


INTRODUCTION.  11 

Her  health  is  now  so  delicate  and  weak,  that  death  seems 
already  to  have  marked  her  as  his  own.  She  is  wasting  away 
under  a  complaint  that  seems  bent  on  carrying  her  to  the  grave. 
She  rejoices,  however,  at  the  prospect  that  lies  before  her;  and  feels 
willing  to  appear  before  her  Judge.  Her  path  of  life  has  been 
strewed  with  thorns  ;  her  days  have  been  few,  and  full  of  evil ; 
or,  rather,  it  may  well  be  said,  one  continual  night  has  spread 
its  mantle  over  almost  all  her  life. 

Under  all  these  circumstances,  who  can  doubt  the  truth  of 
what  she  has  disclosed? 

One  pf  the  most  incredible  of  all  her  relations,  is  confirmed  by 
the  testimony  of  Dr.  Ethan  A.  Ward  of  this  city,  a  gentleman 
highly  esteemed  as  a  physician,  and  for  the  integrity  of  his  moral 
character.  This  gentleman  was  in  Havanna,  and  saw  the 
wretches  executed  for  the  atrocious  crime  of  stealing  young 
negroes,  for  the  purpose  of  cutting  them  up,  and  making  them 
into  sausages. 

The  Doctor  returned  to  New-York  about  two  years  before  the 
escape  of  Rosamond,  and  had  frequently  mentioned  the  fact  of 
the  men's  being  executed  for  the  above  mentioned  deed,  even 
before  such  a  person  as  Rosamond's  being  in  Havanna  was  known 
in  this  city  ;  and  Rosamond,  the  authoress  of  this  Narrative,  re- 
lated the  fact  to  her  friends  in  this  city,  previous  to  her  acquaint- 
ance with  Doctor  Ward,  and  without  knowing  that  any  one  here 
had  been  informed  of  it. 

We  now  leave  the  public  to  decide,  whether  the  relation  of  our 
authoress  is  not  confirmed  in  a  manner  that  puts  the  truth  of  it 
beyond  the  shadow  of  a  doubt. 

Furthermore ;  we  rejoice,  for  the  sake  of  the  triumph  of  the 
truth,  that  we  have  the  means  of  exhibiting  before  the  public,  a 
presumptive  evidence  of  the  truth  of  the  whole  of  the  disclosures 
made  in  this  interesting  and  important  Narrative.  I  refer  now, 
to  the  thirty-two  letters,  of  which  we  have  already  spoken. 
These  letters,  written  by  the  Rev.  Father  Pies,  are  in  our  pos- 
session ;  and  the  lady  to  whom  they  are  written,  is,  also,  actu- 
ally present  in  this  city.  No  further  proof  of  the  moral  corrup- 
tion of  the  Popish  Clergy  in  the  island  of  Cuba,  need  be  exhibited, 
than  these  very  letters.  The  superscription  of  two  of  them,  of 
which  we  have  given  a  partial  fac-simile,  shows  that  the 
Reverend  writer  had  bid  adieu  to  the  last  vestiges  of  modesty. 
His  letters  terminate  with  " Fugo,"  "I fly."  Well,  indeed, 
may  he  have  intimated,  that  his  passions  had  taken  the  wings 
of  audacity,  and  transported  him  into  the  blackest,  foulest 
regions  of  libidinous  excess! — A  blank  in  the  fac-simile,  marks 
the  absence  of  what,  in  the  original,  would  raise  a  blush  on 
immodesty  herself.  We  have  to  suppress  it.  The  indecency 
of  the  dotted  thing,  is  so  lasciviously  abominable,  that  the  ex- 


]2  INTRODUCTION. 

ftibition  of  it  before  the  public,  would  be  an  outrage  upon 
modesty,  that  no  motive,  however  pure  or  laudable,  could  sanc- 
tion. Those,  however,  who  are  curious  to  see  to  what  extreme 
pollution  Priestly  celibacy  leads  her  captives,  can  be  favored 
with  the  revolting  sight,  by  calling  at  the  office  of  the  "  Down- 
fall of  Babylon,"  No.  131  Nassau-st.  New  York. 

Of  the  striking  and  frightful  engravings  which  are  inter- 
spersed throughout  this  Narrative,  that  of  the  Purgatory-room^ 
at  page  121,  is  one  of  the  most  terrific.  It  will  doubtless  appear 
to  some,  that  the  authoress,  here,  has  really  drawn  a  picture  wholly 
of  her  own  imagination.  Devils  are  here  seen  dancing  in  the 
flames  of  Purgatory,  with  spectres  the  most  hideous  to  behold. 
Some  are  playing  on  the  violin,  and  others  on  the  flute.  Some 
have  pitch-forks,  to  turn  the  poor  roasting  souls;  others  are  arm- 
ed with  fiery  serpents,  to  torment  and  sting  them.  Some  have 
gaping  mouths  to  swallow  them  up,  and  others  seem  ready  to 
dart  upon  them,  and,  with  their  long  iron  claws,  to  tear  them 
into  pieces.  One  is  seen,  (strange  figure,  however,  in  Purgatory  !) 
dressed  like  a  Monk,  standing  in  the  middle  of  the  devilish  place, 
over  a  pot  of  burning  sulphur,  with  a  snake  coiled  round  his  feet, 
and  with  a  fire-brand  waving  in  his  hand.  A  horrible  grin 
spreads  his  mouth  from  ear  to  ear.  He  stands,  and  looks,  com- 
mander-in-chief of  the  infernal  group.     All  this  is  to  be  seen. 

The  thought  occurs, — "if,  indeed,  there  is  a  Purgatory  after 
death,  we  doubt  not  that  Monks  and  Priests  are,  verily,  and  in- 
deed, commanders-in-chief;" — for,  of  all  men,  as  this  Narrative 
proves,  they  stand  the  most  in  need  of  purging. 

Poor  Rosamond  was  introduced  into  this  sulphureous  abode, 
this  Purgatorial  bug-bear  in  the  Convent,  to  show  her  how  much 
more  the  wicked  heretics  would  have  to  suffer  when  they  go  to 
hell. 

Purgatory,  with  all  its  hissing  serpents,  and  sulphureous  flames  ; 
with  all  its  pitch-forks,  devils,  and  voracious  mouths,  is  only 
meant  for  pious  Catholics,  whose  venial  sins  have  not  been  ex- 
piated while  on  earth.  This  is  their  prison  "  till  they  have  paid 
the  last  far-thing ;"  and  this  farthing  must  be  paid  by  them,  or 
by  their  friends,  to  the  Holy  Priests  for  Masses.  Those  that 
have  no  money,  have  to  roast  until  the  Day  of  Judgment. 

Incredible  as  this  Purgatory  account  may  appear  to  the  people 
of  these  United  States,  I  will  inform  them,  that  in  Popish 
countries,  it  is  a  common  appendage  to  almost  every  Religious 
Order  !  both  of  Monks  and  Nuns.  There  is  one  of  these  Purga- 
torial scare-crows,  even  now,  in  Kentucky.  I  myself,  when 
a  Priest,  frequently  visited  it.  I  have  done  penance  in  it,  and 
have  seen  the  Nuns  on  penance  in  it.  This  one  is  in  the  Con- 
vent of  Loretto,  about  twelve  miles  from  Bardstown,  in  the  state 
of  Kentucky.      The  Nuns  in   this   establishment   are,   or,   at 


INTRODUCTION.  13 

least,  were,  in  the  year  1829,  under  the  direction  of  the  Reverend 
Father  Chabrat.  The  Purgatory-room  in  this  Nunnery  is,  in- 
deed, different  from  that  in  Cuba ;  but,  still,  it  is  frightful  and 
fiorrible  enough  to  terrify,  not  only  Nuns,  but  even  Priests  them- 
selves, as  I  know  from  my  own  personal  experience.  Here  there 
is  no  pot  of  burning  sulphur ;  but,  they  have  the  devils,  and  ser- 
pents, and  pitch-forks,  and  a  variety  of  other  horrible  figures,  to 
"terrify  and  keep  the  poor  deluded  Nuns  in  subjection  to  their 
Ghostly  Masters,  Instead  of  sulphur,  the  punishment  in  this 
Purgatory-room,  is  cold.  The  Nuns  are  confined  here,  doing 
penance  on  their  knees,  in  the  coldest  days  of  winter,  without  a 
spark  of  fire  to  warm  them.  They  remain  in  this  painful  atti- 
tude, shivering  with  cold,  until  they  are  almost  ready  to  expire. 
f  myself  have  done  penance  in  that  room  until  my  body  sunk 
exhausted  to  the  floor. 

I  speak  ©f  this  Purgatory -room  ^as  being  at  Loretto  now.  It 
was  there,  at  least,  in  the  year  1829,  and  during  all  the  time  of 
my  residence  at  Bardstown  college,  previous  to  that  time,  which 
was,  I  think,  about  nine  years.  If  any  of  the  Protestants  have 
children  being  educated  in  that  Nunnery,  as  they  generally  have, 
they  can  ascertain  from  them  the  truth  of  what  I  state.  They 
also,  at  times,  are  admitted  into  the  Purgatory-room,  accompanied 
by  one  of  the  Holy  Nuns,  to  explain  to  them  the  nature  of  the 
things  and,  by  their  sophistry,  to  proselyte  them  to  the  faith  J 

In  all  the  disclosures  which  are  made  by  our  authoress,  and  in 
the  "Downfall  of  Babylon?*'  nothing  is  advanced,  incredible  as 
it  may  appear  to  some,  but  what  is  strictly  true ;  and  what  can 
be  proved  by  Protestants,  or  by  Papists,  if  the  latter  could  be  in- 
duced to  give  their  testimony. 

Every  circumstance  taken  into  consideration,  the  truth  of  this 
Narrative  cannot  he  doubted.  The  authoress  is  a  sincere,  hum- 
ble, and  pious  convert,  declining  in  health,  and,  apparently,  sink- 
ing into  the  grave.  She  appears  to  have  a  well-grounded  hope 
beyond  the  declining  shadow  of  the  present  life.  She  looks 
tipon  death,  not  as  a  king  of  terrors,  but  as  a  friend.  She  speaks 
of  the  world  as  if  it  were  a  mere  transitory  dream.  She  remem- 
bers what  she  has  suffered ;  is  conscious  that  it  is  to  God  alone 
.she  owes  her  deliverance ,  and  she  longs  to  be  with  her  deliverer. 
■She  seems  to  feel,  and  to  know,  with  St.  Paul,  "  that  if  her 
earthly  house  of  this  tabernacle  were  dissolved,  she  has  a  build- 
ing of  God,  a  house  not  made  with  hands1  eternal  in  the 
heavens.7* 

The  testimonials  of  her  character,  which  are  given  by  her  pas- 
tor, the  Rev.  N.  E.  Johnson,  and  by  others,  we  think,  are  suffi- 
ciently recommendatory  to  remove  any  doubt  that  might  arise  in 
the  public  mind  relative  to  the  sincerity  and  veracity  of  the 
authoress. 

2 


14  INTRODUCTION. 

Two  of  the  most  incredible  facts  related  in  the  Narrative,  hare 
been  proved  by  the  testimony  of  others, — by  testimony,  too,  that 
can  be  substantiated  beyond  a  doubt.  I  allude  to  the  negro 
sausages,  and  the  Purgatory-room. 

Then,  again,  she  has  the  testimony  of  the  Rev.  Father  Pies 
himself,  in  the  thirty-two  letters  written  by  his  own  hand,  and 
signed  with  his  own  signature. 

The  substance  of  all  the  facts  which  she  relates,  is  also  con- 
firmed, in  the  notes,  by  authority  which  Papists,  at  least,  cannot 
dispute;  that  is,  by  the  authority  of  their  own  Councils,  Popes, 
Saints,  and  historians. 

With  all  this  mass  of  positive,  circumstantial,  and  presumptive 
evidence,  there  is  not  a  jury  in  the  world  who  would  not  pass 
the  verdict,  guilty,  against  the  Reverend  culprits,  who,  in  this 
Narrative,  are  brought  before  the  bar  of  public  opinion. 

The  picture  which  is  drawn,  is  not  of  a  solitary  individual,  but 
of  the  whole  confraternity,  from  Bishop,  down  to  the  lowest 
Priest  that  earns  his  bread  by  telling  fortunes.  From  Bishops, 
whose  hoary  locks  have  been  bleached  with  a  century  of  crimes, 
to  Priests  whose  faces  are  disfigured  with  licentiousness,  and 
whose  tottering  limbs  no  more  can  bear  them  to  the  masquerades, 
balls,  or  cock-fights. 

The  picture  which  is  drawn,  is  not  a  portrait,  but  the  tout 
ensemble  of  what  Popery  is,  where  Popery  bears  the  sway.  It  is 
principle  and  doctrine  put  to  practice.  It  is  the  "  work  work- 
ing" as  they  call  it,  "  ex  opere  operatoP  It  is  the  demonstra- 
tion that  the  system  was  framed  in  hell ; — that  hoods,  and  veils, 
and  cloaks,  are  masks  to  screen  the  vast  deformity  from  view ; — 
that  incense,  bells,  and  beads, — Breviaries, — Pater's, — Aves,  are 
but  fumigated  sounds,  a  kind  of  lullaby  for  superstition. 

Let  them  not  tell  us,  that  it  is  in  Cuba  alone,  that  the  work 
thus  works.  The  same  scene  is  presented  to  the  view  in  France, 
Spain,  Portugal,  and  Italy.  The  curtain  there,  has  been  raised 
by  their  own  Popes,  Saints,  and  historians ;  and  the  tragic  scene 
has  been  handed  down  from  age  to,age,  polluted  on  every  leaf,  in 
every  page. 

There  is  not  a  corner  of  the  earth  where  this  insidious  Serpent 
has  coiled  his  way,  but  the  slime  of  his  pollutions  has  defiled  the 
land,  or  the  venom  of  his  sting  has  paralyzed  the  heart.  Cast  the 
eye  over  the  distant  walls  of  China,  and  there  we  see  this  "  Queen 
of  heaven"  rolling,  Juggernaut-like,  upon  a  car  with  the  goddess 
of  the  Pagans.  Turn  again  the  eye  to  India's  burning  plains, 
and  peep  into  Goa's  loathsome  dungeon  of  the  Inquisition,  and 
there  behold  the  ghastly  victims  of  intolerance,  panting  and  suffo- 
cating for  the  air  of  heaven,  because  they  are  guilty  of  the  crime 
ef  thinking  for  themselves.  Look  upon  the  verdant  fields  of  Ire- 
land, that  land  of  native  genius— the  si?ht  draws  tears  into  one's 


INTRODUCTION.  15 

eye  ? — the  Priestly  pedagogues,  with  whip  in  hand,  drive  the  poor 
submissive  sons  of  Erin,  as  a  teemsrrran  drives  his  cattle.  See 
them  buried  in  ignorance  and  superstition,  deprived  of  the  Word 
of  God,*  and  believing  that  a  prayer-book  is  the  Bible. 

Let  the  eye  wander  again  to  the  North,  and  spread  itself  over 
the  vast  domains  of  Canada.  There  may  we  count  ninety  and 
nine  of  a  hundred,  so  illiterate  as  not  to  distinguish  one  letter 
from  another.  They  can  count  their  Beads  or  Rosaries,  but  have 
not  learned  to  lisp  their  A,  B,  C.| 

Go  where  we  will,  if  Popery  has  long  been  there,  we  see  a 
desert,  and  we  breathe  on  death. 

We  present  this  Narrative  before  the  public,  plain  and  simple, 
as  it  flowed  from  the  pen  of  the  authoress.  The  only  corrections 
which  we  have  made,  are  in  the  orthography  and  punctuation. 
Beauty,  when  unadorned,  is  said  to  be  adorned  the  most.  The 
beauty  of  originality,  and  the  artless  expressiveness  of  truth, 
which  run  through  every  line  of  this  important  Narrative,  would 
have  been  lost,  had  it  been  retouched.  We,  therefore,  present  it 
as  the  genuine  production  of  a  heart  bleeding  at  the  recollection 
of  her  past  misconduct;  bruised  and  crushed  under  the  iron  hand 
of  despotism:  stained  and  polluted  by  the  Spiritual  Guardians 
by  whom  she  was  decoyed. 

A  tale  she  has  told  to  the  world,  that  ought  to  be  wafted  upon 
every  wind  that  blows  around  the  globe.  Pictures  she  has  drawn 
which  have  been  etched  on  copper,  and  which,  we  trust,  will  be 
engraved  on  the  memory  of  every  patriot  who  loves  his  country, 
and  of  every  Christian  who  fears  his  God. 

I  have  this  day,  and  having  thus  far  advanced  in  the  Introduc- 
tion, been  sent  for  by  the  authoress.  I  found  her  dangerously 
ill.  Her  physician, Doctor  Ethan  A.Ward,  was  standing  by  her 
bed-side,  expecting  every  moment  to  see  her  breathe  her  last.  The 
faculties  of  her  mind  were  unimpaired,  but  her  body  was  exhaust- 
ed. She  tried  to  speak,  but  was  unable.  After  a  short  interval, 
however,  she  recovered  the  use  of  speech  ;  the  Doctor,  then,  at  my 
suggestion,  asked  her  if  what  she  had  written  in  her  Narrative 
was  true :  she  replied,  "  Yes,  the  truth,  and  nothing  but  the  truth." 

A  death-bed  is  a  detecter  of  the  heart, 

"  Where  tir'd  dissimulation  drop*  her  mask, 
That  mistress  of  the  scene,  through  life's  grimace: 
Here,  real  and  apparent  are  the  same." 
r  Young's  Night  Thoughts. 

Who  could  doubt  her  word  ?— Death,  with  his  stern  visage, 
seems  to  stand  before  her. — The  Christian  fears  him  Hot.     I  ask- 


*  £ee  "  Downfall  of  Babylon,"  Vol.  I.  and  Vol  II.,  No.  3. 
t  B&e  "  Downfall  of  Babylon,"  Vol.  I,,  No.  35. 


16  INTRODUCTION. 

ed  her.  c;  Rosamond,  are  you  happy  in  the  Lord  V- — :*  I  am  happy/* 
she  replied ;  "my  trust  is  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.*' — Her  coun- 
tenance stamped  the  approbation  of  truth  on  what  she  said;  and 
resignation  sat  smiling  on  her  lips.  Testimony  such  as  this, 
even  incredulity  itself  could  not  resist.  Is  it  to  be  supposed,  thai 
a  person,  apparently  in  the  very  arms  of  death,  and  exulting  in 
the  glorious  hopes  of  immortality,  would  breathe  her  last  in  con- 
firmation of  a  lie?  The  strongest  motives  now  were  present  to 
induce  her  to  speak  the  truth:  the  world  receding  from  her  view; 
death  standing  at  the  door ;  and  eternity  opening  before  her. 
The  truth  of  her  Narrative  cannot  be  doubted.  The  pious  con- 
vert has  asrain,  through  the  blessing  of  the  Lord,  recovered ;  but 
the  testimony  which  she  gave,  was.  to  all  appearance,  the  last; 
therefore,  it  may  be  said,  that  her  Narrative  is  confirmed  by  the 
seal  of  death  itself. 

Admitted  : — the  Narrative  is  true. — Where  does  Popery  now 
stand  ? — or,  rather,  where  will  it  fly  to  hide  itself? — the  picture 
is  drawn : — truth  has  confirmed  it.' 

It  is  vain  for  the  Papist  to  tell  us,  that  these  are  abuses  unsanc- 
tioned and  condemned  by  the  church.  If  they  are  abuses,  they 
are  universal  wherever  Popery  prevails.  They  are,  moreover, 
sanctioned  by  their  church; — or  what  do  they  mean  by  Church? 
— If  it  be  asked,  ,;  what  is  the  established  religion  in  Cuba  V' — 
Will  not  the  answer  be,  i;it  is  the  Roman  catholic  religion  V' — 
By  whom  is  the  church  there  governed  ? — Is  it  not  by  Romish 
Archbishops,  Bishops,  and  Priests  ? — What  is  thedoctrine  taught 
there? — Is  it  not  the  same  as  that  which  is  taught  in  Rome? — 
Are  they  not  under  the  jurisdiction  and  authority  of  the  Pope  of 
Rome  1 — And  why  does  he  not,  in  the  plenitude  of  his  Apostol 
ical  power,  correct  the  abuses? — "An  error,"  (as  Augustine  re- 
marks,) "which  is  not  condemned,  is  approved."  Neither  let  it 
be  said,  that  these  abominations  are  unknown  to  the  Pope.  If 
they  are  unknown,  it  is  because  he  does  not  wish  to  know  them ; 
and  what  sort  of  a  universal  Shepherd,  then,  is  he  ? — Is  there  a 
foot  of  territory  in  the  United  States  upon  which  this  Spirited 
Hawk  has  not  fixed  his  eye? — When  his  authority  is  resisted, 
the  fact  soon  reaches  his  ears ;  witness  the  case  of  Hogam  the 
refractory  Priest  in  Philadelphia;  and  of  Fearnon,  the  schismatic 
Priest  in  Brooklyn.  His  eyes  are  keen  enough  to  see,  when  dan- 
ger, however  distant,  threatens  his  own  royal  throne;  and  his 
voice  is  loud  enough  to  thunder  his  anathemas  from  pole  to  pole. 
But,  alas !  when  his  own  wolves  are  tearing  the  sheep  to  pieces, 
and  the  honor  of  the  King  of  kings  is  trampled  in  the  dust,  he 
can  neither  hear  nor  see. 

Where,  too,  is  the  Infallible  Church  all  this  while  ?— Where 
are  the  Infallible  Pastors,  who  pretend,  that  he  who  hears  theism 
hears  Christ;  and  he  who  despises  them,  despises  Christ? 


INTROBUCTION.  17 

Strange  paradox !  the  Holy  Roman  Catholic  Church  is  in 
Cuba,  and  it  is  not  in  Cuba.— If  it  is  in  Cuba,  then  it  witnesses 
the  desolations  of  which  we  speak ;  and,  not  correcting  them,  it 
stands  amenable  for  ail  the  crimes  it  sanctions. — If  it  is  not  in 
Cuba,  then  it  is  nowhere  on  the  globe ;  because  the  Bishops  in 
Cuba,  as  well  as  those  in  every  other  country,  are  not  consecra- 
ted until  the  Pope's  Bull  arrives  to  sanction  and  confirm  it. 

The  authoress  informs  us,  indeed,  that  some  of  the  criminal 
Priests  are  recalled  to  Rome ;  but  then,  the  rest  are  left  to  deso- 
late the  country. — Where  is  the  Church  of  Christ,  we  ask,  all 
this  time  ? — According  to  Popery,  the  people  have  no  other  guide 
than  their  Pastors,  the  Popish  Priests.  To  these  they  are  bound 
to  Confess  their  sins,  to  submit  their  conscience. — If  these  err, 
then,  if  the  doctrine  of  Popery  be  true,  the  people  must  err  with 
them ;  for,  as  the  Scripture  declares,  "  If  the  blind  lead  the 
blind,  both  shall  fall  into  the  ditch."  Matt.  xv.  14.  Where, 
then,  we  inquire  again,  is  the  Church  of  Christ  ? — If  Popery  be 
true,  Christ  has  not  a  Church  upon  the  earth  ;  for  Christ  declares 
that  u  the  Son  of  man  is  come  to  seek  a.nd  to  save  that  which 
was  lost"  Luke  xix.  10;  but  the  Popish  Priests,  as  we  see,  go  to 
seek  and  to  destroy  those  over  whom  they  preside. 

The  effect  of  Popery,  as  we  see,  and  which  is  confirmed  by 
every  page  of  history,  is  to  subjugate  the  understanding  to  the 
dictates  of  Priestly  authority,  to  keep  the  people  in  ignorance,  to 
encourage  superstition,  and  to  work  upon  their  fears  with  threats 
and  tortures.  'Had  they  the  Word  of  God,  instead  of  interested 
and  wicked  Priests,  to  direct  them,  all  these  abuses,  as  they 
call  them,  would  cease.  Looking  into  that  Sacred  Mirror,  they 
could  not  but  see  the  moral  deformity  of  their  own  character  ; 
and,  if  a  spark  of  conscience  glowed  in  their  bosoms,  they  would 
be  stimulated  to  correct  their  lives.  But  under  the  Popish 
system,  the  "Word  of  God  is  closed  forever.  The  Confessional 
is  the  dark  recess  whence  emanates  the  instructions  by  which 
the  people  are  to  regulate  their  lives.  The  keys  of  "  Peter" 
debar  from  heaven,  all  who  do  not  .enter  by  that  door.  How 
deplorable  is  the  necessity  which  excludes  from  the  kingdom  of 
heaven,  all  who  do  not  pour  their  thoughts  into  the  polluted 
hearts  of  Romish  Priests,  and  submit  their  conscience  to  their 
dictates! — Ever  to  be  pitied  is  the  virtuous  female  who  has  no 
other  path  to  heaven,  than  by  passing  through  the  door  of  the 
Confessional,  and  bending  at  the  feet  of  Ghostly  Fathers  burn- 
ing with  lust. 

Christ  never  instituted  a  system  fraught  with  so  much  danger ; 
subject  to  such  inevitable  evils.  He  never  could  have  been  so 
unreasonable  as  to  make  it^  obligatory  upon  sinners  to  Confess  to 
sinners,  for  obtaining  from  himself  the  pardon  of  their  sins.— Never 
could  he  have  bound  us  to  submit  our  conscience,  and  regulate 
2* 


IS  INTRODUCTION. 

our  lives,  by  the  dictates  of  men,  sinful  and  fallible  as  ourselresv 
What  a  contradiction,  and  what  a  chasm  in  the  Popish  doctrine  t 
i:  The  Church,"  (say  they,  meaning  their  own  church,)  "  is 
infallible,  and  we  are  bound  to  obey  the  Church." — If  we  ask 
them  what  constitutes  the  Church,  they  tell  us  that  it  is  "  the 
Congregation  of  all  those  who  profess  the  faith  and  doctrine  of 
Christ,  and  who  are  governed,  on  earth,  by  one  Sovereign  Head 
and  Pastor,  after  Christ."  Densr  Theol.  de  Eccle.  Xo.  70. 
This  Sovereign  Head  and  Pastor,  is  the  Pope  ;  who  (mark  the 
expression)  governs  after  Christ ; — not  under  Christ. 

But  now,  for  the  Infallibility. — The  Church,  the  say,  is  infal- 
lible. This  infallibility  they  distinguish  in  a  twofold  sense. 
The  one,  they  denominate  an  active  and  authoritative  infalli- 
bility ;  that  is,  an  infallibility  in  teaching  and  defining;  the 
other,  they  call  a  passive  infallibility,  by  which  they  mean  an 
infallibility  in  learning  and  believing.     (Id.  ib.  No.  SO.) 

Infallibility,  considered  in  its  active  and  authoritative  sense, 
belongs  to  the  Church  in  respect  to  its  Head,  the  Sovereign 
Pontiff,  and  to  its  Prelates  ;  that  is,  to  its  Bishops.  This  infalli- 
bility does  not  belong  to  the  Church  in  respect  to  its  lay  mem- 
bers, or  inferior  pastors ;  that  is,  the  Priests.  (Id.  ib.)  Thus  & 
man  is  said  to  see,  although  this  seeing  does  not  belong  to  him 
in  respect  to  any  of  the  other  members,  of  the  body,  except  the 
eyes;  so,  in  regard  to  the  Church,  infallibility  belongs  to  it 
only  in  respect  to  the  Pope,  and  to  the  Bishops  of  the  Church , 
(Id.  ib.) 

The  Priests  are  not  infallible  :  they  can  err,  and  yet  we  are 
bound  to  submit  our  conscience  and  the  regulation  of  our  lives 
to  their  dictates  ! — The  blind  are  bound  to  follow  the  blind  ! — 
Where  is  the  Infallible  Church  all  this  while  ? — Of  what  practi- 
cal utility  is  the  Infallible  Church,  if  we  have  to  follow  fallible 
Guides  ? 

It  is  in  vain,  and  a  mere  gratuitous  assertion,  for  them  to  tell 
us  that  the  Priests,  although  fallible,  cannot  long  preach  a 
doctrine  contrary  to  that  of  the  Romish  Church,  without  the 
knowledge  of  it  reaching  the  Bishop's  ear:  this,  in  the  first 
place,  we  take  the  liberty  to  deny  ;  because  they  can  preach,  and 
often  do  preach,  just  what  they  choose.  Even  granting,  that  in 
their  public  instructions  to  the  people,  they  should,  not  preach 
any  thing  in  direct  opposition  to  their  leading  and  cardinal 
doctrines,  or  dogmas  of  faith;  yet.  they  often,  nay,  I  can  say, 
always,  preach  in  such  a  manner  as  to  wind  into  their  discourses 
a  certain  system  of  morality,  the  tendency  of  which  is  to  lull 
the  consciences  of  their  people  into  security,  instead  of  preach- 
ing" to  them  in  such  a  manner  as  to  awaken  them  to  a  sense  of 
their  danger. 

Moreover,   although    what   they    preach    should    reach   the 


INTRODUCTION.  19 

Bishop's  ear,  the  objection  does  not  end  there.  It  may  reach  his 
ear,  and  there  it  may  stop.  Who  is  the  Bishop  ?— a  fallible 
man,  (as  they  admit,)  like  the  Priests  themselves.  Even  if  it 
should  be  admitted  that  they  were  all  infallible,  in  the  Popish 
sense  of  the  word,  their  infallibility  does  not  render  them  impec- 
cable. The  prerogative  of  impeccability  they  have  not  yet  had 
the  audacity  to  claim,  and  that  for  reasons  too  obvious  to  need 
an  explanation. 

If  the  Priest  and  his  Bishop,  therefore,  are  not  truly  spiritual 
and  holy  men,  but  directly  the  contrary,  it  is  foolishness,  and 
inconsistent,  to  suppose  that  they  will  conscientiously  discharge 
their  duty  in  relation  to  the  spiritual  necessities  of  their  people; 
because  "  the  carnal  mind  is  enmity  against  God  ;  and  to  be 
carnally  minded  is  death!"     Rom.  viii.  6,  7. 

Is  it  not,  therefore,  as  repugnant  to  reason  and  common  sense7 
as  it  is  to  the  Word  of  God,  to  suppose  that  the  mind  that  is 
"  enmity  against  God"  will  endeavor  to  promote  his  honor  and 
glory  in  the  salvation  of  souls  1  And,  as  the  being  carnally 
minded  is  death,  spiritual  death,  can  those,  who  are  spiritually 
dead,  give  life  to  those  who  are  spiritually  dead  %  To  establish 
the  claim  of  infallibility  upon  a  foundation  such  as  this,  is  an 
insult  to  the  world. 

But  it  is  not  in  the  pulpit,  however,  where  the  poor  deluded 
people  drink  their  deadliest  draught.  It  is  in  the  Confessional, 
that  secret  tribunal,  where  the  deadly  whisper  never  reaches  his 
Lordship's  ear  ;  in  that  tribunal  which  is  closed  with  what  they 
call  the  Seal  of  Confession,  and  locked  with  the  keys  of  Peter's 
authority.  It  is  in  that  dark  labyrinth  where  those  Spiritual 
Guides  lead  the  blindfolded  victims  to  the  chambers  of  death. 
There  they  are  hid  from  the  view  of  all ;  and  it  is  there  that 
they  can  chisel  out  the  rough  and  passive  block  into  whatever 
shape  they  choose,  into  the  very  "image  of  the  Beast"  Here, 
then,  the  Priest,  who  (even  according  to  their  own  admission  > 
is  a  fallible  man,  leads  his  victim  secretly  along  a  path  where  no 
eye  can  reach  him,  and  no  ear  can  hear ;  and,  O  !  well  do  I 
know  the  path  they  tread,  since  I,  one  of  their  anointed,  had  to 
tread  it. 

Even  supposing  these  spiritual  guides  were  all  converted  and 
spiritual  men,  still,  in  the  Tribunal  of  Confession,  they  are,  (as 
is  not  denied,)  fallible,  and  liable  to  err;  consequently  the 
advice  and  instructions  they  give,  must  vary  according  as  their 
judgments  vary  ;  and  the  variability,  of  their  judgment  depends 
on  a  thousand  fortuitous  circumstances ;  such,  for  instance,  as 
the  natural  frame  and  constitution*  of  the  mind,  education,  preju- 
dice, ignorance,  and  many  other  e&  ceteras,  which  might  be- 
named. 

But    to  suppose   that  all   timt»  spiritual  guides,   or  even  a* 


20  INTRODUCTION. 

majority  of  them,  are  converted  and  spiritual  men,  is  a  stretch 
of  credulity  which  cannot  be  sanctioned  by  the  Word  of  God, 
by  probability,  or  by  common  experience  ;  and  living  facts  prove 
that  they  are  any  thing  else  than  spiritual,  or  any  thing  like 
spiritual  and  converted  men.  How  great,  therefore,  must  be  the 
havoc  which  they  make  of  those  souls  who  are  thus  blindly  and 
secretly  led  by  their  instruction !  Where  now  is  the  bubble  of 
infallibility  ? — It  all  disappears  in  the  dark  recesses  of  the  Con- 
fessional ;  and,  like  a  stone  dropped  into  the  water,  its  multiplied 
undulations  are  lost  in  the  wide  ocean  of  uncertainty ;  and  not  a 
line  or  ripple  is  left  to  mark  its  limits,  or  to  show  where  it  can 
be  found.* 

Having  now  introduced  the  reader  to  the  interesting  and  im- 
portant disclosures  which  this  volume  unfolds,  we  commend  the 
work  to  our  fellow-citizens,  with  the  prayer,  that  God  may  make 
it  subservient  to  his  honor  and  glory. 

Of  all  scourges  with  which  a  country  can  be  afflicted,  Popery, 
confessedly,  is  the  worst* 

May  the  watchmen,  who  stand  upon  the  walls  of  Zion,  re- 
echo the  alarm.  May  every  Christian  church  be  now  united  in 
resisting  the  insidious  foe  whose  standard  is  already  erected  on 
every  hill,  in  every  dale,  of  our  wide  extended  country.  Chris- 
tians, statesmen,  philanthropists,  Jews,  infidels,  and  savages,  all 
are  interested  in  the  result,  whether  Popery  shall  rise  or  fall. — 
Christians,  first,  will  feel  the  sting  of  the  Serpent  under  the 
crackling  fagot : — statesmen  next/  when  the  banners  of  liberty 
shall  be  furled  in  obeisance  to  the  triple  crown,  who  owns 
no  head  on  earth,  nor  head  in  heaven. — Philanthropists,  kind 
and  indulgent  as  their  hearts  may  be,  must  also  bend  before 
the  despot,  or  be  crushed  beneath  his  power. — Jews  know,  from 
the  past,  what  their  future  lot  would  be, — exile,  slavery,  or 
death. — Infidelity  might  amalgamate  awhile,  and  lend  their  arms 
and  forces  to  "  the  Beast ;"  but,  in  the  end,  would  share  the 
common  fate;  for  Popery  must  be  Lord  of  all. — The  savage, 
whose  heel  is  like  the  deer,  would  fly,  in  vain,  before  the  blood- 
hounds that  have  fattened  on  the  carcasses  of  the  defenceless 
aborigines  of  Peru  and  Mexico. — The  country  would  be  a  deso- 
lated waste. — One  temple  would  be  seen,  the  temple  of  "  the 
Beast" — one  throne  erected,  church  and  state  combined. — 
Liberty  of  conscience,  liberty  of  the  Press,  liberty  of  speech, 
would  be  driven,  hand  in  hand,  over  the  precipice  of  infallible 
supremacy  ;  and  the  "Most  Holy,"  and  Spiritual  Despot  of  the 
world,  would  seat  himself  in  the  temple  of  God,  "  slwwing  him- 
self that  he  is  God."     2  Thes.  ii.  4. 

NE  FIAT,  DEUM  DEPRECEMUR. 

-  -  -  __  __  ,  .  j 

*  See  '■'  Downfall  of  Babylon,"  on  Infallibility,  Vol.  I.  No.  44 — 50.. 


INTRODUCTION.  21 

P.  S.  In  order  to  distinguish  the  notes  of  my  own  introducing, 
from  those  of  a  respected  friend  who  has  lent  me  his  assistance, 
I  have  distinguished  them,  at  the  end  of  each,  with  the  syllable 
Ed. — For  the  accuracy  of  these,  I  hold  myself  responsible ;  and 
my  coadjutor,  who  writes  the  Appendix,  will  be  responsible 
for  his. 

We  here  subjoin  an  abstract  of  the  thirty-two  letters  spoken 
of  in  the  Narrative  and  Introduction.  They  have  been  transla- 
ted by  a  native  of  Spain,  a  gentleman  of  high  respectability,  and 
a  master  of  the  language. 

We  present  a  fac-simile  of  one  of  them  in  its  original  dress,, 
with  the  signature  of  the  Reverend  writer.  It  is  signed  "  Beso 
tus  Pies"  " I  kiss  thy  feet." — This  is  a  Priestly  witticism. 
The  Rev.  Father's  name  is  Pies :  this  signifies  feet.  From 
this  circumstance,  the  playful  and  Reverend  lover  takes  occasion 
to  play  upon  the  word ;.  and,  therefore,  runs  the  amorous  conclu- 
sion into  his  own  name. 

In  order  that  the  public  may  have  a  further  specimen  of  the 
playfulness  of  the  Rev.  Father's  love,  we  present  them  also 
with  fac-similes  of  three  of  the  superscriptions  of  his  letters, 
or,  rather,  to  speak  more  properly,  of  his  billets-doux,  A  part 
of  two  of  them,  however,  owing  to  their  shocking  immodesty^ 
we  are  under  the  necessity  of  suppressing. 


22  INTRODUCTION. 


INTRODUCTORY  TO  THE  LETTERS 

WRITTEN  BY  THE  REV.  FATHER  PIES  TO  DIFFERENT  FEMALES. 

In  the  following  letters,  we  have  a  specimen  of  the  moral  de- 
pravity of  the  Romish  Priesthood,  drawn  by  their  own  pen.  Can 
they  now  tell  us,  "  it  is  a  Protestant  calumny  ?" — A  Holy  Capu- 
chin Friar,  a  venerated  Priest,  in  the  full  exercise  of  his  Eccle- 
siastical functions,  is  the  writer  of  them.  Who,  on  reading  these 
amorous  and  licentious  effusions,  would  suppose  that  they  were 
penned  by  a  man  sixty  years  of  age ! — This,  however,  was  the 
age  of  the  venerated  Priest  who  wrote  them.  How  must  not  the 
fires  of  concupiscence  have  burned  in  his  polluted  heart  in  the 
vigor  of  youth,  when  the  flames  thereof  still  rage,  with  such  un- 
governable fury,  under  the  ashes  of  his  declining  years  !— How 
many  innocent  victims  must  not  have  been  sacrificed  at  his  Sacred 
feet  in  the  dark  recesses  of  the  Confessional,  where  all  that  tran- 
spires is  closed,  forever,  under  the  Sacred  Seal  which  binds  the 
"  Spiritual  Father,"  and  his  fair  penitent,  to  perpetual  secrecy  I* 

How  passing  strange,  that  mothers  can  be  found  so  destitute 
of  common  prudence,  so  infatuated  with  delusion,  as  to  expose 
their  daughters  to  danger  so  imminent  as  that  of  being  subjected 
to  the  vile  solicitations  of  men  burning  with  lust !  subjected  to  it, 
too,  under  circumstances  so  every  how  calculated  to  excite  the 
most  criminal  of  passions,  screened  from  detection  by  the  obli- 
gation of  inviolable  secrecy ! — And  Americans,  too,  of  whose 
conversion  to  Popery,  we  sometimes  hear  the  tale, — Americans, 
and  Popery  ! — strange  amalgamation  !  even  they  are  found,  fas- 
cinated by  the  imposing  outside  show  of  the  pretended  only 
Cluirch  of  Christ. — They  drink  the  draught  of  the  intoxicating 
doctrine  ;  reason  reels  on  her  throne ;  and,  in  the  delirium  of 
fanaticism,  they  throw  themselves,  their  daughters,  and  their  im- 
mortal souls,  into  the  jaws  of  the  ravenous  "  Dragon" — The  re- 
flection harrows  up  every  feeling  of  the  soul. — We  drop  a  tear 
as  we  record  the  fact ;  and  if  tears  would  erase  it,  a  flood  of  them 
would  not  be  spared. — The  evil  spreads,  like  a  flood,  over  our 
land ;  and  what  will  be  the  limits  of  its  desolation,  remains 
for  posterity  to  tell. 

We  diaw  aside  the  Priestly  mask,  the  Monkish  hood,  and,  in 
the  sequel,  present  the  Reverend  and  Infallible  Ones  in  their  un- 
disguised deformity,  as  the  best  of  antidotes  for  the  evil  which 
we  deprecate.   We  show  them  as  they  are,  and  they  show  them- 

*  See  catechism  of  the  council  of  trent,  revised  and  corrected  by  John  Hughes, 
Priest  of  St.  John's  church,  Philadelphia,  p.  195. 


INTRODUCTION.  23 

selves  5  and  would  that  the  picture  could  he  spread  on  one  wide 
canvass,  that  the  world  might  see  it. 

Some  of  the  expressions  of  the  Reverend  letters  are  so  ohscene 
that  we  are  under  the  necessity  of  presenting  them  to  the  public 
under  the  original  cloak  of  Spanish ;  others  are  of  a  nature  too 
foul  to  appear  in  any  dress  soever  5 — these,  we  entirely  suppress. 
For  the  sake  of  those  unacquainted  with  the  Spanish,  we  have 
translated  what  we  dare  to  present  in  that  language,  into  Latin. 

I  would  observe,  before  closing  these  remarks,  that  these  letters 
furnish  us  with  further  evidence  of  the  truth  and  accuracy  of  the 
Narrative.  The  authoress  has  stated,  (as  will  be  seen  in  the 
perusal  of  her  disclosures,)  that  the  Rev.  Father  who  wrote 
these  letters  was  sixty  years  of  age.  The  autograph  of  the  let- 
ters is  so  evidently  written  by  a  hand  tremulous  with  age,  that 
they  are  almost  illegible.  So  difficult  was  it  to  decipher  the 
hand-writing,  that  several  persons  to  whom  I  applied,  and  per- 
sons, too,  well  acquainted  with  the  language,  were  unable  to  do 
it.  Every  one  of  them  observed  that  "  the  letters  must  have 
been  written  with  a  trembling  hand,  or  by  a  decrepit  old  man." — 
The  Reverend  lover,  truly,  as  the  letters  show,  and  as  the  au- 
thoress has  stated,  must  have  been,  at  least,  "  sixty  years  of  age." 

Seventeen,  and  some  of  the  most  important,  disclosures  in  thi3 
Narrative,  are  confirmed  by  the  Rev.  Father  Pies  himself.  Here, 
then,  we  have  the  very  testimony  of  the  party  concerned^  to 
prove  the  truth  and  accuracy  of  the  statements  made  by  the  au- 
thoress. 

They  are  as  follows : 

1.  Rosamond,  in  the  Narrative,  states,  that  the  Rev.  Father 
Pies  belongs  to  the  Order  of  the  Capuchins  : — The  Rev.  Father, 
in  his  letters,  writes,  "  I  have  told  you,  my  dear  wife,  that  I  live 
with  the  Capuchins."  (Letter  XV.) 

2.  Rosamond  tells  us,  that  there  are  many  rogues  in  Havanna : — 
"  There  are  many  rogues  here,"  (in  Havanna,)  says  the  Rev. 
Father.  (Letter  II.) 

3.  From  Rosamond  we  learn  that,  in  Havanna,  to  be  pious, 
signifies  to  be  wealthy: — "No  one,"  (says  Father  Pies,)  "would 
give  a  shilling  for  you  if  you  are  sick."  (Letter  III.) 

4.  Rosamond  tells  us,  that  many  of  the  Priests  would  emigrate 
to  the  Valley  of  the  Mississippi,  could  they  be  assured  of  the 
means  of  gaining  a  living: — The  Rev.  Father,  writing  to  his 
beloved,  says,  "  If  I  had  the  means  of  gaining  a  livelihood,"  (in 
New-York,)  "  believe  me,  my  dear,  I  would  go  and  live  with 
you."    (Letter  III.) 

5.  Rosamond  assures  us  that  the  licentious  Priests  are  revered 
by  all,  so  long  as  their  faces  are  not  disfigured  by  disease : — 
Father  Pies,  profligate  as  he  was,  was  honored  and  caressed  by 
the  Prelacy  ;-=— "  I  had  the  unspeakable  pleasure,"  (says  he,)  "of 


124  INTRODUCTION. 

seeing  your  lovely,  graceful,  and  rosy  face,  passing  by,  on  my 
way  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  Prior  of  St.  Domingo  Cathedral.  To* 
:mo'rrow  I  am  invited  to  the  Archbishop's."  (Letter  IV.  and  II.) 
'  6.  Rosamond  speaks  of  their  enormous  beards,  and  tells  us 
liow  they  contrived  to  conceal  them  : — The  Holy  Capuchin  talks 
of  his  beard  in  the  following  strain ; — "  You  remember,  I  told 
you,  once,  that  my  beard  would  bother  you  a  great  deal ;  and  it 
has  proved  to  be  troublesome,  since  you  always  resisted  my  ap 
proaches."  (Letter  III.) 

7.  Rosamond  tells  us  it  is  a  common  thing  for  Priests  to  have 
their  Mistresses: — The  love-sick  Father,  addressing  the  wife  of 
a  Spanish  nobleman,  salutes  her  with  the  epithets, — "  My  dear 
-Margaret ! — My  loving  wife  !"  (Letter  V.) 

S.  Rosamond,  speaking  of  the  Priests,  and  those  with  whom 
they  were  enamoured,  says,  "  they  would  be  contemplating  which 
was  the  youngest  and  the  handsomest :" — The  loving  Priest  ex- 
claims, almost  in  despondency,  "  I  have  been  incessant  in  com- 
plimenting and  contemplating  you,  and  you  have  not  shown  any 
regard."  (Letter  V.) 

9.  Rosamond,  throughout  her  Narrative,  speaks  of  the  frequent 
assignations  of  the  Reverend  lovers : — "  My  own  dear  wife  !" 
(exclaims  the  Rev.  Father,  under  the  vow  of  celibacy,)  "and 
my  most  beautiful  and  desirable  pink  !  should  nothing  occur  to 
you  or  to  me,  to-morrow,  between  9  and  10,  we  shall  meet." 
(Letter  XVIII.) 

TO.  Rosamond  mentions  that  the  Priests  prefer  the  prettiest 
females  : — "  Let  me  know,"  (says  the  Rev.  Father,)  "  whether 
you  love  me  or  not ;  for  if  you  don't,  I  must  get  another  girl,  even 
prettier,  if  possible,  than  yourself."  (Letter  XIV.) 

11.  Rosamond  speaks  of  the  frequency  of  the  Rev.  Fathers' 
faces  being  "disfigured  with  disease:" — The  Rev.  Father 
seems  bent  on  gratifying  his  passions,  even  although  he  should 
run  the  risk  of  ;; disease."  (Letter  XIV.) 

12.  Rosamond  relates  that  the  Priests  change  their  dress,  that 
they  may  not  be  detected  in  their  licentious  conduct : — "  I  would 
not,  for  the  world,"  (exclaims  the  Rev.  Priest,)  ''that  any  one 
should  know  what  I  am  about."  (Letter  X.) 

13.  Rosamond  describes  how  addicted  they  are  to  cursing  and 
swearing;  and  how  they  confirm  it  with  the  "hoorie:" — "I 
swore,  and  cursed  that ",  cries  the  Rev.  Father.  (Letter  X.) 

14.  Rosamond  writes,  at  large,  upon  the  subject  of  the  Priestly 
Mistresses  ;  " believing  that  what  she  writes  here,  will  also  be 
written  in  heaven:" — uHis  mother  is  a  kept  Mistress  of  Friar 
Pedro  Alcantara,"  writes  the  Rev.  Father  Pies.  (Letter  XV.) 

15.  Rosamond  describes  the  nicety  of  the  Priests,  when  about 
to  pay  their  addresses  to  the  ladies ;  and  the  use  they  make  of 
perfumes  and  Cologne : — "  Now,  my  dear  wife  !"  (exclaims  ths 


* 


S 


\ 


!> 


1 1  $ 


INTRODUCTION.  25 

^Reverend  Celibate,)  "  since  I  am  determined  to  come  and  see 
yon,  I  shall  appear  nice,  shaved,  and  clean."  (Letter  XV.) 

16.  Rosamond  points  out  the  presents  of  the  Priests ;  and  tells 
<us  something  about  the  Nuns: — "Accept  of  these  presents," 
*( writes  the  Reverend  and  generous  lover,)  "which  I  got  ef 
my  dearest  NunsP  {Letter  XVIII.) 

17.  Rosamond  says  that  the  Priests  are  possessed  of  a  jealous 
•disposition: — The  Rev.  Father,  after  having  tried  every  means 
to  seduce  the  lady  to  whom  he  writes,  "Regrets  3to  find  that  the 
torments  of  jealousy  are  also  added  to  his  accumulated  disap- 
pointments," (Letter  XIX.) 

<f  Roma  locuta  est :  cansa  finlta  est. 
Rome  has  spoken  :  the  case  is  decided." 

The  favorite  axiom  of  Popery. 

On  the  following  page,  we  present  the  fac-similes  of  the  su- 
perscription of  three  of  the  Rev.  Father  Pies'  letters.  They  mark 
the  frivolity  of  his  mind. 

On  the  next  page  is  to  be  seen  a  fae-s'imile  of  one  of  his  letters, 
the  translation  of  which  is  given  on  the  page  immediately  fol- 
lowing, marked,  No.  II. 

The  following  numbors  exhibit  an  exact  translation  of  some 
of  the  letters  written  by  the  Rev.  Father  Pies  to  different  females. 
There  are  thirty-two  of  the  original  letters  now  in  our  hand.  The 
following  we  deem  will  be  a  sufficient  specimen  to  show  the  de- 
pravity of  his  Tieart.  Some  of  the  letters  are  so  excessively  ob- 
scene, that  we  are  -under  the  necessity  of  suppressing  them  alto- 
gether. 

We  present  as  much  of  them  as  we  dare;  and  in  presenting 
them,  we  have  to  beg  the  indulgence  of  the  reader.  The  impor- 
tance of  unfolding  them  before  the  world,  in  order  to  show  the 
'deep  depravity  of  the  Romish  Clergy,  wiUs  we  hope,  be  a  suffi- 
cient apology  for  what  we  dos 


SUPERSCRIPTION  TO  THE  FOLLOWING  LETTER. 

"  To  one  whose  beauty  I  adore,  who  am  anxious  to  kiss  those 
hands  which  I  hope  will  soon  be  mine,  since  I  am  thine" 


LETTER  II. 

A  TRANSLATION  OF  THE  FAC-SIMILE. — "  SOPHIA." 

"My  pretty  girl! — My  lovely  dear! — Beauty  of  the  world! — 
Your  dear  soul  I  did  not  s?e.     But  I  threw  into  your  window  a 
3 


26  INTRODUCTION. 

billet-doux.-— Tell  me  if  you  got  it.— Because  in  it  many  things 
are  expressed :  and  I  expected  from  your  good,  dear  little  heart, 
some  consolation  in  answer  thereto.  May  I  yet  live  for  you,  since 
I  already  know  you,  and  without  you  I  cannot  live  !--To-day,  I 
am  engaged  to  pay  a  visit  to  your  neighbour  opposite. — Be  on 
the  look-out ;— and  to-morrow,  I  am  invited  to  the  Archbishop's. 
But  I  assure  you  that  the  remembrance  of  you  alone  is  my  con* 
solation. — A-propos  ! — tell  me,  for  your  own  safety,  whether  you 
understand  the  coins  of  this  country;  lest  you  might  be  deceived 
or  cheated  by  any  one. — Be  careful,  my  dear  child,  with  whom 
you  have  any  dealings :  because  there  are  many  rogues  here. 

(Signed,) 

"BESO  TUS  PIES, 
"  I  kiss  your  feet ;  or,  Place  me  at  your  feet." 


LETTER  III. 

"  My  dear  loving  soul !  nothing  serious  has  occurred.  Some- 
thing was  due  to  me,  and  you  have  paid  me. — You,  my  dear  love, 
were  not  in  fault,  because  you  evinced  a  readiness  to  resist.  The 
fault  was  entirely  mine  ;  for  I  had  such  a  desire  to  be  with  you, 
that  I  lost  all  patience;  and,  (in  the  hurry,)  I  porque  tenia  tan- 
tas  ganas  tie  estar  con  tigo  que  no  pude  esperar  y  manche  tus 
carnecites  tan  bonitas  y  gorditas,  (omnem  pellem  tuam  delica- 
tarn  formosissimamque;  tamque  venustam,  atque  voluptuosam, 
ego  inquinavi.) 

Whenever  you  will,  just  tell  me,  my  dear  soul,  as  I  hear  you 
want  to  return  to  your  native  country  ;  and  you  leave  me  here 
alone.  Yet  I  advise  you,  you  would  be  doing  well.  They  are 
ruining  your  health ;  and  mine,  too,  suffers ;  and  no  one  would 
give  a  shilling  for  you  if  you  are  sick.  Indeed,  if  I  had  the  means 
of  gaining  a  livelihood,  believe  me,  my  dear,  I  would  go  and  live 
with  you.  The  folks  here  are  great  cheats.  Again,  I  repeat, 
take  care  of  your  health ;  for  if  you  fall  sick-a-bed,  then  will  be- 
gin your  great  troubles  ;  and  my  cares  will  commence  with  them; 
as  I  cannot,  by  any  means,  allow  you  to  perish  without  assist- 
ance. To  Spain  I  could  not  take  you,  although  I  might  wish  to 
do  it;  nor  am  I  going  for  five  or  six  months  yet:  and  even  then, 
much  depends  on  all  the  money  that  is  due  me.  To  go  to  Spain 
by  the  way  of  New  York,  would  be  attended  with  difficulties ; 
but,  nevertheless,  I  will  come  and  see  you,  and  talk  over  the 
thing,  and  enjoy  the  pleasure  of  being  with  you.  You  remem- 
ber, I  told  you,  once,  that  my  beard  would  bother  you  a  great  deal; 
and  it  has  proved  to  be  troublesome,  since  you  always  resisted 


INTRODUCTION.  27 

my  approaches  whenever  1  attempted  to  kiss  you. — Perhaps  you 
did  not  love  me :  but  whether  you  love  me  or  not,  you  will  al- 
ways remember  me,  wherever  you  may  be,  as  he  will  remember 
you,  who  kisses  your  feet. 

"BESO  TUS  PIES." 


SUPERSCRIPTION  TO  THE  FOLLOWING  LETTER. 

"  To  my  dear  little  pet." 

LETTEPv  IV. 

"My  dear  beloved! — My  adorable  beauty! — O,  I  would  kiss 
you  to  death  if  I  could.  My  desire  would  be  always  to  be  gazing 
upon  your  beauty  ;  but,  lovely  as  you  are,  my  difficulties  to  your 
embraces  daily  increase.  Yet  probably,  unknown  to  you,  I  had 
the  unspeakable  pleasure  of  seeing  your  lovely,  graceful,  and  rosy 
face  passing  by,  on  my  way  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  Prior  of  St. 
Domingo  Cathedral,  and  on  my  return  from  his  house,  I  passed 
by  yours,  in  hope  of  seeing  you  again,  to  have  a  little  talk  with 
you,  and  hand  you  that  little  paper,  to  remove  from  your  mind 
any  anxiety.  I  saw  you,  even  then,  but  I  kept  aloof,  because  I 
perceived  two  persons  standing  opposite  to  your  door;  one  I 
knew  to  be  your  servant  in  attendance,  who,  if  he  had  seen  me 
speak  to  you,  would  have  reputed  you  as  a  woman  of  ill-fame, 
and  would  have  said  that  you  show  me  many  attentions ;  but  if 
I  show  any  to  you,  it  is,  my  dear,  because  I  am  yours." 


LETTER  V. 

"My  dear  Margaret! — My  loving  wife! — Yesterday,  (Mon- 
day,) neither  could  I  see  you,  nor  hear  from  you;  which  leaves 
me  very  unhappy.  For  neither  seeing  you,  nor  hearing  from 
you  by  note,  does  not  suit  me  at  all. — Surely,  what  affection  does 
this  show  towards  me? — Certainly,  none  at  all. — And  that  I 
should  continue  to  love  one  that  does  not  love  me,  can  never  do. 
I  have  been  incessant  in  complimenting,  and  cqnt emulating  you, 
and  you  have  not  shown  any  regard. — Are  we  not  in  a  fine  coun- 
try, where  every  thing  is  abundant,  but  never  mind ; — adieu,  till 
to-morrow.— If  you  will,  think  about  it." 


28  INTROIHJCTXOSro. 


LETTER  VL 

\  a  My  dear  life  I — It  is  a  common  saying  with  those  of  our  na- 
tion, that  when  one  has  agreed  to  perform  any  thing  with  another 
individual,  and  on  the  question  being  put,  no  answer  is  givenf 
the  inference  isr  that  silence  gives  consent :  or,  in  other  wordsr 
that  all  is  right,  and  we  both  agree  in  sentiment.  Now,  thenr 
my  dear  I  how  comes  rt,  that  so  much  as  I  hare  said  to  you<,  and 
written  to  you,  you  hare  neither  deigned  to  write  me  an  answer^ 
or  advance  any  thing  satisfactory  to  me  ? — From  this  I  must  infer,, 
that  you  have  no  intrinsic  regard  orw.ishlorthe  person  you  thus- 
treat.— Perchance  it  may  be  your  sickness  occasions  aM  this  : — 
yet  I  repeat,  I  am  yours. 

"N.  B.  Believe  me,  that  I  fee!  it  most  grievously,  t<y  be  con- 
strained to  speak  to  you  so  clearly,  and  pointedly  £  but <  it  is  be- 
cause I  love  you. — I  love  you  extremely;  and  always  shall 5,  and 
I  hope  you  consider  me  before  any  one  else-1* 


LETTER  VIL 

(This  letter  is  of  so  indelicate  a  nature,  that  we  hare  to  sup- 
press it.  His  deeply  laid  scheme  required  her  utmost  ingenuity 
to  baffle  itj  in  order  to  save  her  reputation.) 


SUPERSCRIPTION  TO  THE  FOLLOWING  LETTER. 

"  Addressed  to  the  most  precious,  lovely,  and  dearest  girls,, 
my  eyes  ever  beheld. 

"  You,  whose  names  I  do  not  know,  but  am  anxious  to  learn  J* 

LETTER  Vllk 

"  My  dear,  loving  sisters  £—  Lovely  girls! — And  pretty  dears  I 
— I  have  already  informed  you  that  I  have  been  at  the  brink  of 
the  grave.  No  one  would  believe  k,  or  would  believe  that  I 
could  recover;  and  I  still  remain  very  unwell  and  feeble,  dis- 
tressed with  intermittent  fever ;  so  that  I  am  now  fit  for  nothing^ 
my  dears. — My  health  still  continues  very  much  on  the  decline* 


s.    ^     > 


^  » .- 


I 


fc 


ara  -mc 


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j    77?  CUT  c&WST&r-    l 

( 

I 
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\    i       ^\  J  ' — " — -^    V 


~<ZiT  77tP2rft4 


\X 


k&scz/&&^c?    $&/    £< 


INTRODUCTION.  29 

and  although  you  have  invited  me  to  your  house,  (a  compliment 
more  than  I  deserve,)  yet  I  have  not  accepted  your  invitation. 
Only  let  me  recover,  and  I  will  seek  for  you,  without  giving  you 
further  trouble." — (The  letter  continues  in  an  amorous  strain,  and 
bids  them  "  Adieu,  for  the  present.55) 


LETTER  IX. 

"  Delight  of  my  eyes  ! — Lovely  beauty  of  the  world  ! — Thou 
queen  of  the  fair  !55 — (This  letter  continues  with  amorous  expres- 
sions so  profusely  dealt  out,  that  it  absorbs  the  whole  letter,  and 
is  unimportant,  and  he  concludes  by  observing,  that  his  religious 
duties  prevent  his  seeing  her  whom  he  only  lives  to  adore.) 


LETTER  X. 

"  My  soul ! — My  heaven  thou  art  ! — Now,  I  must  be  very  cau- 
tious when  I  am  acting  indiscreetly.  I  would  not,  for  the  world, 
that  any  one  should  know  what  I  am  about.  Dona  Andrea, 
who  lives  opposite  to  your  dwelling,  wishes  you  to  pay  her  a 
visit.  Her  son,  who  spoke  to  me  at  the  door,  and  whom  you 
saw  standing  there,  wanted,  forcibly,  to  enter  to  see  what  I  was 
about ;  but  I  opposed  this  strenuously  ;  and,  although  you  may 
have  noticed^  in  this  dilemma,  that  I  nodded  to  you,  I  am  certain 
he  did  not  notice  me.  I  am,  now,  not  suffering  under  any  enfer- 
medad  pagasosa  mis  carries  limpias  y  blancas  comoun  marfil. 
(Nulla,  lues,  aut  mala  contagio  me  invasit:  corpus  meum  purum 
est;  marmoreoque  nitore  nunc  splendet.)  However,  I  am 
anxious  to  recover  from  my  attack  of  the  liver,  which  is  the 
true  illness  that  has  brought  me  so  near  the  gates  of  death;  and 
under  which  I  am  still  suffering. — To-day,  my  dear,  you  appear 
to  be  dissatisfied  about  something. — Adieu.55 — 


LETTER  XI. 

f  The  purport  of  this  letter  is,  "  that  if  she  should  continue 
sicK,  she  would  know  where  to  send  her  servant- girl  to  find  hiim; 
namely,  at  the  Convent  of  the  Capuchins.15) 
3* 


30  XNTROBtrCTIOKv 

;       LETTER  XII. 

(  To  tKe  same^) 

(He  writes  her  another  letter;  and  states  that  he  cannot  see 
her  that  day,  as  "he  has  been  commissioned  to  attend  the  prison 
chapel,  to  hear,  as  usual,  the  Confessions  of  the  prisoners." — 
He  concludes  the  letter  in  these  words :)  "  Adieu  I  my  heavenly- 
creature  ! — Believe  me,  I  remain  in  great  anxiety  concerning 
your  health, — Tell  me,  beautiful .  damsel !  what  ails  you. — Da 
tell  me. — Don't  deceive  me. — I  shall  never  abandon  you. — I 
s***r  t0  Iqyq  y0Uy  whether  well  or  ill? 


LETTER  XIIL 

(  To  the  same.) 

"  My  beautiful  and  adored  esposa! — My  sweet  little  woman  I 
To  me  you  are  the  prettiest  of  your  sex. — You  cannot  think,  my 
dear,  how  I  am  disgusted  with  your  neighbors  opposite,  who? 
are  always  gazing,  and  noticing  every  one  that  speaks  to  you, 
every  one  that  looks  at  you,  and  every  one  that  loves  you ;  and 
talking,  and  grumbling,  at  all  they  see  ;  which,  to  my  disposition, 
is  so  disgusting,  as  I  have  a  decided  aversion  that  any  one 
should  see  what  I  do.  Nothing  but  those  creatures  over  the 
way  has  prevented  my  coming  oftener,  as  their  curiosity  is 
always  alive  when  they  see  me. — Now,  my  dear,  I  have  to 
request  that  you  will  correspond  to  my  feelings,  and  I  will  reci- 
procate with  yours. — I  hail  your  recovery. — But  take  care  that  I 
don't  fall  sick,  as  we  should  lose  all  if  you  were  to  give  me  any 
contagion.  As  to  me,  you  may  examine  mi  cuerpo  limpio  y 
sin  ninguna  muncha  sospechosa* — I  shall,  therefore,  be  really 
happy  to  find  your  dear  self  exempt  from  any  thing,  but  all  ast 
lovely  as  your  face. 


LETTER  XIV. 

•  cc  My  loving  dear  ! — dearest- of  my  heart!-— you  saw  what  an 
awful  and  stormy  day  yesterday  (Friday)  was  ;— so  unpleasant 
that  I  could  not  go  out. — So  that  I  have  no  pleasure  of  cay  thing 
in  this  world,  since  I  am  deprived  of  the  pleasure  oi  being  with 
you. — Well,  jiow,  do  tell  me  candidly,  and  don't  let  me  suffer 

*  Corpus  meum  perscruteris,  si  tibi  placeat ;  et  nunquam  investigando  iliic  inveniea 
naaeulam  ullam  quse  tibi  suspicionem  rel  inmimam  excitet. 


INTRODUCTION.  31 

any  longer.  Let  me  know  whether  you  love  me  or,  not;  for  if 
you  don't,  I  must  get  another  girl,  even  prettier,  if  possible,  than 
yourself,  mas  que  no  tonga  las  piemas  tan  gorditas  comodas 
iuyas"  (the  preceding  too  shocking  to  be  translated.).  "But  all 
this  would  give  me  much  displeasure;  and,  besides,  it  is  impor- 
tant forme  to  know  in  what  relation  we  stand  to  each  other ;  for 
it  seems  strange,  after  so  much,  that  you  should  still  refuse  my 
amours. — I  often  think  you  must  be  laboring  under  some  conta- 
gious disease,  that  you  would  save  me  catching  from  you,  and  it 
is  that  which  makes  me  anxious  to  learn  the  real  fact ;  for, 
surely,  if  you  were  hale  and  hearty,  you  would,  before  this,  have 
evinced  some  desire  to  see  me. — Well,  now,  to  clear  up  the 
doubt,  you  have  only  one  course  to  take  ;  and  be  aware>  that  in 
these  hot  climates,  women  easily  get  sick.55 


LETTER  XV. 

"  I  have  told  you,  my  dear  wife,  and  my  most  beautifuf  crea- 
ture, that  I  live  with  the  Capuchins,  but  I  do  not  take  my  meals 
with  them. — I  have  my  dinner  brought  to  me  at  noon,  every  day,. 
Yesterday  afternoon,  I  had  some  special  visits  to  make,  which 
kept  me  out  till  half  past  five. — I  swore  and  cursed  against  that 
son  of  zputa,  who  seemed  to  stand  in  my  way,  on  the  opposite- 
side  of  the  way,  whom  I  did  not  like  to  trouble  myself  with,  his 
mother  being  of  a  very  turbulent  character,  and  a  kept-mistress 
of  Friar  Pedro  Alcantara.  Well,  on  account  of  these  fellows, 
1  could  not  have  the  pleasure  of  being  with.  you.  And,  indeed, 
was  it  not  that  you  had  made  up  your  mind  to  leave  this  soon,  I 
would  advise  you  to  remove  from  where  you  are ;  for  I  could  not 
come  and  see  you  while  those  d***ls  opposite  are  always  gazing 
at  us. — Now,  my  dear  wife,  since  I  am  determined  to  come  and 
see  you,  I  shall  appear  nice,  shaved,  and  clean  ;  so  as  not  to  be  ajt 
all  unpleasant  to  you. — But  if  I  should  then  be  disappointed,  I 
shall  despair,  not  knowing  what  to  do,  my  beautiful  creature.53 


LETTER  XVI. 

(It  would  appear  that  our  worthy  Capuchin,  after-encountering 
so  many  obstacles,  from  the  object  of  his  unwarrantable  love, 
begins  to  think  that  the  low  state  of  his  funds,  at  that  moment, 
might  be  considered  as  the  obstacle  to  the  fulfilment  of  his  wish; 
but  begs  to  remind  his  dear,  that  her  pledges  were  more  than 
mere  words,  and  as  an  evidence  of  this,  he  would  "  refer  her  to 
the  two  notes  that.,  had  those  figures  on  them,55 — IJe  alludes  her,e 


32  INTRODUCTION. 

to  the  two  letters,  of  the  superscriptions  of  which  we  hare  given 
the  fac-similes.  The  figures  they*  had  on  them,  of  which  men- 
tion is  here  made,  we  suppress,  nor  can  we  give  the  most  distant 
allusion  to  what  they  were.) 


LETTER  XVII. 

"  My  beautiful  creature,  and  all  that  is  lovely  to  me! — you 
cannot  think  what  a  desire  I  have  to  see  you,  and"  (what  flows 
out  here,  along  a  line  or  two,  must  be  suppressed,)  "I  begin  to 

despair,  for  I  don't  know .     I  have  even  shaved  my  beard 

to  please  you,  that  it  might  not  incommode  ;  but  that  would  not 
do. — And  now  that  your  stay  here  is  so  short,  I  don'fknow  what 
to  think." — (He  continues  by  expatiating  on  his  misery  and  dis- 
appointment; and  concludes,  by  wishing  rather  that  a  dagger 
should  be  plunged  into  his  breast,  than  suffer  the  imputation  of 
the  " enfermedad  Galico") 


LETTER  XVIII. 

t:My  own  dear  wife  ! — and  my  most  beautiful  and  desirable 
pink  ! — should  nothing  occur  to  you  or  me,  to-morrow,  between  9 
and  .10,  we  shall  meet.  This  is  my  particular  wish  ;  I  hope  it 
is  also  yours. — I  give  you  this  notice  that  you  may  be  prepared, 
and  not  be  taken  unawares  by  my  visit. — I  shall  add  nothing 
further  in  this  note;  but  shall  express  myself  more  fully  when  I 
see  you. — i^ccept  of  these  presents,  which  I  get  from  my  dearest 
Nuns. — Do  not  forget  that  we  are  to  meet  to-morrow. — I  will  off 
with  my  beard,  that  your  soft  delicate  face  may  not  be  incom- 
moded by  its  roughness." 


LETTER  XIX. 

(In  this  letter,  the  Reverend  lover  soars  into  the  highest 
ecstasies  of  amorous  expressions  towards  "the  object  of  all  his 
cares  and  anxieties;"  and  he  regrets  to  find,  that  "the  tor- 
ments of  jealousy  are  also  added  to  his  accumulated  disappoint- 
ments.") 

From  the  above  specimens,  we  see  what  Popish  celibacy  leads 
to.  If  we  could  have  the  letters  of  all  the  Priests  thus  unfolded, 
what  a  picture  would  be  presented  to  the  view  ! 


INTRODUCTION.  33 


As  corroborative  of  the  licentious  character  of  the  Romish 
Priesthood,  as  depicted  by  the  authoress  of  this  Narrative,  we 
will  introduce  the  following  communication,  just  put  into  our 
hands  by  the  Rev.  David  Gillmer.  The  facts  which  he  states, 
were  related  to  him  by  his  uncle,  Joseph  Ray,  Esq.,  late  Ameri- 
can Consul  to  the  Brazils. 

He  states  as  follows : — "  It  gives  me  pleasure  to  learn,  that 
you  are  about  publishing  another  work  on  the  subject  of  Po- 
pery, in  which  the  iniquity  of  the  "  Man  of  Sin,"  and  par- 
ticularly the  licentiousness  of  the  Romish  Priesthood,  is  to 
be  exposed.  I  believe  such  a  volume  is  much  needed,  in  order 
that  the  citizens  of  our  country  may  know  to  what  lengths  the 
Popish  Clergy  go  in  iniquity,  where  they  have  the  reins  of  the- 
civil  government  under  their  eontrol.  The  licentiousness  of  the 
Priests  in  South  America  is  almost  unparalleled.  Under  the 
garb  of  sanctity,  they  practise  the  most  enormous  acts  of  wicked- 
ness. In  a  Conventj  in  the  Brazils,  for  the  purpose  of  entering 
into  the  apartment  of  the  nuns,  they  have  made  a  kind  of 
'wheel,'*  into  which  the  Priest  gets,  and  covers  himself  with  a 
cloth,  that  he  may  not  be  seen ;  the  '  wheel'  is  then  turned  by 
one  of  the  MonKs,  (for  each  takes  his  turn.)  and  thus  he  is  intro- 
duced into  the  Convent.  The  late  American  Consul  to  the 
Brazils,  Joseph  Ray,  Esq.,  resided  in  South  America  about  ten 
years :  from  him  I  have  received  these  facts.  He  informed  me, 
that  there  was  an  aged  Monk,  named  'Joachim,5  in  the  Mon- 
astery of  that  place  ;  he  wore  a  gown  resembling;  the  cassock  of 
the  Episcopal  Clergy  ;  the  sleeves  were  very- Lbag£  andf  the  back 
and  breast  were  made  full.  Every  week  he  would  eome  to  the 
counting-house  for  wine,  with  which  Mr.  Ray  supplied  him  gra- 
tuitously.. The  manner  in  which  he  carried  it  into  the  Monastery, 
may  illustrate  the  hypocrisy  and  deception  of  the  Monks. — He 
would  puitthisee  bottles  into  each  sleeve,  and  two  into  his  breast 
and  back,  and  walk  into  the  Convent  with  as  great  an  air  of 
sanctimony,  as  though  he  had  been  the  greatest  saint'  on  earth.. 
The  common  people  held  '  Father  Joachim  m  great  veneration, 
and  considered  him  worthy  of  Canonization.  The  other  Monks 
were  as  debauched  and  depraved  a  set  of  men  as  could  be  found. 
Dr.  M ,  who  is  a  native  of  South  America,  and  born  a  Ro- 
man Catholic,  but  has  embraced  Deism,  through  the  corruption 
of  the  Clergy,  informed  me,  that  the  Bishops  and  Priests  were 

*  Mention  is  made  of  the  "tt>foc/,"  and  the  wheel-turner,  by  the  great  St.  Ligori 
See  "Downfall  op  Babylon,"  Vol.  2d,  No.  XX. 


34 


INTRODUCTION. 


guilty  of  the  blackest  deeds  of  iniquity.  They  are  infinitely 
worse,,as  it  respects  licentiousness  and  crime,  than  any  other  class 
of  men.  These  things  ought  to  be  known  to  every  citizen  of 
the  United  States.  But  it  is  said  that  '  the  Priests  in  North 
America  are  moral  men,  that  they  are  not  guilty  of  open  wick- 
edness, more  than  the  Clergy  of  other  denominations.' — This  is 
denied.  They  are  guilty  of  more  crime  than  the  Clergy  of  other 
denominations.  And  the  reason  why  they  are  not  detected  more 
than  they  are,  is  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  Bishops  conceal 
their  crimes,  'because  of  the  jealousy  of  Protestants  ;'  and  be- 
cause they  employ  none  in  their  service  who  are  not  Roman  * 
Catholics.  Instances  are  known  where  Priests  have  been  de- 
tected, in  North  America,  of  crimes  of  an  aggravated  nature. 
But  let  Popery  once  be  established  in  the  United  States,  and  we 
shall  then  see  exhibited  their  crimes.  They  will  have  no  re-' 
straint,  and  no  motive  to  influence  them  to  conceal  their  wicked- 
ness. Our  country  will  be  like  South  America  and  Spain.  The 
crimes  of  Priests  will  then  stalk  forth  as  they  do  in  Popish 
countries. 

"  Romanism  is  the  same  the  world  over.  This  is  acknowledged 
by  Papists  themselves.  It  is  the  same  in  America  as  it  is  in 
Rome.  And  were  it  the  established  religion  of  this  country,  the 
very  same  enormities  would  be  committed,  and  the  deep  de- 
pravity which  is  manifested  in  civil  governments,  where  the 
Pope  exercises  authority,  would  be  committed  and  manifested  in 
the  United  States  of  America. 

DAVID  GILLMER" 


CERTIFICATES 

RESPECTING  THE   CHARACTER   OF   THE  AUTHORESS. 

This  certifies,  that  Rosamond  Culbertson  is  a  member  of  the  Third 
Free  Presbyterian  Church  in  this  city,  in  good  and  regular  standing ; 
that  she  possesses  the  confidence  of  her  brethren  and  sisters  in  this 
church,  and  is  cheerfully  commended  to  the  confidence  of  the  Christian 
public  in  general. 

By  order  of  the  Session, 

N.  E.  JOHNSON,  Mod, 
New  York,  16th  Dec.  1835. 

I  have  been  acquainted  with  Rosamond  Culbertson  about  two  years ; 
almost  from  the  commencement  of  her  religious  experience.  I  have 
the  fullest  confidence  in  her  integrity  and  Christian  character;  and 
knowing,  also,  the  circumstances  under  which  the  accompanying  Nar- 
rative has  been  written,  (the  writer  herself  being  brought  several  times 
to  the  brink  of  the  grave,)  I  can  cheerfully  commend  her  statements  to 
the  public,  believing  that  they  contain  nothing  but  the  truth. 

ISAAC  N.  SPRAGUE, 
Pastor  of  the  Fourth  Free  Pres.  Church,  N.  Y. 

New  York,  Dec.  15,  1835. 

I  have  been  acquainted  with  Rosamond  Culbertson  for  six  months 
past;  during  which  time  I  have  been  her  physician.  I  believe  her  to 
oe  a  devoted  Christian.  I  think  there  can  be  no  question  as  to  the 
truth  of  the  Narration  she  has  written. 

In  December,  1835,  she  was  very  sick,  and  not  expected  to  live  from 
one  hour  to  another :  in  fact,  for  several  hours,  she  was  speechless ;  and 
I  could  but  just  discern  that  she  breathed.  When  she  revived,  so  as  to 
speak,  I  asked  her  if  what  she  had  written  in  her  Narrative  was  true: 
she  replied,  "  Yes, — the  truth,  and  nothing  but  the  truth." 

J.  A.  WARD,  M.  D. 

241  Spring  St.,  N.  Y. 
New  York,  Dec.  18,  1835. 

Dear  Sir— Rosamond  Culbertson  united  with  the  Third  Free  Church 
of  this  City,  on  the  20th  of  June,  1834.  Since  that  time,  her  walk  and 
conversation,  as  far  as  I  know,  or  can  learn,  has  been  very  exemplary, 
and  worthy  of  her  high  vocation.  I  have  seen  her  more  or  less  fre- 
quently since  she  united  with  the  church,  both  in  seasons  of  health  and 
sickness.  At  all  times  she  has  seemed  to  maintain  the  same  unshaken 
confidence  in  the  Saviour,  and  the  same  determination  to  live,  as  far  as 
her  influence  might  extend,  for  the  promotion  of  truth  and  righteousness 
in  the  earth.  In  my  opinion,  the  most  implicit  confidence  may  be  placed 
in  her  character  for  veracity  ana"  truth. 

J.  F.  ROBINSON,  Clerk  of  the  Session 
of  the  Third  Free  Church. 
Rev.  Mr.  Smith. 

New  York,  Jan.  7,  1836. 


36  CERTIFICATES. 

Auburn,  January  2, 1836. 
To  J.  F.  Robinson,  Esq. 

Dear  Sir,— You  will  not  be  surprised,  that  I  take  a  deep  interest  in 
ihe  forth  coming  work  of  Mrs.  Culbertson,  when  you  learn  that  it  was 
undertaken  at  my  particular  suggestion.  She  had  given  many  facts, 
relative  to  her  past  life,  in  conversations  held  at  different  times,  with 
my  wife.  These  were  reported  to  me,  and  so  deeply  impressed  my 
mind,  that  I  communicated  a  wish  to  have  them  committed  to  paper, 
fully  impressed  with  the  conviction,  that  the  time  was  not  far  distant 
when  the  public  good  would  be  promoted  by  having  them  published. 
The  papers  were  accordingly  prepared,  and  committed  to  the  care  of 
my  wife.  We  read  them  with  interest,  and  were  astonished  and  afflicted 
at  the  "mystery  of  iniquity"  which  they  revealed.  :SeveFal  months 
elapsed,  before  my  mind  became  settled  as  to  the  course  which  duty 
dictated  in  the  case.  At  length  I  concluded  to  publish  the  Narrative, 
in  successive  numbers,  in  a  newspaper,  edited  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Smith, 
and  entitled  lt  The  Downfall  of  Babylon."  But  before  arrangements 
for  presenting  them  to  the  public,  through  this  medium,  were  completed, 
the  design  of  publishing  them  in  the  form  of  a  neat  little  volume,  sug- 
gested itself  to  my  mind.  Accordingly  the  subject  was  proposed  to  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Smith,  and  also  to  H.  D.  Ward,  Esq.  To  the  latter  gentle- 
man the  papers  were  committed  for  his  perusal,  and  with  a  view  to  their 
he'mg  prepared  for  the  press.  After  this  I  saw  them  no  more.  But  I 
am  happy  to  learn  through  your  letter  to  me,  that  the  work  is  soon  to 
be  presented  to  the  public. 

My  sole  desire,  next  to  the  public  good,  in  wishing  this  Narrative  to 
take  the  volume  course  to  the  eye  of  the  community,  was,  that  the  un- 
happy, and  yet  happy,  because,  in  my  judgment,  redeemed  Rosamond, 
might  derive  from  it  something  to  support  her  in  the  midst  of  those  infir- 
mities, which,  though  self-induced,  yet  because  penitently  wept  over, 
have  awakened  our  tenderest  s}rmpathy.  I  hope,  Dear  Sir,  that  as  pro- 
fessed Christians  have  had  the  charge  of  this  matter,  the  individual 
most  deeply  interested,  will,  under  no  pretence  of  the  claims  of  services 
rendered,  or  charity,  be  deprived  of  the  entire  avails  of  the  book,  after 
reasonable  and  even  liberal  charges  are  paid. 

It  is  true,  that,  so  far  as  my  own  impressions  of  facts,  in  regard  to  the 
subject  of  this  Narrative,  are  concerned,  there  was  little  that  I  had  not 
long  before  fully  believed  to  be  true.  Indeed,  such  are  the  views  given 
by  writers  in  her  own  communion,  of  the  abominations  of  the  Romish 
church,  that  those  who  do  not  see  and  acknowledge  them,  must  blush 
to  complain  against  the  charge  of  voluntary  blindness.  The  circum- 
stance of  the  authoress  living  amongst  us  enhances  the  subject  of  her 
own  story,  the  more  so  as  she  has  experienced  in  her  own  person,  and 
seen  with  her  own  eyes,  the  enormities  and  abomination  of  which  she 
speaks.  She  names  persons — gives  dates  and  localities — speaks  of  cir- 
cumstances and  events  of  public  notoriety,  and  all  in  a  way  of  such 
honest  and  undisguised  simplicity,  as  to  force  conviction  upon  the  mind 
of  the  reader,  all  but  in  despite  of  the  strongest  prejudice. 

D.  C.  LANSING, 
Pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 


CONTENTS. 


SsraODtrcTfSN,  m  which  the  system  of  Popery  and  the  Christian  religion  are  com- 
pared.— An  account  of  the  Authoress,  and  of  her  seduction  by  Rev.  Father  Canto. 
--The  influx  of  Popery  from  Europe.— Influence  of  Protestants  in  regard  to  the 
increase  of  Popery.— Character  of  tire  Authoress,— Her  delicate  health.— Her  tes- 
timony confirmed  by  Doctor  Ethan  A.  Ward ;  by  thirty-two  letters  in  Spanish, 
written  by  Rev.  Father  Pies ;  by  four  wounds  on  her  own  body  >  by  the  Editor 
himself  in  regard  to  the  Purgatory -room  ;  and  by  their  own  Councils,  Popes,  Saints, 
and  historians  themselves.— The  truth  of  her  disclosures  sealed  by  the  attestation 
of  the  Authoress  when  apparently  at  the  point  of  death. — The  Infallible  church 
vanishes  away  in  a  lie. — The  effects  of  Popery.— The  Confessional  a  sink  of  mi- 
quity. — Popery  the  scourge  of  the  world.— Every  patriot,  philanthropist,  and 
Christian,  bound  to  oppose  it.— Jews,  infidels,  and  savages,  are  all  interested  in  the 
result,  whether  Popery  shall  rise  or  fall,      - 3 

Introduction  to  tee  Letters,  written  in  Spanish,  by  Rev.  Father  Pies,  to  different 
females,  ...„ 22 

Translation  of  facts  of  the  thirty-two  letters,  written  by  Father  Pies.       -       •     25 
Popery  in  the  Brazils. .       ^       .....     33 

Certificates  of  the  Authoress's  character.    -.-.».-       -35 

"Chapter  i.— The  author's  introduction. — A  brief  sketch  of  her  family. — Her  marriage 
with  Lieutenant  C — —.—Her  departure  from  home  with  her  husband.— They  pro* 
ceed  to  the  West. — Her  husband  dies  in  New  Orleans. — Goes  to  Covington  to  es- 
cape   the    yellow-fever. — Becomes    acquainted  with    Mr.    M . — Marries    Mr. 

W ,  of  Kentucky.— Removes  to  Louisville.— Flies  from  Mr,  W . — Is  set  on 

shore  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Mississippi.— Is  delivered  from  her  forlorn  situation 
by  the  captain  of  a  steam-boat,  on  his  way  to  Nashville. — Attempts  to  commit  sui- 
cide.— Returns  to  New  Orleans.  » "•      41 

'Chapter  If. — The  origin  of  Popish  Celibacy.— Its  immediate  and  pernicious  effects. — 
Pope  Gregory  Vll.,  who  was  promoted  to  the  Popedom,  A.  1).  1074,  enacts  severe 
laws  to  restrain  the  profligacy  of  the  Clergy. — The  effects  of  his  severity. — Coun- 
cils convened  ibr  the  same  purpose.— Character  of  the  Popish  Clergy  previous  to 
the  Re  formation. —The  Prelates  of  the  General  Councils  of  Lyons,  Constance,  and 
Basil,  as  criminal  as  the  Clergy  whom  they  pretend  they  wish  to  reform. — Charac- 
ter of  the  Popish  Clergy  since  the  Reformation. "-54 

Chapter  III— Voyage  to  Ilavanna,— Engages  with  Father  Manuel  Canto,  a  Romish 
Priest. — Learns  the  Champara  Spanish. — Has  the  Stranger's  Fever. — Attempt  to 
make  her  a  Reman  Catholic— Manuel's  habits  of  Gambling,— The  dress  of  the 
Priests.— Second  attack  of  the  Fever,  and  attempt  to  make  her  a  Roman  Catholic. — 
Dress  of  the  Capuchins. — Reasons  with  the  Priest  on  their  wicked  course  of  life. — 
On  their  power  to  forgive  sins.— The  Confession  of  Criminals  who  had  committed 
robbery,  in  order  to  get  money  to  fee  the  Priests  for  saying  Masses  to  save  their 
souls. — Manuel's  Supper  Parties,  and  Friends,  at  Rosamond's  House. — The  Priests 
«cl>l  different  sorts  ofCandles  for  various  Superstitious  Purposes.     ...      67 

Chapter  IV.— Rosamond  attacked  in  her  house  by  robbers. — Wounded  and  supposed 
to  be  dead.— One  robber  killed.— Another  taken.— His  punishment. — Loses  her 
senses  under  the  shock  from  Manuel's  entering  her  room. — She  recovers,  and  re- 
moves to  another  house.— Leanns  who  sent  the  robbers  to  her  house. — Altars  of 
private  devotion  to  the  Saints.        .......        .        -        .      78 

4 


38  .  CONTENTS. 

Chapter  V. — Masquerades. — The  habit  of  attending.— The  wealth  of  the  people  of 
Havanna. — Their  silent  stab.— Their  stilling  hiss.— Their  calling  hiss.— The  mock- 
ery of  the  Priests  in  Masks. — Manuel's  remark  on  his  habit. — His  urging  Rosamond 
to  pray  to  the  Virgin  for  good  luck. — Their  universal  superstition.  86 

Chapter  VI. — Geographical  description  of  Cuba.— Animals. — Soil. — Vegetable  Pro- 
ductions.— Minerals. — The  Spaniards  exterminate  the  Aborigines  of  the  Island. — 
The  Chieftain  put  to  death  for  refusing  to  be  baptized. — Corrupt  morals  of  the 
people.— Ignorance  of  the  Clergy. — Cock-fights.— Bull- baits. —Gambling. — Murders 
frequent. — Description  of  Havanna. — Religion  a  mere  show. — The  shrine  of  Co- 
lumbus.   .---,. 91 

Chapter  VII.— Manuel  is  sent  to  Puerto  Principe.— Is  accompanied  by  Rosamond, 
and  his  Alcowater,  a  pimp. — Alcowaters  kept  in  all  the  Convents. — The  poor  burn 
pitch-pine  to  the  Virgin  Mary,  instead  of  Candles. — Manuel  becomes  jealous  of  the 
Alcowater. — Manuel's  tricks  with  Rosamond. — Manuel  seduces  the  daughter  of  his 
host. — The  Priests'  oath  or  Hoorie. — Mode  of  doing  penance. — The  paying  of  mon- 
ey for  the  forgiving  of  sins. — Manuel  sends  Rosamond  back  to  Havanna,  who  being 
chased  by  Pirates,  has  to  put  in  at  Matanzas. 97 

Chapter  VIII. — On  her  voyage  fiom  Puerto  Principe,  is  chased  by  Pirates. — Takes 
refuge  in  Matanzas. — Receives  a  letter  from  Manuel,  desiring  her  to  come  to  Ha- 
vanna.— Her  mental  sufferings. — Is  threatened  with  death,  if  she  refuse  to  go  to 
Havanna. — Leaves  Matanzas  and  arrives  in  Havanna. — Is  taken  sick,  anointed,  and 
baptized  for  death. — Description  of  the  ceremony  of  her  baptism. — Becomes  de- 
ranged.— The  Priests  are  in  dread  of  her. — The  people  pity  and  deplore  her  lost 
condition. Ill 

Chapter  IX. — Rosamond  disguised  as  a  Priest,  by  Father  R . — Pays  a  visit  to 

Father  Canto,  in  St.  Francisco  Convent. — Her  surprise  at  the  thought  of  being  con- 
fined there. — Manuel  receives  her  gladly,  and  desires  to  know  all  her  history,  and 
her  religion,  and  her  mind. — Sire  opens  her  mind  freely. — His  confessions. — His 
contrition. — His  advice  to  her  to  become  a  Nun  in  St."  Claro  Convent. — Manuel 
about  to  prepare  to  go  on  penance. — After  three  days,  Rosamond  returns  from  the 

Convent,  in  charge  of  the  same  Father  R .—Tells  her  Godmother  where  she 

had  been. — Her  horror  at  this  unpardonable  sin. — Rosamond  attempts  to  escape 
from  Cuba. — Prays  to  the  Virgin  Mary. 117 

Chapter  X. — Attempts  to  escape  from  Cuba. — Was  deterted  by  Manuel,  who  threat- 
ens to  have  her  confined. — Burning  Holy  Candles  to  the  Virgin,  and  the  Saints. — 
The  pay  of  the  Priests  for  laying  evil  spirits,  and  sprinkling  Holy  Water. — The  cer- 
emony of  laying  out  and  burying  the  dead. — Burning  their  bones. — Procession 
against  the  cholera.— Fly  to  the  Convents  as,  a  refuge  from  the  cholera. — The 
Priests  entice  two  hundred  females  into  the  Convents. — No  escape  from  the  Con- 
vents.— The  conduct  of  the  Priests  too  indelicate,  to  be  told. — The  amours  of  the 
Right  Rev.  Bishop,  who  was  near  100  years  of  age. — The  lamentations  of  the  females 
at  the  death  of  the  Bishop. 126 

Chapter  XI. — Description  of  the  dress  and  amusements  of  the  inhabitants  of  Cuba. — 
Their  mode  of  sanctifying  the  Sabbath. — Frequency  of  Assassinations. — Slothful 
habits  of  the  natives  of  Cuba. 137 

Chapter  XII. — Manuel's  confidential  communications  to  Rosamond. — Penance  in  the 
Tault;  in  an  iron  coffin. — Fasting  on  bread  and  water. — Penance  in  the  Purgatory- 
room. — The  penances  end  with  presents  to  the  Priests. — How  the  Priests  put 
young  females  on  penance  too  shameful  to  be  told. — Some  of  the  licentious  Priests 
sent  to  the  Mississippi  to  propagate  their  faith. 112 

Chapter  XIII. — Father  Hosa's  execrable  conversation  with  Manuel  respecting  the 
Nuns. — Lived  some  years  in  concubinage  with  a  Quadroon  girl.— His  barbarity  to 
wards  her. — He  interrogates  Rosamond  respecting  the  beauty*,  <kc.  of  the  females  of 
the  Mississippi  valley. — His  and  Manuel's  desire  to  have  all  the  Protestant  ministers 
in  Moro-castle. — An  American  imprisoned  in  Moro-castle  40  years. — Description  of 
Moro-castle.— Priestcraft.— The  Priests  refuse  to  intercede  with  the  Virgin  wUhont 


CONTENTS. 


39 


money. — Superstition  in  regard  to  dreams. — In  default  of  money  for  Masses,  jew- 
elry is  taken.— The  laying  of  souls.— Priestly  exactions  and  impositions.— The 
Cassa,  or  house  of  the  Virgin  Mary.— The  room  in  which  were  the  devil  and  other 
horrible  images.— The  people's  superstitious  fear  of  the  Priests. — Mode  of  per- 
forming penance.— Jealousy  among^  the  Priests.—  deduction  of  a  young  girl.— All 
compelled  to  kneel  while  the  Host  or  consecrated  Wafer  passes.— The  common 
people  kiss  the  Priests'  feet. 149 

Chapter  XIV.— Father  Manuel  Antonia  and  his  Mistress.— His  love-letters.— Prize 
in  the  lottery  consecrated  by  the  Priest  to  the  Virgin  Mary.— Lottery  prizes  are 
the  gifts  of  the  Saints  in  Heaven.— The  Virgin  Mary  will  not  hear  the  prayer  of 
Protestants.— Rosamond  in  deep  despondency.— Intrigue  of  Father  Panterilla  to 
obtain  the  property  of  his  Mistress.— Suspicions  against  Panterilla  relative  to  the 
sudden  death  of  a  certain  wealthy  foreigner,  who  died  on  Panterilla's  plantation. —  . 
In  consequence  of  which  Panterilla  is  banished  to  New  York,  where  he  continued 
to  exercise  his  Priestly  functions.— Is  eventually  recalled  to  Havanna,  and  resumes 
his  functions.— While  in  New  York,  prevails  upon  two  young  ladies  to  accompany 
him  back  to  Havanna.— Mode  of  living  in  the  Convents.— The  Priests  disguise  them- 
selves in  citizens'  dresses. — The  Priests  use  no  perfumery  in  their  Sacerdotal 
habits,  but  use  it  profusely  in  their  dress  of  citizen. — The  Priests'  hoorie,  or  oath. 
—Manuel's  amorous  playfulness.— The  Priests'  shaven  heads  a  shield  against  rob- 
bery.—Priestly  pastime. — From  carousing  they  go  to  Confession,  and  to  the  cele- 
bration of  Mass,  or  to  visit  the  sick,  or  bury  the  dead. 159 

Chapter  XV.— Father  Pies,  and  his  Mistresses,  and  his  lap-dog.— Seduces  the  wife 
of  a  wealthy  citizen,  and  is  betrayed  by  the  barking  of  his  lap-dog. — The  husband 
rushes  in  upon  them,  and  biles  his  wife's  nose  nearly  off. — Father  Pies'  amorous 
and  wicked  letters  now  in  the  hands  of  the  Authoress  of  this  Narrative.— He  was 
the  Confessor  of  the  public  criminals.— A  wealthy  lady  imprisoned  under  a  false 
pretext  in  order  to  get  her  money. — What  the  diabolical  pretext  was.      -        -     170 

Chapter  XVI. — Some  description  of  Havanna. — The  Priests  afraid  to  trust  their  ser- 
vants in  marketing. — The  people  drink  wine  out  of  their  Priests'  mouths. — They 
think  the  food  from  his  hands,  is  blessed. — The  Priests  become  acquainted  with 
domestic  concerns  through  Confession. — It  is  the  custom  for  man  and  wife,  to  have 
their  domestic  disputes  in  the  presence  of  their  relations. — To  have  Mass  said^ 
is  the  way  to  settle  disputes.— The  Priests  sell  blessed  Candles  to  perform  conjur- 
ation or  witchcraft. — Superstitious  fear  of  the  Priests. 176 

Chapter  XVII. — Scheme  of  a  Priest  to  get  possession  of  the  estate  of  Poncheetee, 
one  of  their  female  devotees. — Her  private  chapel. — Mode  of  penance. — Becomes 
a  mere  skeleton. — Counting  of  the  beads  in  the  street. — She  commits  the  unpar- 
donable si-n  in  judging  the  "Holy  Priest ;  for  which  she  i.i  enjoined  a  severe  pen- 
ance.     182 

Chapter  XVHL— The  execution  of  culprits  for  the  killing  of  negroes,  and  making 
sausages  of  their  bodies.— By  bribing  the  Priests,  some  of  fhem  are  reprieved. — 
People  rendered  crazy  by  the  malediction  of  the  Priests. — The  wealth  of  the 
Priests  in  proportion  to  their  wickedness.  The  wickedness  she  witnesses,  too 
horrible  to  be  described. — The  Virgin  can  pardon  all  sins. — Avarice  of  the 
Priests. — When  the  Priests  fall  in  love  with  a  female,  they  induce  her  to  enter 
into  a  Convent. — Priestly  stratagems  for  seduction. — Females  secretly  armed  with 
the  Spanish  knife. — Priestly  abominations  too  shocking  and  immodest  to  be  re- 
lated.          188 

Chapter  XIX —The  "Groting,"  or  public  execution  of  a  lady  twenty-one  years  of 
age. — The  Priests  get  her  money— The  burning  of  red  candles  on  her  husband's 
head. — The  relation  of  her  extraordinary  case. — She  kills  her  husband,  cuts  up  his 
body,  and  packs  it  in  a  barrel.— Is  betrayed  by  her  godmother. — A  Priest  attends 
at  her  execution:  his  singular  costume. — The  Priest  terrified  by  a  black  cat.    197 

Chapter  XX. — Manner  of  the  Priests'  begging  for  the  Convents. — Money  stolen  to 
pay  for  Masses. — The  Priest  gives  his  Mistress  the  money,  which  had  been  stolen 
to  pay  for  a  Miss, — Jealousy  about  the  fees  for  Confession.— Various  benedictions 


40  CONTENTS. 

and  their  prices. — Funeral,  and  other  prayers,  with  their  prices.— The  Priests 
money  is  considered  blessed. — Sin  to  pay  money  without  Crossing  one's  self. — 
Every  action  to  be  consecrated  by  Crossing  one's  self. — The  Priests  change  their 
dress  to  gallant  the  females. — Two  of  the  Priests  sent  as  criminals  to  Spain. — The 
sudden  and  suspicious  death  of  the  Bishop.         -       -       -       -       -       -       •    202 

Chapter  XXI. — The  Priest  in  disguise. — The  Convents  a  harbor  for  robbers  ami 
murderers.— The  criminal  refugees  in  the  Convents  cannot  be  apprehended  by  the 
officers  of  the  civil  law. — By  day,  the  criminals  lie  concealed  in  the  Convents,  and 
by  night,  prowl  the  streets. — The  Priests  are  well  paid  for  screening  criminals  in 
the  Convents.— The  Priests  rob  one  another  even  when  dying. — An  account  of  a 
Priest  and  his  cliestof  Money. — Suspicious  exit  of  inmates  of  the  Convents. — Bob- 
bing a  Priest  synonymous  with  rooting  the  Church. — The  Priests,  wrhen  superan- 
nuated by  vice  and  dissipation,  are  employed  in  the  Convents  as  domestics. — T& 
be  good,  in  Spanish  Popery,  signifies  to  be  wealthy. — The  effects  of  Priestly  vice 
conspicuous  in  the  disfiguration  of  their  faces.— Priest  testifies  against  Priest,  tha4 
he  is  possessed  of  the  devil. — Priest  turned  fortune-teller;  he  makes  the  people 
kiss  his  frogs,  scorpions,  and  devils. — The  Bouquet  or  picture  to  frighten  profligate 
Priests  into  virtuous  ones. — The  awful  impressions  made  by  seeing  the  Bouquet, 
made  instrumental  in  determining  Bosamond  to  escape  from  Cuba.  -       -    201* 

Chapter  XXII. — Manuel's  evening  ride  with  Bosamond.— Extraordinary  occurrence 
at  supper-table. — Its  effects  on  Manuel. — The  king  of  Spain  abrogates  the  custom 
of  criminals  finding  refuge  in  Churches  and  Convents. — The  Priests  act  the  part  of 
Inquisitors:  gamble  and  fight. — Criminal  Priests  confined  in  the  "Expulsion. 
Room  :" — their  grief  for  the  loss  of  their  fees. — Sin  is  no  sin,  if  committed  trusting 
to  the  Virgin  Mary. — Two  dollars  for  robbing  or  murdering. — Money  and  the 
Priests  are  the  gods  of  the  people. — Escapes  from  Havanna,  and  arrives  in  New 
York. 218- 

Chapter  XXin. — Manner  of  laying  out  the  dead. — The  American  and  Popish  grave- 
yards.—Death  of  Mary  Stewart.— The  Priests  get  her  money. — Rosamond  escapes 
from  Cuba,  and  arrives  in  New  York.  ..»•••••■■■••'.    225 

APPENDIX, 
Chapter  1.— Romish  Priests^  ..•..•••..234 

Chapter  II.— Where  is  the  Church?       ..-•••...    23& 
Chapter  III.— The  Virgin  Mary.       .•••••••••    213. 

Chapter  IV.— Purgatory.         ...........    24& 

Chapter  V.— Roman  Pride,  Tradition,  Confession.        ••-•••   255 

Chapter  VI— Superstition, •••-•264 

Chapter  VH— The  Apostacy.— Images.         •       ••■••••  275 


NARRATIVE. 


CHAPTER  I. 

"  So  live,  that  when  thy  summons  comes,  to  join 
The  innumerable  caravan  that  moves 
To  that  mvsterious  realm,  where  each  shall  take 
His  chamber  in  the  silent  halls  of  death, 
Thou  go  not,  like  the  quarry-slave  at  night, 
Scourged  to  his  dungeon  ;  but,  sustained  and  sooth'd 
By  an  unfaltering  trust,  approach  thy  grave, 
Like  one  who  wraps  the  drapery  of  his  couch 
About  him,  and  lies  down  to  pleasant  dreams." 

BUYANT. 

The  author's  introduction. — A  brief  sketch  of  her  family. — Her  marriage 

with  Lieutenant  C . — Her  departure  from  home  ivith  her  husband. — 

They  proceed  to  the  West. — Her  husband  dies  in  New  Orleans. —  Goes 
to  Covington  to  escape  the  yellow-fever. —  Becomes  acquainted  with  Mr. 

M- . — Marries  Mr.  W- ,  of  Kentucky. — Removes  to  Louisville. — 

Flies  from  Mr.  W- . — Is  set  on  shore  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi.— Is  delivered  from  her  forlorn  situation  by  the  captain  of  a 
steam-boat,  on  his  way  to  Nashville. — Attempts  to  commit  suicide. — Re- 
urns  to  New  Orleans. 

I  have  had  a  great  desire,  for  some  time  past,  to  let  the 
world  know  of  a  poor  wanderer,  who.  has  been  living  in 
the  southern  countries  for  the  last  fifteen  years,  in  Missis- 
sippi, Missouri,  New  Orleans,  and  Kentucky ;  and  for  the 
five  years  from  1828  to  1833,  on  the  Island  of  Cuba. 
On  the  28th  of  July,  1833,  through  the  mercies  of  the 
Lord,  I  was  brought  again  to  this  Christian  country  ;  and 
when  1  look  back  on  the  last  fourteen  years,  and  on  how 
many  thousands  and  thousands  of  individuals  I  have 
seen,  who  are  led  and  kept  in  darkness,  as  to  seeking  the 
salvation  of  their  poor  immortal  souls,  by  the  Roman 
Catholic  Priest^,  my  heart  aches  within  ;  and  I  feel  it  my 
duty  to  let  the  world  know  what  I  know  about  them. 

0  !  I  pray  that  I  ma^not  dictate  my  pen  ! — that  I  may 
be  guided  in  all  1  write  by  the  help  of  the  Lord;  believing 
what  I  write  here,  will  also  be  written,  in  heaven! 

1  was  born  in  Lebanon,  in  the  state  of  New  Hampshire, 


42  FIVE    YEARS*  RESIDENCE 

in  the  year  1803.  My  father  removed  to  Charlestown,  oil 
Connecticut  river,  earlier  in  life  than  I  can  recollect. 

I  am  at  a  loss  how  to  bring  my  past  life  to  view.  Since 
I  was  eight  years  old,  I  have  been,  as  I  may  term  it,  a 
wandering  traveler.  My  father  was  a  farmer  in  good 
circumstances.  My  parents  were  good  and  kind  to  all 
Iheir  children,  who  were  eight  in  number,  six  sisters  and 
two  brothers.  We  were  all  brought  up  with  as  good 
opportunities  for  education  as  that  country  afforded. 

Being  a  troublesome  child  at  home,  I  was  sent  to  live 
with  my  eldest  sister  at  Concord,  Vermont.-  I  continued 
to  be  so  mischievous  and  froward,  that  my  sister  was  glad 
to  get  rid  of  me,  and  I  was  sent  aboutT  first  to  one,  and 
then  to  another  of  the  family,  still  remaining  headstrong 
and  unmindful  of  advice.  My  attention  was  fixed  more 
upon  dress  and  amusements-,-  than  it  was  either  upon 
work  or  upon  my  book. 

Some  time  after  this  I  was  sent  with  my  youngest  sis- 
ter, to  a  school  at  Windsor,  Vermont.     We  were  placed 

tinder  the  care  of  a  family  by  the  name  of  I.  P .  They 

kept  a  boarding-house  for  married  and  single  ladies,  and 
gentlemen.  At  this  house  there  were  several  officers  of 
the  United  Statesr  army,  who  were  recruiting,  or  enlisting 
soldiers  for  the  public  service.  My  affections  here  were 
soon  won  by  an  officer  who  was  boarding  in  the  same 
house  with  us.  He  was  a  lieutenant,  and  being  a  gay  and- 
fashionable  person,  he  soon  gained  my  affections.  His 
attentions  to  me  were  noticed  by  the  family,  whose  pro- 
tection I  was  under.     Mrs.  F would  sometimes  tell 

me  it  was  not  prudent  to  be  so  intimate  with  him,  and 
that  she  knew  my  mother  would  not  approve  of  it.  This, 
however,  only  seemed  to  increase  my  affections. 

Some  time  after  this  I  returned  home  to  my  parents  in 
Charlestown.  Lieut.  C soon  followed  me,  and  al- 
though my  father  and  mother  were  entirely  opposed  to 
his  visiting  me,  he  succeeded  in  introducing  himself  into 
the  house.     My  father  was  an  old  revolutionary  soldier, 

and  was  fond  of  talking  about  war  affairs.  Lieut.  C 

fead  been  in  the  battle  of  Bridgewater.  and  was  wounded 


l.j  MARRIAGE   WITH   LIEUT.   C,  40 

there.  This  was  a  good  deal  in  his  favor  in  respect  to  my 
father,  who  now  seemed  to  take  a  delight  in  conversing 
with  him. 

,     The  next  day  Lieut.  C wrote  a  letter  to  my  father? 

asking  his  consent  for  our  marriage,  but  he  remained  as 
much  opposed  to  it  as  ever. 

During  Lieut.  p- 's  stay  at  this  place,  which  was 

but  a  tew  days,  as  he  was  going  to  be  stationed  at  Boston^ 
he  wrote  me  several  letters  full  of  professions  of  his  love. 
I  answered  his  letters,  and  consented  to  marry  him.  All 
this  was  done  without  the  knowledge  or  consent  of  my 
parents. 

We  then  took  a  private  opportunity  of  passing  over  into 
the  state  of  Vermont,  just  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Con- 
necticut river  ;  this  was  in  the  month  of  December  1818f 
and  were  married  by  Squire  M — — . 

Lieut.  C 's  time  being  now  expired,  he  had  to  pro- 
ceed on  to  Boston.  We  sat  out  together,  and  I  left  home 
without  bidding  my  dear  parents  farewell,  because  they 
would  not  be  reconciled  to  us,  or  forgive  us. 

O  !  how  well  do  I  remember  what  were  my  feelings  at 
that  time  !  I  knew  that  I  had  done  wrong,  and  had  left  a 
poor  heart-broken  mother,  with  one  brother  and  sister? 
who  were  all  of  the  family  that  was  with  her  at  that 
time. 

We  boarded,  while  in  Boston,  at  a  Mrs.  Lincoln's,  in 
Hanover  Street,  where  a  number  of  officers  and  their 
families  were  also  staying.  We  remained  here  six  weeksr 
and  then  he  received  orders  for  Albany,  where  he  was 
stationed  at  Greenbush.  From  this  place  he  was  ordered 
to  Detroit,  Michigan  territory,  and  then  to  Greenbay. 
From  Greenbay  he  was  sent  to  New  York,  where  he  was 
stationed  for  a  short  time  on  Ellis'  Island. 

While  we  were  in  New  York,  I  remained  in  Dr. 7s 

family,  in  James  Street.  It  was  at  this  time  that  the  large 
whale  was  to  be  seen  at  Brooklyn.  I  think  it  was  in  the 
year  1819. 

Before  my  husband  left  New  York,,  he  was  promoted 
to  be  Captain,  and  had  the  command  of  a  Gompany, 


44  THE    DEATH   OF    HER   HUSBAND.  [Chap, 

From  this  place  we  went  to  Pittsburgh,  and,  descending 
the  Mississippi  river,  arrived  at  Baton-rouge,  where  Cap 
tain  C- was  stationed. 

After  we  were  settled,  I  wrote  to  my  dear  friends.  It 
was  then  one  year  since  they  had  heard  from  me,  and  I 
was  upwards  of  a  thousand  miles  from  them.  In  three 
months  I  received  an  answer  from  them,  saying  they  had 
forgiven  me,  and  had  buried  me,  or  that  they  would  feel 
more  happy  if  I  were  dead,  and  buried  in  a  grave  in  my 
own  country. 

I  lived  with  my  husband  between  four  and  five  years, 
and  we  had  three  children,  but  none  are  living.  He  was 
always  a  kind  and  affectionate  husband  to  me.   ' 

From  Baton-Rouge  he  was  ordered  to  Black-RockT 
which  is  situated  in  the  interior  of  Arkansas  Territory, 
and  which  is  inhabited  principally  by  Indians.  Soon  after 
this,  we  went  to  New  Orleans,  and  there  happened  my 
death-blow.  My  husband  caught  the  yellow-fever  and 
died,  being  sick  only  twelve  hours. 

This,  I  think,  was  in  the  summer  of  the  year  1822. 
I  was  left  in  a  strange  country,  without  friends,  and 
with  very  little  to  live  upon ;  and  where  they  mourn  but 
little,  when  they  lose  any  of  their  friends,  being  princi- 
pally Catholics,  who  think  it  a  sin  to  mourn.  Here  I 
wrote  t9  my  parents  of  the  death  of.  my  husband,  and 
that  I  should  come  to  them  as  soon  as  I  could  get  a  con- 
veyance ;  and  that  I  should  probably  leave  the  country 
before  I  could  receive  an  answer  from  them.  This  was 
in  August,  and  the  yehow  fever  was  raging,  and  every 
person  leaving-  the  city,  who  had  the  means  to  do  it, 
going  to  different  places.  I  was  then  boarding  in  a 
French  family,  who  could  speak  no  English ;  and  was 
advised  by  some  friends  to  leave  town. 

I  left  this  place  with  some  others,  with  whom  I  had  a 
slight  acquaintance,  and  went  to  Covington,  across  the 
Lake  Ponchartrain.  Here  I  remained  but  a  few  weeks, 
during  which  time  the  fever  abated.  While  I  was  at  this 
place,  I  became  acquainted  with  a  gentleman  from  New 
Orleans,  who  treated  me  with  kindness  and  politeness.. 


I.]  HER  RESIDENCE  IN  NEW  ORLEANS.  45 

He  was  a  wealthy  and  respectable  merchant  of  the  name 

of  M.  M ,  formerly  of  Baltimore.     While  he  showed 

polite  attention  to  me  there,  I  had  not  the  least  idea  he 
had  any  bad  or  evil  motives.  How  easily  innocence  can  be 
deceived  !  After  my  return  to  New  Orleans,  I  remained 
in  a  French  family,  and  was  making  inquiries  for  a  pas- 
sage to  Boston,  but  there  was  no  vessel  going  at  that  time, 
for  the  fever  had  not  long  abated,  and  commercial  inter- 
course was  not  yet  restored.  It  is  customary,  after  being 
absent  from  the  city,  for  your  acquaintances  to  make  calls, 

when  you  return ;  and  M.  M called  on  me.    He  had 

a  slight  acquaintance  with  the  family  where  I  resided. 
The  French  manners  are  very  free.  He  made  calls  after 
calls,  at  the  time  the  money  I  had  was  nearly  gone,  ex- 
penses being  very  high  in  that  place.  He,  of  course, 
knew  my  circumstances  were  low,  as  to  money ;  and 
knew  how  to  treat  me  and  to  train  me  to  his  wishes. 

In  the  winter,  the  masquerades  came  on ;  and,  as  I 
mentioned  how  little  they  mourn  for  their  friends,  I  was 
not  long  before  I  forgot  the  death  and  loss  of  my  hus- 
band ;  and,  being  left  in  a  strange  country  without  friends, 
or  wherewith  to  help  myself,  I  soon  forgot  my  troubles, 
and  consented  to  go  to  the  masquerades,  balls,  and  thea- 
tres, gallanted  by  M.  M .     These  are  places  where 

all  go  :  married  and  single,  virtuous  and  others :  all  mix 
together.     One  imprudent  step  after  another,  with  my 

money  all  gone,  and  M.  M lavishing  presents  upon 

me,  step  by  step,  I  consented  to  become  mistress  of  his 
house  without  the  rites  of  matrimony.  He  furnished  me 
a  house,  and  bought  me  a  servant  girl.  By  this  time  I 
had  almost  forgotten  the  death  of  my  husband,  and  my 
dear  father  and  mother,  brothers  and  sisters  :  all  my  fine 
feelings  were  banished,  and  new  ones  commenced.  I  am 
sure  I  did  not  realize  the  loss  of  my  character,  as  I  should 
have  done,  if  I  had  been  in  some  other  place ;  for  it 
makes  but  very  little  difference  among  the  French  of 
New  Orleans  whether  you  are  living  with  a  gentleman 
married,  or  not,  if  you  are  living  in  good  style. 

Shortly  after  this,  I  received  a  letter  from  my  parents^ 


46  HER  MARRIAGE  WITH  MR.  W .  [Chap. 

begging  me  to  come  home  without  delay,  and  stating 
that  my  father  had  been  to  Boston,  and  made  arrange- 
ments with  the  captain  of  a  ship  to  bring  me  ■  and  if  ] 
wanted  money  he  would  remit  it  to  me.  At  this  time 
my  circumstances  were  such  I  tjould  not  go^  it  was  now 
too  late.     When  the  captain  called  at  my  house,  I  told 

him  I  was  married  to  M.  M ,  and  could  not  go  till 

another  year.  This  he  believed,  as  that  country  is  very 
different  from  this.  They  do  not  take  much  pains  to 
learn  each  other's  character.  I  wrote  to  my  friends  by 
him,  telling  them  I  was  married,  and  could  not  go  for 
another  year. 

At  that  time  I  was  twenty-one  years  of  age.     M.  M 

always  treated  me  kindly,  and  indulged  me  in  every 
thing.  He  was  wealthy,  and  in  extensive  mercantile 
business.  With  him  I  lived  three  years,  wanting  for 
nothing.  In  this  time  he  had  given  me  four  servants, 
and  I  had  some  money  in  the  bank.  I  had  almost  for- 
gotten that  I  had  any  parents,  or  any  friends  grieving 
and  mourning  after  me.  I  had  become  perfectly  recon- 
ciled to  my  situation,  being  always  indulged  in  going  to 
parties,  masquerades,  balls,  and  theatres  ;  and  every  sum- 
mer, during  the  sickly  time,  leaving  the  city  for  different 
places.  I  received  another  letter  from  my  dear  mother, 
informing  me  that  all  the  family  were  pleading  with  me 
to  return  home.  I  answered  her  letter,,  and  told  her  I 
would  return  next  year. 

By  this  time  I  became  acquainted  with  a  gentleman 
from  Kentucky,  who  had  received  an  education  for  a 
lawyer.     He  was  of  one  of  the  first  families  in  that  state, 

by  name  W .     I  became  acquainted  with  him  at  the 

masquerades  ;  and  meeting  together  at  different  places  of 
amusement,  he,  at  length,  made  me  an  offer  of  marriage, 
to  which  I  immediately  consented,  for  the  sake  of  chang- 
ing my  life  to  a  respectable  one,  knowing  that  he  was  of 
a  good  family,  and  that  I  should  not  go  to  his  friends 
poor ;  for,  at  that  time,  I  had  in  the  bank  three  thousand 
dollars,  besides  four  slaves  and  my  furniture.  I  had  ao 
reason  to  grieve  for  leaving  M.  M— ^—  because  I  knew 


1.J  ARRIVES  IN  KENTUCKY.  47 

he  never  would  marry  me;  and  I  wished  to  recover  my 
lost  reputation.     When  he  knew  I  was  going  to  marry 

Mr.  W ,  he  had  no  wish  to  take  any  thing  that  he 

had  given  me ;  but  gave  all  that  I  had  up  to  me.  Soon 
after  I  was  married  to  Mr.  W ,  we  went  on  to  Louis- 
ville, in  Kentucky,  where  his  friends  lived. 

When  we  arrived  in  Kentucky,  we  were  not  received 
by  Mr.  W 's  friends.  A  certain  friend  of  his,  who  ad- 
vised and  helped  me  to  marry  him,  and  who  was  with  us 
at  the  time,  wrote  to  his  friends,  that  their  son  had  mar- 
ried a  person  of  a  bad  character ;  and  the  letter  arrived 
a  few  days  before  us.  Here  I  was  again  in  a  strange 
country,  with  money,  but  without  character.  O,  what 
wretched  feelings  I  had  !  We  boarded  at  the  principal  ho- 
tel in  the  place.     Mr.  W had  no  money,  and  it  was 

natural  that  he  should  flourish  away  on  mine,  as  fast  as 
possible.  The  eyes  of  every  individual  were  on  me,  as  I 
thought,  to  see  if  they  could  find  any  thing  wrong  in  my 

conduct.     Mr.  W knew  I  was  dejected,  and  felt  lost 

to  the  world  ;  and  instead  of  trying  to  get  into  some  busi- 
ness with  what  money  I  had,  he  was  for  dashing,  sport- 
ing, and  drinking.  At  length,  he  could  give  me  a  plea- 
sant word,  only  when  he  came  to  ask  for  money. 

AIL  this  time  I  kept  within,  and  began  seriously  to  think 
of  my  situation,  and  dear  parents,  brothers,  and  sisters ; 
and  most  of  all,  that  my  character  was  gone.     I  felt  lost 

to  every  thing.     My  money  going,  and  Mr.  W 's  cruel 

treatment,  laid  me  on  a  sick  bed,  with  no  one  to  comfort 
or  sympathize  with  me.  They  did  not  refuse  to  take  us 
in  to  board,  even  in  the  first  houses,  for  they  knew  we 
were  married,  and  had  money.  Often  did  I  reflect,  when 
1  was  there,  and  all  alone,  "  What  have  I  done,  that  I 
should  be  so  lost  to  all  the  world  ! — no  kind  friend  to  speak 
to,  and  a  cruel  husband  to  add  to  my  sorrow." 

When  I  recovered  from  my  sickness,  my  money  was 
almost  all  spent.  Then  I  began  to  think  on  my  distressed 
situation  ; — all  my  hopes  blasted  of  ever  Mr.  W 's  pro- 
viding a  living  for  me ;  and  my  character  gone : — for 
Kentucky,  in  this  respect,  is  very  different  from  New  Or- 


48         DEPARTURE  FOR  STEW  ORLEANS.     [Chap* 

leans.  Mr,  W—  had  become  very  dissipated,  and 
knowing  that  he  had  spent  almost  all  my  money,  trouble 
on  every  side  now  stared  me  in  the  face.  When  my  mo- 
ney was  all  gone,  we  had  no  other  resource  for  paying 
our  board,  but  selling  some  jewelry,  which  lasted  but  a 
little  while,  and  then  all  was  gone — friends,  character, 
and  means,  to  obtain  money.  Such  was  my  situation  in 
Kentucky,  I  did  not  know  how  to  work,  and  had  a  cruel 
and  unkind  husband,  I  could  get  no  friends  to  tell  my 
troubles  to,  and  my  husband  did  not  sympathise  with  me. 
I  had  to  act  and  advise  for  myself.  How  I  thought  of 
my  dear  mother  !  I  could  hear  and  see  her  mourn  for  her 
Io§t  child.  Then  I  could  see  how  wrong  I  had  been  ;  but 
it  was  too  late.  I  knew,  for  the  first  time,  and  was  sen* 
sible  that  I  was  lost — lost  for  ever.  You  may  imagine 
how  wretched  my  feelings  were.  I  shortly  after  made  up 
my  mind  to  leave  him  ;  but  I  knew  not  where  to  go,  or 
how  to  defray  my  expenses.  I  made  a  confidant  of  my 
chambermaid,  to  assist  me  in  leaving  him,  as  we  were* 
then  owing  considerable  for  board. 

In  my  situation,  it  was  easiest,  and  I  thought  it  was 
best,  to  go  to  New  Orleans,  as  I  had  friends  there,  and 
there  were  steamboats  leaving  Louisville  every  day  for 
that  place.  I  dressed  myself  in  travelling  apparel,  and  left 
our  lodgings,  unknown  to  any  one,  except  the  chamber- 
maid, to  whom  I  gave  all  my  clothes,  except  what  I  had 
on,  which  were  of  value.  She  made  arrangements  with 
the  captain  of  a  steamboat,  who  was  going  to  New  Or- 
leans the  next  morning,  to  take  me  on  board.  Here  I  was 
obliged  to  intrust  myself  to  the  charge  of  a  strange  cap* 
tain,  with  no  money,  for  a  passage  of  a  thousand  miles. 
I  told  him  I  had  no  money,  and  would  pay  him  when  we 
arrived  at  New  Orleans;  on  which  he  took  me  on  board ; 
and  as  the  cabin-berths  were  all  taken  up.  he  gave  me 
his  stateroom,  which  was  a  little  room  opening  from  the 
cabin,  where  he  kept  his  books  and  clothes.  This  I  was 
obliged  to  consent  to ;  and  he  would  often  come  into  my 
apartment,  and  question  me,  "  why  I  was  alone,  unpro- 
tected, and  without  money  in  that  country."    I  did  not 


JL]  HER  ADVENTURES  ON  THE  OHIO.  49 

think  myself  obliged  to  tell  him.  The  steamboat  was  de- 
layed by  running  on  a  sawyer,  near  a  place  in  the  Ohio 
river,  called  Devil's  Point. 

A  few  days  after  leaving  Louisville,  when  we  were 
about  a  hundred  miles  below  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio,  he 
came  to  my  room,  heated  with  strong  drink,  and  insulted 
me.  I  told  him  before  I  would  consent  to  his  liberties,  I 
would  go  on  shore.  Although  I  was  far  astray,  I  still  had 
some  respect  for  my  person.  The  noise  which  he  made, 
was  heard  in  the  cabin,  and  the  next  morning  some  of  the 
passengers  made  inquiries  of  the  captain  about  it.  He 
said,  he  suspected  I  was  a  person  of  no  character ;  and 
that  it  must  have  been  one  of  the  passengers  who  was 
there  at  my  room  ;  and  if  he  found  that  to  be  the  case, 
he  would  put  me  ashore.  This  excited  some  of  the  pas- 
sengers to  try  to  get  a  glimpse  at  me,  and  I  received  books 
to  read,  and  notes  were  handed  me  by  the  steward,  which 
I  did  not  understand;  but  I  knew  all  was  not  right.  I 
again  reflected  on  my  lost  situation,  and  then,  on  my  past  ■ 
imprudent  conduct 

Tile  next  night,  about  10  o'clock,  the  captain  entered 
my  room  again.  He  was  much  intoxicated,  and  told  me, 
he  would  put  me  ashore  in  that  wilderness  country,  where 
the  houses  are  often  forty  or  fifty  miles  from  each  other. 
We  came  to  plain  words ;  and  he  then  ordered  a  boat, 
and  put  me  ashore  in  the  night,  on  the  west  bank  of  the 
Mississippi  river,  by  a  wood-pile,  far  from  any  house,  ex- 
cept, the  old  man's  who  kept  the  wood-pile,  who  came  to 
me,  and  asked  what  I  was  put  on  shore  for.  I  eoutil  *»*-* 
tell  him,  but  said  I  had  no  more  money  to  pay  any  mr- 
ther.  Upon  this,  he  took  me  home  with  him  to  a  little 
village  of  about  ten  or  fifteen  houses,  all  made  of  logs, 
very  poor,  and  each  containing  bnly  one  room.  He  told 
his  wife  he  had  picked  up  a  poor  girl,  who  had  been  put 
ashore,  for  having  no  money  to  pay  her  passage.  She 
got  me  the  best  she  had  for  supper,  and  was  very  kind  to 
me  ;  she  had  six  children.  1  was  put  in  bed  with  four  of 
them,  the  other  two  slept  with  their  parents.  After  I  wont 
5 


50  HER  ARRIVAL  AT  NASHVILLE.  [Chap. 

to  bed,  reflecting  on  my  lost  situation,  I  imagined  I  was 
among  robbers,  and  that  they  would  kill  me  before  morn- 
ing. I  spent  the  night  under  these  feelings.  The  next 
morning  she  got  up  early,  and  appeared  to  do  every  thing 
that  laid  in  her  power  to  provide  me  a  good  breakfast. 
I  remained  here  a  number  of  days,  before  I  could  decide 
what  4:o  do.  My  mind  was  fully  made  up  that  I  was  lost 
for  this  world ;  the  next  did  not  come  into  my  mind.  I 
did  not  see  how  I  could  get  away  from  this  place.  Every 
day  the  old  gentleman  used  to  go  to  his  wood-pile,  to  sell 
wood  to  the  steamboats  ;  and  one  day,  I  asked  him,  if  he 
would  beg  some  captain  to  take  me.  He  used  to  tell  me 
no  captain  would  take  me  without  money,  and  that  I 
must  stay  with  them.  All  the  little  village  became  jeal- 
ous at  my  remaining  with  them,  they  all  wanted  me  to 
come  and  spend  a  day  with  them ;  but  I  did  not  leave  the 
old  gentleman. 

Here  I  was  destitute  of  clothes,  for  I  had  nothing  be- 
sides what  I  had  on.  One  day.  while  I  was  reflecting 
about  what  would  become  of  me,  I  saw  the  old  man  and 
a  gentleman  coming  towards  the  house.  He  was  captain 
of  a  steamboat ;  and  had  heard,  from  some  of  the  pas- 
sengers who  arrived  at  Natches  by  the  boat  I  left  Ken- 
tucky in,  that  Captain  B had  left  a  poor  female  in 

a  wilderness  country  on  the  Mississippi  river.  The 
captain  knew  him  and  his  character,  which  was  one  of 
the  worst  sort.  He  had  done  the  same  thing  before,  and 
was  taken  up  for  it ;  but  the  boat,  or  part  of  it,  being  his 
own,  they  could  do  nothing  with  him.  The  captain  who 
relieved  me,  was  bound  to  Nashville,  in  Tennessee,  where 
he  belonged.  He  made  the  poor  people  a  present  of  five 
dollars,  and  some  provisions  from  the  boat.  He  took  me 
on  board,  and  treated  me  with  the  kindness  of  a  brother. 

In  nine  days  we  reached  Nashville ;  but  not  without 
meeting  some  more  trouble.  The  steamboat  ran  on  a 
snag  in  a  dark  night ;  and  every  one  of  us  thought  we 
should  be  lost ;  but  only  the  boat  was  damaged,  and  that 
was  soon  repaired. 


1.]  ATTEMPTS  SUICIDE  WITH  LAUDANUM.  51 

When  1  arrived  at  Nashville,  I  again  found  myself 
in  a  strange  country,  without  friends,  character,  clothes, 
or  money  ;  and  I  was  brought  to  reflect  on  my  lost  situa- 
tion for  ever.  How  I  could  seem  to  hear  and  see  my 
dear  mother  grieving  and  mourning  for  her  lost  child ! 
The  captain  took  me  to  an  acquaintance  of  his,  who  was 
of  a  respectable  family,  and  told  them  a  favourable  story 
concerning  me,  which  I  had  told  him.  He  was  a  mar- 
ried man,  and  had  a  family  living  not  far  from  Nashville. 
Here,  again,  I  asked  myself  what  I  should  do  ;  for,  al- 
though I  had  gone  so  far  astray,  I  was  now  determined 
to  respect  my  person.  I  was  alone,  unprotected,  poor, 
and  in  a  disguised  character,  as  to  the  family  I  was  with. 
The  captain  gave  me  money  for  one  week's  board,  out  of 
pity  for  my  situation,  before  he  went  home  to  his  family. 
I  knew  the  week  would  soon  come  to  a  close,  and  then 
what  should  I  do  for  the  next !  I  had  no  clothes,  except 
what  were  on  me  ;  and  I  was  sick. 

Here  I  reflected  upon  all  my  past  life,  from  the  time  I 
was  at  Montreal  with  my  sisters.  Silica  tils!  I  had  al- 
ways been  imprudent,  deceiving  my  dear  mother,  and  I 
had  no  one  else  to  blame  but  myself.  I  felt  lost  to  the 
whole  world,  and  I  had  rather  die  than  live.  I  was  not 
brought  up  with  religious  instructions,  and  neither  knew 
nor  thought  what  would  become  of  my  soul,  nor  whether 
I  had  a  soul.  I  made  up  my  mind  to  make  away  with 
myself.  I  bought  seven  ty-five  cents  worth  of  laudanum, 
which  I  got  by  selling  a  lace  veil  that  I  had  on  my  hat. 
I  bought  it  at  different  apothecaries,  and  came  home, 
and  told  them  I  had  been  to  see  a  French  family, 
with  whom  I  had  become  acquainted  in  New  Or- 
leans. I  had  it  in  six  vials,  and  put  it  all  in  a  tumbler 
in  my  room  ready.  I  then  went  and  sat  down  with  the 
family.  The  lady  was  the  mother  of  five  children,  two 
daughters  and  three  sons.  This  was  about  8  o'clock  in 
the  evening.  I  reflected  on  my  dear  home,  and  my  dear 
mother,  seeing  all  her  dear  family  around  her.    I  thought, 


52  RECOVERS  HER  HEALTH.  [Chap. 

Oh,  mother,  mother !  where  ami!*  I  got  up  immediately 
and  went  to  my  room,  and  swallowed  the  laudanum. 

Immediately  after  I  had  taken  it,  I  felt  a  pleasant  sen- 
sation, which  lasted  but  a  short  time  ;  I  was  then  sorry  I 
had  not  written  to  my  dear  mother,  but  it  was  too  late  : 
I  soon  fell  on  my  bed.  One  of  the  daughters  slept  with 
me,  and  by  the  time  she  came  to  bed,  I  was  past  speaking*. 
She  gave  an  alarm,  and  a  doctor  was  soon  sent  for.  He 
immediately  knew  what  ailed  me,  and  said,  ihat  by  taking 
such  a  large  quantity  I  had  saved  my  life.  Whet)  I  was 
brought  to  my  senses,  I  knew  what  a  wicked  deed  I  hao- 
done,  and  that  I  had  brought  myself  into  a  more  distress- 
ed situation  than  before.  I  was  covered  with  blisters,  and 
not  only  suffering'  bodily  pain,  but  was  confined  to  my 
bed,  and  required  the  strict  attention  of  a  doctor,  besides 
the  burden  I  was  to  the  family.  The  captain  also  was 
blamed  for  taking  me  there  ;  and  it  was  said  all  was  not 
right ;  but  the  doctor,  being  a  feeling  man,  said  I  should 
not  be  removed,  till  I  was  better  ;  and  that  he  would  pay 
mv  expenses.  He  said  he  knew  my  friends  in  New  Or- 
leans, as  he  did  my  first  husband  by  reputation.  Through 
his  kindness,  I  was  here  three  weeks,  on  a  sick  bed.  He 
paid  me  strict  attention,  and  all  the  family  were  very 
kind.  A  great  many  persons  called  to  know  what  was 
the  cause  of  my  rashness  ;  but  they  could  get  no  other 
information,  than  that  I  was  tired  of  living,  and  wished 
to  die. 

When  I  was  recovered,  the  doctor  advised  me  to  go  ou* 
into  the  country  a  little  way,  as  it  would  be  better  for  my 
health  ;  and  I  went  to  a  hotel  about  six  miles  from  Nash 


) 


"  My  mothers  voice !  How  often  creeps 

Its  cadence  o'er  my  lonely  hours, 
Like  healing  sent  on  wings  of  sleep, 

Or  dew  to  the  unconscious  flowers  \ 
I  can't  forget  her  melting  prayer, 

E'en  while  my  pulses  madly  fly  j 
And  in  the  still,"  unbroken  air, 

Her  gentle  tones  come  stealing  by. 
And  years,  and  sin,  and  manhood  nee, 

And  leave  me  at  my  mother's  knee." 

A  New  Englm&fati* 


I.]  RETURNS  TO  NEW  ORLEANS.  53 

ville,  near  the  president's  residence.  There  I  found  a 
young  lady  with  whom  I  had  a  little  acquaintance  for- 
merly at  New  Orleans.  She  was  boarding  there,  and  1 
found  some  relief  in  telling  her  my  troubles.  I  looked 
pale,  like  death.  She  was  a  person  of  my  size,  and  well 
supplied  with  clothes.  She  gave  me  leave  to  make  free, 
and  take  what  I  wanted,  the  same  as  a  sister,  and  would 
not  consent  to  my  leaving  for  New  Orleans,  until  she  was 
ready  to  go.  In  a  little  time  I  recovered  my  health  ;  but 
never  thought  it  was  through  the  kind  mercy  of  God  that 
friends  had  been  raised  up  to  minister  to  my  wants  among 
strangers,  and  that  I  had  not  gone  to  an  everlasting  hell. 
I  revealed  all  my  troubles  to  my  friend,  as  I  esteemed 
her.  She  was  a  person  who  had  seen  a  great  deal  of  the 
world,  and  never  took  any  trouble  to  heart.  I  soon  thought 
-very  little  of  my  past  situation  :  but  a  few  days  ago  I  was 
so  near  another  world  and  lost  for  ever !  O,  I  cannot  now 
help  saying,  Lord,  I  was  not  deserving  thy  kind  mercies  ! 
But  I  had  not  these  feelings  at  that  time ;  I  knew  not 
the  value  of  my  soul,  and  I  felt  lost  to  the  whole  world. 
I  left  for  New  Orleans  with  my  friend,  who  defrayed  my 
expenses  on  the  journey.  Here  I  found  myself  again  in 
the  place  where  my  troubles  commenced.  Only  eighteen 
months  ago,  I  was  living  a  thoughtless  life,  in  splendour 
and  in  wealth  ;  and  now  I  had  nothing  but  what  my 
friend  gave  me.  I  could  not  bear  the  idea  of  going  to  see 

Mr.  M ,  the  gentleman  I  had  been  living  with.  I  knew 

I  had  brought  all  my  troubles  on  myself;  for  I  married 

Mr.  W more  to  reclaim  my  character,  than  any  other 

motive.  I  had  no  desire  to  see  any  of  my  acquaintances, 
partly  through  mortification  at  my  low  circumstances,  and 
partly  because  many  of  my  friends  had  told  me  I  should 

be  sorry  if  I  trusted  to  Mr.  W .   I  had  known  a  lady, 

when  previously  living  in  New  Orleans,  who,  at  this  time, 
lived  in  Havana,  but  was  on  a  visit  at  New  Orleans. 
As  I  had  no  desire  to  live  in  New  Orleans,  I  consented  tc 
go  with  her  to  Havana.  She  was  in  good  circumstances, 
but  not  married  to  the  gentleman  she  lived  with,  which 
was  thought  little  of  in  that  country. 
5* 


64  CELIBACY  OF  THE  POPISH  CLERGY.  [Chap. 

CHAPTER  II. 

ON  THE  CELIBACY  OF  THE  POPISH  CLERGY* 

"  Proh  dolor !  hos  toterare  potest  Ecelesia  Poreo* 
Duntaxat  ventri,  veneri,  somnoque,  vacantes  V} 


PRELIMINARY  REMARKS. 

Such  is  the  dark  picture  of  the  moral  corruptions  of  the  Romish 
Priesthood,  that  is  about  to  be  laid  open  before  the  public  in  the  follow- 
ing Narrative,  that  we  have  thought  it  expedient  to  introduce  this  chap- 
ter, which  is  principally  taken  from  "  Edgar's  Variations,"  by  way  oi 
introduction  to  it. 

Our  object  in  this,  is  to  prepare  the  public  mind  for  believing  the 
disclosures  that  are  to  be  laid  before  them,  by  exhibiting  to  them  a 
mere  glimpse,  as  it  were,  of  the  pernicious  effects  of  Priestly  eelibacy, 
as  it  has  been  portrayed  by  their  own  writers,  theologians,  Saints,  Popes, 
and  Councils. 

The  disclosures  made  by  the  authoress  of  this  Narrative,  astonish- 
ingly wonderful  and  black  as  they  are,  do  not,  however,  make  the  pic- 
ture of  Priestly  licentiousness  more  atrocious  than  the  character  given 
of  them  by  their  own  writers. 

The  picture  which  is  drawn  by  the  pious  authoress  of  this  Narrative, 
although  not  darker  than  that  traced  outby  the  pen  of  Popish  writers 
themselves,  is,  however,  more  interesting,  from  the  circumstance,  that 
the  events  which  she  describes  are  of  recent  date,  and  most  of  the  per- 
sonages of  whom  she  speaks,  are  now  actually  living,  and  are  still  im- 
plicated in  the  crimes  and  abominations  which  form  the  subject  of  the 
Narrative. 

We,  therefore,  earnestly  beg  the  public  to  give  this  2d  chapter  a 
reading  previous  to  entering  upon  the  3d,  which  is  the  commencement 
of  the  captivity  and  sufferings  of  the  authoress  on  the  island  of  Cuba, 
and  of  the  horrid  disclosures  which  she  makes. 


The  origin  of  Popish  Celibacy. — Its  immediate  and  pernicious  effects. — 
Pope  Gregory  VII,  who  was  promoted  to  the  Popedom,  A.  D.  1074,  en- 
acts severe  la?cs  to  restrain  the  profligacy  of  the  Clergy. —  The  effects  of 
his  severity. — Cauncils  convened  for  the  same  purpose. —  Character  of 
the  Popish  Clergy  previous  to  the  Reformation. —  The  Prelates  of  the 
General  Councils  of  Lyons,  Constance,  and  Basil,  as  criminal  as  the 
Clergy  whom  they  pretend  they  wish  to  reform. — Character  of  the  Po- 
pish Clergy  since  the  Reformation. 

The  Decretal  of  Pope  Syricius,  addressed,  in  the  year 
385,  to  Himerius,  contains  the  first  general  interdiction  of 


II.]  CELIBACY  OP  THE  POPISH  CLERGY.  55 

Clerical  matrimony.  Its  priority,  as  a  general  prohibition, 
is  acknowledged  by  Clithou  as  well  as  by  Bruys,  Espen- 
saeus,  Cassander,  and  many  other  patrons  of  Popery.  No 
authority  of  an  earlier  date  can  be  produced  for  the  en- 
actment.    Clithou,  c.  4.  in  Bell.  I.  Bruy.  I.  142. 

The  consequence  of  this  Decree  was,  that  the  Romish 
Clergy,  from  that  day,  became  the  most  licentious  of  men. 
Many  of  them  absolutely  refused  to  obey  it.  Various 
plans  were  resorted  to  in  order  to  evade  its  severity ;  one 
of  which  was  the  introduction  of  Sunisactanism  or  Do- 
mesticism.  A  second  party  engaged  in  open  or  con- 
cealed concubinage  ;  while  a  third  party,  in  bold,  honest, 
and  honorable  violation  of  unjust,  unnatural,  and  un- 
scriptural  Canons,  married  and  lived,  not  indeed  in  absti- 
nence, but  in  chastity  with  their  lawful  wives. 

Many  of  the  Clergy  had  recourse,  in  this  extremity,  to 
Domesticism.  This  consisted  in  keeping  female  inmates 
in  their  dwellings.  These  women  were  devoted  in  pro- 
fession, though  not  by  vow,  to  virginity.  (Now-a-days, 
these  Priestly  coadjutresses  are  styled  Nieces^  or  Nuns.) 
Their  ostensible  duty  was  to  superintend  the  domestic 
concerns  of  the  house.  Cyprian,  Jerom,  and  Chrysos- 
tom,  have  depicted  the  cohabitation  of  these  holy  domes- 
tics with  a  bold,  but  faithful  pencil.  These  holy  Priests 
and  their  domestics,  if  the  statement  of  the  Saints  may  be 
credited,  occupied  the  same  house,  the  same  chamber,  and 
the  same  every  thing  else ; — "  Eadem  domo,  uno  cnbiculo 
saepe  uno  tenentur  et  lectulo."  Jerom  ad  Eust.  4.  33. 
Cyprian  ad  Pom.— Edgar. 

The  Clergy,  after  that  memorable  and  fatal  epoch,  were 
converted  into  mere  gallants  and  coxcombs.  Their  whole 
attention,  says  their  St.  Jerom,  was  engaged  on  dress  and 
perfumery.  Their  fingers  shone  with  rings,  their  hair 
was  frizzled  by  the  curling-tongs,  and  they  walked  on 
tiptoe,  lest  their  shoes  or  feet  should  get  besmeared  with 
dirt.     Jerom,  4.  40. 

Chrysostom  also  gives  an  animated  description  of  the 
society  of  the  Romish  Priests  and  their  housekeepers. 
He  portrays  in  glowing  colors,  "  their  smiles,  their  laughs, 


56  CELIBACY  OP  THE  POPISH  CLERGY.         [Chap. 

their  free  conversation,  their  soft  words,  their  communi- 
cations at  table  during  the  day,  their  supping  together  at 
night,  and  other  things  which  we  deem  it  proper  to  omit." 
Chysos.  de  Subin.  I.  231. 

A  second  variety  of  evasion  of  these  Canons,  consisted 
in  concubinage.  This  was  a  native  result  of  the  unna- 
tural regulations  against  wedlock.  The  accounts  on  this 
subject,  transmitted  by  the  historians  of  those  times,  are 
appalling.  Profligacy,  says  Giannon,  prevailed  among  the 
Clergy,  who  practised  all  kinds  of  lewdness.  Ratherius, 
Bishop  of  Verona,  represents  the  Clergy  as  guilty  of  biga- 
my, drunkenness,  and  fornication.  The  Italian  Priest- 
hood, in  particular,  says  he,  fomented  their  passions  by 
excess  of  food  and  wine.  Gian.  V.  6.  Dach.  I.  354. 
Bruy.  2.  268. 

Atto's  language  on  this  topic  is  equally  striking.  He  says 
that  the  Priests  lived  in  a  public  manner  with  their  conse- 
crated paramours.  Fascinated  with  their  wanton  allure- 
ments, the  abandoned  Clergy  conferred  on  the  partners  of 
their  guilt,  the  superintendence  of  their  family  and  all 
their  domestic  concerns.  Their  courtezans,  during  the 
life  of  their  companions  in  iniquity,  managed  their  house- 
hold ;  and  at  their  death,  heired  their  property.  The  Ec- 
clesiastical alms  and  revenues,  in  this  manner,  descended 
to  the  accomplices  of  vile  pollution.  Atto,  Ep.  9.  Dach. 
I.  439.  The  hirelings  of  prostitution  were  adorned,  the 
Church  wasted,  and  the  poor  oppressed  by  men,  who  pro- 
fessed to  be  the  patrons  of  purity,  the  guardians  of  truth, 
and  the  protectors  of  the  wretched  and  the  needy. 

Damian  represents  the  guilty  Mistress  as  Confessing  to 
the' guilty  Priest.  Dam.  in  Bruy.  2.  356.  Gian.  X.  §.  1. 
This  presented  another  absurdity,  and  an  aggravation  of 
the  crime.  The  formality  of  Confessing  what  the  Father 
Confessor  knew,  and  receiving  forgiveness  from  a  part- 
ner in  sin,  was  an  insult  on  common  sense,  and  presented 
one  of  the  many  ridiculous  scenes  which  have  been  ex- 
hibited on  the  theatre  of  the  world. 

The  adultery  and  fornication  of  the  Clergy  degenera- 
ted, in  many  instances,  into  incest  and  other  abominations 


II.]  CELIBACY  OF  THE  POPISH  CLERGY.  5? 

of  the  grossest  kind.  Some  Priests,  according  to  the 
Council  of  Mentz,  in  the  year  888,  "  had  sons  by  their 
own  sisters."     Bin.  7.  137.   Labb.  11.  586. 

The  Council  of  Nice  and  some  others  of  a  later  date, 
through  fear  of  scandal,  deprived  the  Clergy  of  all  female 
company,  except  a  mother,  a  sister,  or  an  aunt,  who,  it 
was  reckoned,  were  beyond  all  suspicion.  But  the  means 
intended  for  prevention,  was  the  occasion  of  more  accu- 
mulated scandal  and  more  heinous  criminality.  The  in- 
terdiction was  the  introduction  to  incestuous  and  unna- 
tural prostitution.  The  Council  of  Mentz,  therefore,  in 
its  10th  Canon,  as  well  as  other  cotemporary  and  late  Sy- 
nods, had  to  forbid  the  Clergy  the  society  of  even  their 
nearest  female  relations. 

A  third  variety  for  the  evasion,  or  rather  for  the  infrac- 
tion of  these  Canonical  interdictions,  was  clandestine  or 
avowed  matrimony.  Some  of  the  Priests  Avho  still  had 
some  remains  of  conscience,  shuddered  at  the  commission 
of  fornication,  adultery,  or  incest ;  and  had  recourse,  there- 
fore, to  the  honorable  institution  of  marriage.  The  num- 
ber of  these  continued  to  increase  in  opposition  to  the 
Decretals  of  Popes,  the  Canons  of  Councils,  and  the  pre- 
possessions of  the  people.  Epiph.  H.  59.  Jerom  adv.  Vig. 
Thorn.  I.  43. 

Such  was  the  state  of  Clerical  matrimony,  at  the  acces- 
sion of  Hildebrand  or  Gregory  VII.  to  the  Popedom,  in 
the  year  1074.  The  reign  of  this  hierarch  commenced  a 
new  era  in  the  annals  of  Sacerdotal  celibacy.  Gregory 
enforced  celibacy  with  a  high  hand  among  the  Latin  Ec- 
clesiastics ;  and  was  supported  in  the  undertaking  by  many 
of  the  laity.  The  attempt,  however,  was  long  opposed  by 
the  Priesthood  :  and  its  success  terminated  in  the  general 
concubinage  and  debauchery  of  the  Western  Clergy. 

Gregory  succeeded,  to  a  great  extent,  in  the  suppres- 
sion of  Priestly  marriage.  Several  of  his  predecessors  had 
made  a  similar  attempt,  but  in  vain.  Stephen,  Nicholas, 
and  Alexander,  had  labored  for  this  purpose,  and  failed. 
But  Gregory  proceeded  in  this,  as  in  every  other  design, 
with  superior  abilitjr,  perseverance,  and  resolution  ;  and 


58  CELIBACY  OF  THE  POPISH  CLERGY.  [Chap. 

his  efforts  were  crowned,  in  the  end,  with  wonderful  sue* 
(jess.  He  summoned  a  Council,  and  issued  Canons,  sepa- 
rating the  married  Clergy  from  their  partners,  and  forbid- 
ding the  ordination  of  any  who  would  not  vow  perpetual 
continence.  He  prohibited  the  laity  from  hearing  Mass, 
when  celebrated  by  a  married  Priest.  Bin.  7.  473.  Bruy. 
2.  388.  418.  Labb.  12.  547.  Du  Pin,  2.  244. 

Such  swelling  innovations,  and  such  severe  enactments 
against  marriage  in  the  Clergy,  caused  all  Popish  Christ- 
endom to  be  polluted  with  Sacerdotal  profligacy  of  the 
deepest  dye,  as  is  evident  from  the  relations  of  Bernard, 
Agrippa,  Henry,  Clemangis,  and  Mezeray.  Bernard  the 
Saint  of  Clairvaux,  in  the  12th  century,  admitted  and 
lamented  the  licentiousness  of  the  Prelacy  and  Priesthood, 
"  who  committed,  in  secret,  such  acts  of  turpitude  as  would 
be  shameful  to  express."     Bernard,  1725 — 1728. 

Clemangis  reckoned  the  adultery,  impurity,  and  obscen- 
ity of  the  Clergy,  beyond  all  description.  They  frequented 
the  stews  and  taverns,  and  spent  their  whole  time  in  eat- 
ing, drinking,  reveling,  gaming,  and  dancing.  Surfeited 
arid,  drunk,  these  Sacerdotal  sensualists  fought,  shouted, 
roared,  rioted,  and  blasphemed  God  and  the  Saints  ;  and 
passed,  shortly  after,  from  the  embrace  of  the  harlot,  to 
the  altar  of  God.  Clemangis,  through  shame,  drew  the 
curtain  over  the  abominations  that  the  Nuns  practised  in 
their  Convents,  which  he  called  brothels  of  licentiousness. 
To  veil  a  woman  was,  in  that'  age,  to  prostitute  her. 

For  further  details  relative  to  the  shocking  depravity 
of  the  Popish  Clergy  daring  the  succeeding  centuries,  and 
up  to  the  time  of  the  Reformation,  for  brevity  sake,  I  re* 
fer  the  reader  to  Henry,  Clemangis,  Mezeray,  and  other 
historians  of  those  days,  whose  annals  are  stained  with 
the  universal  depravity  of  the  Romish  hierarchy ;  Popes, 
Cardinals,  Bishops,  Priests,  Monks,  and  Nuns,  are  all  in- 
cluded. 

Lest  the  weight  of  the  above  testimonies  should  be  con- 
sidered by  the  Papists  as  insufficient,  we  will  add  to  it  that 
of  their  venerable  Councils.  The  Council  of  Valladolid, 
in  the  year  1322,  in  its  7th  Canon,  confirms  all  that  is 


II.]  CELIBACY  OF  THE  POPISH  CLERGY.  59 

stated  above.  "  The  Clergy,"  (according  to  this  Council,) 
"  prodigal  of  character  and  salvation,  led  lives  of  enormity 
and  profligacy  in  public  concubinage."  The  Canon  of 
Valladolid  was  renewed  in  the  year  1473,  in  the  Council 
of  Toledo.  This  Council  represented  the  clergy  as  living 
in  the  filthiest  atrocity,  which  rendered  them  contempti- 
ble to  the  people.  Labb.  15.  247.  Several  other  Coun- 
cils, which  for  brevity  sake  have  to  be  omitted,  also  thun- 
dered out  their  Bulls  and  Decrees  against  the  licentious- 
ness of  the  Priestly  marauders. 

The  Italian  and  Roman  Clergy  appear,  of  all  others,  to 
have  been  the  most  licentious.     Dachery,  I.  354. 

A  select  Cbuncil  of  Cardinals  and  Bishops  assembled  by 
Paul  3d,  in  the  year  1538,  have  drawn  a  picture  of  the 
Roman  courtezans,  and  the  attention  paid  them  by  the 
Roman  Clergy.  These  courtezans  lived  in  splendid  pa- 
laces, walked  or  rode  as  matrons  through  the  city,  and 
were  attended  at  noonday  by  a  train  of  the  Clergy  and 
the  nobility,  the  friends  of  the  Cardinals.  Crabb.  3.  823. 
Coss.  5.  547. 

To  put  the  climax  to  all  these  abominations,  we  find 
that  even  the  very  Prelates  themselves  assembled  in  Gene- 
ral  Councils  were  as  licentious,  abandoned,  and  guilty  as 
the  Priests  in  their  dispersed  capacity.  This  was  exem- 
plified in  the  General  Councils  of  Lyons,  Constance,  and 
Basil.  The  Council  of  Lyons  demoralized  the  city  in 
which  it  was  convened.  Cardinal  Hugo,  in  a  speech  to 
the  citizens,  immediately  after  the  dissolution  of  the  Sa- 
cred Synod,  boasted  that  Lyons,  at  the  meeting  of  the  as- 
sembly, contained  two  or  three  stews ;  but,  at  its  departure, 
comprehended  only  one  ;  which,  however,  extended  with- 
out interruption,  from  the  Eastern  to  the  Western  Gate. 
Labb.  16.  1436.     Bruy.  4.  39.     Labb.  16.  1435.    Edgar. 

We  shall  now  turn  to  the  Decrees  of  Pope  Benedict 
XIV.  as  recorded  by  the  great  St.  Ligori ;  either  of  which 
authorities,  no  Papist  will  dare  to  call  in  question.  By 
these  documents  we  shall  see  that  the  Popish  Clergy  are 
still  what  they  ever  have  been,  men  of  morals  the  most 


60  CELIBACY  OF  THE  POPISH  CLERGY.  [Chap. 

corrupt ;  and  men  too,  of  ail  others,  who  are  not  to  be 
trusted  alone  with  females. 

The  Decrees  to  which  I  allude,  of  the  Sovereign  Pontiff 
Benedict  XIV.  are  recorded  by  the  great  St.  Ligori, 
in  his  Theological  Treatise,  Tom.  ix.  De  Rom.  Pont. 
Deer.  cap.  2.     The  Decrees  are  headed  thus  :  "  Contra 

SOLLICITANTES,"    &C.  et   "  CONTRA    EXQ,UIR.ENTES,'7  &C 

"  Against  those  Priests  who  entice  others  to  sin,  and  who 
abuse  the  sacrifice  of  the  Mass"  &c. 

In  respect  to  one  of  the  Decrees,  the  Saint,  speaking  of 
the  Sovereign  Pontiff  Benedict  XIV.  says,  "  Our  Most 
Holy  Lord,"  (the  Pope,)  "  seeing  how  great  is  the  sin  of 
those  lost  men,"  (alluding  to  the  Priests,)  "  who  abuse  the 
Holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass,  and  the  Sacrament  of  Confes- 
sion, which  was  instituted  for  the  salvation  of  the  faith- 
ful, but  which  they  make  use  of  for  their  destruction  and 
damnation" — "Decrees,  that  hereafter  all  Priests,  both 
secular  and  regular,  of  whatever  Order,  Institution,  Con- 
gregation, or  Society  soever  they  may  be,  who  solicit  those 
whose  Confessions  they  hear,  to  filthy  and  criminal  ac- 
tions, shall,  besides  the  penalties  already  threatened  by  the 
Canon  Law,  the  Apostolical  Constitutions,  and  especially 
by  the  Constitutions  of  Sixtus  V.  and  Gregory  XV.  of  hap- 
py memory,  shall,  we  decree,  incur  the  perpetual  inability 
of  celebrating  the  aforesaid  Holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass.7' 

The  other  Decree  was  issued  by  the  Pope,  in  order  to 
put  a  check  to  a  custom  that  was  common  among  the 
Priests  in  Spain,  of  compelling  their  penitents,  in  the  tri- 
bunal of  Confession,  to  tell  them  who  were  their  accom- 
plices in  sin.  It  is  stated  in  the  Decree  that  the  Ghostly 
Fathers  were  so  pertinaciously  bent  on  ascertaining  the 
names  and  the  residence  of  those  with  whom  their  peni- 
tents were  in  the  habit  of  committing  sin,  that,  not  con- 
tent with  merely  soliciting  them  to  tell  them  where  their 
accomplices  lived,  they  were  compelled  to  do  it,  by  not 
granting  them  the  absolution  of  their  sins.  "  Which  in- 
tolerable impudence  P  (says  the  Pope,)  "  they  color  over, 
under  the  pretext  that  they  wish  to  visit  them  merely  to 
give  them  good  advice!"  "1am  vero!"  exclaims  the 


II.]  CELIBACY  OF  THE  POPISH  CLERGY.  61 

Holy  Father,  the  Pope,  "  experience  has  taught  us  what 
evils  have  followed  from  such  a  course  as  this  !"  [Ligori 
Theol.  T.  ix.  De  Rom.  Pont.  Deer.  c.  2.] 

Ligori  has  also  presented  us  with  another  Decree  of  this 
same  Pontiff,  entitled  "  Super  Clausura  Monialium." 

By  this  Decree,  all  Clergymen,  of  whatsoever  dignity 
they  may  be,  are  strictly  prohibited  from  entering  into 
Nunneries,  or  from  having  any  communication  with  the 
Nuns,  under  any  pretext  whatever. 

It  appears,  from  what  the  Saint  writes,  that  this  Decree 
of  Benedict  XIV.  is  no  more  than  a  renewed  promulga- 
tion of  Decrees  which  had  already  frequently  been  made, 
relative  to  the  same  subject,  by  many  of  his  predecessors, 
and  especially  by  the  Holy  Council  of  Trent. 

"  Excepiis  damtaxatP  The  only  exception  that  is 
made  to  this  interdiction,  is  respecting  the  Superiors  of 
those  Establishments,  that  is,  those  Clergymen  under  whose 
immediate  jurisdiction  the  Nuns  are  placed ;  and  even  in 
regard  to  these,  the  Decree  is  as  follows :  u  in  cassibus  ta- 
men  necessariis,  et  servatisde  jure  servandis,  et  non  aliter 
omnino,"  they,  the  superiors,  are  to  have  no  intercourse 
with  the  Nuns,  "  except  in  cases  of  necessity,  observing, 
at  the  same  time,  the  Rules  laid  down  by  the  Canons,  but 
otherwise,  they  are  by  no  means  whatsoever  to  have  any 
intercourse  together."  (Id.  ib.) 

The  rules  laid  down  by  the  Canons,  which  are  here 
spoken  of,  are,  that  Priests  shall  never  hear  the  Confes- 
sions of  Nuns  in  a  private  or  clandestine  manner,  but 
openly,  in  the  Confessional-boxes,  in  the  Chapel. 

So  much  importance  was  attached  to  the  observance  ot 
these  mandates,  that  those  Priests  who  dared  to  infringe 
them,  incurred,  "  ipso  facto"  the  Censures  of  the  church, 
from  which  no  one  could  absolve  them  but  the  Sovereign 
Pontiff  himself  except  at  the  hour  of  death.  (Id.  ib.  D.  vi.) 

The  aforesaid  Decrees  were  given,  "  sub  annulo 
Piscatop.is,"  a  under  the  ring  of  the  Fisherman"  the 
one,  on  the  4th  of  the  Nones  of  June,  A.  D.  1746,  the 
other,  on  the  3d  of  January,  1742. 

The  great  St.  Basil,  it  seems,  knew  as  much  about  the 
6 


62  CELIBACY  OF  T^iT  POP1SU  CLMSLGT*         [Ch&p, 

Priests,  as  St.  Ligori,  and  Pope  Benedict  XIV.,  and  SixtitS 
V.?  and  Gregory  XV.,  and  the  compilers  of  the  Canon 
Law,  and  of  the  Apostolical  Constitutions,  and  the  Holy 
Council  of  Trent ;  for  all  of  these  were  perfectly  well  ac- 
quainted with  the  character  of  the  Priesthood,  and  took 
3very  precaution  in  their  power  to  keep  them  within 
oounds.  The  great  St.  Basil,  we  sayf  knew  as  much 
about  the  thing  as  any  of  the  rest.  "  It  is  more  proper,77 
(says  this  great  Saint,)  "  for  the  Lady  Soperieure  to  be 
present  while  a  Nun  is  Confessing  to  a  Priest,  for  the  sake 
of  decency  and  safety."  Basil,  Reg.  Brer.  Int.  110.  We, 
the  wicked  heretics,  generally  consider  that  a  child  is  per- 
fectly safe  with  its  father  j  but  we  see  from  the  above, 
that  the  Popes  and  the  Saints  had  reason  to  think  that  the 
spiritual  children  of  the  Priests,  are  not  altogether  safe 
with  their  Spiritual  Fathers. 

Thoroughly  assured,  indeed,  must  we  be,  that  the  dis- 
orders which  reign  amongst  the  Priests,  must  be  of  a  cha- 
racter of  the  deepest  dye,  to  force  even  their  own  Pontiffs 
thus  publicly,  and  plainly,  and  severely,  to  reprimand 
them,  and  to  threaten  them  with  the  Censures  and  the 
penalties  of  the  church,  unless  they  reform,  and  restrain 
their  passions. 

I  am  fully  aware  that  the  Romish  Priests,  although  they 
cannot  deny  the  truth  of  the  statements  made  by  their 
own  Saints,  will  endeavor  to  cloak  the  thing  over  by  say- 
ing, that  there  are  bad  men  to  be  found  in  every  state  and 
condition  of  life,  that  there  was  a  Judas  even  among  the 
Apostles.  This  is  all  true,  but,  unfortunately,  it  appears 
that  the  number  of  the  guilty  is  not  few,  but  many. 
"Many  Priests"  (says  Saint  Ligori,)  "who  before,"  (they 
began  to  hear  the  Confession  of  the  spiritual  women,) 
u  were  innocent,  afterwards,  on  account  of  their  attrac- 
tions, lost  both  God  and  their  soul  P  Ligori,  Prax.  Conf. 
T.  VIII.  C,  8.  N.  119,  120. 

Poor,  fragile  Spiritual  Fathers  indeed  must  they  be  I 
that,  in  order  to  preserve  their  Spiritual  Children  from  fait 
ing  a  prey  to  their  unruly  passions,  it  was  found  necessary, 
as  St.  Basil  states,  that  "  the  Superieure  or  Abbess  of  the 


II.]  CELIBACY  OF  THE  POPISH  CLERGY.  63 

Monastery  should  be  present  to  watch  thern  while  hearing 
the  Confession  of  the  Nuns  P  or  that  it  should  be  found 
expedient,  as  St.  Ligori  states,  "  that  the  doors  should  be 
kept  open  while  the  Priests  are  hearing  the  Confession  of 
the  women,  and  that  they  should  sit  where  they  could  be 
seen !"  Ligori,  Prax.  Conf.  T.  VIII.  C.  8.  N.  119. 

"  Experience  has  taught  us/'  (says  the  Pope,  Benedict 
XIV.)  u  what  evils  have  followed  from  such  a  course  as 
this l"  that  is,  as  has  been  related  above,  from  the  Priests3 
41  visiting  females  under  pretence  of  giving  them  good 
udvice?' 

We  now  see  what  precautions  are  absolutely  necessary, 
in  order  to  protect  female  innocence  from  the  dangers  to 
which  they  are  exposed  by  Confessing  to  their  Ghostly 
Fathers. 

Now,  if  it  be  found  that  none  of  these  prudent  precau- 
tions are  observed,  but,  on  the  contrary,  the  very  oppo- 
site extreme  is  adopted,  these  two  conclusions  irresistibly 
rush  upon  the  mind  ;  the  one,  that  there  must  be  some- 
thing radically  wrong  in  the  Priests.  Certain  things  are 
peremptorily  forbidden  them,  by  their  Saints,  by  their 
Popes,  and  even  by  the  Infallible  Council  of  Trent ;  and 
they  disobey.  And  the  consequent  conclusion,  which 
presses  with  the  weight  of  demonstration,  is,  that  they 
must  have  some  ulterior  design  in  view,  for  the  accom- 
plishing of  which,  they  are  willing  to  sacrifice  their  con- 
science in  the  sacrifice  of  obedience  ;  and  when  conscience 
is  gone,  the  depravity  of  nature  under  the  influence  of  the 
passions,  usurps  her  place. 

Now,  when  we  reflect  upon  what  Bellarmine,  Ricci, 
Petrarch,  and  others,  have  told  us  respecting  Nuns,  those 
spiritual  women,  as  Ligori  calls  them,  that  is,  "that  many 
of  them  enter  into  the  Monasteries  who  are  not  called 
of  God  ;  enter  through  motives  prompted  by  flesh 
and  blood,"  (Bellarm.  Gem.  Colom.  3  Opusc.  L.  11.  C. 
5.)  and  compare  it  with  what  Ligori,  Pope  Benedict  XIV., 
and  others,  tell  us  respecting  the  Priests,  that  is,  "  that 
many  of  them,  who  before  were  innocent,  have,  on  ac- 
count of  the  attractions  of  those  spiritual  women, 


64  CELIBACY  OF  THE  POPISH  CLERGY.  [Chap. 

(the  Nuns,)  lost  both  God  and  their  soul f  I  say,  when 
we  reflect  on  all  this,  we  are  demonstratively  convinced, 
that  the  Monastic  Institutions,  the  Tribunal  of  Confession, 
and  the  Celibacy  of  the  Priesthood,  are  very  far  indeed 
from  being  of  Divine  institution,  as  is  pretended.  iSor 
were  these  Institutions  ever  introduced  into  the  world 
under  the  influence  of  the  Spirit  of  God.  For,  certainly, 
the  Spirit  of  God,  is  a  Spirit  of  wisdom,  a  Spirit  of  counsel, 
and  a  Spirit  of  love.  But  where  would  be  the  wisdom,  in 
unnecessarily  placing  his  creatures  in  the  midst  of  danger, 
when  he  tells  us,  "  that  he  ioho  loveth  danger  shall 
jierish  in  it  ?"  Where  would  be  his  counsel,  in  subject- 
ing the  infirmities  of  the  flesh  to  excitements,  which  his 
Holy  Word  throughout  commands  us  to  shun?  And 
where  would  be  his  love,  in  placing  his  creatures  in  that 
situation  of  life  which  will  be  their  ruin  ?  No — God 
wishes  us,  and  commands  us,  to  shun  danger  ;  to  avoid 
the  occasions  of  criminal  excitements  ;  and  to  pursue  a 
course  of  life  that  will  ultimately  lead  to  happiness. 

Before  we  close  this  chapter  on  the  baneful  conse- 
quences which  emanate  from  a  Popish  system  of  Clerical 
celibacy,  we  will  unfold  a  leaf  or  two  of  the  writings  of 
the  celebrated  St.  Ligori,  who  was  Canonized  by  Pope 
Pius  VIL,  on  the  15th  September,  A.  D.  1816.  His  sys- 
tem of  Theology,  from  which  I  quote,  is  received  and 
taught  in  all  the  Popish  schools.  That  it  stands  on  the 
highest  pinnacle  of  esteem  and  commendation  in  the 
church  of  Rome,  I  prove  by  the  eulogiums  passed  upon 
it  by  the  same  Sovereign  Pontiff,  by  whom  he  was  Ca- 
nonized, as  well  as  by  the  exalted  praises  lavished  upon 
it  by  the  "  Sacred  Congregation  of  Rites."  and  by 
his  "Supreme  Eminence  the  Cardinal  of  Castile/' 
The  two  former  of  these,  that  is,  Pope  Pius  VIL,  and  the 
"  Sacred  Congregation  of  Rites,"  have  declared, 
that  "  in  ea  nihil  censnra  dignum  repertum  fuisse? — 
"  that  they  have  found  in  the  Moral  Theology 
of  St.  Ligori,  nothing  worthy  of  censure."  The 
latter,  that  is,  his  "  Supreme  Eminence  the  Cardinal 
of  Castile,"  says,  that  "  St.  Ligori  is  the  ornament  Qt 


II.]  CELIBACY  OF  THE  POPISH  CLERGY.  65 

our  age,  and  the  splendor  of  the  Episcopal  Order,"  and 
that  "there  is  nothing  in  what  he  teaches,  that  is  not 
sound,  wholesome,  and  according  to  God," — "  Sana  ac 
sextmdum  DeumP  Ligor.  Theol.  Prefatio  VI. 

Now,  according  to  this  same  Saint  Ligori,  I  am  going 
to  show,  that  the  church  of  Rome  propagates  a  doctrine, 
under  which  all  their  Clergy  can  find,  a  cloak  to  screen 
the  vices  to  which  they  are  addicted  in  consequence  of 
their  forced  and  unnatural  state  of  celibacy.  The  doc- 
trine to  which  I  allude  is,  that  the  devil  has  the  power  of 
assuming  a  human  shape,  and  that  he  actually  exercises 
this  power  for  the  purpose  of  indulging  his  lustful  appe- 
tite. Theol.  Ligor.,  Prox.  Conf.  T.  VIII.  C.  VII.  S.  7. 

In  the  exercise  of  this  power,  the  church  of  Rome 
teaches,  that  the  devil  "potest  etiam  verum  semen  afferre 
aliunde  acceptum,  naturalemque  ejus  emissionem  imitari, 
ct  quod  ex  hujusmodi  concubitu  vera  proles  possit  nasci, 
puta  a  viro  in  somno  pollutionem  patiente,  et  prolificum 
calorem  conservando,  illico  in  matricem  infundere ;  quo 
casu  proles  ilia  non  erit  quidem  filia  dsemonis,  sed  illius 
cujus  est  semen,  ut  ait  D.  Thomas."  Id.  ib. 

Hence  it  is,  that  in  Popish  countries,  the  Priests  have 
nothing  more  to  do  than  to  lay  the  fruits  of  their  illicit 
intercourse  to  the  charge  of  the  devil,  who,  according  to 
the  doctrine  of  the  Popish  church,  has  to  father  all  the 
progeny  of  Priestly  propagation. 

Let  a  Priest  act  in  regard  to  this  matter  as  he  will,  he 
can  exculpate  himself  with  ease,  by  merely  insisting  that 
it  was  not  he  who  committed  the  deed,  but  the  devil  who 
assumed  his  person.  In  vain  is  it  then,  for  a  Nun,  or  any 
other  Miss  soever,  to  pretend  to  identify  the  Priest  in  her 
accusation  of  his  criminality.  He  will  tell  her,  (and  she 
is  bound  to  believe  him,)  that  it  was  the  devil  who  as 
sumed  his  shape,  imitated  his  voice,  and  deceived  her  in 
disguise. 

So  firmly  persuaded  is  the  church  of  Rome  of  the  truth 

of  what  is  spoken  of  above,  that  the  very  last  victim  that 

was  publicly  burned  by  the  Inquisition  at  Seville  in  Spain, 

on  the  7th  November,  in  the  year  1781,  was  burned  ex- 

6* 


66  CELIBACY  OF  THE  POPISH  CLERGY.  [Chap, 

pressly  on  account  of  her  being  supposed  guilty  of  the 
thing  above  stated.  Llorente*  in  his  History  of  the  Inqui- 
sition of  Spain,  speaking  of  this  woman,  who,  he  says, 
was  a  supposed  Saint3  tells  us  that  she  was  burned  to 
death  by  the  Inquisition,  for  having*  made  a  covenant 
with  the  devil,  and  for  having  had  illicit  intercourse  with 
him  under  the  disguise  of  a  man.  Had  she  not  remained 
" negatively  impenitent"  to  use  the  Inquisitorial  techni- 
cality, i.  e.  had  she  acknowledged  that  she  was  guilty, 
says  he,  she  might  have  escaped  death.  Lorente  T.  iv. 
C.66. 

This  fact  proves  at  once,  independent  of  other  proofs, 
that  the  above  stated  horrors  accord  both  with  the  doc- 
trine of  the  Romish  Divines,  and  with  that  of  the  Romish 
church. 

Thus  we  see  to  what  satanic  stratagems  these  men  re- 
sort, in  order  to  satiate  their  lust  with  impunity.  O !  the 
horrors  of  their  pretended  purity  !  Such  are  the  results  of 
their  boasted  celibacy  ! — and  the  execrable  doctrine  they 
affirm  is  found  in  Scripture,  "verissima  Scriptura  tes- 
tatur?  says  Ligori.  Ibid. 

Are  men  who  can  invent  such  a  doctrine  as  this,  to  be 
trusted  with  virtuous  females?  Nuns,  if  they  had  a  spark 
of  virtue,  should  spurn  such  "  Holy  Fathers?  Were  they 
innocent,  and  not  destitute  of  common  sense,  they  might 
see  the  object  of  a  doctrine  so  foul,  and  so  fraught  with 
every  danger. 

Enough  has  now  been  said.  Let  the  world  pass  its 
sentenced 

*  Llorente  was  a  Popish  historian,  and  wrote  with  truth  and  candor. 

+  For  further  details  respecting  Popish  celibacy,  see  "  Downfall  op 

Babylon,"  a  weekly  Periodical,  published  in  New  York,  Vol.  1,  No. 


III.]  VOYAGE  TO  HAVANNA.  6? 


CHAPTER  III. 

"Fear  God  !"  the  thunders  said;  "Fear  God!"  the  waves; 
"Fear  God !"  the  lightning  of  the  storm  replied  ; 
"  Fear  God  !"  deep  loudly  answered  back  to  deep.    - 

Pollock. 

Voyage  to  Havanna. — Engages  with  Father  Manuel  Canto,  a  Romish 
Priest. — Learns  the  Champara  Spanish. — Has  the  Stmnger's  Fever. — 
Attempt  to  make  her  a  Roman  Catholic— Manuel1  s  habits  of  Gambling, 

—  The  dress  of  the  Priests. — Second  attack  of  the  Fever,  and  attempt 
to  make  her  a  Roman  Catholic. — Dress  of  the  Capuchins. — Reasons  with 
the  Priest  on  their  wicked  course  of  life. — On  their  power  to  forgive  sins. 

—  The  Confession  of  Criminals  who  had  committed  robbery,  in  order  to 
get  money  to  fee  the  Priests  for  saying  Masses  to  save  their  souls. — 
ManueVs  Supper  Parties,  and  Friends,  at  RosamonaVs  House. —  The 
Priests  sell  different  sorts  of  Candles  for  various  Superstitious  Purposes. 

We  left  New  Orleans  for  Matanzas,  there  being  no 
vessel  direct  for  Havanna,  and  had  a  rough  and  danger- 
ous passage  of  ten  days.  Once  we  were  in  a  severe 
storm,  and  every  one  on  board  expected  to  perish.  This 
was  the  first  time  I  ever  was  afraid  to  die.  Oh !  I  well 
remember  what  my  feelings  were  at  the  time  ;  when  I 
thought,  if  I  died,  I  should  go  to  everlasting  torments. 
Now  I  reflected  on  my  cruel  treatment  to  my  dear  mother, 
and  what  I  had  done  while  at  Nashville,  which  I  had 
never  thought  or  felt  the  wickedness  of  till  then.  1 
prayed,  and  said,  if  God  would  spare  my  life,  and  let  me 
get  on  land  again,  I  would  go  home  to  my  dear  parents. 
One  of  the  sailors  was  washed  overboard,  and  lost  in  the 
storm.  When  we  got  to  Matanzas,  I  soon  forgot  the 
serious  promise  I  had  made  ;  and  how  could  I  expect  to 
prosper  !  We  remained  here  but  a  few  days,  and  then 
went  to  Havanna. 

Here  I  found  myself  in  another  world,  as  I  thought,  in 
a  Spanish  country  ;  I  did  not  understand  their  language, 
nor  they  mine.  The  people  are  more  easy  and  free  in 
their  manners,  than  in  New  Orleans ;  but,  as  to  charac- 
ter, it  does  not  make  much  difference  who,  or  what 
stranger  you  are,  so  long  as  you  dress,  and  make  a  good 
appearance.     Several  American  ladies  were  living  oil  the 


68  FIRST  ACQUAINTANCE  WITH  FATHER  C.     [Chap. 

island,  who  were  all  wealthy,  and  appeared  happy  in  their 
private  relations.  I  had  been  there  but  a  few  days,  be- 
fore I  became  acquainted,  through  one  of  my  female 
friends,  with  a  Spanish  Priest,  named  Manuel  Canto,  and 
commonly  called  Father  Canto,  who  belonged  to  St 
Francisco  Convent.  Through  an  interpreter,  he  made 
me  an  offer  to  take  me  under  his  protection  ;  and  I  con- 
sented to  live  with  him,  not  knowing,  at  the  time,  that  he 
was  a  Priest.  He  immediately  hired  a  house  for  me,  at  three 
ounces,  or  fifty  dollars  a  month,  and  he  furnished  me  five 
hundred  dollars  to  commence  with,  and  I  put  myself 
under  his  protection  wholly.  Then  it  was  too  late  to  re- 
consider the  step  ;  for  if  once  you  put  yourself  under  their 
protection,  it  is  dangerous  to  leave  a  Roman  Catholic 
Priest  in  that  country.  I  remained  with  him  there  on  the 
island  about  five  years.  In  that  time  I  was  put  in  the 
way  to  learn  and  see  a  great  deal  of  their  wickedness,  and 
the  way  they  lead  their  people  in  darkness.  At  the  time 
I  went  first  to  live  with  him,  I  could  not  understand  one 
word  of  his  language,  nor  he  of  mine. 

He  was  always  desirous  to  learn  the  English  ;  but  he 
preferred  that  I  should  learn  to  speak  and  read  the  Cham- 
para  language,  which  is  a  sort  of  Creole  Spanish,  half 
Spanish  and  half  African.  In  this  language  he  always 
conversed  and  corresponded  with  me  ;  and  in  it  I  shall 
write  the  names  and  Spanish  words  found  here. 

He  got  me  a  teacher,  and  I  soon  learned  his  language  ; 
and  when  I  left  him  he  could  write  and  understand  my 
own  language.  During  that  five  years  I  lived  a  gloomy 
and  a  wretched  life  with  him.  I  suffered  every  thing  but 
death,  in  body  and  in  mind ;  I  was  as  ignorant  as  any 
heathen  in  the  right  view  of  eternity,  although  I  was 
born  here  in  America ;  but  I  was  young  when  I  first 
went  to  live  in  those  countries.  I  still  knew  and  felt  that 
their  religion  was  not  right.* 

*  "  For  both  prophet  and  priest  are  profane ;  yea,  in  my  house  have 
I  found  their  wickedness,  saith  the  Lord.  And  I  have  seen  folly  in  the 
prophets — a  horrible  thing :  they  commit  adultery  and  walk  in  lies : 
they  strengthen  also  the  hands  of  the  evil  doers,  that  none  doth  retura 
from  his  wickedness." — Jer.  23: 11. 14. 


III.]  HER  SICKNESS.  69 

When  I  had  learned  sufficient  of  the  language  to  un- 
derstand what  he  said,  I  soon  forgot  my  past  troubles,  the 
value  of  a  character,  and  the  promises  I  had  made  while 
crossing  the  ocean. 

I  had  lived  here  but  a  short  time  with  him,  before  I 
took  the  Creole,  or  stranger's  fever,  which  they  call  the 
black  vomit.  I  laid  very  sick  three  weeks,  and  was  not 
expected  to  recover  by  any  one,  even  by  the  doctor,  who 
belonged  to  one  of  the  Convents.  I  was  visited  by 
several  of  Manuel's  friends,  and  treated  kindly  by  all.  I. 
was  again  afraid  to  die,  and  they  wanted  me  to  be  christ- 
ened, and  said  I  was  a  Protestant,  and  if  I  died  I  must  go 
to  hell.  I  never  can  forget,  when  I  lay  very  low  one 
day,  my  Priest  came  to  my  bed,  and  told  me  he  was  afraid 
I  was  going  to  die,  and  it  was  his  desire  I  should  be  christ- 
ened, as  I  was  a  Protestant.  I  did  not  know  what  he 
meant  by  a  Protestant,  as  I  had  been  always  brought  up 
in  darkness.  I  cannot  help  saying,  Lord !  why  was  I 
kept  so  long  in  darkness,  without  knowing  I  had  such  a 
kind  and  merciful  God  ?  Yes,  dear  Saviour,  I  can  never 
do  too  much  to  serve  thee  here,  should  I  live  ten  thousand 
years  ;  for  I  now  know,  and  can  see,  what  a  merciful  and 
forgiving  God  I  have !  When  I  knew  thee  not,  I  used  to 
think,  in  trouble,  what  an  unjust  God  !  but  I  adore  the 
righteous  God,  and  pray,  O  Lord!  that  from  this  very 
day,  this  very  hour  I  am  writing  this,  I  may  serve  thee 
henceforth  with  sincerity,  since  thou  hast  opened  my 
blind  eyes  ! 

They  soon  after  lighted  up  candles  in  my  room,  and  a 
Capuchin  Priest  came,  with  three  or  four  Priests  in 
habits,  and  death-candles  were  lighted.  I  asked  Manuel 
what  the  candles  were  burning  for?  He  said,  to  get  me 
through  Purgatory.*     I  did  not  know  the  meaning  of  it, 

*  The  Popish  Divines  place  Purgatory  in  the  bowels  of  the  earth. 
The  vast  cavity  in  the  central  regions  of  the  world,  is,  according  to 
these  theologians,  divided  into  four  apartments,  which  form  Hell,  Pur- 
gatory, and  the  Limbo  of  infants,  and  of  the  Fathers.  The  two  former, 
according  to  them,  are  in  the  same  neighborhood.  The  prison  of  the 
children  is  raised  above  Purgatory,  say  the  Schoolmen  and  Innocent 
HI.,  so  that  the  flames  of  the  latter  come  not  near  the  establishment  of 


70  DEATH-CANDLES.  [Chap* 

but  it  appeared  to  me,  I  was  in  a  worse  place,  and  every- 
one of  the  priests,  devils,  with  the  old  Capuchin  at  the 
head  of  them.  At  this  time,  one  of  my  American  friends 
came  in,  who  could  speak  their  language.     It  was  not 

the  former.  Alex.  9,  352.  Bell.  II.  6.  Aquin.  III.  69.  VII.  Rosaccio, 
an  Italian  Doctor,  in  the  year  16*20,  determined  with  mathematical  pre- 
cision, the  exact  situation  of  Purgatory.  According  to  this  celebrated 
Doctor,  Purgatory  is  precisely  15.750  miles  above  the  sphere  of  hell, 
and  -2,550  1-2  miles  from  the  inhabitants  of  the  world.  Bell.  II.  6.  Ro- 
saccio, C.  4.  Edgar. 

In  regard  to  what  specific  punishment  they  undergo  in  Purgatory,  the 
Papist  Divines  have  always  been  at  variance.  Some  think  they  suffer 
by  hot  and  cold  water,  others  by  fire.  The  water  of  Purgatory,  accord- 
ing to  the  most  authentic  accounts,  is  both  hot  and  cold;  and  the 
wretched  sufferers  are  perpetually  driven  by  the  current,  first,  among 
icy  glaciers,  where  the  soul  becomes  congealed  into  lumps  of  ice,  and 
then  asain  are  driven  back  into  the  sulphureous  regions,  where  they 
boil.  Alex.  9,  393.  Greg.  IV.  40.  Bellarmine  II.  6. 

Drithelm,  whose  story  is  related  by  Beda  and. Bellarmine,  was  led  on 
his  journey  by  an  angel  in  shining  raiment ;  and  proceeded,  in  the  con> 
pany  of  his  guide,  towards  the  rising  of  the  sun.  The  travelers,  at 
length,  arrived,  in  a  valley  of  vast  dimensions.  This  region,  to  the  left, 
was  covered  with  roasting  furnaces,  and  to  the  right,  with  icy  cold, 
hail,  and  snow.  The  whole  valley  was  filled  with  human  son  Is,  which 
a  tempest  seemed  to  toss  in  all  directions.  The  unhappy  spirits,  unable 
in  the  one  part,  to  bear  the  violent  heat,  leaped  into  the  shivering  cold, 
which  again  drove  them  into  the  scorching  flames,  which  cannot  be  ex- 
tinguished. A  numberless  multitude  of  deformed  souls,  were,  in  this 
manner,  whirled  about,  and  tormented  without  intermission,  in  the  ex- 
tremes of  alternate  heat  and  cold.  This,  according  to  the  Purgatorial 
conductor  who  piloted  Drithelm,  is  the  place  of  chastisement  for  such 
as  defer  Confession  and  amendment  till  the  hour  of  death.  All  these, 
however,  will,  at  the  last  day,  be  admitted  into  heaven:  while  many, 
through  alms,  vigils,  pravers.  and  especially  the  Mass,  will  be  liberated 
even  before  the  General  judgment.  Beda,  V.  12.  Bell.  L.  7.  M.  Paris, 
83,  180.  207.   Edgar. 

These,  and  a  thousand  other  such  fictions,  are  believed  in  Popish 
countries,  and  are  recorded,  for  the  edification  of  the  people,  by  the 
gravest  Popish  writers. 

Papists  must  acknowledge,  if  their  doctrine  is  consistent,  and  the 
Word  of  God  is  true,  that  there  is  no  such  place  as  Purgatory  to  be 
found,  except  in  the  brains  of  the  Popish  Clergy,  who  conceive  and  bring 
forth  the  monstrous  doctrine  for  no  other  end  than  to  fill  their  coffers, 
and  impose  upon  the  ignorance  of  their  devotees.  The  Romish  church 
acknowledges,  that  those  who  die  in  a  state  of  sanctifving  grace,  that  is, 
the  righteous,  do  not  go  to  hell.  This  being  admitted,  Purgatory  must 
disappear  like  a  shadow  before  the  sun,  when  the  Word  of  God  shines 
forth  upon  it;  for  the  Scriptures  expressly  declare,  "  Blessed  are  the 
d-cad  who  die  in  the  Lord  from  henceforth  :  Yea,  saith  the  Spirit,  that  they 
may  rest  from  their  labors}1  Rev.  xiv.  13.  To  this,  we  take  the  liberty  of 
adding  a  text  from  the  Popish  Canon  of  the  Scriptures,  which  reads  as 


Ill]  HER  RECOVERY  FROM  SICKNESS,  71 

her  wish  that  I  should  be  christened,  and  she  interfered, 
and  told  them,  that  if  they  did  not  put  out  the  lights,  it 
would  make  me  crazy.  Upon  this  it  was  done  in  a  little 
time  ;  and  the  old  Capuchin  said,  the  Americans  were 
like  dumb  beasts,  and  were  Satan's  children.  I  soon  after 
recovered,  but  did  not  think  it  was  God's  kind  mercies 
that  restored  me  to  health  again.  I  then  entered  again 
upon  a  thoughtless  life,  during  which,  I  seldom  gave  a 
thought  to  my  dear,  dear  mother,  brothers,  or  sisters  ;  but 
felt  happy  in  indulging  in  the  customs  of  the  place,  where 
they  have  every  thing  rich  and  splendid,  horrid  and 
wicked.* 

follows,  "  The  souls  of  the  righteous  are  in  the  hand  of  God,  and  there 
shall  no  torment  touch  them"  Wisdom,  Consequently  there  can  be  no 
Purgatory  after  death ;  for,  according  to  the  Popish  doctrine,  that  is 
not  a  place  of  rest,  but  torment. — Ed. 

*  It  is  wonderful  that  men  living  in  open  and  gross  violation  of  the 
Gospel  law,  should  be  anxious  to  confer  an  ordinance  of  the  Gospel  on  a 
poor  sinner  for  the  saving  of  her  soul.  The  strong  delusion  of  Popery, 
is  seen  in  this  very  thing,  that  its  ministers  thought  by  the  imposition  of 
their  hands  in  baptism,  they  could  cleanse  the  heart  of  Rosamond,  and 
give  her  entrance  into  heaven.  No  repentance  was  required ;  but  only 
a  willingness  on  her  part,  or,  in  failure  of  her  power  to  express  thai 
willingness,  the  consent  of  her  American  friends  for  her  to  receive 
the  ordinance.  These  friends  abhorred  the  Priests  from  the  very  heart. 
Knowing  both  the  sanctified  airs,  and  the  secret  works  of  darkness  of 
the  Romish  Priests,  they  refused  to  consent  to  the  prostitution  of  the 
holy  rite  in  the  case  of  Rosamond. 

The  doctrine  of  Rome  teaches,  that  by  baptism  a  person  is  made  free, 
not  only  from  the  guilt  of  original  sin,  but  also,  from  the  guilt  of  all 
actual  transgression,  however  enormous ;  so  that  the  desire  of  Manuel 
to  baptize  Rosamond,  was  by  no  means  frivolous.  He  believed  the  doc- 
trine of  his  traditions,  that  all  guilt  is  washed  away  in  the  laver  of  bap- 
tism, and  he  desired  to  make  her  happy,  by  opening  to  her  the  portals  of 
heaven.  He  believed  that  without  baptism  she  would  die  a  heretic,  and 
that  she  could  not  possibly  escape  the  damnation  of  hell.  How  reason- 
able then,  that  he  should  make  some  effort,  to  procure  so  great  an  improve- 
ment of  her  eternal  condition  *?  A  small  ceremony,  an  outward  rite, 
was  not  too  much  to  perform,  to  produce  so  wonderful  a  change. 

The  ceremonies  of  the  Romish  baptism  are  numerous.  The  person 
is  first  catechised.  The  sponsors  may  answer,  when  the  person  cannot. 
He  is  then  exorcised,  by  words  of  sacred  import,  and  prayers,  used  to 
expel  thedevil  from  him.  Next,  salt  is  put  into  his  mouth,  with  much 
signification.  The  forehead,  eyes,  ears,  breast,  and  shoulders,  are 
signed  with  the  sign  of  the  cross.  The  nostrils  and  ears  are  touched 
with  spittle.  He  is  then  taken  to  the  font,  anointed  with  oil,  on  th* 
breast  and  on  the  shoulders.  After  all  this,  with  many  questions  In- 
terspersed, be  is  baptized  either  by  immersion,  or  pouring,  or  sprinkling 


72  THE  PRIESTS  PAINT  THEMSELVES.  [Chap.* 

During  the  time  that  I  was  with  Manuel,  he  took  me  to 
the  theatres,  masquerades,  and  gambling-houses,  as  it  is 
customary  for  fashionable  ladies  there  to  visit  all  those 
places,  and  he  gave  me  money  to  gamble  with. 

He  often  gambled  himself,  but  was  not  fortunate,  ex- 
cept in  the  Convents.  He  would  often  tell  me  on  coming 
from  the  gambling-table  in  the  Convent,  how  he  had  lost 
money,  or  how  he  had  won  ;  and  how  this  Priest  was 
angry,  and  another  Priest  had  tried  to  cheat  him  ;  and  I 
have  often  heard  one  and  another  of  the  Priests  speak  of 
their  success  in  gambling. 

In  the  day  time,  they  are  dressed  in  their  Priestly 
habits;  their  head  is  shaved  upon  the  crown,  and  round 
about  the  ears,  by  which,  they  have  a  ring  of  hair 
around  their  heads,  and  they  disfigure  their  countenan- 
ces much.  At  night,  they  put  on  a  citizen's  dress,  and 
wear  a  wig. 

They  look  deathly  pale  in  their  habits  ;  and  when  they 
put  on  a  citizen's  dress,  they  generally  paint  with  rouge. 
Manuel  Canto  always  painted,  when  he  went  to  the 
theatre,  or  where  the  light  was  bright ;  but  when  he  rode, 
or  walked  in  the  citizen's  dress,  he  did  not  paint.  I  could 
always  see  their  countenance  change  to  a  solemn  and 
ghostly  expression,  whenever  they  put  on  their  habits. 
In  a  citizen's  dress,  that  the  change  is  so  great,  you  would 
hardly  know  them.  In  this  dress  they  can  mix  in  places 
of  iniquity,  among  the  same  persons,  who  go  to  them  to 
hear  Masses  and  to  give  in  their  Confessions.  In  the  day 
time,  to  look  upon  them,  you  would  take  them  to  be 
Saints,  by  their  dress  and  by  their  countenances. 

I  had  been  living  with  him  about  a  year,  when  I  was 
taken  again  sick  with  the  black  vomit,  and  was  thought 
by  myself  and  others  to  be  near  to  death.  Now,  for 
the  first  time,  I  was  brought  to  see  and  feel  my  lost 

the  water.  The  crown  of  his  head  is  then  anointed  with  oil  of  chrism, 
a  white  garment  is  put  on  him ;  a  burning  candle  is  placed  in  his  hand, 
and,  lastly,  his  name  is  given,  which  ought  to  be  that  of  some  Saint,  able 
to  be  the  guardian  of  his  life.  So,  Patrick  is  name  enough  for  the  Irish, 
but  the  Spaniards  take  the  names  of  many  Saints  to  protect  a  single 
child. — Cramp's  Text  Book  of  Popery,  p.  133. 


IIL]  DEATH-CANDLES.  73 

situation,  so  sensibly,  that  I  knew,  if  I  died,  I  should  be 
Jost 

Manuel  would  never  allow  any,  but  the  Convent  phy- 
sicians, to  attend  me  in  my  illness.  Several  physicians 
are  attached  to  each  Convent,  and  habited  like  the 
Priests.  My  Priest  then  tried  to  persuade  me  to  be  christ- 
ened, and  to  become  a  Christian  ;  for  he  told  me,  if  I  died 
as  I  was9  I  should  surely  go  to  hell.  He  brought  several 
Priests  to  see  me,  and  to  persuade  me,  that  if  I  would  only 
consent  to  be  anointed,  and  to  become  one  of  their  per- 
suasion, I  should  then  be  a  Christian  and  die  happy.  In 
all  this,  he  appeared  to  be  moved  solely  by  a  desire  for 
my  spiritual  and  everlasting  good.  i 

They  sent  for  a  Capuchin  Priest,  who  belongs  to  St. 
Philip's  Convent,  whom  they  look  upon  to  be  more  holy 
than  any  other.  Those  Priests,  by  their  looks  and  dress, 
appear  to  be  something  more  than  natural  beings  of  earth. 
Their  heads  are  shorn  in  such  a  form,  that  you  can  per- 
ceive but  very  little  of  their  hair.  They  wear  their 
beards  long.  Their  habits  are  made  plain;  a  leathern 
belt  is  girded  about  them ;  and  three  yards  of  beads  hang 
around  their  necks,  which  they  make  use  of  in  counting 
the  Saints,  when  saying  their  prayers.  That  is,  for  every 
Saint  they  address  a  prayer  to,  they  move  a  bead,  and  for 
every  time  they  call  on  the  same  Saint,  they  also  move  a 
bead.  Then  the  sum  of  their  prayers  is  told  by  the  num- 
ber of  beads  they  have  pushed  along  on  the  string. 

They  wear  no  stockings,  but  half  sandals.  Those 
Priests  were  brought  into  my  sick  room,  and  death- 
candles  lighted  up,  as  they  call  them.  These  candles  are 
very  large,  and  one  is  placed  at  each  of  the  four  corners 
of  the  table. 

When  I  saw  this,  I  soon  lost  my  senses.  At  this  time 
some  of  my  American  female  friends  came  in,  and  ob- 
jected to  my  being  christened.  This  caused  a  great  con- 
fusion ;  but  they  left  me  as  they  fcund  me,  only  they 
frightened  me  out  of  my  senses. 

But  the  Lord  had  mercy  on  me.  and  I  was  restored  to 
my  health  again. 
7 


74  RECOVERS  AGAIK  FROM  S1CKXE85,  (CllSp 

I  soon  forgot  that  I  had  been  brought  so  near  to  death, 
and  entered  again  on  the  scene  of  amusements  and 
wickedness  with  him.  My  conscience  often  told  me  thai. 
I  w#s  very  wicked,  and  that  I  was  committing  a  great  sin 
in  living  with  him  as  I  did,  I  have  often  told  him  that 
when  we  died,  we  should  both  go  to  hell.  He  then  would 
tell  me,  if  I  would  be  christened,  and  become  of  their  per- 
suasion, I  then  should  be  a  Christian  }  I  then  could  go  to 
the  Virgin  Mary  with  all  my  burden ;  that  she  would  re- 
lieve me  ;  that  all  Protestants  would  be  lost ;  that  none 
would  or  could  be  saved,  except  those  that  belong  to  the 
Holy  Catholic  Church,  But  as  ignorant  as  I  was,  I 
knew  their  religion  could  not  save  me.  During  this 
time  he  was  very  kind  to  me,  and  provided  every  thing 
for  my  comfort,  but  would  not  consent  to  my  seeing  any 
of  my  country  people.  His  wish  was,  that  my  society 
should  be  amongst  his  country  people.  I  was  obliged  to 
submit  to  his  wishes  ;  for  if  you  put  yourself  under  their 
protection,  you  cannot  gratify  your  own  wishes,  but  must 
always  gratify  theirs.  And  by  this  time  I  was  brought 
under  his  control  entirely.  I  durst  not  think  or  do  any 
thing  without  consulting  with  him  first. 

I  have  often  asked  him  if  he  did  sincerely  believe  that 
he  could  forgive  the  sins  of  those  that  came  to  him  to 
make  Confession,  and  say  Mass  for  them.  On  conversing 
seriously  with  him,  he  would  tell  me  that  he  should  try  to 
save  his  own  soul  first,  and  then  would  do  all  that  he 
could  to  save  others ;  that  no  one  would  be  lost  that  be- 
longed to  the  Holy  Catholic  Church,  evren  though  they 
should  sin  daily,  if  they  would  but  goto  the  Virgin  Mary, 
and  beg  for  mercy.* 

*  The  famous  Popish  Cardinal  Cajetan  says,  "  Cessante  scandalo," 
&c,  "that  the  Virgin  Mary  can  be  worshiped  with  supreme  adoration, 
only  on  account  of  her  having  touched,  (the  Savior,)  provided  it  can 
be  done  without  scandal.  But  the  more  modern  Divines  maintain, 
that  she  can  be  worshiped  with  supreme  adoration,  not  only  on  account 
of  her  having  touched  the  Savior,  but  also,  on  account  of  her  mater- 
nity, inasmuch,  as  the  same  blood  flowed  through  her  veins  as  flowed 
through  the  Savior's."   Vasq.  L.  I.  Disp.  8,  C.  1,  N.  195,  I9G. 

Their  great  St.  Thomas  Aquin,  otherwise  styled  tfre  Angelic  Doc- 
tor, tells  us  also,  that  the  "  Cross  of  Christ  is  to  be  worshiped  with  the 


III.]  MURDER  TO  PAY  FOR  MASSES.  75 

The  Priests  do  lead  the  people  so  much  in  darkness, 
that  if  any  commit  murder,  and  only  goes  to  one  of  the 
Priests,  and  takes  with  him  a  sum  of  money,  and  Con- 
fesses what  he  has  done,  they  make  him  believe  by  their 
Masses  and  burning  candles,  that  God  will  forgive  the 
murder ;  but  let  any  criminal  go  to  one  without  money, 
and  the  Priest  will  not  hear  him  Confess  ;  without  the  re- 
quisite sum,  he  will  go  to  hell.  This  drives  criminals  to 
new  thefts  and  murders  ;  for  I  have  known  instances  of 
the  kind,  and  have  seen  arid  heard  Confessions  by  them, 
when  on  the  gallows  to  be  hung — that  such  and  such  a 
Priest  was  the  cause  of  their  death.  They  were  not  per- 
mitted to  tell  the  Priest  by  name.  They  still  die  in  the 
fear  of  the  Priests  ;  for  if  they  have  any  friends  to  give 
the  Priests  money,  to  buy  candles,  they  are  led  to  believe 
that  the  Priests  by  burning  candles  can  light  them 
through  Purgatoryl  This  I  have  heard  himself  say, 
that  they  could  not  save  them  without  money.  In  Cuba 
they  think  nothing  of  going  to  public  executions.  I  have 
often  attended.  Sometimes  a  number  would  be  hung 
every  week.  I  have  myself  heard  them,  on  the  gallows, 
charge  their  crime  on  the  Priests,  always  concealing  their 
names,  to  purchase  whose  Masses  and  prayers  they  com- 
mitted the  robbing  and  murder.  And  I  have  heard  others, 
attending  when  I  did  not.  tell  of  the  convicts  Confessing 
the  same  thing. 

It  is  natural  for  the  Priests  to  be  possessed  of  a  jealous 
disposition.  Manuel  began  to  be  unkind  to  me,  but  still 
provided  every  thing  for  my  comfort.  He  would  often 
have  supper  parties  at  my  house,  of  other  Priests,  his 
friends,  who  would  likewise  bring  their  ladies  with  them, 
who  were  living  with  them  in  the  same  capacity.  Among 
them  were    Father  Antonia,   Father   Gabrilla,   Father 

Zoda,  with  their  ladies ;  and  Father  Hosa.   Father  R , 

and  Father  Truman,  were  in  the  habit  of  visiting  Father 
Canto  familiarly  at  my  house  without  their  ladies. 
These  last  had  their  ladies,  and  I  knew  them,  and  met 

same  adoration  with  Christ,  that  is,  with  the  adoration  of  latriae,  supreme 
worship*"  Thorn.  Aquin  1IL  dues.  25,  Art  4.— Ed. 


J6  CANDLES  TO  TORMENT  WITH.  [Chap. 

them  at  home,  and  at  the  gambling-houses,  and  at  the 
masquerades.  Father  Senor,  Father  Varela,  and  others^ 
visited  often  at  my  house.  The  Priests  never  call  one 
another  Father,  but  always,  Canto,  Antonia,  &c.  I  will 
not  be  sure  that  I  spell  their  names  right,  but  I  can  pro- 
nounce them  right,  and  tell  the  Convent  to  which  each 
one  belonged.  Canto  belonged,  as  I  have  said,  to  St 
Francisco  Convent,  so  did  R and  Hosa.  Senor  be- 
longed to  the  Cathedral,  St.  Catalina.  Antonia  belonged 
to  St.  Domingo  Convent,  Gabrilla  belonged  to  St.  Clare, 
Zoda  belonged  to  St.  Wanadou. 

The  Priests  are  very  partial  to  foreigners,  as  they  say 
it  is  not  so  much  sin,  as  to  take  their  own  countrywomen, 
because  Americans  are  of  a  fairer  complexion,  and  of 
more  virtuous  habits,  and  more  pardonably  tempting 
than  the  natives  of  the  island.  They  admit  it.  that  the 
Virgin  Mary  will  have  more  mercy  on  them,  for  the 
temptation  by  foreigners  is  greater  j  and  I  have  been  told 
by  respectable  persons,  that  they  can  put  all  the  curses  of 
the  sin  on  the  woman's  head  that  lives  with  them,  by  say- 
ing Masses,  and  burning  candles  on  her  head. 

Any  one  can  go  to  the  Convents,  and  buy  those  candles 
of  the  Priests,  to  try  malediction,  as  the  Priestcraft 
term  it. 

If  a  young  lady  is  desirous  of  gaining  the  affections  of 
any  gentleman,  she  will  go  to  the  Priest,  with  a  sum  of 
money.  He  will  sell  her  those  candles,  and  bless  them 
too,- that  in  burning  them  she  may  gain  a  victory.  And 
they  have  other  candles  to  sell  you,  if  you  want  to  tor- 
ment any  one,  or  to  set  any  one  crazy  with  love.  The 
malediction  candles  are  not  burned  in  the  Saint's  pre- 
sence, or  before  their  images  ;  that  would  be  sin  ;  but 
they  burn  them  in  small  rooms  by  themselves.  The 
red  candles  usually  have  nine  new  pins  stuck  in  each,  in 
the  form  of  the  Cross.  The  Priests  instruct  them  how  to 
place  the  pins,  which  are  the  common  pins,  only  they 
must  be  new. 

Their  rule  is,  to  burn  them  nine  days  and  nights,,  and 
nine  Masses  are  to  be  said,  on  that  individual    This  I 


III.]  DELUSIONS  OF  PRIESTCRAFT.  77 

do  know  to  be  the  fact,  that  they  deal  with  Priestcraft; 
and,  in  that  way,  make  their  people  so  much  afraid  of 
them.  Seeing  so  much  of  their  wickedness  and  Priest- 
craft, was  one  thing  that  led  me  to  see  my  lost  situa- 
tion. 

7* 


78  ATTACKED  BY  ROBBERS,  [Chap 


CHAPTER  IV. 

u  Cautious  and  swift  the  Indian  went, 

"  His  head  was  raised,  his  bow  wTas  bent? 

"  And  as  he?  like  a  wild  deer,  sped, 

"-  So  light,  so  silent,  was  his  tread, 

"  That  scarce  a  leaf  was  seen  to  move, 

"  Of  flower  below,  or  branch  above."" 

Miss  L.  M.  Davidson. 

Rosamond  attacked  in  her  house  bf  robbers. —  Wounded  and  supposed  to  be 
dead. — One  robber  hilled. — Another  taken. — His  punishment. — Loses 
her  senses  under  the  shock  from  Manuel's  entering  her  room. — She  reco- 
vers, and  removes  to  another  house. — Learns  who  sent  the  robbers  to  he? 
house. — Altars  of  private  devotion  to  ihe  Struts. 

I  had  been  living  in  Havanna  about  three  monthsr 
when  on  the  third  of  October,  1828,  at  seven  o'clock  in 
the  evening  of  a  rainy  day,  I  was  assailed  by  the  robbers 
in  my  house.  I  was  alone  sitting  in  my  boittak.  or 
Havanna  armed  chair,  at  the  window,  looking  into  the 
street.  My  servant  girl,  Sarah,  had  put  the  front  door  a 
jar,  on  her  way  to  the  grocer's,  and  then  turned  back  for 
a  few  moments,  to  the  yard.  As  she  re-entered  the  back 
door,  three  ruffians  entered  the  front  door,  throwing  it 
wide  open  upon  its  hinges.  The  first  that  entered  was  a 
white  man,  who  flew  and  seized  me  by  the  throat,  and 
presented  a  knife  to  my  breast ;  while  a  black  seized  the 
colored  girl,  and  presented  a  knife  to  her  breast,  and  a 
mulatto  guarded  the  front  door,  walking  to  and  fro.  I 
screamed  aloud  ;  for,  at  the  first  sight,  I  knew  they  were 
robbers.  The  Commissaries,  with  the  city  guards,  are 
not  usually  stationed  before  half  past  seven  or  eight 
o'clock ;  and  at  seven  is  the  hour  of  evening  prayers,  or 
oration  in  the  Convents,  when  the  Convent  bells  ring,  and 
the  Priests  must  all  be  in  their  Convents  j  and  when  the 
devout  or  even  formal  Roman  Catholics,  in  their  houses. 
or  in  the  streets,  riding  or  walking,  stop  ;  or,  sitting  and 
eating,  rise  up,  and  Cross  themselves,  and  offer  a  prayer. 
And  this  hour  of  common  devotion,  is  the  precise  time 
for  the  robbers  to  be  on  the  alert. 


ROSAMOND  attacked  by  ROBBERS. 


T.  78. 


IV.]  ATTACKED  BY  ROBBERS.  79 

I  could  not  understand  Spanish,  and  the  robbers  did 
not  understand  English.  My  servant  begged  of  them  for 
me,  and  begged  of  me,  to  cease  screaming,  or  they  would 
certainly  kill  us  both,  and  to  give  them  what  money  I 
had,  and  they  would  leave  the  house.  My  servant  could 
speak  three  languages,  and  she  pleaded  with  them  for  our 
lives,  while  I  cried  murder  !  help  !  robbers  !  But  all  my 
crying  was  of  no  avail ;  for  when  the  robbers  make  an 
attack,  all  the  neighbors  close  their  shutters  and  doors, 
and  no  one  dares  to  come  to  your  assistance.  There  is 
but  little  chance  of  any  one's  coming  to  your  assistance, 
because  they  fear  to  be  taken  for  the  robbers  themselves. 
They  do  not  open  the  shutters  again  until  the  robbers 
have  fled,  or  have  been  secured.  And  the  custom  of  the 
place  is,  not  to  cry  an  alarm,  or  make  any  noise,  when  at- 
tacked by  robbers,  but  silently  to  give  them  what  money 
you  have,  in  the  confident  expectation  that  if  you  do  this, 
they  will  spare  your  life ;  but  that  if  you  make  an  out- 
cry they  will  kill  you.  I  had  not  yet  learned  the  customs 
of  the  place. 

Seeing  the  shutters  of  the  neighbors  all  closed,  and 
myself  all  a  gore  of  blood,  I  asked  my  servant  what  we 
should  do — if  they  were  going  to  kill  us.  She  said,  no,  if 
I  would  not  halloo  any  more,  and  would  give  them  what 
money  I  had.  For  the  robber  had  removed  my  left  ear- 
ring ;  and  in  his  effort  to  take  out  the  right  hand  one,  he 
was  embarrassed  by  the  spring ;  and  when  I  raised  my 
hand,  to  take  it  out  for  him,  and  I  saw  my  hand  and  arm 
were  covered  with  blood,  I  shrieked,  O,  do  come  !  he  has 
killed  me  !  so  loud,  that  it  is  said  I  was  heard  to  the  Place 
de  Amos,  which  was  distant  several  squares.  He  rent 
out  the  ear-ring,  tearing  it  through  the  flesh ;  and  I 
found  myself  stabbed  in  my  mouth,  in  my  side,  and  in 
my  hand.*      I   did   not  know  when  I  received   these 

*  The  scars  of  these  four  wounds  which  she  received  upon  this  occa- 
sion, are  now  distinctly  seen  upon  her  body.  Her  right  ear  is  slit  bv 
the  wrenching  oat  of  the  ring,  the  length  of  about  onelhird  of  an  inch. 
The  other  scars  are  about  an  inch  long.  One  is  on  the  right  side  of 
her  cheek,  near  her  mouth ;  one  on  the  right  hand ;  and  another  on  her 
side. — Ed. 


80  RESCUED  BY  THE  COMMISSARIES.  [Chap. 

wounds,  but  the  flowing  blood  made  me  think  I  was 
surely  killed.  Then,  for  the  first  time,  I  thought  of  call- 
ing on  my  God  for  help ;  and  I  cried :  Lord  !  have  mercy 
on  me  !  for  I  felt  that  I  was  going  in  a  moment  to  eter- 
nity. Instantly  I  was  calm, — I  stopped  crying, — and  it  did 
appear  to  me,  as  if  God  was  with  me.  I  went  readily 
into  the  next  room,  the  robber  still  holding  me  fast  by  the 
throat,  and  I  gave  him  what  money  I  had  in  the  house. 
I  became  perfectly  resigned,  and  expected  every  moment 
to  be  launched  into  eternity. 

By  this  time  the  Commissaries  came.  A  noise  was 
heard  in  the  front  room.  The  robber  let  go  his  grasp  on 
my  throat,  and  ran.  In  passing  oat,  he  wounded  the 
Commissary  who  stood  guard  at  the  door,  while  the  sol- 
diers had  pursued  the  two  other  robbers.  The  white  rob- 
ber came  unexpectedly  upon  the  Commissary,  who  sup- 
posed there  were  but  two  robbers  in  the  assault ;  and  the 
wound  he  gave  the  Commissary,  enabled  that  robber  to 
escape.  But  the  mulatto  was  stabbed  and  killed  by  one 
of  the  soldiers  in  pursuit,  and  the  black  was  taken.  I 
have  seen  the  end  of  the  soldier's  sword,  which  was 
broken  off  in  the  body  of  the  slain  mulatto. 

After  they  had  left  the  house,  I  heard  my  servant  girl 
crying  in  the  street,  "  they  have  killed  my  Mistress  !" — 
She  escaped  unhurt  into  the  street,  as  soon  as  the  robbers 
had  gone.  I  ran  towards  the  sound  of  her  voice,  and  fell 
senseless  to  the  ground  in  the  middle  of  the  street. 

Here  no  one  dared  to  lift  me  up,  until  the  head  Com- 
missary and  a  Physician  were  called.  The  crowd 
gathered  round,  supposing,  from  the  quantity  of  blood, 
that  I  was  dead.  But  after  the  Commissary  and  the  Sur- 
geon came,  I  was  removed  into  my  house,  and  my 
wounds  were  dressed. 

These  robbers  neither  put  out  the  lights  of  my  house, 
nor  shut  the  door,  nor  shutters ;  and  people  were  passing 
in  the  street  all  the  time.  But  in  Havanna,  the  people 
will  neither  stop,  nor  gather  in  a  crowd,  nor  look  round, 
if  there  is  a  robber  in  the  way.  One  American  lady  saved 
herself,  when  her  house  was  assailed  by  robbers,  by  going 


IV.]  MODE  OP  WHIPPING  CRIMINALS.  81 

upon  the  roof,  and  crying  fire  !  fire  !  This  brought  the 
people  out,  and  the  robbers  fled  ;  when,  if  she  had  cried 
"  Robbers  /"  every  door  and  window  shutter  would  have 
been  closed,  and  the  robbers  would  have  plundered  the 
house,  and  perhaps  murdered  the  mistress. 

The  black  robber  who  was  taken  in  the  attack  on  my 
house,  was  put  in  prison,  and  kept  until  his  trial.  Then 
he  was  condemned,  and  sentenced  to  be  exposed  half 
naked  on  a  mule,  and  whipped  at  the  corners  of  the  prin- 
cipal streets,  and  afterwards  to  be  sent  five  years  to  the 
Spanish  mines. 

The  mode  of  whipping  is  this. — The  criminal  is  taken 
by  the  Commissary,  and  placed  on  a  mule,  on  a  wooden 
saddle.  The  Commissaries  and  their  soldiers  walk  on 
either  side.  The  multitude  follows  behind,  to  see  the 
whipping.  At  every  corner  of  the  street,  where  the  Com- 
missary passes,  he  stops  the  mule,  rings  a  bell,  and  pro- 
claims the  crime  of  the  convict,  and  then  he  strikes  him 
on 'the  naked  back,  one  blow,  with  an  instrument  resem- 
bling, in  shape,  a  common  hand- card  for  carding  cotton 
or  wool.  It  is  full  of  sharp  iron  points,  which  at  every 
stroke  make  the  blood  flow.  After  the  one  blow,  he  drives 
on  to  the  next  corner,  and  there  repeats  the  same  cere 
mony. 

After  I  was  relieved,  and  my  wounds  were  dressed,  my 
Priest  came.  He  was  in  his  Convent  at  the  time  the  rob- 
bery happened.  As  soon  as  he  entered  my  room,  I  lost 
my  reason.  I  remained  in  this  situation  three  months. 
In  this  time,  I  was  removed  to  a  friend's  house,  Mrs. 
A T 's,  a  Spanish  lady,  where  Manuel  pro- 
vided for  me  every  thing  to  make  me  comfortable.  It  was 
said  that  he  was  kind  to  me,  and  mourned  much  about 
me.  This  became  all  public,  up  to  the  governor,  and 
down  to  the  lowest  class,  who  I  was,  and  who  I  was  liv- 
ing with.  It  excited  more  attention,  on  account  of  my 
being  a  foreigner,  and  of  my  living  with  a  well  known 
and  respected  Priest. 

At  the  time  that  I  was  brought  to  my  reason,  which 
was  three  months  after,  then  I  was  brought  to  see  what  a 


82  WICKEDNESS  OF  MANUEL,  [Chap. 

sinner  I  was,  and  what  wicked  people  I  was  living  with, 
I  then  told  him,  that  1  could  never  go  to  live  with  him 
again ;  that  it  was  more  wicked  for  me  to  live  with  him, 
than  if  I  was  with  any  one  else.  I  felt  so ;  for  I  "knew  that 
he  was  very  wicked,  and  have  often  told  him,  that  when 
we  died,  we  should  both  go  to  hell ;  that  their  religion 
could  not  save  them. 

He  replied,  that  it  was  not  so  dangerous  to  the  soul,  to 
live  with  him,  as  with  a  common  citizen  ;  for  if  I  would 
become  a  Catholic,  he  would  save  my  soul ;  but  unless  I 
became  a  true  Catholic,  neither  he  could  do  any  thing  for 
me,  nor  could  any  of  his  friends. 

I  then  thought  to  myself,  if  I  was  only  a  Christian  ! — 
Oh,  the  sound  of  the  voice  of  a  Christian  !  And  would 
often  think  and  say,  if  I  could  only  go  and  find  some 
Christian,  to  go  to  tell  them  how  I  felt !  For  I  knew  it 
was  the  mercies  of  God,  that  saved  my  life,  and  rescued 
me  from  the  wicked  hands  of  those  robbers :  and  I  felt 
and  knew  that  if  I  persevered  in  my  way  of  living,  that  I 
should  be  lost,  not  only  in  this  world,  but  through  eternity 
for  ever  and  ever.  Oh !  I  can  well  remember  those  feel- 
ings ;  and  they  still  make  me  shudder,  when  I  see  how 
near  my  feet  were  in  the  gulf  of  wo  ;  and  to  see  how 
much  mercy  the  Lord  has  had  for  me,  and  what  he  has 
done  for  me,  O,  that  I  may  always  lay  at  the  feet  of 
Jesus,  and  have  it  always  in  view,  how  much  the  Lord  has 
done  for  me ! 

It  was  not  my  wish  to  live  with  him  again  ;  but  as  I 
have  said,  when  you  put  yourself  under  their  protection, 
it  is  not  so  easy  to  leave  the  Priests,  as  one  might  think  ; 
and  I  was  brought  into  so  much  fear  of  him,  that  I  felt 
like  a  criminal  in  his  presence.  After  I  recovered,  I  did 
not  return  to  live  in  the  same  house,  but  Manuel  provided 
another  one,  No.  16  Cuille,  O'  Havanna,  for  which  I  paid 
Si  ounces,  or  about  $59. 

My  girl  was  so  terrified  by  the  robbers,  that  she  would 
never  return  again  to  live  with  me. 

Shortly  after  this,  I  was  informed  how  and  why  I  was 
attacked  by  the  robbers,  and  I  had  every  reason  to  believe 


lVeJ  HER  FEAR  OF  MANUEL.  83 

it  to  be  true.  The  person  who  informed  me,  was  a  Spanish 
officer's  wife,  who  was  then  living  next  door  to  me.  She 
appeared  to  feel  much  for  my  lost  situation,  and  often 
urged  me  to  leave  him,  telling  me  how  wicked  it  was  to 
live  with  one  of  the  Priests  ;  that  he  could  pray  for  all  the 
curses  of  the  sin  upon  my  head,  and  that  God  would  have 
no  mercy  on  me. 

When  I  told  Manuel  of  this,  I  was  obliged,  through 
fear,  to  tell  him  my  author  ;  for,  although  I  knew  it  to  be 
true,  I  also  knew,  that  if  I  lost  his  friendship,  I  would  be 
undone  and  lost  myself,  since  I  had  no  kind  friend  where 
to  find  a  shelter. 


"  O !  that  I  had  a  faithful  friend, 

"  To  tell  my  secrets  to, 
"  On  whose  advice  I  might  depend, 

"  In  every  thing  I  do ! 

"  How  do  I  wander  up  and  down, 

"  And  no  one  pities  me  ! 
11 1  seem  a  stranger  quite  unknown, 

"  A  child  of  misery." 


The  Spanish  officer's  wife  informed  me,  that  I  was  at- 
tacked by  the  robbers  by  the  direction  of  a  Spanish  lady, 
who  was  the  wife  of  a  certain  marquis  belonging  to  the 
nobility,  with  whom  Manuel  had  been  intimate  for  a 
number  of  years  before  I  had  become  acquainted  with 
him.  This  lady  had  an  independent  fortune,  and  kept  a 
private  altar  of  the  Saints  in  one  of  her  rooms  for  her  own 
devotions.  It  is  customary  for  all  the  nobility,  to  have 
their  altars  and  Saints,  for  worship  in  their  houses  ;  and 
also  for  the  Priest  to  go  to  their  houses,  to  hear  their  Con- 
fessions. This  Priest  of  mine  was  her  favorite  Priest,  and 
she  had  supported  him,  and  supplied  all  his  wants  of 
money,  which  he  bestowed  on  me  and  on  others ;  and  in 
those  countries  it  costs  not  a  little  to  live.  This  lady  had 
learned  that  he  was  living  with  me,  he  paying  his  visits 
to  her  daily,  as  her  Priest,  in  the  eyes  of  her  husband  and 


84  HER  FEAR  OF  MANUEL.  [Chap. 

family.  Her  jealousy  and  her  wicked  heart,  had  hired 
these  robbers  to  attack  me  ;  but  through  the  mercies  of  the 
Lord.  I  was  delivered  out  of  their  hands.  It  was  some- 
time after  I  heard  this,  before  I  had  strength  or  resolution 
through  fear  to  tell  him. 


MASQUERADE  BALL. 


ZS5. 


V.J  MAS&UERADES.  95 


CHAPTER  V. 


s*He  stood  on  Sinai,  wrapped  in  storm  clouds,  wild 
"His  loose  locks  streamed  around  him,  and  his  eye 
"  Flashed  indignation  on  a  world  defiled 
"  With  sense  and  slavery,  who  lost  the  high 
"Prerogative  of  power  and  spirit,  by 
"Their  longings  for  their  flesh-pots.     O,  'tis  lust, 
"  Which  robs  us  of  our  freedom,  makes  us  lie 
"  Wallowing  in  willing  wretchedness." 

Percival. 


Masquerades. —  The  habit  of  attending . —  The  wealth  of  the  people  of  Ha- 
vanna. —  Their  silent  stab.—  Their  stilling  hiss. —  Their  calling  hiss. — 
The  mockery  of  the  Priests  in  Masks. — ManueVs  remark  on  his  habit. — 
His  urging  Rosamond  to  pray  to  the  Virgin  for  good  luck. —  Their  uni- 
versal superstition. 

Every  Sunday  evening  in  Havanna,  and  often  on 
other  days  of  the  week,  there  is  a  public  masquerade  ball, 
to  which  all  go,  who  will  pay  their  admission  dollar,  and 
behave  civilly  in  their  way.  Sometimes  a  thousand 
people  attend  in  the  several  saloons ;  people  of  the  gen- 
teel class,  from  the  Governor  and  Priests,  down  to  the 
poor  gentleman.  I  was  not  regular  in  my  attendance  at 
the  Mass-house  on  the  Sabbath-day,  but  was  punctual,  on 
that  day,  at  the  masquerades  ;  and  so  was  Manuel.*    The 

*  Plays  are  allowed  by  the  Church  of  Rome  on  the  Sabbath,  "Be- 
cause," (as  Ligori  teaches,)  "  they  are  for  the  recreation  of  the  mind, 
and  by  way  of  rest  from  servile  labor."  Ligor.  TheoL  de.  3.  Prac. 
Dec.  C.  i. 

They  do  not  stop  here,  but  advance  so  far  in  iniquity  as  to  teach, 
that  "  the  commandment  to  sanctify  the  Sabbath,  does  not  oblige  us  to 
worship  God  in  Spirit.''1  This, Saint  Ligori  attempts  to  prove,  by  quo- 
tations from  a  multitude  of  their  best  divines  ;  and,  among  the  rest,  he 
quotes  the  Angelical  St.  Thomas,  who  says,  that  "  we  are  not  bound  to 
worship  God  interiorly  by  this  commandment."  Thorn.  I.  2.  GL.  122.  C.  4. 
"  The  same  doctrine,"  (he  says,)  "  is  taught  in  the  Roman  Cate- 
chism." Ligor.  de  3.  Prac.  Dec.  C.  1.  N.  264.  "  Hunting,  hawking, 
fishing,  are  allowed  on  the  Sabbarh."  Id.  N.  283; — also,  "  merchandiz- 
ing, and  selling  goods  at  auction,  is  allowed."  "  It  is  also  permitted  on 
the  Lord's  Day,"  (says  this  same  great  Saint  Ligori,)  "  to  sell  liquor 

AND    EATABLES,    EVEN  TO  THE  MAKING    OF    THOSE  WHO    BUY    DRUNK  ;    alsO,  tO 

sell  shoes,  candles,  and  such  like  things,  likewise  houses,  horses,  and 
merchandize,   these  are  all  allowed," — (and  behold    his    reasons!!) 

8 


86  price  of  masks,  [Chap, 

chief  expense  of  attendance,  was  in  the  hiring  of  the 
dresses  for  the  different  evenings,  and  in  the  cost  of  re- 
freshments, suppers,  and  gambling  at  these  balls.  The 
cost  of  a  common  mask-dress,  for  an  evening,  is  four  dol- 
lars, and  from  a  dollar  to  a  dollar  and  a  half,  tor  the  mask. 
For  any  stylish  dress7  the  cost  is  half,  or  three  quarters,  or 
a  whole  doubloon,  or  mmcer  as  they  call  it.  An  ounce  of 
gold  in  Havanna,  is  no  more  than  an  ounce  of  silver  here 
in  the  expenses  of  the  people,  They  think  little  more  of 
a  doubloon,  than  we  do  of  a  dollar. 

Foreigners,  strangers^  and  sometimes  ladies,  appear 
without  masks.  Manuel  and  other  Priests  used  to  fre- 
quent the  balls  and  gambling-rooms,  (which  latter  are  in 
saloons,  opening  from  the  ball-rooms,)  in  a  citizen's  dress 
without  a  mask.*  He  used  to  give  me  money  for  gam- 
bling, as  he  was  unfortunate  in  the  crambliiw-houses  him- 
self.  In  the  Convents  he  was  more  successful ;  but  he 
never  was  vexed  if  I  lost,  even  though  it  were  twenty  dol- 
lars of  an  evening ;  for  I  paid  up  my  losses  when  I  won, 
and  kept  the  money,  if  any  thing  was  over, 

"  both  because  by  use,  the  timid  and  scrupulous  are  brought  to  bear  it; 
and  also,  because  the  Church  only  prohibits  selling  in  public  shops  on 
account  of  the  scandal."  Ligor,  TheoL  de  3.  Praee.  Dec.  Dub,  1.  N.  286, 

P.  S. — The  above  seems  almost  incredible ; — but  I  am  willing  to 
prove  the  correctness  of  these  quotations  before  the  whole  United 
States.  The  authority  of  this  Saint,  not  a  Popish  Priest  dare  dispute, 
—Ed. 

*  Capt.  J.  E,  Alexander  in  his  "  Transatlantic  Sketches,"  testifies, 
that  the  Priests  in  the  West  India  Islands  pass  much  of  their  time  in 
gambling,  cock-fighting,  and  bull-baiting.  Vol.  I.  p.  339.  "  Many  of 
the  country  Padres"  (Holy  Fathers,)  says  he,  "are  excessively  idle, 
and  openly  vicious,  and  a  perfect  disgrace  to  the  Church."  Id,  ib.  "  I 
heard,"  (continues  he,)  c;  a  liberal  Ecclesiastic  lament  over  the  sins  of 
his  brethren,  and  regret  that  marriage  was  not  permitted  in  the  Church. 
Many  of  the  Padres  have  a  handsome  Niece  to  keep  their  houses  in 
order;  but  it  is  better  this,  than  exciting  the  jealousy  of  husbands." 

"  What  respect,"  (exclaims  the  same  writer.)  "can  a  Clergy  be  held 
in,  when  they  are  too  often  bold  and  eager  gamblers  !  From  Mass, 
they  go  to  the  cock-pit ;  and  from  the  cock-pit  to  Mass  j  and  sometimes 
delay  the  Mass  to  see  the  end  of  a  fight.  They  might  be  seen  at  Gna- 
nabacoa,  in  full  Canonicals,  watching  with  intense  interest,  a  combat 
between  a  favorite  cock  and  that  of  a  negro  slave,  who  had  staked 
his  money  against  that  of  the  unworthy  Priest." — Transatlantic 
Sketches,  Vol.  I.  p.  340.—  Ed. 


V.]  MANUEL  IN  A  WOMAN'S  DRESS.  87 

When  any  man  attending  the  ball,  in  his  passion  at  a 
loss,  or  at  an  attempt. to  cheat,  draws  his  knife,  and  stabs 
another,  he  does  it  without  a  word  of  alarm,  or  any  noise. 
The  dealers  of  the  cards  do  not  stop,  nor  does  a  female 
scream.  The  only  notice  taken  of  the  act,  by  the  com- 
pany present,  is,  that  every  one  places  his  fore-finger 
across  his  lips,  shuts  his  teeth,  and  blows  a  long  stilling  ' 
hiss;  as  much  as  to  say,— Ji  never  mention  it  ?' — and  the 
soldiers,  who  are  always  in  attendance,  take  the  hostile 
parties  out,  and  all  things  are  as  if  nothing  violent  had 
occurred.* 

This  gentle  hiss  is  a  common  one  in  Havanna,  for 
many  purposes.  If  one  would  stop  a  friend  passing  in 
the  street,  he  never  speaks  or  calls  his  name,  walking  or 
riding.,  but  breathes  short  hisses,  to  obtain  his  attention. 
But  the  hiss  of  silence  is  long  and  gentle,  with  the  finger 
placed  on  the  lips  in  token  of  silence. 

The  life  of  the  masquerade,  depends  on  the  novelty  of 
the  characters  assumed  by  different  persons,  and  the 
spirit  with  which  each  one  sustains  his  character.  Ma- 
nuel used  to  be  very  fond  of  appearing  in  the  character  of 
a  lady.  It  is  no  matter  that  he  is  known  for  a  man,  if 
only  be  plays  well  the  woman's  part  Oftentimes,  people 
would  appear  in  the  habits  of  the  Priests,  and  make  great 
diversion  of  the  long  visages  of  the  Father  Confessors.  It 
always  disturbed  the  Priests  very  much,  to  see  themselves 
played  off  in  Crossing,  Confessing,  and  absolving  the  va- 
rious penitents  that  were  readily  found  in  the  ball-room. 
The  Priests,  when  the  imitation  would  be  fine,  were  al- 
ways very  much  distressed  at  it.  They  thought  it  wicked 
in  the  extreme,  but  they  never  thought  it  wicked  to  be 

*  This  same  bloody  disposition  is  conspicuous  wherever  Popery  do- 
mineers. Petrarch,  the  celebrated  Popish  writer,  speaking  of  the  man- 
ner of  the  people  of  Naples,  in  Italy,  says,  that  "  thev  kill  one  another 
at  the  public  games,  for  mere  diversion.  To  these  barbarous  spectacles, 
the  people  run  in  crowds,  and  shout,  and  rejoice  at  the  sight  of  human 
blood.  Kings,  prinees,  and  even  ladies,  are  amused  by  it."  (Life  of 
Petrare'h,  in  a  Letter  to  Cardinal  Colonna.) 

•Capt.  J.  E.  Alexander  tells  us,  that  "  all  the  inhabitants  of  Cuba  go 
armed.-,  such  is  the  lawless  state  of  society  in  that  place,  aujourd'hui" 
— > Transatlantic  Sketches,  Vol.  I.  p.  37L— Ej>* 


88  THE  PRIESTS  ARE  MOCKED.  [Chap. 

themselves  present.  I  have  known  them  so  much  excited 
by  the  fairness  of  the  mask  in  their  own  character,  that 
they  would  gather  together,  and  chafe  away  the  pleasure 
of  the  whole  evening  in  view  of  the  perfect  imitation  of 
themselves,  and  in  planning  how  to  discover  who  wore 
the  mask.  They  would  say  one  to  another,  glancing  an 
eye  to  the  mask,  "  Vll  mark  ye  /"  and  would  follow  him 
home,  and  sometimes  get  a  sight  of  him  after  his  mask 
was  oiF.  What  revenge  they  took,  I  never  knew  ;  but 
no  Spanish  Priest  would  fail  to  have  it,  in  some  form  or 
other,  of  any  one  against  whom  he  entertained  a  grudge. 

Their  Alcowaters  will  do  any  thing  for  them  that  they 
are  bid  to  do.  Be  the  sin  what  it  may,  they  believe  that 
the  Priests  can  and  will  absolve  them  from  it. 

The  masquerades  are  kept  up  all  night.  Those  go 
home  who  choose,  at  an  early  hour ;  but  the  saloons  are 
not  closed  until  daylight.  In  the  midst  *of  preparation 
for  these  scenes,  I  have  sometimes  asked  Manuel,  if  he 
did  not  think  it  was  wicked  for  a  Priest  to  engage  in 
them.  He  would  take  his  habit  by  a  fold  between  his 
thumb  and  finger,  and  extending  it  from  him,  reply, 
u  Why,  Rosetta,"  (for  so  he  always  called  me,)  "  this  habit 
cannot  change  our  feelings,  we  have  the  same  feelings 
with  other  men." 

In  the  course  of  the  day  previous  to  going  to  the  mas- 
querades, while  talking  together  of  the  expected  pleasures 
of  the  evening,  he  would  tell  me,  I  must  pray  for  good 
fortune  at  the  gambling-table  ;  that  I  must  make  a  for- 
tune this  night;  and  I  must  pray  to  the  Virgin  Mary 
through  the  day,  and  bear  her  on  my  heart,  with  con- 
stant prayers  for  good  fortune  at  night.  Whenever  he 
told  me  this,  it  was  not  done  laughing,  but  in  serious- 
ness ;  and  if  I  had  bad  luck  upon  it,  he  would  tell  me, 
it  was  because  I  was  a  poor  Protestant  at  heart.  I  did 
not  know  what  a  Protestant  meant,  and  he  would  get 
angry  with  me,  because  he  said  I  knew,  and  would  not 
tell  him,  all  that  Protestants  believe,  and  how  they  wor- 
ship, and  what  our  ministers  do  in  the  churches.  But 
this  one  thing  I  always  noticed,  that  when  he  told  me; 


MA,S  QUE  RAD  E  SUP] 


V,]  HOLY  WATER,  AND  PEPPER  AND  SALT.  89 

that  he  had  what  he  called  a  forerunner  of  my  good  luck  - 
at  gambling-,  I  was  almost  sure  to  lose  ;  so  that  1  learned 
to  stop   him,    when  prophesying"  good  fortune,    and  to 
charge  him  not  to  spoil  my  prospects. 

People  here  may  not  believe  we  could  be  so  supersti- 
tious, but  it  is  true  every  word  of  it ;  and,  in  Havanna, 
all  are  superstitious.  Those  who  do  not  use  Priestcraft, 
will  use  sorcery ;  and  those  that  refuse  to  sprinkle  Holy 
Water,  for  keeping  off  bad  luck,  will  yet  sprinkle  salt  and 
pepper,  to  keep  it  off,  especially  if  a  Priest  had  been  in 
the  house  :  for  the  Roman  Catholics  all  use  Holy  Water,* 
and  the  Protestants,  living  in  sin,  often  use  salt  and  pep- 
per, to  resist  evil  spirits  :  so  accustomed  are  all  classes  to 
superstitious  ceremonies  of  one  kind  or  another  in  Ha- 
vanna. 

And  it  is  not  only  so  in  Havanna.  The  superstitious  ob- 
servances of  the  Roman  Catholics  are  much  the  same  in 
all  the  world,  I  fear.  In  the  "Six  months  in  a  Con- 
vent," published  at  Boston,  Mass.,  it  is  written,  that  in 
order  to  keep  off  the  assaults  of  the  Devil :  "  I  must  watch 
and  pray  all  the  time,  and  banish  entirely  worldly  thoughts 
from  my  mind,  and  throw  Holy  Water  at. the  evil  spirits, 
and  challenge  them  to  come  if  they  dare.  Perceiving  the 
unpleasant  effect  this  had  on  my  feelings,  he  (the  bishop  of 
Boston,)  portrayed,  in  lively  colors,  the  happiness  which 
would  flow  from  my  resisting  the  evil  spirits,  and  what  a 
crown  of  glory  would  be  placed  on  my  head  by  the 
Angels." 

The  music  and  dancing  at  the  masquerade  ball  is  kept 
constantly  going  from  eight  o'clock,  when  the  saloons 
open,  to  the  end.  A  full  band  is  kept  playing,  and  the 
company  are  all  assembled  by  ten  o'clock.  There  are 
rooms  joining  the  masquerade  room,  furnished  with  every 
variety  of  meats,  fruits,  drinks,  and  confectionary,  for  the 

*  "  Ah  !  nimium  faciles,  qui  tristia  crimina  coedis, 
"Flumina  tolli  posse  putelis  aqua."  Ovid.  Fast.  2.  45. 

11  Ah !  easy  fools,  to  think  that  a  whole  flood 

"  Of  water  e'er  can  purge  the  stain  of  blood." — Ed. 

8* 


90  FROM  THE  DANCE  TO  THE  PROMENADE.        [Chap, 

persons  who  attend  the  balls.  Manuel  used  to  decline  the 
dance  altogether.  Other  Priests  danced,  but  he  never 
did.  And  he  often  drew  me  from  the  dancing-rooms,  to 
the  promenade,  where  they  walk,  and  sport,  and  joke ; 
and  he  preferred  most  of  all,  to  be  with  me  in  the  gam- 
bling-rooms. 


VI.]  DESCRIPTION  OP  CUBA.  91 


CHAPTER  VI. 


"The  supplicating  hand  of  innocence ; — 

11  That  made  the  tiger  mild,  and  in  his  wrath 

"  The  lion  pause  ;  the  groans  of  suffering  most 

"Severe,  were  nought  to  Popish  Bigotry  ;  she  laughed  at  groans  ; 

"  No  music  pleased  her  more,  and  no  repast 

"So  sweet  to  her,  as  blood  of  men."  Pollok. 


PRELIMINARY. 

We  here  introduce  a  chapter  on  the  Island  of  Cuba,  taken  from  the 
"  Encyclopedia  Americana,"  that  the  reader  may  have  some  genera! 
idea  of  the  country,  in  which  the  events  related  in  this  Narrative  oc- 
curred ;  and  for  the  sake  of  the  correlative  testimony  which  it  bears 
to  that  of  the  authoress. 


Geographical  description  of  Cuba. — Animals. — Soil. —  Vegetable  Produc- 
tions.— Minerals. —  The  Spaniards  exterminate  the  Aborigines  of  the 
Island. —  The  Chief  tain  put  to  death  for  refusing  to  be  baptized. — Cor- 
rupt  morals  of  the  people. — Ignorance  of  the  Clergy. — Cockfights. — 
Bull-baits. — Gambling. — Murde'rs  frequent. — Description  of  Havanna. 
— Religion  a  mere  show. —  The  shrine  of  Columbus. 

Cuba  is  the  largest  and  most  westerly  of  the  Antilles. 
Its  configuration,  extent,  geographical  position,  great 
number  of  ports,  fertility,  and  climate,  contribute  to  ren- 
der it  an  interesting  country.  Its  length,  from  Cape  St. 
Antonio  to  Point  Maisi,  in  a  direction  from  W.  S.  W. 
to  E.  N.  E.  and  then  from  W.  N.  W.  to  E.  S.  E., 
is  257  leagues,  and  its  greatest  width,  in  the  direc 
tion  north  to  south,  is  38  leagues.  The  learned  geo- 
grapher, Don  Felipe  Bausa,  calculated  in  June.  1825, 
that  the  surface  of  Cuba  contained  3615  square  marine 
leagues.  Cuba  is  situated  between  longitude  73°  56' 
and  85°  W.,  and  between  latitude  19°  48'  30"  and  23° 
12'  45"  N.  It  lies  14  leagues  west  from  Cape  Nicolas, 
in  the  Island  of  St.  Domingo,  34  south  from  Point  Mo- 
rant,  in  Jamaica,  and  37  south  from  Cape  Florida. 

The  gulf  of  Mexico,  which  is  very  nearly  of  a  circular 
form,  of  more  than  250  leagues  in  circumference,  is  closed 
by  the  Island  of  Cuba,  with  the  exception  of  two  narrow 
passages,  the  one  to  the  south,  between  Cape  Catoche 


92  GEOGRAPHICAL    DESCRIPTION.  [Chap. 

and  Cape  St  .Antonio,  and  the  other  to  the  north,  between 
Bahia  Honda  :w\(\  the  Florida  shoals.  Along  the  const  o( 
Cuba,  are  tetany  keys  and  small  islands,  which  are  inclu- 
ded in  the  s;unc  government  with  the  large  island.  The 
navigation  of  the  roust  is  very  unsafe,  on  account  of  the 
rocks  and  shoals  which  encompass  it  almost  without  in- 
terruption, and  often  extend  from  two  to  three  miles  into 
the  sea.  The  broken  outline  of  this  vast  extent  of  const, 
however,  affords  men4  fh;in  fifty  ports  and  anchoring 
places,  which  are  equally  safe  ana  easy  o(  ncrcss.  The 
most  remarkable,  in  a  commercial  point  of  view,  are  those 
of  Havanna,  Matanzas,  Nuevit^s,  Jibara,  and  Baracoa,  on 
the  north;  Si.  Jago,  Mtanzanillo,  Trinidad,  Jagua,  and 
Batabano,  on  the  south  side  o\  the  island.  There  is 
another  port  between  Manzanillo  and  Trinidad,  called 
Santa  Cn^r,  which,  in  February,  1829,  was  declared  a 
free  port,  and  which,  undoubtedly,  will  ho  much  fre- 
quented, furnishing  great  facilities  for  trading  with  Puerto 
Principe,  (the  second  cityofCuba,  in  point ol  population,) 
being  the  only  ^hm\  harbor  in  the  vicinity  of  the  south 
side  of  the  island,  and  distant  from  it  but  twenty  leagues. 
A  ridge  of  mountains  traverses  the  whole  of  the  island. 
from  Hie  east  tothe  west,  dividing  it  into  t  wo  parts.  At  the 
foot  of  these,  the  country  opens  into  extensive  savannas. 
\   considerable  number  o(  small    streams    from  these 

heights,  water  the  island   on   hoth   sides.      These  streams 

abound  in  fish  of  different  kinds,  and  are  said  to  bring 
down  considerable  quantities  of  ^old.  There  are  like- 
wise many  Sail  }>onds.  which  furnish  abundance  of  lish 
and  game;  also,  several  springs  of  mineral  water,  which 
have  proved  very  useful  for  the  cure  o\   many  diseases. 

The  island  is  very  rich  in  minerals,  particularly  in  cop- 
per, iron,  and  loadstone,  In  1813,  some  persons  endea- 
vored to  work  a  mine  which  they  found  near  the  city  of 

Trinidad,  and  from  which  they  obtained  good  gold  and 
Silver.  They  were,  however,  obliged,  from  want  o\  funds, 
to  desist,  though  it  was  highly  probable  that,  with  a  suffi- 
cient capital,  it  would  have  been  made  profitable.     Vox 

the  same  reason,  together  with  the  want  of  protection 


VI.]  SOIL — CLIMATE ANIMALS,  &C.  93 

from  government,  a  very  rich  mine  of  coal,  which  was 
opened  in  1810,  near  Kacuranao,  was  abandoned.  In 
1827,  a  silver  mine  was  discovered}  yielding  7-5thsof 
pure  silver  to  a  quintal  of  ore.  Loadstone  is  found  in  the 
mountains    of    Paragua,     and    on    the     northern     coast. 

Marbles  of  various  kinds,  serpentine,  chalcedony,  of  excel- 
lent quality,  quartz,  mineral  bitumen,  &C,  are  likewise 
found  in  the  island.  Our  knowledge  of  the  geological 
and  mineralogical  structure  of  Cuba,  however,  is  compa- 
ratively small,  on  aeeount  of"  the  thiekness  of  the  forests, 

and  the  asperity  of  the  mountains,  particularly  on  the 
eastern)  part.  * 

The  soil  of  Cuba  is  so  productive,  that  it  yields  two, 

and  even  three  crops  of  eorn  in  a  year.  The  fields,  dur- 
ing the  whole  year,  are  covered  with  aromatic  plants  and 
trees   in    blossom.       The   ('lunate   is  dry  and    warm.     It 

never  freezes,  not  even  on  the  highest  mountains. 

The   coasts   of  the   island    are    well    known    to    be    un- 
healthy;   hut  this   is  not  the  case   with    tin;   mountains 
Among  the  animals  indigenous   to   the   island  or  the  sur 
rounding  sea,  are  the;  cayiuan,  or  alligator,  fehe  majrati  or 
sea  cow,  the  iguana,  (a  species  of  lizard,)  the  turtle,  &c. 

Many  of  the  domestic  animals  of  Europe,  have  also  been 

introduced.  A  gr£at  number  of  swine,  and  also  of  bees, 
are  raised.     Birds  are  numerous,    The  rivers,  though 

they  have  but  a  short  eourse,   and   are  deficient  in  water, 

abound,  at  certain  seasons,  with  excellent  fish.     Reptiles 

are  extremely  numerous. 

The   vegetable   kingdom  of  Cuba  is  extremely  rich. 
Here  are  to  be  found,  the  mahogany  tree,  the  cedar,  lig* 

nuiu  vila',  various  kindsof  ebony,  besides  numerous  woods 

suitable  for  building  houses,  ships,  &c;  and  also  palm- 
trees,  among  which  the  palfna  real,  is  remarkable  for  die. 

utility  of  every  part  to  man  and  various  animals;  sarsa- 
parilla,  and  many  Other  plants  useful  in  medicine;  also, 
the  chestnut,  the  pine  apple,  the  annana  or  custard  apple, 

the  medlar,  plantain,  orange,  and  various  kinds  of  melons. 
Among  the  agricultural  plants,  maize  is  the  most  impor- 
tant; rice,  beans,  peas,  garbdnzo$)  are  also  cultivated. 


94  MORALS  OF  THE  SPANIARDS.  [Chap. 

The  culture  of  wheat  is  abandoned.  The  true  riches  of 
the  country  consist  in  its  great  articles  of  export,  sugar, 
coffee,  tobacco,  wax,  cacao,  molasses,  rum,  maize,  &c. 

The  trade  of  Cuba  is  carried  on  chiefly  through  Ha- 
vanna,  its  capital.  The  island  is  subject  to  the  kins:  of 
Spain.  It  is  divided  into  two  Ecclesiastical  jurisdictions, 
the  one  governed  by  an  Archbishop,  who  resides  at  St. 
Jagx).  the  other  one  by  a  Bishop,  who  resides  at  Ha- 
vanna. 

Education  is  in  a  very  low  state.  The  morals  of  the 
people  are  loose  ;  the  police  is  weak  or  inactive:  murders 
are  frequent.  The  laws  are  very  numerous  and  contradic- 
tory, and  much  bribery  and  corruption  prevail  in  the  ad- 
ministration of  justice.  In  1S21.  the  importation  of 
slaves  was  prohibited  by  law;  and,  though  it  is  yet  car- 
ried on.  and  tolerated  by  the  authorities  of  Cuba,  in  spite 
of  the  laws  against  it,  there  is  no  doubt  that  it  has  dimin- 
ished a  great  deal,  in  consequence  of  the  efforts  and  vigi- 
lance of  the  English  cruisers.  The  emancipation  of  Co- 
lumbia, Mexico,  and  the  Spanish  part  of  St.  Domingo, 
has  brought  to  Cuba  almost  all  the  Spaniards  who  were 
settled  in  those  countries,  together  with  many  of  the 
Creoles.  The  population  of  Cuba,  according  to  the  cen- 
sus of  1S27,  was  311,051  whites,  and  393436  blacks. 

Cuba  was  discovered  in  1492,  by  Christopher  Colum- 
bus. In  1511,  Don  Diego  Velasquez  sailed  from  St.  Do- 
mingo, with  four  vessels,  and  about  300  men,  for  the  con- 
quest of  the  island.  He  landed  on  the  25th  of  July,  near 
the  bay  of  St.  Jago,  to  which  he  gave  its  name.  The 
native?,  commanded  by  the  Cacique  Hatuey,  who  had  fled 
from  St.  Domingo,  his  native  country,  on  account  of  the 
cruelty  of  the  Spaniards,  in  vain  endeavored  to  oppose  the 
progress  of  the  invaders.  The  noise  of  fire-arms  was 
sufficient  to  disperse  the  poor  Indians.  Hatuey  was  taken 
prisoner  and  condemned  to  be  burned  alive,  which  sen- 
tence was  executed  after  he  had  refused  to  be  baptized. 
This  diabolical  act  filled  all  the  other  Caciques  with  tei- 
ror,  and  they  hastened  to  pay  homage  to  Velasquez,  who 
met  with  no*  more  opposition.    The  conquest  of  Cuba  did 


VI.]  GAMING — COCK-FIGHTS — BULL-BAITS.  95 

not  cost  the  Spaniards  a  single  man.  The  conquerors 
not  finding  the  mines  sufficiently  rich  to  induce  them 
to  work  them,  gradually  exterminated  the  natives,  whom 
they  could  not  employ. 

Havanna,  the  capital  of  Cuba,  contains  112  thousand 
inhabitants.  It  is  the  residence  of  a  captain-general,  and 
the  See  of  a  Bishop.  It  is  the  most  important  commer- 
cial port  in  Spanish  America,  and  is  considered  as  the  key 
of  the  West  Indies.  The  harbor  is  not  only  the  best  in 
the  island,  but  is  esteemed  by  many  as  the  best  in  the 
world,  on  account  of  its  strength,  and  because  it  is  ca- 
pable of  containing  commodiously  1000  ships,  without 
either  cable  or  anchor,  there  being  generally  six  fathoms 
of  water  in  the  bay.  The  entrance  into  the  harbor  is  by 
a  narrow  channel,  about  1000  feet  wide  at  its  entrance, 
so  difficult  of  access,  that  only  one  vessel  can  enter  at  a 
time.  It  is  strongly  fortified.  The  city  stauds  on  a  plain 
on  the  west  side  of  the  harbor.  The  streets  are,  in  general, 
narrow,  crooked,  unpaved,  and  dirty.  The  want  of  com- 
mon sewers,  and  of  cleanliness,  and  the  vicinity  of  marsh- 
es, contribute  to  the  insalubrity  of  the  city,  which  is  much 
exposed  to  the  ravages  of  the  yellow  fever.  Havanna 
contains  eleven  churches,  which  are  magnificently  orna- 
mented, especially  the  cathedral,  with  gold  and  silver 
lamps,  images,  &c.  There  are  seven  Monasteries,  and 
four  Nunneries,  a  theatre,  a  place  for  bull-fights,  and  two 
agreeable  promenades.  The  houses  are  almost  all  of  one 
story,  and  of  a  Gothic  structure.  The  principal  ones  are 
built  of  stone,  and  covered  with  terraces,  having  large 
apartments,  yet  little  ornamented.  The  great  square  is 
one  of  the  principal  ornaments  of  the  city.  The  morals 
of  the  place  are  loose.  Gaming,  cock-fighting,  &c,  are 
carried  on  to  a  great  extent.  The  customs  are  Spanish. 
Foreigners  who  go  there,  seldom  intermarry  with  the  na- 
tives, as  they  rarely  intend  to  make  Havanna  their  per- 
manent residence. 

The  lower  Clergy  are  ignorant,  and  the  ceremonies  of 
religion  are  surrounded  with  a  puerile  show.  The  Ha- 
vanna has  the  honor  of  containing  the  bones  of  Colum- 


96  THE  REMAINS  OF  COLUMBUS.  [Chap. 

bus,  the  illustrious  discoverer  of  America.  In  consequence 
of  an  order  contained  in  the  Will  of  Columbus,  his  body 
was  removed  from  the  Carthusian  Convent  of  Seville,  and 
deposited,  along  with  the  chains  with  which  he  had  been 
loaded  at  Cuba,  on  the  right  of  the  high  altar  of  the  ca- 
thedral of  St.  Domingo.  His  body,  in  a  brass  coffin,  was 
removed  to  Havanna  on  the  19th  of  January,  1796.  His 
bones  are  now  preserved  in  a  silver  urn  on  the  left  of  the 
altar  of  the  cathedral. 

This  description  of  Havanna,  and  the  manners  and 
customs  of  the  people,  will  throw  some  light  on  the  Nar- 
rative of  the  authoress,  whose  important  and  interesting 
disclosures  we  now  lay  before  the  public. 


VIL]  MANUEL  SENT  TO  PUERTO  PRINCIPE.  97 


CHAPTER  VII. 

"Most  guilty,  villanous,  dishonest  man ! 
Wolf  in  the  clothing  of  the  gentle  lamb  ! 
Dark  traitor  in  Messiah's  holy  camp  ! 
Leper  in  saintly  garb  ! — assassin  masked 
In  virtue;s  robe!  Vile  hypocrite  accursed! 
I  strain  in  vain  to  set  his  evil  forth, 
The  words  that  should  sufficiently  accurse 
And  execrate  such  reprobate,  had  need 
Come  glowing  from  the  lips  of  eldest  hell." 

POLLOK. 

Manuel  is  sent  to  Puerto  Principe. — Is  accompanied  by  Rosamond,  and 
his  Alcowater,  a  pimp. — Alcowaters  kept  in  atl  the  Convents. —  The  poor 
bum  pitch-pine  to  the  Virgin  Mary,  instead  of  Candles. — Manuel  be- 
comes jealous  of  the  Alcowater. — ManueVs  tricks  with  Rosamond. — Ma- 
nuel seduces  the  daughter  of  his  host. —  The  Priests'  oath  or  Hoorie. — 
Mode  of  doing  penance. —  The  paying  of  money  for  the  forgiving  oj 
sins.— Manuel  sends  Rosamond  back  to  Havanna,  who  being  chased  by 
Pirates,  has  to  put  in  at  Matanzas. 

Manuel  had  orders  from  the  Bishop,  to  go  to  Puerto 
Principe,  on  the  south  eastern  part  of  the  Island  of  Cuba, 
and  the  seat  of  justice  for  the  Island.  As  he  would  nov 
consent  to  leave  me  behind,  fearing,  I  believe,  that  in  hit 
absence,  I  should  escape  from  the  Island,  this  arrange 
ment  was  made : — he  hired  an  old  man,  who  was  an  Al 
cmvater,  as  they  call  them,  (in  this  country, they  are  called 
pimps.)  He  lived  in  St.  Francisco  Convent ;  as  the  Priest? 
have  them  in  all  their  Convents,  to  aid  them  in  all  then 
iniquity  and  seductions.*  He  was  to  go  with  us  to  disguise 
me  as  a  friend,  under  his  protection,  and  prevent  it  iron 

*  The  Pope  of  Rome  patronises  public  brothels  as  a  necessary  evil. 
as  they  term  it.     His  annual  revenue  from  this  source  in  the  city  o 
Rome,  is  considerable.     Having  been  educated  a  Protestant,  previon 
to  my  perversion  to  Popery,, this  part  of  the  discipline  of  the  Romish 
church,  I  could  never  cordially  reconcile  to  my  mind.     Whenever  I  es 
pressed  my  disapprobation,  however,  in  regard  to  this  part  of  their  di 
cipline,  the  Romish  Clergy  invariably  defended  it.     The  law  of  th 
Romish  Church,  however,  in  this,  as  in  all  other  things,  is  made  parr 
mount  to  the  law  of  God,  which  expressly  says,   "  There  shall  be  n 
'/chore  of  the  daughters  of  Israel  —  Thou  slialt  not  bring  the  hire  of  < 
whore,  or  the  price  of  a  dog,  into  the  house  of  the  Lord  thy  God  for  an 
vow,  for  even  both  these  a,re  abomination  unto  the  Lord  thy  God."     Den< 
xxiii.  17,  18.— Ed. 

9 


98  VIRGIN  MARY  ABOVE  GOD.  [Chap. 

being  known,  thai  I  was  with  Manuel.  I  had  then  been 
living  with  him  about  four  years.  We  took  our  passage 
in  a  Spanish  brig,  commanded  by  Captain  Joan,  a  Catalan 
Spaniard,  bound  for  Puerto  Principe,  Manuel,  the  Alco- 
ivater,  and  myself,  where  we  arrived  in  eight  days.  We 
all  put  up  at  the  private  house  of  a  wealthy  Spaniard,  of 
the  name  of  Zobrisco,  whose  servants  sell  dry  goods  in 
the  streets.  I  think  there  are  no  Americans  living  there. 
It  is  a  heathen,  wicked  country.  You  will  find  in  all 
their  houses,  from  the  highest  down  to  the  lowest,  wood- 
en, and  sometimes  marble  images,  representing  our  Sa- 
viour, the  Virgin  Mary,  and  different  Saints,  in  their  rooms, 
painted  to  resemble  life,  and  candles  burning  before  them. 
Those  that  are  poor,  and  not  able  to  buy  candles,  will 
burn  a  piece  of  wood,  similar  to  our  pitch-pine,  cut  in  the 
form  of  a  candle.  These  lights  are  specially  kept  before 
the  images  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  and  the  Saints.  When 
they  feel  that  they  have  done  wrong,  or  committed  sin, 
they  kneel  down  to  the  image  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  and 
pray  to  her  ;  as  all  the  Roman  Catholics  believe  that  she 
has  more  readiness  to  forgive  them,  than  God,  or  any  ot 
the  Saints.*     We  were  there  about  three  weeks.     During; 

*  The  Popish  church,  in  her  Breviary,  salutes  the  Virgin  Mary  with 
the  epithet,  "Salve  Regina  ! — Ave  Regina  ccelorum! — Domina  Ange- 
lorUxM  !" — "  Hail!  Q.ueen  of  heaven  ! — Hail!  Lordess  of  the  Angels.'7 
(In  Officio  B.  Virginis.) 

In  their  "  Preces  ante  et  post  Missam,  ad  usum  Sacerdotum,"  which 
is  a  small  formulary  of  prayers,  recommended  to  be  said  by  every 
Priest,  and  which  is  in  common  use  among  them,  we  find  the  following 
expressions,  "O!  Oar  Lordess ! — Our  Mediatrix,  and  our  Advocate! 
render  us  worthy  by  thy  mediation,  to  participate  in  the  glory  and  hap- 
piness of  thy  Son,  Jesus  Christ."  Preces.  p.  46. 

To  which  we  add  the  following  blasphemy  from  the  same  work, 
"Accipe,"  &c.  Receive  what  wc  offer! — Bestow  what  we  pray  for! 
—Pardon  our  fears ! — because  thou  art  the  only  hope  of  sinners."  Pre- 
ces. p.  150. 

The  Popish  church  styles  the  Virgin  Mary,  the  Queen  of  Heaven; 
and  in  every  Popish  country  on  the  globe,  incense  is  burnt  unto  her. 
This  burning  of  incense  to  the  Gtueen  of  heaven,  we  maintain,  is  for- 
bidden by  the  Word  of  God,  and  we  prove  it.  See  Jeremiah,  Chap, 
XLIV.  17.  22,  where  the  Lord  forbids  the  people  of  Judah,  from  i;  burn- 
ing; incense  to  the  Queen  of  heaven ." 

Ridiculous  and  wicked  as  may  seem  the  devotion  of  the  poor  deluded 


VII.] 


Rosamond's  agitation  of  mind.  99 


that  time,  I  was  still  growing  more  unhappy  and  wretch- 
ed, at  my  lost  situation.  To  look  forward,  I  dare  not, 
and  to  look  back,  every  thing  would  appear  frightful  and 
hateful  to  my  mind. 

Papist  towards  the  Virgin  Mary,  their  devotion,  however,  is  altogether 
consistent  with  their  principles,  and  is  sanctioned  by  the  practice  of  all 
their  own  Saints.  For  the  truth  of  what  I  here  assert,  I  will  merely 
adduce  two  testimonies,  which  no  Papist  can  reject.  The  one  is  of 
their  great  Saint  Epiphanius,  and  the  other  of  the  celebrated  St.  Ber- 
nard. 

The  following  is  the  prayer  of  St.  Epiphanius  to  the  Virgin : 

"  Hp60aTop,"  &c,  "  O  !  sheep,"  (says  the  Saint,  addressing  the  Vir- 
gin,) "O!  sheep,  that  produced  a  Lamb!  O!  cow,  that  bore  a  calf ! 
you  produced,  not  a  temporary,  but  an  eternal  God,  who,  incarnated  in 
you,  was  before  you,  and  before  all  things!  O!  light,  illuminating  the 
sun  with  your  splendid  lamp,  and  irradiating  the  ends  of  the  earth  !  O ! 
Holy  Virgin,  who,  as  a  spiritual  bush  without  combustion,  held  the  fire 
of  Deity!  O!  spiritual  oven,  that  brought  the  Bread  of  Life  into  the 
world  !  O !  maiden  candlestick,  that  shines  in  darkness,  and  brought 
fire  and  oil  for  burning!  O!  unpolluted  womb,  which  comprehended 

the  incomprehensible  God  !  O  ! bigger  than  the  heavens,  which 

pressed  but  lightly  on  the  Deity  within!"  Epiph.  de  Laud.  2.  294. 

St.  Bernard's  prayer  to  the  Virgin: 

<l  Omnibus  firmamentis  firmius  firmamentum."  "  O  !  firmament,  fir- 
mer than  all  firmaments  !  Him,  whom  the  heaven  of  heavens  could  not 
contain,  thou,  O !  our  Lordess !  didst  contain,  conceive,  beget,  feed, 
suckle,  and  educate.  Thou,  in  the  midst  of  waters,  dividest  the  waters 
from  the  waters.  The  light  of  thine  eyes  dispels  darkness,  expels  le- 
gions of  devils,  purifies  the  vices  of  the  mind,  and  warms  the  coldness 
of  the  heart.  Happy,  O  !  Lordess !  are  they,  who  behold  your  eyes. 
Turn,  therefore,  O  !  Lordess!  those  eyes  to  us,  and  show  us  Jesus,  the 
blessed  fruit  of  thy  womb."     (Here  I  have  to  supply  the  indecent  strain 

into  which  the  Saint  has  run  with  a  dash .)     He  continues,  "  O ! 

elevation  of  minds,  intoxication  of  hearts,  and  SALVATION  OF 
SINNERS!  O!  Lordess,  gentle  in  consoling,  mild  in  soothing,  and 
sweet  in  kissing !"   Bernard,  Serm.  IV.  P.  1739 — 1747. 

Among  other  expressions  of  this  Saint  to  the  Gtueen  of  heaven,  we 
find  the  following: 

"O  !  Lordess,  Holy  Mary,  thou  art  Heaven,  earth,  pasture.  Paradise, 
bread,  drink,  manna,  oil,  wine,  cinnamon,  balm,  myrrh,  frankincense, 
olive,  spikenard,  saffron,  gum,  a  temple,  a  house,  a  bed-room,  a  bride, 
a  lamp,  a  kingdom,  a  Priesthood,  a  trumpet,  a  mountain,  a  wilderness, 
a  field,  a  vine,  a  floor,  a  barn,  a  stable,  a  manger,  a  warehouse,  a  hall, 
a  tower,  a  camp,  an  army,  a  bird,  a  palm,  a  rose,  a  river,  a  pigeon,  a 
garment,  a  pearl,  a  candlestick,  a  table,  a  crown,  a  sceptre,  a  tree,  a 
cedar,  a  cypress,  a  pipe,  a  reed,  a  daughter,  a  sister,  a  mother,  a  sun,  a 
moon,  a  star,  the  city  of  God,  the  rod  of  Aaron,  the  fleece  of  Gideon,  the 
gate  of  Ezekiel,  the  morning-star,  the  fountain  of  gardens,  the  lily  of 
the  valley,  and  the  Land  of  Promise,  flowing  with  milk  and  honey." — 
Idem. — Ed. 


100  MANUEL  SEDUCES  MARIETTEE.  [Chap 

"  From  fear  to  hope,  from  hope  to  fear, 

"  My  shipwrecked  soul  is  tost, ' 
"  Till  1  am  tempted,  in  despair, 

"  To  give  up  all  for  last.5' 

While  we  were  there,  his  wicked  heart  became  jealous 
at  seeing  me  talk  with  the  old  man,  the  Alcowatcr,  as  I 
was  obliged  to  do,  to  seem  to  be  under  his  protection,  in 
order  to  blind  the  people.  Often,  when  in  the  presence 
of  the  family  circle,  Manuel  would  pinch  me  in  such  a 
manner,  that  I  was  black  and  blue.  Often,  I  have  had 
to  halloo  out,  when,  on  being  asked  by  some  of  the  family, 
u  what  was  the  matter  ?"  I  would  turn  it  off,  and  say,  I 
had  the  cramp  in  my  hand  or  foot.  I  have  had  to  do  this 
not  only  there,  but  also  in  other  places,  Here  I  was 
brought  to  be  an  eyewitness  of  some  of  his  wickedness. 
in  seducing  the  eldest  of  the  daughters  of  the  private  fam- 
ily where  we  were  staying;  her  name  was  Mariettee,  a 
young  girl  only  fourteen  years  old.  I  think  there  were 
five  children,  two  girls  and  three  boys.  She  retired  with 
him  into  a  room,  for  him  to  hear  Confession.*     She  Con- 

*  The  Roman  religion  requires  every  sin  committed,  or  thought  of 
being  committed,  by  a  Roman  catholic,  to  be  Confessed  privately  to  the 
Roman  Priest ;  and  empowers  the  Priest  to  impose  upon  the  penitent, 
some  penalty  to  be  often  inflicted  on  his  flesh,  and  generally  some  fine, 
if  he  has  money,  to  be  taken  out  of  his  pocket :  and.  furthermore,  em- 
powers the  Priest,  to  give  him  absolution  from  the  pains  due  to  the  Di- 
vine law,  for  the  sins  Confessed ;  the  absolution  to  take  full  effect,  from, 
and  after  the  discharge  of  the  penance  imposed  by  the  Priest.  The  re- 
hearsal of  his  sins  \)y  a  Roman  catholic  to  his  Priest,  is  called 
Auricular  Confession ;  the  penalty  imposed  by  the  Priest,  is  called 
Penance ;  and  the  forgiveness  of  the  penitent's  sins  by  the  Priest,  is  ' 
called  Absolution. 

It  is  a  little  remarkable,  that  with  so  ready  a  way  of  discharging  the 
penalty  of  every  transgression  in  the  flesh,  so  few  Roman  catholics  yet 
reach  heaven,  without  laboring  some  time  in  Purgatory,  and  without 
giving  often  much  money  for  Masses,  to  help  the  souls  of  their  deceased 
relatives  through  Purgatory.  It  would  be  unaccountable,  if  the  Priests 
had  not  an  income  of  no  small  value  from  the  aid  they  profess  to  give 
the  suffering  souls  of  the  dead  by  Masses,  to  relieve  them  from  the 
flames,  and  to  lift  them  out  of  the  'pit,  into  heaven!  But  there  is  a  great 
gulf  between  Dives  and  Lazarus,  according  to  the  Scriptures,  which  no 
soul  can  pass. 

The  use  which  Roman  Priests  can  make  of  this  doctrine  of  the 
Roman  church,  is  mournfully  exhibited  in  the  painful  story  of  Ma- 


VII.J 


THE  PRIESTTS  BASE  PROPOSAL.  101 


fessed  to  him,  among  other  things,  that  she  had  stolen 
two  shillings  from  her  mother.  He  told  her  that  he 
would  not  have  her  be  forgiven,  unless  she  would  con- 
sent to  all  his  wishes ;  that  he  would  be  a  witness 
against  her,  that  would  send  her  soul  to  hell.  All  this 
Manuel  himself  told  me.  Her  parents  saw  her  dejected 
spirits,  after  her  violation,  bat  thought  she  had  been 
committing  some  sins,  and  was  preparing  to  undergo 
penance  for  them,  which  they  all  do,  under  the  direc- 
tion of  their  Priests.*     Some  have   their  heads  shaved, 

riettee.  The  Priest  must  see  his  penitent  alone.  The  sinner  must  tell 
him  all  his  guilt,  or  there  is  no  remission,  but  a  fearful  curse;  must 
tell  all  the  guilt  he  has  done,  or  thought  to  do,  else  there  is  no  remission. 
To  aid  the  young  in  particular,  long  lists  of  questions  from  the  Priests 
are  printed  and  put  into  the  hands  of  the  penitents,  on  which  they  are 
to  prepare  their  hearts,  to  answer  the  Priest,  as  before  the  Searcher 
of  hearts.  Some  of  these  questions  are  indelicate  and  corrupting ; 
and  the  whole  exercise  is  one  of  the  master  keys  of  Roman  power, 
over  the  conscience  of  Roman  catholics ;  and  is  a  systematic  drill  of 
the  young  mind  under  the  command  of  disciplinarians,  accomplished 
and  skilled  in  all  the  arts  of  "  the  Mother  of  harlots  and  abomina- 
tions of  the  earth." 

*  "We  are  accused  by  Papists  of  calumny  when  we  state,  that  the 
Romish  church  holds  that  "  ignorance  is  the  mother  of  devotion ;"  their 
great  St.  Ligori,  however,  confirms  it. 

"  How  many  simple  girls,"  (says  he,)  '^because  they  have  learnt  to 
read,  have  lost  their  souls  !"  Ligor.  Theol.  Prax.  Conf.  de  Person.  De- 
vot.  C.  VII.  N.  101.  By  losing  their  souls,  in  Popery,  means  losing 
their  Popish  faith.  What  the  Saint  therefore  says,  is,  in  this  sense, 
true  enough,  since,  after  having  learnt  to  read,  they  may  steal  an  op- 
portunity of  looking  into  the  Word  of  God,  and  therein  be  instructed 
in  the  true  way  of  salvation. 

How  many  of  these  poor,  deluded,  and  Priest-ridden  souls,  (may  we, 
on  the  contrary,  truly  say,)  hav^e  lost  their  souls !  and  how  many  are 
still  losing  them,  for  the  want,  indeed,  of  learning  to  read,  and  for 
being  led  by  Popish  Priests,  instead  of  by  the  Word  of  God! 

Such  is  the  extreme  ignorance  to  which  Popery  reduces  her  subjects, 
and  in  which  she  keeps  them,  that  many  of  them  absolutely  do  not 
know  the  prayer-book  from  a  Bible.  Some  time  since,  in  a  conversa- 
tion which  I  had  with  a  young  woman  from  Ireland,  who  belonged  to 
the  Romish  church,  among  other  questions,  I  asked  her  if  she  ever 
read  the  Bible,  "  Yes,"  (she  replied,)  "  I  read  the  Bible  every  day."  I 
asked  her  if  she  would  show  me  her  Bible.  "  I  will,"  (said  she,)  and, 
running  up  stairs,  exulting  at  the  thought  of  proving  her  versatility  in 
the  Sacred  Scriptures,  she  returns  with  a  prayer-book  in  her  hand  : — 
11  There,"  (said  she,)  "  it  is."  Why,  my  dear  woman,  (said  I  to  her,) 
this  is  not  the  Bible, it  is  nothing  but  a  prayer-book. — "  O,  no,"  (she  ex- 
claimed,) "  it  is  the  Bible."   Have  you  no  other  Bible  but  this  ?— "  No,  I 

9* 


102  MODES  OF  DOING  PENANCE.  [Chap, 

and  wear  a  coarse  tow  gown,  with  a  leather  belt  round 
their  waists ;  some  go  barefooted  ;  and  others  do  pen- 
ance in  various  different  ways.* 

It  was  the  evening  before  his  barbarity,  that  Manuel 
told  me  all  his  plan  and  purposes  with  Mariettee;  what  he 
had  made  her  believe,  and  what  he  wished  me  to  do. 
And  he  threatened  me  in  various  ways,  and  specially 
with  transportation  to  the  mines,  if  I  withstood  him,  or 
made  an  alarm,  or  warned  the  family,  t     And  he  hooried 

have  no  other,  and  I  want  no  other  : — your  Bibles  are  all  forgeries: — 
my  Priest  told  me  so." — I  asked  her,  then  who  wrote  the  Bible  1  Here 
the  poor  creature  was  completely  at  a  stand. — After  some  pause,  how- 
ever, she  replied,  "Why,  it  was  written  by  the  Pope." 

Having  spent  some  time  in  endeavoring  to  convince  her  of  her 
errors,  I  found  all  my  arguments  of  no  avail.  She  still  persisted  that 
her  prayer-book  was  the  Bible  ;  that  I  was  a  heretic  ;  and  heretics  were 
not  to  be  believed.  I  left  her  as  I  found  her,  as  ignorant  of  the  truth  as 
a  mere  heathen. — Ed. 

*  This  barefoot  penance,  (as  has  been  related,  in  the  '''Renunciation 
of  Poffry,"  a  pamphlet  published  by  myself  shortly  after  my  renoun- 
cing the  Popish  church.)  was,  by  Rule,  enjoined  upon  the  Nuns  of  the 
Convents  of  Loretto,  in  Kentucky.  Their  Rule  forbade  them  from 
wearing  shoes  or  stockings,  from  April  till  the  first  of  November. 
Many  of  these  deluded  devotees  died  in  consequence  of  the  severe  pen- 
ance imposed  upon  them.  The  Rule,  however,  in  consequence  of  i he 
repeated  and  urgent  solicitations  of  the  parents  and  relations  of  the 
Nuns,  was  eventually  mitigated. 

The  leather-belt  penance.  This  penance,  or  one  somewhat  similar  to 
it,  I  was  once,  when  in  the  fervors  of  Popery,  zealot  enough  to  practise 
on  myself.  The  belt  I  wore  was  a  bed-cord,  which  was  knotted  in  such 
a  manner,  that,  by  wearing  it  drawn  tight  around  my  hodyr  the  knots 
sunk  into  my  very  flesh,  and  inflamed  it  to  such  a  degree,  that  I  was 
under  the  necessity  of  mitigating  the  severity  of  the  penance  in  order 
to  save  my  life. 

The  hair-shirt  is  the  ordinary  penance  which  is  enjoined  in  Popish 
countries  to  subdue  the  rebellion  of  the  flesh.  This  rough  Monkish  sa- 
viour has  not  yet  been  introduced  into  the  United  States. 

Previous  to  my  departure  from  New-Orleans  to  France,  a  certain 
zealous  Papist,  who  was  sorely  beset  with  temptations  which  he  wished 
to  shun,  begged  me  to  procure  and  send  him  one  of  these  hairy  soul- 
saving  machines.  I  promised  to  do  it ;  but  as  Bonaparte  had  been 
purging  France  of  most  of  the  Monastic  nuisances,  I  was  unable  to- 
procure  one.  However,  in  order  that  he  might  have  a  substitute.  I 
wrote  to  him,  and  advised  him  to  wear  a  coarse  coffee-bag  in  place  of  it. 
—Ed. 

+  How  Manuel  came  to  terrify  her  with  these  fears,  she  relates  thus. 
Having  threatened  the  child  of  Zobrisco,  Mariettee,  for  her  wicked- 
ness, with  the  terrors  of  hell,  in  her  Confessions,  privately;  he  then 


VIL] 


103 


to  it,  that  is,  he  took  the  Priests'  oath^to  do  as  he  said  he 
would,  and  made  me  hoorie,  or  take  the  Priests'  oath,  to 

brought  her  two  days  before  they  left  Puerto  Principe,  into  the  room 

of  Mrs.  C (who  appeared  to  the  family,  only  under  the  protection 

of  the  Alcowater,)  and  there  brutally  violated  the  child,  threatening 
positively,  that  if  the  poor  and  distressed  Rosamond  interfered,  or  cried 
aloud,  or  said  a  word  to  alarm  the  family,  he  would  send  her  to  the 
mines.  So  he  effected  his  infernal  purpose,  carrying  the  terror  of  hell 
to  the  heart  of  the  child,  and  the  terror  of  the  Spanish'  mines  to  the 
heart  of  his  miserable  and  dependant  companion. 

Of  all  the  forms  of  vice,  not  one  is  so  fatally  corrupting,  as  that 
which  assumes  the  sanctity  of  a  preacher  of  righteousness,  and  robes 
itself  in  the  mantle  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  The  security  of  the 
public  virtue  and  the  honor  of  our  Redeemer,  constrain  us  to  expose  the 
wolves  in  sheep's  clothing,  who  prey  upon  the  lambs  of  the  flock,  and 
lead  down  to  hell  poor  souls  committed  to  their  care,  to  be  trained  up 
for  heaven . 

It  is  not  the  purpose  of  this  Narrative,  to  excite  the  angry  passions, 
or  to  wound  the  feelings  of  a  living  soul ;  but  rather  by  pointing'  to 
wounds,  (for  who  can  lay  them  bare'?)  which  the  Authoress  has  herself 
personally  received,  deep  in  the  heart,  to  warn  the  young  from  trusting 
to  the  hypocritical  wretches,  who,  in  the  profession  of  Priests  of  the 
Lord  Jehovah,  give  themselves  to  the  most  wanton  indulgence  of  the 
worst  passions  of  our  fallen  nature. 

It  would  seem  as  if  angels  must  weep  over  the  scenes  of  Puerto 
Principe;  and  the  blood  rushes  to  the  heart  and  to  the  head,  while  the 
wicked  fruits  of  the  celibacy  of  Roman  Catholic  Priests,  are  developed 
in  forms  too  monstrous  to  be  described,  and  in  colors  too  black  and  dia- 
bolical to  be  conceived.  How  truly  has  the  Apostle  declared  of  them, 
''ivho,  being  past  feeling,  have  given  themselves  over  unto  lasciviousnessi 
to  work  all  uncleanness  with  greediness.'1'' 

The  unparalleled  crime  of  Father  Manuel  Canto,  taught  the  wretch- 
ed dependant  upon  his  will,  that  nothing  was  too  bad  for  him  to  do;  and 
his  own  security  evidently  required  him  to  deprive  the  eyewitness  of 
his  cruelty,  of  the  power  on  earth  to  testify  against  him.  Hence,  it 
was,  that  she  so  certainly  expected  at  this  time,  to  be  landed  at  the 
Spanish  mines ;  and  her  spirit  was  tossed,  and  shaken  with  alarms, 
like  the  ocean  heaving  in  the  calm,  that  suddenly  succeeds  the  hurri- 
cane. 

Of  the  horrors  she  has  passed  through,  that  of  the  robbers,  and  this 
of  Puerto  Principe,  leave  the  most  painful  impression  on  her  mind. 
The  former  is  described,  the  latter  cannot  be  even  imagined.  I  find  vent 
for  my  own  feelings  in  the  words  of  an  impassioned  poet,  which  may 
also  relieve  the  pressure  upon  the  heart  of  the  reader. 

"  Weep  all  of  every  name !  Begin  the  wo, 
Ye  woods,  and  tell  it  to  the  doleful  winds ; 
And  doleful  winds,  wail  to  the  howling  hills ; 
And  howling  hills,  mourn  to  the  dismal  vales ; 
Arid  dismal  vales,  si^h  to  the  sorrowing  brooks  j. 


104        THE  DREADFUL  POWER  OF  THE  PRIESTS.      [Chap. 

observe  what  he  told  me.  My  obligation,  however,  did 
not  restrain  me ;  my  fear  of  him,  and  of  the  Spanish  mines, 
and  of  instant  death,  restrained  me  ;  for,  although  I  did 
not  much  regard  the  oath  he  put  on  me,  I  never  knew 
him  fail  to  observe  that  hoorie  which  he  took. 

He  told  me  that  he  could  tell  any  Christian  to  take  me  off, 
saying,  "  Take  aivay  that  loicked  woman!"  and  it  would 
be  done  at  the  word.*  I  never  saw  his  countenance  so 
malicious  towards  me  before  ;  though  it  often  appeared  as 
much  so  afterwards  ;  and  I  was  obliged  to  promise  him, 
in  order  to  be  rid  of  his  malice  and  his  threats. 

Such  was  my  dread  of  Manuel,  that  I  dared  not  whisper 
a  word  about  what  had  happened  to  the  family.  Had  it 
been  an  American  family,  I  would  have  died  to  tell  them ; 
but  to  tell  this  family,  would  not  save  them  from  the  de- 
vouring wolf  in  sheep's  clothing ;  and  it  would  have 
brought  the  revenge,  both  of  the  family  and  Priest,  on 
me.  The  Alcowater,  under  whose  protection  I  appeared, 
had  gone.  I  never  knew  what  became  of  him  ;  but  sup- 
pose from  what  I  have  seen  of  them,  that  he  came  to  no 

And  sorrowing  brooks,  weep  to  the  weeping  stream; 

And  weeping  stream,  awake  the  groaning  deep! 

Ye  Heavens,  great  archway  of  the  universe, 

Put  sackcloth  on  !  And  ocean,  clothe  thyself 

In  garb  of  widowhood,  and  gather  all 

Thy  waves  into  a  groan,  and  utter  it, 

Long,  loud,  deep,  piercing,  dolorous,  immense ! 

The  occasion  asks  it  I" 

Pollok,  Book  vi. 

"Could  a  civilized  man  be  guilty  of  such  a  deed7?"  exclaims  the 
reader,  his  countenance  flashing  with  shame  and  indignation  ! 

"  I  wish  you  knew  all  about  it,"  Rosamond  replies.  "  Manuel  told  me 
beforehand  what  he  was  going  to  do,  before  he  brought  Marietteetomy 
room  ;  and  told  me,  how  he  had  wrought  upon  her  fears,  and  how  I 
must  do,  or  he  would  send  me  to  the  mines." 

*  St.  Theresa,  and  with  her,  the  great  St.  Ligori,  says,  that  "  God  de- 
sires nothing  of  the  soul  who  proposes  to  love  him,  except  obedience  to 
the  Ecclesiastical  Rules,  to  the  Superiors,  and  to  the  Spiritual  Fathers, 
the  Priests."  Ligor.  Theol.  Prax.  Conf.  C.  ix.  N.  167. 

"Irrational  obedience,"  (say  the  Popish  divines,)  "is  the  most  com- 
plete and  perfect  obedience;  for  instance,  when  a  person  obeys  in  the 
same  manner,  that  an  ass  obeys  his  master."  Cusan.  Epis.  2.  ad  Bone- 
mos.  Excit.  L.  2.  and  6.— Ed. 


VII.]       MANUEL  THREATENS  ROSAMOND^  LIFE.  105 

good  end,  or  to  a  natural  death.  I  was  alone,  among 
strangers  ;  and  I  had  not  strength  to  lift  so  much  as  my 
voice  aloud  against  the  Reverend  Priest ;  Reverend  to 
outward  appearance,  and  consecrated,  and  holy  in  the 
eyes  of  the  family  and  of  all  the  people.  Mariettee  was 
in  and  out  of  my  room,  continually  ;  but  I  would  not  say 
any  thing  to  her,  for  fear  of  Manuel.  If  her  own  parents 
could  not  afford  her  protection,  to  which  she  might  confi- 
dently fly,  it  was  in  vain  for  me  to  attempt  to  caution  the 
child.  After  dinner  he  came  at  five  o'clock,  to  the  meet- 
ing appointed  ;  for  she  had  consented  to  meet  him  in  my 
room,  knowing  what  he  wanted,  and  being  taught  that 
it  was  necessary  for  the  remission  of  the  sins  she  had  com- 
mitted, to  give  way  to  the  will  of  the  Holy  Priest.  It  was 
dusk,  when  he  drew  a  Spanish  knife,  and  threatened  both 
me  and  the  child,  with  a  spirit  such  as.  took  away  my 
senses.  I  could  not  support  the  horrible  scene,  but 
fainted. 

Whether  it  was  my  fancy,  or  whether  it  was  actually 
so,  I  cannot  tell,  but  to  my  eye  and  mind,  Manuel's  coun- 
tenance after  this  was  changed.  There  was  a  wild,  and 
horrible  expression  in  his  countenance  afterwards,  that  he 
never  got  over ;  something  that  spoke  murder  in  the 
heart.* 

*  To  what  dreadful  crimes,  does  the  Roman  Catholic  religion  lead 
its  deluded  followers!  Led  to  believe  and  trust  in  his  superior  power 
with  the  Lord  and  the  Saints,  the  Roman  Priest,  continually  pampered 
with  adulation,  at  length  gives  vent  to  the  wicked  passions  of  the 
human  heart  in  every  form  of  indulgence  first,  and  then  in  forms  of 
the  most  beastly  excess.  Manuel  goes  into  temptation  by  the  duties  of 
his  office,  without  regard  to  danger;  and  whatever  fall  he  may  seem  to 
make,  it  is^yet  the  fall  of  a  Saint,  easy  to  be  restored  to  Divine  favor ! 
He  is  made  to  forswear  the  world,  and  then  is  put  in  the  way  to  gain 
the  world,  so  as  few  could  withstand,  who  condemn  him  for  gaining  the 
world.  He  is  made  to  forswear  wedlock;  and  then  is  exposed  to 
temptations,  to  which  no  man  should  be  exposed,  and  which  any  man 
might  not  find  it  easy  to  resist.  He  is  set  apart  to  the  service  of  God  ; 
and  still  is  taught  that  the  Mass  and  the  image,  to  which  he  is  made 
from  lisping  infancy  to  bow,  receive  and  transmit  this  service  to  the 
Father  of  Spirits.  He  is  bred  up  in  the  belief  of  lies,  and  why  should 
he  not  serve  the  father  of  lies'?  The  whole  system  of  Romanism  is  most 
accursed ;  and,  chiefly  for  this,  that  it  leads  both  Priest  and  people 
under  the  curse  of  those  who  neither  know  God,  nor  obey  the  Gospel  of 


106  NUMEROUS  PENITENTS.  [Chap. 

Daring  the  three  weeks  we  were  at  Puerto  Principe, 
Manuel  had  upwards  of  two  hundred  people  under  pen- 

the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  while  they  blindly  profess  to  proclaim  the  Gos- 
pel, and  to  possess  the  sole  inheritance  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 

One  circumstance  I  mention  to  the  praise  of  Rosamond.  In  the  way 
she  had  first  prepared  this  part  of  her  Narrative,  only  enough  was  told, 
to  warn  the  reader  of  a  most  villanous  outrage,  committed  before  her, 
in  the  name  of  the  Roman  Religion,  by  a  Romish  Priest  in  the  exercise 
of  his  official  duties.  Most  of  the  circumstances  were  concealed,  from 
the  obvious  difficulty  of  enumerating  particulars.  They  were  intro- 
duced from  time  to  time,  into  the  Narrative,  from  her  own  lips,  in  the 
order  in  which  they  now  stand  precisely ;  and  that  last  expression  in 
the  narration,  "  I  could  not  support  the  horrible  scene,  but  fainted,''  was 
never  used  by  her,  nor  hinted  at.  until  it  came  out,  as  it  is  written,  in 
the  order,  and  in  the  place  it  is  written.  I  mention  this,  because  every 
one  in  her  situation,  who  wished  to  appear  refined,  and  who  sought  to 
hide  her  shame,  and  pain,  and  deep  mortification ;  who  sought  to  ex- 
cuse her  degradation,  in  being  compelled  to  witness  this  most  barbarous 
offence  against  natural  affection  and  common  humanity,  would  not 
have  postponed  that  expression  to  the  very  last  word  of  the  last  interview 
relating  to  it ;  but  she  would  have  thrown  out  that  particular  to  view, 
in  the  very  outset,  at  the  first  mention  of  the  subject ;  and  would  have 
carefully  kept  it  in  view,  at  every  successive  explanation  of  the  inhu- 
man crime.  And  I  notice  this  striking  fact,  not  for  its  singularity  in 
her  case  ;  but  for  its  harmony  with  her  whole  conduct,  and  spirit,  in  the 
preparation  of  this  work  for  the  press,  and  for  the  American  public. 

Under  the  Pontificate  of  Paul  II.,  a  bull  was  emitted  from  Rome  re- 
specting the  conduct  of  the  Clergy,,  particularly  those  of  Spain,  in  refer- 
ence to  the  Sacrament  of  Confession  : — "  Whereas  certain  Ecclesiastics 
in  the  kingdom  of  Spain,  and  in  the  cities  and  dioceses  thereof,  having 
the  cure  of  souls,  or  exercising  such  cure  for  others,  or  otherwise  de- 
puted to  hear  the  Confessions  of  penitents,  have  broken  out  into  such 
heinous  acts  of  iniquity,  as  to  abuse  the  Sacrament  of  Penance  in  the 
very  act  of  hearing  the  Confessions,  not  fearing  to  entice  and  provoke 
females  to  lewd  actions,  at  the  very  time  when  they  were  making  their 
Confessions."  The  introduction  of  this  document  into  Spain,  brought 
to  light  in  a  most  appalling  manner,  the  wretched  condition  into  which 
domestic  society  had  been  reduced  by  the  influence  of  the  Papal  insti- 
tutions. When  this  Bull  was  first  introduced  into  Spain,  the  inquisi- 
tors published  a  solemn  edict  in  all  the  churches  belonging  to  Seville  ; 
that  any  person  knowing  or  having  heard  of  any  Friar  or  Clergyman's 
having  committed  the  crime  of  abusing  the  Sacrament  of  Confession, 
or  in  any  manner  having  improperly  conducted  himself  during  the 
Confession  of  a  female  penitent,  should  make  a  discovery  of  what  they 
knew,  within  thirty  days,  to  the  Holy  Tribunal ;  and  very  heavy  Cen- 
sures were  attached  to  those  who  should  neglect  or  despise  this  injunc- 
tion. When  this  edict  was  first  published,  such  a  considerable  number 
of  females  went  to  the  palace  of  the  inquisitor,  only  in  the  city  of  Se- 
ville, to  reveal  the  conduct  of  their  infamous  Confessors,  that  twenty 
notaries,  and  as  many  inquisitors,  were  appointed  to  minute  down  their 


VIL] 


WHIPPING  TO  DEATH.  107 


ance  in  different  ways,  and  I  was  informed  by  a  Mrs. 
S j  that  a  certain  lady,  whose  name,  I  think,  was 

several  informations  against  them ;  but  these  being  found  insufficient 
to  receive  the  depositions  of  so  many  witnesses ;  and  the  inquisitors 
being  thus  overwhelmed,  as  it  were,  with  the  pressure  of  such  affairs, 
thirty  days  more  were  allowed  for  taking  the  accusations;  and  this 
lapse  of  time  also  proving  inadequate  to  the  intended  purpose,  a  simi- 
lar period  was  granted,  not  only  for  a  third  but  a  fourth  time. 

The  ladies  of  rank,  character,  and  noble  families,  had  a  difficult  part 
to  act  on  this  occasion,  as  their  discoveries  could  not  be  made  at  any 
particular  time  and  place.  On  one  side,  a  religious  fear  of  incurring 
the  threatened  Censures,  goaded  their  consciences  so  much  as  to  com- 
pel them  to  make  the  required  accusations ;  on  the  other  side,  a  regard 
to  their  husbands,  to  whom  they  justly  feared  to  give  offence,  by  afford- 
ing them  any  motives  for  suspecting  their  private  conduct,  induced 
them  to  keep  at  home,  To  obviate  these  difficulties,  they  had  recourse 
to  the  measure  of  covering  their  faces  with  a  veil,  according  to  the 
fashion  of  Spain,  and  thus  went  to  the  inquisitors  in  the  most  secret 
manner  they  could  adopt.  Very  few,  however,  escaped  the  vigilance 
of  their  husbands,  who,  on  being  informed  of  the  discoveries  and  accu- 
sations made  by  their  wives,  were  filled  with  suspicions ;  and  yet,  not- 
withstanding this  accumulation  of  proofs  against  the  Confessors,  pro- 
duced to  the  inquisitors,  this  tribunal,  contrary  to  the  expectations  of 
every  one,  put  an  end  to  the  business,  by  ordering  that  all  crimes  of 
this  nature,  should  be  consigned  to  perpetual  silence  and  oblivion  ! 

What  a  picture  of  domestic  life,  in  Papal  Havanna,  does  this  Nar- 
rative present !  The  Priests  hold  one  portion  of  the  people  in  the  bond- 
age of  fear,  and  another  portion  in  the  bondage  of  sinful  appetite,  and 
all  in  the  Egyptian  bondage,  and  the  Egyptian  darkness  of  the  "  proud 
woman,  which  is  that  great  city,  which  reigneth  over  the  kings  of  the 
earth;" — that  city  which,  for  above  twelve  hundred  years,  subdued  the 
world  by  the  Roman  armies,  and  for  about  twelve  hundred  years  more 
has  subdued  the  world  by  the  Roman  religion.  Be  reverent  before  high 
-Heaven,  and  be  astonished  all  inhabitants  of  the  earth,  that  one  city  in 
the  thousands  of  this  world,  has  contrived,  by  force  of  arms,  and  by 
professions  of  religion,  to  tyrannize  over  the  nations,  to  reign  over  the 
kings  of  the  earth,  to  deck  herself  with  the  riches  of  all  people,  and  to 
break  to  pieces,  and  to  stamp  with  the  feet,  both  the  tables  of  the  laws, 
and  the  charters  of  the  civil  and  religious  liberties  of  mankind,  and  the 
rights  of  conscience,  for  a  term  little  short  of  2500  years  !  And  Rome 
has  done  it,  not  by  her  own  strength,  but  by  the  subserviency  of  her 
allies,  and  her  vassals,  and  her  dependent  nations ;  by  the  soldiers  and 
the  Priests  of  Italy,  Austria,  Gaul,  and  Spain.  Under  the  command  of 
Roman  Impkrators  and  Roman  Bishops,  the  liberties  of  the  world  hav« 
been  and  are  still  trodden  under  the  foot  of  haughty  Rome. 

And  what  place  is  so  trampled  on  as  Cuba;  where  the  whole 
people  are  subject  to  Roman  Priestcraft,  from  their  cradle  to  their  grave, 
from  the  lighting  of  their  birth  candles  to  the  lighting  of  their  death 
candles,  from  infant  baptism  to  extreme  uncfion  !  Where  the  cry  of 
robbery  and  murder  is  answered  by  a  closing  of  shutters  and  a  barring 


108  SINS  FORGIVEN   FOR  MONEY.  [Chap. 

Madame  Castillo,  or  some  such  name,  had  whipped  and 
starved  her  servant   maid  (who  was  a  mulatto  girl)  to 

death.      This  Mrs.  C was  a  lady*  of  fortune,  about 

fifty  years  of  age. 

Her  penance  for  that,  was,  to  wear  an  iron  collar  round 
her  neck,  and  go  barefooted.  Her  collar  was  put  on  in 
such  a  way,  that  whenever  she  turned  her  head,  it  would 
be  like  so  many  pins  going  through  her.  She  was  led  to 
believe  by  this  Priest,  that  by  suffering  six  months,  and 
having  so  many  Masses  said,  and  burning  candles  before 
the  images  of  those  Saints,  God  would  forgive  her.  The 
clothes  of  the  girl  she  whipped  to  death,  were  stuffed  in 
the  form  of  a  person,  and  placed  in  the  room  where  the 
images  of  the  Saints  were,  with  the  candles  burning  be- 
fore them.  At  the  end  of  six  months,  she  was  to  be  re- 
lieved, and  to  be  forgiven,  by  paying  a  large  sum  of 
money  to  the  Priest.  It  would  be  useless  for  me  to  say, 
how  many  different  ways  I  have  seen  them  undergo  pen- 
ance. I  did  not  see  Madame  Castillo,  but  Manuel  did,  and 
confirmed  all  that  Mrs.  S told  me  ;  although  it  was  a 

of  doors  against  the  voice  of  the  cry!  Where  the  rich  have  their  fam- 
ily altars,  and  Roman  Priests,  in  the  eyes  of  the  husband,  the  father, 
and  the  brother,  go  into  the  secret  chambers  with  the  wife,  and  the 
daughter,  and  the  sister,  seemingly  to  assist  in  their  heavenly  aspira- 
tions, and  to  guide  their  devotions,  and  to  aid  them  in  the  true  wor- 
ship of  the  living  God!  Where  the  same  Roman  Priests,  in  honor  of 
chastity,  affect  to  despise  the  marriage  covenant,  and  do  actually  cast 
it  utterly  away  from  their  own  order,  while  they  openly  live  in  shame- 
less concubinage  !  Where  the  people  of  good  common  sense,  and  wide 
information,  are  generally  persuaded  that  the  same  Roman  Priests 
have  power  to  make  a  scape-goat  of  their  concubines;  and.  when 
wearied  of  them,  to  Confess  all  their  sins  upon  the  head  of  the  woman, 
and  to  send  her  away  crazy  to  hell.  And  where  the  same  Priests  seize 
on  young  virgins  under  their  parents'  roof,  and,  with  threats  of  eternal 
judgment  in  the  name  of  their  Apostolic  power,  joined  to  personal 
violence,  wantonly  and  wickedly  perpetrate  the  most  beastly  crimes, 
not  shrinking  from  the  presence  of  an  earthly  witness,  nor  before  high 
Heaven  ! — "  Haw  long,  O  Loral,  holy  and  true,  dost  thou  not  judge  and 
avenge  our  blood  on  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth  /" 

Oh,  horrible  delusion  of  Romanism,  surpassing,  in  the  lives  of  Roman 
Catholic  Priests  in  Cuba,  all  that  we  read  or  hear  of  the  mental  blind- 
ness of  the  ignorant  heathen;  and  all  that  wTe  can  conceive  of  the  de- 
pravity of  man  ! — But  it  is  written  here,  "to  let  the  world  knmv%  believing 
it  will  be  also  written  in  heaven" 


VIL]        SHE  LEAVES  PUERTO  PRINCIPE.       '  109 

resident  Priest,  and  not  Manuel,  who  imposed  her  pen- 
ance.   Her  penance  was  not  finished  when  I  left  the  place. 

By  this  time  he  had  got  ready  to  leave  Puerto  Prin- 
cipe, to  return  to  Havanna  ;  but,  previously,  he  had  sent 
away,  in  his  jealousy,  the  old  man,  the  Alcowater.  He 
put  me  alone  on  board  a  Spanish  brig,  under  the  care  of 
the  captain,  with  whom  he  was  acquainted  ;  as  he  thought 
it  would  not  be  prudent,  himself,  to  leave  in  the  same  ves- 
sel with  me.  I  was  alone,  with  no  other  passenger ;  and 
the  captain,  whose  name  was  Gosha,  a  Creole,  a  native  of 
Havanna,  treated  me  like  a  sister.  The  mate  was  an 
Italian. 

You  can  in  some  measure  judge  of  my  feelings, — I  con- 
sidered myself  lost  in  despair  beyond  all  mercy.  Manuel 
had  brought  my  feelings  to  such  a  state,  by  his  conduct 
and  his  threats,  that  I  thought  he  was  going  to  send  me 
to  the  Spanish  mines,  there  to  be  exiled.  1  thought  it  was 
for  this  he  had  sent  away  the  old  man,  and  I  expected  to 
be  confined  for  life.*    I  was  then  brought  to  see  what  a 


*  The  abhorrence  of  Manuel,  and  desire  to  abandon  him,  were  most 
natural  to  a  bosom  that  had  a  spark  of  feminine  feeling  left.  A  perfect 
loathing  of  the  unholy  wretch  was  most  natural  to  the  abused  sex.  His 
threats  show  that  he  was  thoroughly  prepared  for  this  state  of  Rosa- 
mond's feelings;  and  his  Priestly  associate  in  crime  was  at  hand  in 
Matanzas,  to  present  her  his  commands  to  come  to  him  at  Havanna, 
under  pain  of  that  death  which  Manuel,  the  Priest,  knew  how  to  inflict, 
and  which  Padro,  his  fellow  Priest,  had  the  hardihood  in  his  name  to 
threaten.  "  Though  hand  join  in  hand,  the  wicked  shall  not  be  unpun- 
ished." They  triumphed  over  the  poor  wanderer  that  time,  and  led  her 
back  to  the  sorrows  of  a  sinful  life  with  Manuel.  But  the  very  enor- 
mity of  his  crimes,  while  it  bowed  the  spirit  of  the  vexed  Rosamond, 
still  inspired  her  with  a  hope,  that  she  would  one  day  escape  from  his 
hands,  through  the  mercies  of  an  overruling  Providence.  Such  trans- 
gressions she  felt  in  her  heart  could  not  escape  the  judgment  of  God, 
although  they  do  escape  the  observation  of  men  ;  and  that  the  righteous 
One  would  help  her  against  the  oppressor,  was  a  secret  hope  that  found, 
sometimes,  a  place  in  her  thoughts,  and  began  after  awhile  to  be  cher- 
ished there  with  frequent  misgivings. 

But  what  an  exhibition  of  the  Roman  Priesthood  is  here!  Wolves 
they  are  in  this  Narrative,  not  singly  and  alone,  but,  also,  by  the 
pack ;  howling  to  ma-ke  a  prey  of  the  innocent,  and  joining  together  in 
aid  of  the  wicked  schemes  which  one  could  not  accomplish  alone! 
The  state  of  society  in  Spain  and  Cuba,  is  altogether,  from  the  testi- 
mony of  travelers,  more  corrupt  than  can  be  conceived  of  here. 

10     * 


110  HER  FEARFUL  APPREHENSIONS.  [Chap, 

wicked  sinner  I  was,  and  what  wicked  people  I  was  with. 
To  look  forward,  I  dare  not ;  and  I  thought  my  misery- 
was  near  at  an  end,  as  I  expected  I  was  going  to  be 
landed  on  an  island  beyond  the  reach  of  all  mercy. 


VIII.]         HER  VOYAGE  PROM  PUERTO  PRINCIPE.  Ill 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


**  But  laymen  most  renowned  for  devilish  deeds, 

Labored  at  distance,  still  behind  the  Priest ; 

He  sheared  his  sheep,  and,  having  packed  the  wool, 

Sent  them  unguarded  to  the  hill  of  wolves ; 

And  to  the  bowl  deliberately  sat  down, 

And  with  his  mistress,  mocked  at  sacred  things." 

Pollok. 

On  her  voyage  from  Puerto  Principe,  is  chased  by  Pirates. —  Takes  refuge 
in  Matanzas. — Receives  a  letter  from  Manuel,  desiring  her  to  come  to 
Havanna. — Her  mental  sufferings.-^ Is  threatened  with  death,  if  she  re- 
fuse to  go  to  Havanna. — Leaves  Matanzas  and  arrives  in  Havanna.. — * 
Is  taken  sick,  anointed,  and  baptized  for  death. — Description  of  the  ce- 
remony of  her  baptism. — Becomes  deranged. —  The  Priests  are  in  dread 
of  her, —  The  people  pity  and  deplore  her  lost  condition. 

When  we  had  been  at  sea  three  days,  we  were  chased 
by  a  pirate,  by  which  we  were  driven  to  Matanzas.  Here 
I  found  myself  landed  in  a  strange  and  wicked  country. 
When  I  left  New  Orleans,  this  was  the  first  place  I 
landed  at ;  but  I  then  stopped  but  a  few  days  before  I 
went  to  Havanna.  Here,  I  now  found  an  American  fe- 
male living,  who  belonged  to  New  York.  I  found  great 
comfort  and  consolation  in  informing  her  of  my  lost  and 
forlorn  situation.  I  was  there  but  a  few  days,  before  I  re- 
ceived a  letter  from  my  Priest,  desiring  me  to  come  to  Ha- 
vanna immediately.  He  had  me  in  his  power  in  such  a 
way,  that  I  felt  as  if  I  must  obey  him,  as  if  he  were  some- 
thing more  than  a  natural  being ;  not  through  love,  but 
through  fear.  I  had  forgotten  my  friends  and  myself;  I 
had  forgotten  I  was  in  existence,  aiming  and  planning  to 
please  him.  I  can  truly  say,  that  he  has  made  me,  at 
times,  feel  like  a  criminal,  brought  to  the  gallows,  when 
in  his  presence. 

He  wrote  a  letter  to  a  Priest,  Frederick  Padro  by  name, 
a  friend  of  his,  who  lived  at  Matanzas,  desiring  him  to 
call  on  me,  and  threaten  me  with  what  would  be  the  re- 
sult, and  he  did  threaten  me  with  death,  if  I  did  not  go 
immediately  to  Havanna.    Father  Padro  called  on  me, 


112  SHE  IS  THREATENED  WITH  DEATH.  [Chap. 

and  delivered  the  message,  which  was :  "  That  if  I  was 
not  in  Havanna,  in  three  days  from  that  day,  that  I 
should  not  be  alive  ;  thai  he  ivas  acquainted  with  people 
in  Matanzas,  loho  dare  not  disobey  his  orders  ;  and  if  I 
divulged  this,  to  any  one,  my  life  woidd  be  in  danger." 
Father  Padro,  who  called  on  me,  and  made  me  this  com- 
munication, took  me  to  his  house,  where  he  had  a  young 
girl,  nineteen  years  old,  with  whom  he  was  living.  He 
had  been  the  cause  of  her  ruin.  She  was  a  person  of  a 
line  mind  and  beautiful.  He  had  persuaded  her  parents 
to  give  her  to  him.  They,  being  poor,  and  she  being 
young  and  beautiful,  he  made  them  believe,  that  it  would 
not  be  any  sin  to  live  with  him,  as  he  had  so  much 
power  with  the  Virgin  Mary,  that  he  could  sav6  her  soul : 
this  she  told  me  herself.  She  had  one  child  by  him,  but 
it  was  taken  away  from  her  soon  after  it  was  born.  He 
told  her  that  he  was  going  to  put  it  into  a  Convent,  under 
the  care  of  the  Abbess.  This  is  all  she  knew  about  the 
child.  I  could  see  that  she  was  unhappy,  and  lived  in 
much  fear  of  him ;  but  she  could  relieve  her  mind,  at 
times,  by  going  to  the  Priest,  and  making  her  Confession, 
as  she  believed  in  the  Catholic  church,  and  all  that  the 
Priests  told  her. 

I  left  my  American  female  friend,  with  whom  I  found 
so  much  consolation,  for  Havarma.  Here  I  found  myself 
with  Manuel  more  unhappy  and  wretched  than  ever.  I 
had  given  up  all  hopes  of  ever  leaving  the  island,  or  get- 
ting away  from  him.  I  felt  myself  lost,  and  gave  up  to 
despair.  Then  I  would  say  to  myself,  "  Oh  !  if  I  could 
only  become  a  Christian,  or  could  find  some  Christians  to 
tell  them  of  my  trouble  !"  For  I  had  no  one  around  me, 
but  what  appeared  so  wicked  to  me,  that  I  dare  not  tell 
them  what  my  feelings  were. 

Shortly  after,  I  was  taken  very  sick,  and  was  brought 
very  low.  How  to  prepare  myself  to  die  I  knew  not,  as  I 
was  as  ignorant  as  any  heathen  of  the  way  of  salvation, 
and  hell  presented  itself  before  me.  Oh  !  judge  my  feel- 
ings from  what  your  own  would  be. — Manuel  then  per- 
suaded me,  and  insisted  on  my  being  christened,  and 


"B  O  SAM03TB     CHRIS  TEltfEIX 


VIIL]  ROSAMOND  IS  CHRISTENED.  113 

said  I  should  then  become  a  Christian,  and  would  die 
happy.  I  consented  to  be  anointed  and  christened,  not 
believing  that  it  could  save  my  soul ;  but  as  I  was  living 
in  the  manner  I  was  with  him,  I  thought  it  could  do  me 
no  harm  in  the  sight  of  heaven.  He  said  if  I  died  as  1 
was,  he  could  not  bury  me.* 

The  preparations  were  accordingly  made,  and  I  was 
removed  from  my  bed  to  a  death-table,  as  they  call  itT 
which  is  about  four  feet  high,  and  seven  feet  long.  Four 
death-candles  were  placed,  one  at  each  corner  of  this  ta- 
ble, and  the  images  of  different  Saints,  with  the  Virgin 
Mary,  were  brought  from  the  Convent  into  the  room,  and 
I  was  placed  in  the  centre,  laid  out  on  the  table.  The 
image  of  the  Virgin  Mary  was  placed  at  the  foot  of  the 
table,  in  full  dress,  with  candles  lighted  up  around  her. 
Then  there  stood  around  two  of  those  Capuchin  Priests, 
and  my  physician,  (who  lived  in  the  Convent,  and  dress- 
es like  a  Priest  in  habits,)  with  a  gentleman  and  lady,  to 
stand  my  Godfather  and  Godmother,  and  my  Priest  and 
other  individuals,  who  came  in  as  friends. — I  was  very 
sick,  near  unto  death,  but  in  the  terror  and  excitement  it 
caused,  I  did  not  feel  my  weakness,  or  disease. 

On  looking  around  me,  as  I  laid  on  that  table,  I  thought 
that  those  Priests  were  so  many  devils ;  and  that  I  was 
truly  in  Purgatory :  I  was  afraid  to  look  at  them,  as  they 
went  through  their  ceremony.  But  I  know  their  cus- 
toms :  First,  they  burnt  incense  in  the  room,  in  an  ark, 
which  they  take  to  be  very  holy.  This  is  to  burn  the 
evil  spirits  out  of  the  person,  and  out  of  the  room. 

*  "  He  could  not  bury  me."  This  feature  of  Romanism,  that  refuses 
the  chanty  of  a  burial  to  a  Protestant  deceased,  is  traced  by  the  poet 
Young,  smarting  with  grief  for  the  loss  of  a  loved  daughter,  in  these 
lines: 

"  Denied  the  charity  of  dust  to  spread 

O'er  dust !  (a  charity  their  dogs  enjoy  ;) 

What  could  I  do  1    What  succour  1    what  resource  1 

With  pious  sacrilege  a  grave  I  stole  ! 

More  like  her  murderer,  than  friend,  I  crept, 

With  sof',  suspended  step;  and  muffled  deep 

5n  midnight  darkness,  whispered,  my  last  sigh** 

10* 


114  THE  CHRISTENING  DERANGES  HER.  [Chap. 

Next,  they  rang  a  little  bell,  which  they  carry  with  them 
on  such  occasions.  Then  they  knelt  down,  and  laid  my 
body,  as  they  term  it.  by  offering  a  prayer,  a  few  words  in 
Latin.  Next,  they  sprinkled"  me  with  Holy  Water; 
anointed  me  with  Holy  Ointment.  Crossing  my  forehead, 
my  breast,  my  hands,  and  my  feet,  with  this  ointment,  all 
the  time  ringing  the  small  bell,  and  repeating  over  some- 
thing to  themselves  in  Latin.*  After  they  got  through 
with  this  ceremony,  as  I  have  said,  the  excitement  and 
terror  it  gave  me.  made  me  almost  forget  that  1  was  sick  ; 
and  they  then  said  I  was  a  holy  Christian,  and  that  all  the 
sins  I  had  ever  committed  were  ^oue  from  me :  and  they 
rejoiced  over  me,  and  said  1  had  been  weighed  down  and 
oppressed  with  evil  spirits,  which  now  were  cast  out  of 
me.  and  I  was  made  whole.  They  then  put  a  Crosst 
round  my  neck,  and  told  me.  whenever  I  committed  any 
sin,  that  I  must  take  this  Cross,  and  go  to  the  imaofe  of 
the  Virgin  Mary  for  mercy :  that  she  would  always  have 
mercy  upon  me  :  but  charged  me.  whenever  I  felt  as  if  I 
had  done  wrong,  to  go  to  some  Priest,  and  to  Confess  it 
to  him.  I  did  recover  immediately  from  my  sickness,  and 
I  do  believe  it  was  awing  to  the  effect  this  had  on  my  sys- 
tem ;  but  the  Priests  all  said  it  was  because  they  had 
made  me  a  Christian  :  1  was  restored  to  my  health  again, 
in  some  measure,  so  that  I  was  able  to  be  about.  I  did 
truly  feel  as  if  I  was  another  person,  for  my  mind  and 
feeling's  had  now  become  stupiried. 

I  had  now  become  foolish,  like  a  child;  so  much  so.  that  I 
could  not  remain  in  my  house,  wanting  to  be  wandering, 
in  the  streets,  alone.  When  out.  I  knew  not  where  I  was 
going  :  and  when  I  saw  any  of  the  Priests.  I  would  go  up 
to  them  publicly,  and  cry  to  them,  weeping,  and  tell  them, 
they  had  set  me  crazy,  that  they  had  put  Priestcraft  on 


*  "At  the  time  of  my  baptism,  I  was  anointed  with  oil ;  a  piece  of  salt 
was  put  in  my  month,  the  Priest  breathing  three  times  upon  me,  and 
touching  my  eyes,  ears,  and  nose  with  spittle,  speaking  Latin  all  the 
while.  They  profe<s  to  take  these  ceremonies  from  the  Scriptures." 
Miss  Reed's  six  months  in  a  Convent. 

t  This  individual  Cross  is  now  in  the  Asylum  at  Yorkville. 


XP  EEA^TIC. 


J.V5 


VIIL]  THE  PEOPLE  PITY  HER.  115 

me.  I  got  so  lost  at  last,  that  I  would  not  consent  for  my 
Priest  to  come  to  my  house  ;  and  if  I  saw  him  in  the 
street,  I  felt  as  if  I  wanted  to  tear  him  to  pieces ;  and 
when  I  was  laboring  in  this  state  of  mind,  I  once  tore 
his  habit  oif  him  in  the  street.  He  at  last  got  afraid  of 
me,  and  all  the  other  Priests  would  try  to  shun  me,  when 
they  met  me  in  the  street. 

ft  became  public  to  all,  from  the  oldest  down  to  the 
youngest,  who  I  was  ;  and  the  cry  was  with  them  pub- 
licly when  I  went  into  the  street :  "  Look  at  that  poor 
American  girl,  v;ho  lives  with  Father  Canto !  He  has 
made  her  crazy  by  malediction  and  Priestcraft  F  This 
had  become  so  public,  that  all  the  people  were  ringing  it 
in  each  other's  ears.  And  they  pitied  me,  and  blamed  the 
Priest.  The  old  Bishop,  and  some  of  the  Priests,  consulted 
together  what  could  be  done.*  There  was  a  respectable 
family,  that  would  send  for  me,  and  talk  and  plead  with 
me,  to  leave  the  Priest.  I  remember  the  kindness  of  that 
family.  Their  name  is  Soutan,  and  they  live  in  Cui  St. 
Phillipe.  Mr.  Soutan  transacts  business  in  the  Alcada's, 
or  chief  judge's  office.  He  is  an  intimate  acquaintance  of 
my  Godfather.  They  made  me  an  offer,  to  take  me  and 
give  me  a  home  with  them,  telling  me  it  was  so  wicked 
to  live  with  him  ;  that  God  would  never  forgive  me.  I 
then  asked  them,  if  it  was  not  wicked  for  him  to  do  so. 
They  would  say,  yes,  yes  ;  but  that  he  could  save  his  own 

*  For  all  this  was  a  very  public  matter,  so  much  so,  that  I  was  my- 
self annoyed  in  the  streets,  when  I  had  my  reason,  by  people  pointing 
at  me  when  I  passed,  and  hissing  to  each  other,  as  their  custom  is  when 
they  would  arrest  attention,  and  saying  one  to  another : — "  That  is  the 
poor  American  girl  the  Priest's  have  made  crazy  with  their  Priest- 
craft." [They  all  knew  that  she  was  living  with  Father  Manuel  Canto, 
and  knew  that  it  was  a  sin  ;  and  they  believed  that  the  sin  was  visited 
wholly  on  her  head,  through  the  prevailing  power  of  the  Holy  Priest 
with  the  Virgin  and  the  Saints,  to  save  his  own  soul.  While  this  served 
to  confirm  their  opinion  of  the  Holy  Priest's  power,  and  filled  them 
with  fear  of  the  men,  who  have  such  power  with  the  Gods  of  Rome, 
the  Virgin  and  the  Saints,  many  still  felt  sympathy  for  the  interesting 
young  stranger,  who  wandered  among  them  a  monument  of  Divine 
wrath,  smitten  and  broken,  by  the  influence  of  the  prayers  of 
that  man,  for  whose  pleasure  she  lived,  and  to  whose  pleasure  she 
ministered.] 


116  the  priests'  curses.  [Chap, 

soul ;  that  he  could  pray  all  the  curses  of  the  sin,  on  the 
woman  who  had  any  thing  to  do  with  him ;  and  the 
curses  would  fall  on  her.  This  was  all  the  comfort  I 
could  get  from  them. 


IX.]  SHE  IS  DRESSED  AS  A  PRIEST.  117 


CHAPTER  IX. 

"How  poor,  how  weak,  how  impotent,  is  man ! — 

Cradled  in  imbecility,  the  prey 

Of  those  who  love  him  fondest,  who  will  fan 

His  passions  by  indulgence,  and  will  sway 

To  sense,  and  self,  and  pride,  and  fear,  and  play 

Their  apish  tricks  upon  him,  till  his  soul 

Has  lost  its  native  innocence." 

Percival. 

Rosamond  disguised  as  a  Priest,  by  Father  R . — Pays  a  visit  to 

Father  Canto,  in  St.  Francisco  Convent. — Her  surprise  at  the  thought 
of  being  confined  there. — Manuel  receives  her  gladly,  and  desires  to 
knoiv  all  her  history,  and  her  religion,  and  her  mind. — She  opens  her 
mind  freely. — His  confessions. — His  contrition. — His  advice  to  her  to 
become  a  Nun  in  St.  Claro  Convent. — Manuel  about  to  prepare  to  go  on 
penance. — After  three  days,  Rosamond  returns  from  the  Convent,  in 

charge  of  the  same  Father  R . —  Tells  her  Godmother  where  she  had 

been.  — Her  horror  at  this  unpardonable  sin. — Rosamond  attempts  to  es- 
cape from  Cuba. — Prays  to  the  Virgin  Mary. 

After  a  little,  I  became  more  reconciled  in  my  mind. 
God  was  so  merciful  to  me,  I  enjoyed  my  natural  reason 
in  some  measure  ;  but  I  was  still  wretched  and  unhappy. 
Soon  after,  my  Priest  was  taken  sick  in  the  Convent,  and 
confined  to  his  room.     It  was  his  wish  for  me  to  go  to  the 

Convent,  to  see  him  ;  and  he  sent  a  Priest,  Father  R , 

who  lived  in  the  same  Convent  with  him,  to  call  on  me 
with  a  letter,  stating,  that  I  must  go  to  him  in  disguise,  as 
a  Priest,  in  their  garb  of  a  habit  and  a  wig.  They  have 
wigs  in  the  same  form,  as  they  shave  their  own  heads, 
for  the  purpose  of  getting  married,  and  enticing  young 
ladies  into  their  Convents,  as  I  have  heard  the  Priests 
themselves  frequently  say  ;  for,  in  this  disguise,  they  can 
pass  them  in,  without  notice  from  any  one. 

The  same  Priest,  Father  R ,  who  came  for  me,  I 

saw  only  the  day  previous,  next  door  to  me,  hearing  the 
Confession  of  a  dying  lady. 

I  knew  and  felt  that  it  was  wrong  for  me  to  put  this 
disguise  on,  and  to  go  to  the  house  of  God,  as  I  thought 
it ;  but  as  I  was  so  much  in  their  power,  I  did  not  dare 


118  SHE  IS  DRESSED  AS  A  PRIEST.  [Chap* 

to  refuse  to  go.  Oh,  how  plain  I  can  look  back  on  my 
wicked  pilgrimage  !  and  how  plain  I  can  see  that  God's 
Holy  Spirit  was  with  me  !  for  how  often,  when  I  have 
been  doing  wrong  and  wickedly,  there  would  be  a  moni- 
tor within,  that  would  tell  me  it  was  wicked  in  the  sight 
of  God,  and  I  would  feel  bad  and  unhappy  !  But,  oh ! 
how  soon  these  feelings  would  leave  me,  and  I  would  go 
on  and  do  those  things,  which  I  knew,  but  a  few  mo- 
ments before,  were  wrong  and  wicked  in  the  sight  of 
God,  and,  about  which,  I  had  been  unhappy. 

"The  more  I  strove  against  its  power, 
I  sinn'd  and  stumbled  but  the  more ; 
My  grief  and  burden  long  has  been, 
Because  I  could  not  cease  from  sin." 

After  I  had  dressed  myself  in  this  habit,  and  put  the 

wig  on  my  head,  the  Priest,  Father  R ,  took  some 

black  chalk,  that  he  had  brought  with  him,  and  blacked 
my  eye-brows,  and  around  my  chin. — I  then  wanted  to 
go  and  look  in  the  glass,  but  this  he  refused  me  ;  and  said 
it  would  be  so  wicked  for  me  to  look  in  the  glass,  and  to 
make  fun  of  my  Priest's  habit.  I  could  not  persuade  him 
to  let  me  go  to  the  glass  ;  but  he  said  he  could  pass  me 
any  where  in  the  day-light ;  no  one  would  take  me  to  be 
a  woman. 

When  we  entered  the  Convent,  it  was  about  eight 
o'clock  in  the  evening.  The  doorkeeper,  who  keeps  the 
keys,  met  us  at  the  door.  Not  one  word  was  said  by 
either  of  us.  We  followed  him  up  five  stair-cases,  and 
he  unlocked  five  iron  doors.  I  judged  they  were  iron 
by  the  sound;  and  I  have  often  heard  the  Priests  say 
they  were  iron.  The  only  light  we  had  with  us,  was 
from  the  cigar  the  doorkeeper  was  smoking.  Oh  !  I 
could  not  describe  the  feelings  which  I  had  when  the 
first  door  was  locked  upon  us.  I  never  thought,  nor 
reflected  on  what  I  was  doing,  until  then  ;  it  came  to  my 
mind,  that  he  had  sent  for  me,  to  put  me  in  some  vault, 
there  to  die.  All  appeared  silent  as  the  grave,  only  I 
could  hear  the  beating  of  my  own  heart ;  and  when  he 


IX.]  Manuel's  indisposition.  119 

unlocked  those  doors,  they  would  give  such  a  doleful 
sound,  as  would  make  the  whole  Convent  ring,  which 
still  made  it  appear  more  horrible. 

When  we  entered  Manuel's  room,  I  felt  somewhat  re- 
lieved.* I  found  him  in  his  bed,  sick.  He  appeared  to 
be  glad  to  see  me.  I  never  saw  him  look  so  unhappy  in 
his  mind,  as  he  was  at  that  time.  He  desired  me  to  speak 
my  mind  freely  to  him,  and  tell  him  all  my  history  ;  who 
I  was,  and  what  first  led  me  to  come  on  the  island  ;  what 
my  feelings  were  towards  him,  and  whether  I  had  felt 
different  in  mind,  since  I  was  christened  ;  and  if  I  had  any 
desire  to  leave  him,  and  come  to  America.  I  did  feel  able 
at  that  time,  to  open  my  heart  wholly  to  him ;  for  I  felt  as 
if  my  time  was  come,  and  that  I  was  brought  there  to  die. 
I  told  him  I  was  not  prepared  to  die ;  but  if  I  died  as  I 
was  I  should  go  to  hell ;  that  their  religion  could  not  save 
my  soul ;  and  I  did  wish  to  come  to  America  to  die  with 
my  friends.  He  then  wanted  me  to  tell  him  all  about 
our  religion ;  but  I  could  not  tell  him  any  thing,  for  I 
knew  nothing.  I  was  as  ignorant  as  a  heathen  of  the 
right  view  of  eternity,  or  the  way  to  seek  the  salvation  of 
my  soul ;  and  I  told  him  so.  I  pleaded  with  him  to  do, 
and  to  live  differently  ;  that  he  could  not  be  a  Christian  ; 
and  it  was  so  wicked  to  lead  the  people  in  so  much  dark- 
ness. He  then  told  me,  that  he  never  wished  to  be  a 
Priest  from  the  first,  but  was  compelled  to  become  one  by 

*  The  natural  repugnance  of  Rosamond  to  put  on  the  habits  of  a  man 

for  disguise  ;  the  blacking  of  her  eye-brows  and  chin  by  Father  R ; 

her  curiosity  to  see  herself  in  this  new  attire  ;  the  Priest's  double  assu- 
rance, once,  that  it  would  be  wicked  for  her  to  make  fun  of  her  new 
habits,  (and  he  knew  her  disposition  too  well  to  trust  her  at  the  mirror) 
and  again,  that  nobody  would  take  her  black  habits,  and  black  brows, 
and  chin,  to  belong  to  a  woman,  even  by  daylight ;  form  a  group  of  in- 
cidents not  easily  counterfeited  by  any  ingenuity ;  but  when  to  this  is 
added,  the  thoughtless  step  with  which  she  entered  the  Convent,  the 
sudden  reflection  produced  by  the  clang  of  the  iron  door,  as  it  bolted 
her  from  the  world,  that  she  would  go  no  more  out  of  it  forever;  the 
only  light,  the  light  of  the  keeper's  cigar,  and  the  only  sound,  the  sound 
of  her  beating  heart,  to  whose  aching  pulsations  the  presence,  even  oi 
Father  Manuel  Canto,  afforded  some  relief;  these  details  altogether^ 
ajre  so  grouped  by  the  simple  hand  of  plain  truth,  as  no  artist  could  de- 
sign, no  genius  could  invent. 


120  HIS  FATHER  A  MONK.  [Chap. 

the  wish  of  his  father,  who  was  then  living  in  Spain,  and 
one  of  the  head  Monks  there.  I  asked  him  if  his  father 
was  ever  married  ;  he  said  no.  He  told  me  he  did  not 
know  who  his  mother  was ;  and  I  have  frequently  heard 
him  curse  her,  whoever  she  might  be.  He  never  before, 
nor  since,  appeared  to  feel,  or  see,  that  he  was  living  and, 
doing  so  wrong.  He  did  not  tell  me  so  ;  but  I  could  see 
his  countenance  bespoke  it.*  He  wept  like  a  child, 
while  he  thought  and  spoke  of  his  wicked  course,  and 
that  he  had  been  led  to  commit  crimes  against  his  con- 
science, through  the  office  of  a  Priest,  which  was  forced 
upon  him,  and  which  he  never  had  a  wish  to  take.  And 
he  openly  expressed  a  wish  to  escape  himself  from  Cuba, 
which  it  is  no  easy  thing  for  a  Priest  to  do,  and  to  come 
to  the  United  States,  if  only  he  had  any  means  of  obtain- 
ing a  support  there. 

He   then    told    me    I    must  prepare   myself  to  die ; 

*  This  interview  with  Manuel  in  St.  Francisco  Convent,  is  one  of 
rare  interest.  The  reader  may  suppose,  that  in  the  retirement  of  his 
sick  chamber,  the  reflections  of  Father  Canto  were  not  free  from  the 
stings  of  a  guilty  conscience  ;  and  the  recent  extravagance  and  crazi- 
ness  of  Rosamond,  came  to  arouse  his  doubts  of  the  sufficiency  of  his 
doctrine  and  ceremonies  to  save  a  soul.  The  conviction  that  this  Con- 
vent door  would  never  be  re-opened  to  her,  inspired  Rosamond  with 
courage  and  resolution  to  lay  open  to  him  her  whole  heart.  The 
compunctious  visitings  of  his  conscience  aided  her,  and  the  Priest 
learned  righteousness  from  her  lips.  He  rather  excused  himself  for 
his  guilt  in  the  Priesthood  by  charging  the  assumption  of  that  office  on 
the  will  of  his  father  ;  and  the  guilt  of  his  life,  be  was  so  hardened  as 
to  cast  on  the  strange  mother  that  gave  him  birth. 

Possibly,  the  freedom  with  which  Rosamond  addressed  him,  was  in- 
strumental of  changing  his  purpose  to  confine  her  within  the  prison 
walls  of  the  Convent  vaults.  It  certainly  brought  him  to  exhibit  some 
of  the  signs  of  penitence ;  and  his  desire  to  know  all  about  Rosamond 
and  her  religion,  was  evidence  of  a  momentary  distrust  of  the  faith  he 
professed.  His  confidence  returned,  however,  while  he  parried  her  re- 
monstrance against  his  wicked  life  with  exhortations  to  become  a  Nun, 
and  to  put  herself  under  the  tuition  of  his  aunt,  in  St.  Claro  Convent. 

Having  written  this,  and  spoken  of  the  contrition  Manuel  manifest- 
ed here,  Rosamond  added,  that  she  had  not  told  all ;  for  she  feared 
bringing  the  vengeance  of  the  Priests  upon  Manuel,  and  subjecting 
him  to  persecution  for  the  frankness  of  his  speech ;  but  when  the  further 
relation  seems  honorable  to  Manuel,  I  venture  to  give  it,  hoping  that 
the  spark  of  independence  and  of  honest  feeling  it  manifests,  may  yet  be 
blown  into  a  flame. 


PTTRG_A.TORT"         EOOM. 


IX.]  HER  FEAR  OF  POISON.  121 

that  if  I  died  as  I  was,  my  soul  would  be  lost  for 
ever,  and  asked  me  if  I  did  not  want  to  be  an 
Angel  in  Heaven.  I  told  him  yes,  that  I  wanted  to 
become  a  good  Christian  before  I  died.  He  then  told  me 
he  had  an  aunt,  who  lived  in  St.  Claro  Convent,  where 
there  are  a  great  many  Nuns,  all  Christians  and  holy ; 
that  they  lived  next  door  to  heaven  ;  and  if  I  would  con- 
sent to  go  there,  he  would  put  me  under  the  kind  care  of 
his  aunt,  and  he  could  come  and  hear  my  Confessions, 
He  told  me  also,  that  he  was  going  to  prepare  to  go  on 
penance.*  I  replied,  that  I  would  make  up  my  mind, 
and  go  there.  I  would  go  and  die  there.  I  did  not  feel 
so,  but  thought  I  should  never  be  allowed  to  leave  the 
Convent,  and  was  obliged  to  answer  him  as  I  did. 

I  remained  in  the  Convent  three  days.  A  number  of 
Priests,  his  friends,  would  come  into  his  room,  and  would 
partake  in  eating,  and  in  drinking  wine.  I  could  hear 
and  see  it  was  his  friends,  the  Priests,  who  wished  to 
have  me  put  in  confinement  in  St.  Claro  Convent,  more 
than  himself.  While  in  the  Convent,  I  would  partake  of 
nothing,  that  Manuel  did  not  taste  with  me.  I  put  confi- 
dence in  him,  while  I  feared  poison  and  death  in  every 
form.  He  knew  it  too,  and  used  to  laugh  at  me  ;  but  he 
always  indulged  me,  by  tasting  with  me. 

On  the  third  day  I  came  out,  by  promising  I  would  pre- 
pare and  go  to  St.  Claro.     The  same  Priest  who  took  me 

there,  Father  R ,  came  out  with  me.     It  was  twilight 

when  we  passed  through  the  rooms,  I  was  dressed  in  the 

habit  of  a  Monk,  and  Father  R led  me  through  by  the 

arm.     I  could  just  perceive  one  of  them  was  full  of  figures 

*  This  "  going  to  prepare  to  go  on  penance"  exemplifies  both  the  con- 
fidence of  the  Priests  in  the  efficacy  of  their  own  better  remedy  for  sin, 
and  the  reluctance  with  which  these  spiritual  physicians  swallow  the 
prescriptions  they  are  every  ready  to  administer  to  other  souls.  The 
Priests  do  go  on  penance  under  direction  of  the  Father  Confessor  of 
their  Convents.  Manuel's  late  course  might  well  call  for  some  atone- 
ment, such  as  the  guilty  conscience,  led  by  deluded  Priests,  requires  k> 
be  self  inflicted  on  the  penitent.  But  the  Father  Confessor  of  St.  Fran- 
ciso  Convent,  seems  to  have  been  himself  too  deep  in  the  mire  of  pollu- 
tion to  lay  any  very  heavy  burden  on  his  penitent  Priests.  He  kept 
himself  his  lady  inthe  Convent,  Manuel  often  said. 
il 


122  purgatory  room.  [Chap. 

in  different  forms,  one  of  which  was  the  image  of  the  Old 
Adversary,  with  a  blue  flame  issuing  from  his  mouth> 
with  all  his  troop.  Another  was  the  figure  of  a  man, 
dressed  like  a  Monk,  with  a  horrible  and  frightful  counte- 
nance, who  stood  near  the  jar  of  sulphur,  brandishing  a 
torch  in  his  hand,  which  burnt  with  a  blue  flame.  They 
were  all  naked.  When  we  entered,  we  were  almost  suf- 
focated by  the  burning  of  sulphur,  which  was  placed  in  a 
jar  in  the  middle  of  the  floor,  around  which  were  burning 
several  small  lamps.  They  call  that  room  "  Purgatory:1 
The  next  room  we  entered,  was  in  total  darkness.  By 
this  time,  I  had  become  perfectly  resigned.  I  never  ex- 
pected to  see  day-light  again,  so  sure  was  I  that  they 
meant  to  destroy  me,  for  that,  I  believe,  was  their  plan. 
I  was  so  wretched,  and  troublesome  to  them,  and  Manuel 
was  likewise  so  unhappy,  that  they  wanted  to  get  rid  of 
me  ;  and  but  for  him,  they  would  have  done  it.  I  do  be- 
lieve they  would  have  confined  me  in  St.  Claro  Convent, 
while  I  lived. 

I  cannot  express  the  feeling  1  had,  when  I  found  my- 
self out  of  this  Convent,  and  once  more  in  my  house 
again.  When  reflecting,  this  all  appeared  to  me  like  a 
dream  :  I  could  not  bring  to  my  mind  the  reality  of  the 
late  scenes  which  I  had  witnessed  and  gone  through. 

This  Priest,  Father  R ,  told  me.  that  my  house  was 

full  of  evil  spirits,  and  I  must  have  it  cleansed  and  puri- 
fied ;  must  burn  incense,  and  have  some  Holy  Candles 
lighted  immediately,  and  cleave  to  the  Virgin  Mary  for 
mercy  ;  and  through  my  weakness  and  blindness,  I  did  as 
he  told  me.  He  left  me  at  my  house,  on  my  promising 
that  I  never  would  mention  to  any  one  where  I  had 
been. 

I  had  brought  my  mind  to  such  a  state,  that  I  was  be- 
come afraid  of  myself,  and  of  every  one  around  me.  If 
anyone  would  call  and  see  me,  to  talk  with  me,  and  com- 
fort me,  I  imagined  they  were  trying  to  lay  some  plot,  to 
put  me  to  death,  or  into  confinement. 

Being  asked  by  my  Godmother,  where  I  had  been,  I 
told  her  that  I  had  been  in  St.  Francisco  Convent.     She 


IX.]  THE  HOLINESS  OF  GOOD-FRIDAY.  123 

then  said,  that  I  had  committed  an  unpardonable  sin ; 
that  the  u  Mother  of  Mercies'7  never  would  forgive  me, 
unless  I  went  immediately  and  heard  Masses,  and  made 
Confession  to  some  Priest ;  that  I  had  run  great  risk,  not 
only  of  being  put  in  confinement  for  ever,  but  had  com- 
mitted the  unpardonable  sin. 

My  mind  had  become  so  distracted  and  weak,  that  I 
was  led  to  go  to  a  Priest  to  Confess.  I  went  to  several 
Convents  before  I  had  courage  to  enter  one.  In  those 
Convents  they  have  the  Sanctuary  for  worship,  and 
rooms  where  you  go  to  give  in  Confession.  The  Priest 
that  I  went  to,  was  between  fifty  and  sixty  years  old.  As 
soon  as  he  learnt  who  I  was,  he  told  me  he  could  not 
hear  my  Confession  at  that  time.  I  must  come  to  him  on 
Good  Friday,  which  was  in  the  following  week.  That 
day  they  take  to  be  very  holy.  It  is  the  day  the  Catho- 
lics all  burn  incense  in  their  houses  and  churches. 

On  my  return  home,  I  found  my  Priest  there  waiting 
for  me.  It  appeared  to  me,  that  I  was  fenced  in  by  many 
evil  spirits  all  around  me,  I  was  like  a  person  in  a  house 
all  on  fire,  and  myself  placed  in  the  middle  of  it;  for 
when  I  would  look  around,  it  appeared  as  if  they  all 
wanted  to  put  me  away  in  some  confinement,  there  to 
die.  I  would  go  to  this  one,  and  that  one,  but  none  could 
relieve  my  mind,  nor  my  conscience. 

"  When  iron  slumbers  bind  your  flesh, 

With  strange  surprise  you'll  find, 
Immortal  vigor  springs  afresh, 

And  tortures  wake  the  mind. 

"  Conscience,  the  never  dying  worm, 

With  torture  gnaws  the  heart, 
And  wo  and  wrath  in  every  form, 

Is  then  the  sinner's  part. 

"  Sad  world  indeed,  ah  !  who  can  bear 

For  ever  there  to  dwell, 
For  ever  sinking  in  despair, 

In  all  the  pains  of  hell." 

It  then  came  to  my  mind,  what  my  female  friend  had 


124  VIRGIN  MARY  HER  GODDESS.  [Chap. 

told  me  in  Matanzas,  that  there  was  a  place  here  in  New 
York,  a  home  for  a  penitent  female  to  reclaim  her  cha- 
racter ;  and  the  way  pointed  out  to  her,  in  which  to  seek 
the  salvation  of  her  souL  My  burden  of  conscience  was 
somewhat  relieved,  upon  the  hope  that  1  should  be  able 
to  escape  from  the  Island  of  Cuba.  I  made  several  at- 
tempts to  leave,  but  was  detected  by  my  Priest ;  and  at 
every  attempt  I  made,  I  felt  more  encouragement  to  be- 
lieve that  one  day  I  should  succeed. 

Although  every  thing  appeared  so  dark  and  gloomy  be- 
fore me,  behind  me,  and  all  around  me,  in  all  my  troubles, 
wretchedness,  and  difficulties,  1  never  thought  of,  or  went 
to  my  God,  to  beg  for  mercy  and  assistance.  No,  I  went 
to  men,  wicked  people.  I  have,  at  times,  when  melted 
down  in  sorrow  and  misery,  not  knowing  what  to  do, 
gone  to  my  room,  knelt  down  to  the  image  of  the  Virgin 
Mary,*  and  poured  out  my  feelings  to  her  for  mercy  !  Oh, 

*  The  folly  of  image  worship  is  so  rank,  that,  to  an  American,  it 
seems  impossible  to  dwell  in  an  enlightened  mind.  But  here  is  an  in- 
stance of  an  American  of  no  mean  spirit,  bowed  down  with  sorrows, 
and  destitute  of  a  right  knowledge  of  the  Holy  God,  blindly  adopting 
the  customs  of  the  people  that  surrounded  her,  and  pouring  out  her 
heart  at  the  feet  of  an  image,  representing  the  blessed  Virgin.  This 
idolatry  gained  faster  hold  of  her  affections  the  longer  she  indulged  it; 
for  the  relief  which  she  experienced  in  unburthening  her  heart  to  the 
image,  was  a  sensible  pleasure,  and,  no  doubt,  if  the  fixed  purpose  of 
her  soul  to  escape  from  the  island,  had  not  been  favored  of  heaven,  she 
would  have  become  a  perfect  devotee  of  Romanism.  It  was  long  after 
her  escape,  months  passed,  before  she  rose  superior  to  a  profane  vene- 
ration of  the  image  of  the  Virgin  and  the  Crucifix.  "  Thou  shalt  not 
make  unto  thee,  any  graven  image,  or  any  likeness — thou  shalt  not  bow 
"down  thyself  to  them,  nor  serve  them"  Exod.  xx.  4. 

The  reader  may  think  of  the  generous  Greeks  and  the  haughty  Ro- 
mans; of  the  wise  men,  and  brave,  and  intellectual,  of  every  age,  who 
have  bowed  to  images,  and  worshiped  the  work  of  men's  hands.  They 
knew  that  the  wood  was  yet  wood,  and  the  stone,  stone ;  but  they  ac- 
knowledged the  god  which  the  wood  and  the  stone  represented ;  they 
bowed  and  confessed  and  prayed  before  it;  they  praised  and  adored  the 
ethereal  spirits,  which  they  supposed  to  hover  around  the  images  called 
by  their  name  ;  and  so  they  gave,  as  the  Roman  catholics  of  all  coun- 
tries now  give,  the  glory  which  is  due  to  Jehovah  alone,  profanely  to 
the  images  and  pictures  representing  deceased  men,  and  departed 
spirits. 

We  are  in  the  habit  of  pitying  the  distant  heathen  ;  of  striving  in  the 
meekness  of  the  Gospel,  to  turn  them  from  the  worship  of  idols,  to  serve 


IX. J        GRATITUDE  AT  DELIVERANCE.  125 

what  a  life  of  darkness  and  blindness  mine  has  ever 
been  !  I  knew  that  there  was  a  God  who  made  us,  and 
that  was  all  I  knew  or  thought  about  it.  I  may  well  say- 
that  I  was  a  heathen.  Oh  !  blessed  be  his  holy  name, 
that  he  did  bring  me  to  New  York,  that  he  did  have 
mercy  upon  me,  and  has  opened  my  blind  eyes,  and  en- 
lightened my  dark  understanding,  and  brought  me  to  see 
the  right  way  to  seek  the  salvation  of  my  soul.  Oh,  that 
I  may  always  sit  low  at  the  feet  of  Jesus ! 

the  living  God ;  but  we  do  not  sufficiently  regard  the  heathen  in  our 
midst ;  we  do  not  pity,  as  we  ought,  the  poor  Roman  catholic,  who  is 
led  as  certainly  in  the  ways  of  the  heathen,  to  the  end  of  the  heathen, 
as  any  Hindoo.  Many  offend  them  rather  by  their  zeal,  than  win 
them  by  their  charity  to  forsake  images,  and  to  serve  the  anointed  of 
God. 

II* 


126  ATTEMPTS  TO  ESCAPE  FROM  CUBA.  [Chap. 


CHAPTER  X. 

"  And  tell,  hopeless  bigot,  why  1 

For  what,  for  whom  did  Jesus  dre  7 

If  pyramids  of  Saints  must  rise 

To  form  a  passage  to  the  skies  1 

And,  think  ye  man  can  wipe  away 

With  fast  and  penance,  day  by  day, 

One  single  sin,  too  dark  to  fade 

Before  a  bleeding  Saviour's  shade? 

O,  ye  of  little  faith,  beware  ! 

For  neither  fast,  nor  Saint,  nor  prayer. 

Would  aught  avail  you  without  Him, 

Beside  whom  Saints  themselves  grow  dim.° 

Miss  L.  M.  Davidson. 

Attempts  to  escape  from  Cuba.—  Was  detected  by  Manuel,  who  threatens  tc 
have  her  confined.— Burning  Holy  Candles  to  the  Virgin,  and  the  Saints, 
—  The  pay  of  the  Priests  for  laying  evil  spirits,  and  sprinkling  Holy 
Water. —  The  ceremony  of  laying  out  and  burying  the  dead. — Burning 
their  bones. — Procession  against  the  cholera.— Fly  to  the  Convents  as  a 
refuge  from  the  cholera. —  The  Priests  entice  two  hundred,  females  into 
the,  Convents. — No  escape  from  the  Convents. —  The  conduct  of  the  Priests 
too  indelicate  to  be  told, —  The  amours  of  the  Right  Rev.  Bishop,  ic ho  was 
near  100  years  of  age. —  The  lamentations  of  the  females  at  the  death  of 
the  Bishop. 

In  one  of  the  attempts  I  made  to  leave  the  island.  I  had 
my  passage  bespoke,  and  my  passport  in  my  pocket,  and 
my  trunks  put  on  board  ship.  On  leaving  my  house,  to 
go  on  board  myself,  I  felt  like  one  who  had  committed 
some  dreadful  wicked  crime,  and  was  afraid  of  being  de- 
tected. When  I  got  to  the  wharf,  I  was  met  by  the  cap- 
tain of  the  port,  who  said  that  I  could  not  leave  in  that 
vessel,  nor  the  island  at  present ;  and  my  trunks  were 
brought  on  shore.  I  made  no  inquiries  of  him,  where 
they  were  ;  for  I  well  knew  I  was  detected  by  my  Priest. 
I  was  then  obliged  to  return  to  my  solitary  home,  where 
my  trunks  had  arrived  before  me.  I  had  succeeded  in 
getting  off  without  my  servant  girl  knowing  any  thing 
about  it,  until  I  returned.  The  Priest  accused  her  of 
knowing  it.  Shortly  after,  she  left  me  suddenly,  and  I 
never  knew  what  became  of  her.  I  felt  myself  so  much 
in  danger,  that  I  dare  not  make  inquiries  about  her. 

My  Priest  then  tofd  me,  it  would  be  useless  for  me  to 


X.]  THE  LAYING  OF  EVIL  SPIRITS.  127 

try  to  leave  the  island;  for  I  could  not.  He  said  he 
could  bring  me  in  a  lunatic,  and  have  me  confined  ;  and 
many  times  he  threatened  me  he  would  do  it.  His 
reasons  for  wishing  me  not  to  leave  him,  I  could  not  see 
clearly  at  that  time  ;  but  since  I  have  become  enlightened, 
I  can  see  it  was  because  he  was  afraid  of  being  exposed, 
as  he  well  knew  what  state  of  feelings  I  was  laboring 
under,  and  often,  yes,  often,  he  has  heard  me  say ;  Oh,  if 
I  could  only  become  a  Christian  !  But  I  still  felt  encour- 
aged, that  I  should  one  day  be  able  to  get  away. 

He  wanted  me  to  go  into  the  country,  to  a  friend  of 
his,  who  was  an  elderly  lady,  a  widow.  He  brought  her 
to  my  house,  to  see  me.  I  still  kept  on  promising  I  would 
go  whenever  he  wished.  During  this  time,  and  the  past 
year,  I  was  seldom  without  some  Holy  Candles,  as  they 
call  them,  burning  in  my  bed-room,  with  the  image  of  the 
Virgin  Mary,  and  other  Saints,  and  a  bottle  of  Holy 
Water,  to  sprinkle  my  house  with.  The  Catholics  all 
have  them  in  their  houses,  and  I  had  got  such  a  habit, 
that  I  felt  lost  without  them. 

Seeing  so  much  of  their  Priestcraft  and  malediction, 
would  stupify  the  most  refined  feelings  of  mind  ;  that  is, 
if  a  person  was  a  heathen,  as  I  was.  If  you  are  placed 
among  them,  you  are  led  to  believe  by  the  Priest,  that 
the  candles  they  buy  out  of  the  Convents  are  so  blessed 
by  the  Priest,  that  burning  them  in  your  house  will  keep 
out  all  evil  spirits.  Every  Good-Friday  you  must  go  to 
the  Priest,  to  lay  the  evil  spirits ;  and  then  you  start 
afresh  for  another  year.  But  you  must  take  the  Priests 
a  sum  of  money  to  compose  the  evil  spirits.  They  cannot 
lay  them,  and  bless  you,  without  money.  I  have  known 
my  Priest  to  take  from  one  hundred,  to  a  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars,  on  a  Good-Friday,  by  Masses,*  Confessions, 
and  laying  the  evil  spirits  in  different  families. 

When  any  of  the  Catholics  have  a  new  house  built,  be- 

*  "  The  price  of  Masses,"  (says  Ricci,  who  was  himself  an  Italian 
Bishop,)  "  varies.  The  Priest  turns  every  thing  to  account, — a  privi- 
leged altar, — the  devotion  of  the  people  towards  a  particular  Saint, — a 
relic,—-an  image  reported  to  be  miraculous,  &c."  Tom.  i.  p.  284. — Ed. 


128  LAYING  OUT  OF  THE  DEAD.  [Chap. 

fore  they  move  into  it,  they  must  have  it  laid,  and  Mass 
said,  and  pay  a  sum  of  money  to  the  Priest  for  the  ser- 
vice ;  or,  if  you  move  from  one  house  to  another,  it  must 
be  done  for  the  house  you  move  to,  before  you  go  into  it. 
Each  family,  and  person,  generally,  have  their  favorite 
Priest.  When  a  rich  person  dies  on  the  island,  after  the 
corpse  is  laid  out,  there  is  preparation  made  in  the  room 
for  all  the  Priests  to  go  and  say  prayers  over  the  dead 
body,  (a  few. words  in  Latin.)  and  sprinkle  some  Huiy 
Water  in  the  room.  Afterwards  each  Priest  would  re- 
ceive two  dollars  before  he  would  leave.  The  friends  of 
the  deceased  are  led  to  believe,  that  those  prayers  by  the 
Priests  will  help  them  through  Purgatory.* 

The  way  they  lay  out  the  dead  there,  is  in  a  full  suit 
of  new  clothes,  shoes,  and  stockings  ;  the  same  as  when 
living.  When  a  lady  dies,  she  is  laid  out  in  a  suit  of 
black  ;  the  same  as  when  going  to  church  with  her  Holy 

*  By  endless  exactions  of  this  sort,  the  Roman  Clergy,  in  those  coun- 
tries where  they  are  not  much  restrained  by  the  eyes  of  Protestants, 
load  and  harass  their  people  without  mercy.  What  is  to  hinder  them  ? 
They  have  all  power  over  the  consciences,  and  even  over  souls,  of  the 
living  and  of  the  dead,  not  to  forgive  the  sins  of  the  one,  or  to  pray  out 
the  suffering  spirit  of  the  other  from  Purgatory,  unless  they  see  cause, 
according  to  the  faith  they  teach,  and  as  the  Roman  catholics  believe. 
Why,  then,  should  they  not  tease  the  people  to  the  very  extreme  of  suf- 
fering 1  Man  is  by  nature  a  tyrant;  and  never  did  any  succession  of 
men,  in  any  age,  hold  the  reii?s  of  power  by  what  they  call  divine  right, 
without  grievously  oppressing  the  people.  Manuel  Canto  well  said, 
extending  his  habit  between  his  thumb  and  finger  ;  "  These  habits  do 
not  change  our  feelings ;  we  have  the  same  feelings  with  other  men." 
— And  any  set  of  men,  even  Americans,  would  become  corrupt,  as  the 
Roman  Priests  in  Popish  countries  assuredly  are,  if  they  were  exposed 
to  the  same  temptations. 

The  fault  of  their  excesses  belongs  not  to  this  age  of  Priests;  not  to 
the  Spanish,  or  Irish  people ;  but  it  belongs  to  the  Roman  catholic  sys- 
tem; which  inevitably  would  lead  any  people  into  their  vices,  as  it  has 
led  them,  provided  they  were  exposed  to  the  same  instruction  and  ex- 
ample from  their  youth. 

Let  us  see  our  parents  and  holy  Priest  always  adoring  the  image  of 
the  Virgin,  and  should  not  we,  too,  adore  1  Let  American  youth  be 
separated  to  celibacy  in  the  Convent  and  the  Nunnery,  in  early  life ; 
and  then  put  to  Confess  to  one  another  in  secret ;  and  would  not  they 
become  vile  7 — The  fault  is  in  the  Romish  system.  The  Roman  cath- 
olics are  neither  more  nor  less  than  other  men,  except  what  that  sys- 
tem makes  them. 


X.]  BURNING  THE  DEAD.  129 

Beads  and  Cross.  Strict  Catholics  in  Havanna,  always 
wear  black  at  Church,  and  at  no  other  time.  When  a 
young  maid,  or  a  young  child  dies,  she  is  laid  out  in 
white  ;  her  face  is  painted  ;  and  her  head  is  dressed  with 
white  artificial  flowers.  They  carry  the  dead  in  coffins 
to  the  grave-yard  ;  then  they  are  taken  out  of  the  coffin, 
and  laid  in  the  ground.  They  are  covered  with  lime, 
before  the  earth  is  put  over  them.  The  lime  is  put  on,  to 
eat  the  flesh ;  for,  once  a  year,  in  these  countries,  they 
take  up  the  dead  bodies  and  burn  them.  The  bones  are 
gathered  together,  and  then  buried.  Three  days  previous 
to  burning  the  dead,  the  Priests  and  the  friends  of  the 
deceased  make  a  great  holy-day.  The  Priests  get  a  great 
deal  of  money  on  those  days  for  Masses  and  candles.  The 
grave-yard  is  illuminated  with  candles,  which  they  get 
from  the  Priests.  Each  one  of  the  friends  of  the  de 
ceased,  will  take  a  candle  and  a  bunch  of  flowers,  and 
place  them  on  the  grave  where  their  friends  lie.  When 
they  carry  their  dead  to  the  grave,  any  one,  who  will  fol- 
low, is  presented  with  a  candle  by  the  Priest.  No  one  is 
allowed  to  follow  in  the  procession  without  a  candle, 
which  must  be  bought  of  the  Priests. 

The  Catholics  do  not  think  it  any  harm  to  go  to  the 
theatre,  or  masquerade-balls,  nine  "days  after  they  have 
buried  a  near  relative.  They  are  led  to  believe  that  after 
nine  days  their  bodies  are  at  ease,  and  their  souls  are 
happy  with  their  holy  mother,  the  Virgin  Mary,  in  hea- 
ven. Some  of  them,  however,  have  Masses  said  for  many 
years,  for  fear  they  may  still  be  in  Purgatory.  The  same 
custom  of  illuminating  the  grave-yard  annually,  and  of 
burning  the  dead,  prevails  in  the  French  grave-yard  at 
New-Orleans  :  and  the  day  is  a  holy-day  for  the  slaves  as 
well  as  their  masters,  there.* 

Shortly  after  the  last  attempt  I  made  to  leave  Manuel, 
and  Cuba,  which  was  in  the  Spring  of  1833,  the  cholera 
broke  out  on  the  island  ;  this  woke  up  all  the  Priests  and 

*  To  this  statement  respecting  the  annual  burning  of  the  bones  of  the 
dead  at  New-Orleans,  I  can  add  my  incidental  testimony.  Such  was 
the  custom  some  few  years  ago  when  I  visited  the  place.— Ed. 


130  PRIESTLY  FEAR  OF  THE  CHOLERA.  [Chap. 

people.  They  had  been  expecting  it,  as  it  was  visiting 
every  other  place  :  and,  for  a  month  before  it  broke  out, 
the  Priests  all  became  very  holy  in  going  through  their 
ceremonies  of  worship  in  their  Convents ;  and,  for  a 
month,  they  every  day  came  out  into  the  streets,  in  large 
processions,  with  images  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  our  Saviour, 
and  the  Saints,  burning  incense  and  candles,  and  praying 
that  the  cholera  might  not  visit  the  island. — The  images 
are  as  large  as  grown  people,  decorated  in  the  richest  ap- 
parel. The  Virgin  Mary's  image  would  be  placed  on  a 
couch,  carried  by  four  Priests.  This  couch  would  be  de- 
corated with  gilded  leaves,  and  artificial  flowers.  The 
image  would  be  placed  in  the  centre  of  the  couch,  stand- 
ing and  weeping  with  the  tears  on  her  cheek,  and  a  white 
handkerchief  in  her  hand. — By  her  looks  you  would  think 
it  a  natural  being.  How  they  contrived  the  tears,  I  do 
not  know.  The  image  of  our  Saviour  would  be  placed 
on  a  similar  couch,  carried  by  four  Priests. — He  would 
be  standing  up  with  his  bleeding  wounds.  It  would  ap- 
pear as  if  the  blood  was  actually  gushing  out  from  the 
body. — They  bring  the  image  of  the  Virgin  Mary  from 
one  Convent,  and  that  of  our  Saviour  from  another  ;  and 
when  the  two  processions  meet  in  the  street,  the  Priests 
drop  on  one  knee,  Cross  themselves,  and  pray  in  Latin ; 
and  then  the  Virgin's  image  leads  the  way,  and  both  pro- 
cessions go  together  to  some  Convent,  where  they  place 
the  images  together.  When  the  processions  have  left  the 
images  of  the  Saints,  they  disperse.* 

*  The  Roman  catholics  deny  that  they  worship  images.  They  deny 
that  they  bow  down  before  them. — The  simple  truth  is  known  to  them, 
and  also  to  the  Judge  of  all. 

Their  catechisms  of  instruction  do  not  always  contain  the  second 
commandment.  They  give  the  first  and  second  as  one  ;  and,  for  brevi- 
ty's sake,  they  repeat  the  first,  and  omit  the  second.  To  maintain  the 
number  good,  they  divide  the  tenth:  9.  "  Thou  shalt  not  covet  thy  neigh- 
bor's wife.  10.  Thou  shalt  not  covet  thy  neighbor's  "goods."  They  have 
ten  commandments  in  this  way ;  although  they  sink  the  second  into 
the  first,  or  sink  it  out  of  sight. 

When  introduced,  it  reads  thus  :  "  thou  shalt  not  make  to  thyself  a 
graven  thing,  nor  the  likeness  of  any  thing;"  &c.  "  Thou  shalt  not 
adore  nor  worship  them." — And  the  Roman  catholics  all  maintain  that 
they  do  not  adore,  nor  worship  the  graven  thkig,  the  image,  not  they. 


X.]  THE  PEOPLE  WORSHIP  THE  PRIESTS.  131 

The  week  before  the  cholera  came,  the  Catholics  were 
all  crying  out,  that  the  cholera  would  not  come  there,  and 
were  led  to  believe  it  was  the  influence  of  the  Priests,  and 
the  Holy  Prayers  they  offered  to  the  Virgin  Mary,  and 
other  Saints,  that  kept  it  from  them  ;  and  when  the  igno- 
rant class  met  the  Priests  in  the  streets,  they  would  kneel 
down  to  them,  Cross  themselves,  kiss  their  habits,  and 
take  them  to  be  their  Gods.*  But  at  length  the  cholera 
came  ;  and  the  Priests  were  more  alarmed  than  the  peo- 
ple, for  fear  they  should  die  with  it.  I  know  how  it  was 
with  Manuel,  and  he  told  me  how  it  was  with  the  rest. 
The  people  still  clung  to  them  for  mercy,  and  offered 
them  large  sums  of  money  for  Masses,  burning  candles, 
and  praying  to  the  Virgin  Mary,  that  they  might  be  spared. 
The  rich  people  fled  to  the  Convents  and  churches,  to  re 
main  there  during  the  cholera,  until  the  churches  were 
all  filled.  They  believed  that  by  living  in  the  Convent, 
and  the  influence  the  Priests  had  with  the  Virgin  Mary, 

— They  worship  the  spirit  represented  by  the  graven  thing ;  certain- 

iy— 

Suppose  they  do. — All  idolators  worship  the  spirit  represented  by 
the  idol,  while  they  prostrate  themselves  before  the  graven  thing. 

But  suppose  Roman  Catholics  do  not  break  the  second  command- 
ment, or  any  commandment,  by  kneeling  to,  andinvocating  the  images 
of  departed  spirits,  still  they  break  the  first  commandment,  which  or- 
dains: "  Thou  shalt  have  no  other  or  strange  Gods  before  me" — When 
they  invoke  the  blessed  Virgin,  or  St.  Peter,  they  break  this  command- 
ment. 

"  By  no  means,"  (exclaims  the  Jesuit ;)  "we  do  not  invoke  them  as 
Gods  ;  but  only  as  Saints." — 

So  they  pray  before  images,  but  not  to  them;  and  they  have  many 
Saints,  but  no  Gods,  before  the  Lord  of  Lords.  They  bow  down  unto 
the  images,  and  call  them  by  the  names  of  spirits,  and  ask  their  aid 
and  pardon,  their  counsel  and  favor;  and  they  have  more  faith  in 
their  mercy,  than  in  the  mercy  of  God.  They  rob  the  most  High  of  his 
attributes;  and  ascribe  them  to  their  favorite  Saints.  "  Ye  hypocrites! 
well  did  Esaias  prophesy  of  you,  saying,  This  people  draweth  nigh  unto 
me  with  their  mouth,  and  honor eth  me  with  their  lips,  but  their  heart 
is  far  from  me.  But  in  vain  do  they  worship  me,  leaching  for  doctrines 
the  commandments  of  men."     Mat.  xv.  7. 

*  Well  did  Petrarch,  in  a  letter  which  he  wrote  to  Cardinal  de  Ca- 
bassole,  say,  alluding  to  the  Popish  Clergy,  "  You  are  not  like  most  of 
your  brethren,  whose  heads  are  turned  by  a  bit  of  red  cloth,  and  who 
forget  that  they  are  men  and  mortal." — Dob.  Petrarch,  L.  V.  P.  479. — 
Ed. 


132  FEMALES  FORCED  INTO  THE  CONVENT        [Chap. 

that  they  should  be  more  safe  there  during  the  time  of 
the  cholera.  The  Priests  persuaded  about  two  hundred 
young  females,  belonging  to  the  first  families,  to  enter  the 
Convent,  and  take  the  veil  for  life.*  Their  parents  dare 
not  refuse  any  request  the  Priests  would  make  in  the  time 
of  the  cholera. 

The  young  ladies  are  obliged  to  enter  the  Convent, 
whether  it  is  their  wish  or  not.  I  saw  eight  enter  on  one 
day.  It  was  one  of  the  most  solemn  scenes  I  ever  wit- 
nessed. They  went  through  the  streets  in  a  large  proces- 
sion. About  one  or  two  hundred  Priests  walked  before 
the  convicts,  as  I  term  them,  for  1  have  heard  what  they 
must  suffer,  after  they  enter  there.  They  looked  and  ap- 
peared as  solemn  as  if  they  were  stepping  into  eternity. 
Their  parents,  brothers,  and  sisters,  followed  them  with  a 
band  of  music,  playing  a  very  solemn  or  death  march.  It 
is  not  uncommon  to  see  them  faint  away,  when  entering 
the  Convent,  before  they  are  put  out  of  sight  by  the 
Priests. 

In  vain  for  mercy  now  they  cry, 
In  lakes  of  liquid  fire  they  lie \ 
Their  minds,  in  bitter  anguish  tost, 
For  ever,  oh  !  for  ever  lost. 

This  taking  of  the  veil  always  creates  a  great  bustle 

*Such  is  the  infatuation  of  the  Popish  Clergy  in  recommending  their 
deluded  female  followers  to  immure  themselves  in  Convents,  that  their 
great  Saint  Ambrose  went  so  far  as  to  eulogize  the  crime  of  suicide  in 
support  of  chastity.  Amb.  4.  478.  Euseb.  VIII.  23.  The  following  his- 
tory is  from  Godeau  :  "  During  Maximin's  persecution  in  the  4th  cen- 
tury, Pelagia  of  Antioch,  with  her  mother  and  sisters,  rather  than  suffer 
violence  to  their  persons,  put  themselves  to  a  voluntary  death.  Pela- 
gia, adorned,  not  like  a  person  going  to  death,  but  to  a  wedding,  leaped, 
as  she  was  inspired  of  God,  from  a  lofty  window  on  to  the  pavement; 
and,  by  her  fail,  mounted  to  heaven.  Her  mother  and  sisters,  says  the 
same  historian,  jumped  into  a  deep  river,  where  they  found  a  baptism 
which  purified  them  from  every  stain.  The  water,  concealing  their 
bodies,  respected  the  bodies  and  martyrs  of  its  Creator.  Marcellina 
asked  the  opinion  of  St.  Ambrose  on  this  melancholy,  but  unwarranted 
action.  The  Bishop  spoke  commendably  of  the  dreadful  deed  as  a  duty 
owed  to  religion,  a  remedy  inoffensive  to  God,  and  an  achievement 
which  entitled  these  virgins  to  the  crown  of  martyrdom."  Godeau.  %  65. 
—Ed. 


X.]  THE  PRIESTS  SELECT  THE  FEMALES.  133 

among  the  gentlemen ;  and,  especially,  among  the  mili- 
tary officers  there  at  the  time.  They  will  curse  the 
Priests,  and  expose  them  and  their  wickedness,  for  they 
know  that  no  one  will  be  ever  allowed  to  see  or  hear 
again  from  those  who  have  entered  the  Convent;  no  one, 
except  their  Priests  and  their  Abbess.  The  Priests  have 
often  been  at  my  house  with  Manuel,  drinking  wine ;  and 
it  would  be  their  whole  conversation  about  any  young 
lady  who  was  going  to  take  the  veil.  They  would  be 
contemplating  with  each  other,  whether  she  was  young 
and  handsome  ;  and  if  she  was  not  young  and  handsome, 
their  expression  would  be  :  "  Ka  sta  rnallo  esta  no  rece- 
vo  /"—that  is,  that  she  was  not  pretty  ;  that  she  will  be 
no  prey  for  them  ;  or  is  not  worth  having.* 

*  More  of  the  Interior  of  Convents. — The  following  documents  in 
relation  to  the  Convent  in  Baltimore,  are  taken  from  the  Baltimore  Li- 
terary and  Religious  Magazine.  The  witnesses  are  credible  and  re- 
spectable persons,  and  no  explanation  has  yet  been  given  of  the  myste- 
rious circumstance  to  which  they  relate.  The  whole  system  of  Con- 
vents, the  subjecting  of  American  women  to  the  despotic  control  of  a 
Superior  and  a  few  Priests,  and  the  cruelties  which  they  are  taught  to 
endure  as  meritorious  in  the  sight  of  Heaven,  are  inconsistent  with  the 
spirit  of  the  times,  they  belong  to  the  darkest  ages  of  the  world,  and  are 
paving  the  way  to  the  introduction  of  a  mental  and  spiritual  tyranny, 
that  has,  for  centuries,  stained  the  pages  of  history  with  the  records  of  its 
licentiousness  and  crimes.  We  believe  there  is  but  one  paper  in  Balti- 
more that  has  published  the  statement,  and  without  intending  to  im- 
peach the  press  of  that  city,  we  fear  that  very  few  would  dare  publish 
it,  such  are  the  influence  and  terror,  which  the  Roman  catholic  religion 
already  carries  in  the  public  mind. 

STATEMENT. 

We,  whose  names  are  subscribed  hereto,  declare  and  certify,  that  on 

or  about  the  —  day  of ,  183 — ,  about  nine  o'clock  at  night,  as  we 

were  returning  home  from  a  meeting  in  the  Methodist  Protestant 
Church,  at  the  corner  of  Pitt  and  Aisquith  street,  and  when  opposite 
the  Carmelite  Convent  and  school  in  Aisquith  street,  our  attention  was 
suddenly  arrested  by  a  loud  scream  issuing  from  the  upper  story  of  the 
Convent.  The  sound  was  that  of  a  female  voice  indicating  great  dis- 
tress— we  stopped  and  heard  a  second  scream — and  then  a  third,  in 
quick  succession,  accompanied  with  the  cry  of  help!  help!  oh,  lord! 
help  !  with  the  appearance  of  great  effort.  After  this  there  was  nothing 
more  heard  by  us  during  the  space  of  ten  or  fifteen  minutes — we  re- 
mained about  that  time  on  the  pavement  opposite  the  building  firpm 
which  the  cries  came. 

12 


134  THE  PRIESTS  GET  THEIR  PROPERTY.  [Chap. 

If  a  Nun  has  any  fortune,  she  takes  it  with  her  into  the 
Convent :  and  also,  her  instruments  of  music,  whatever 

When  the  cries  were  first  heard,  no  light  was  visible  in  the  fourth 
story,  from  which  the  cries  seemed  to  issue.  After  the  cries,  lights  ap- 
peared in  the  second  and  third  stories — seeming  to  pass  rapidly  from 
place  to  place,  indicating  haste  and  confusion.  Finally,  all  the  lights 
disappeared  from  the  second  and  third  stories,  and  the  house  became 
quiet. 

No  one  passed  along  the  street  where  we  stood,  while  we  stood  there. 
But  one  of  our  party  was  a  man,  and  he  advanced  in  life — all  the  re- 
mainder of  us  were  women.  The  watch  was  not  yet  set,  as  some  of  us 
heard  9  o'clock  cried  before  we  got  home. 

Many  of  us  have  freely  spoken  of  these  things  since  their  occurrence, 
and  now  at  the  request  of  Messrs.  B.  and  C.  and  M.  we  give  this  state- 
ment, which  we  solemnly  declare  to  be  true — and  sign  it  with  our 
names. 

John  BRtrsncrjp, 
Lavinia  Brown, 
sophronia  brushcup, 
Hannah  Leach, 
Sarah  E.  Baker, 
Elizabeth  Polk. 
Baltimore,  March  13/A,  1835. 


CERTIFICATE  OF  THE  MINISTER. 

This  is  to  certify  that  John  Brusbcup,  Hannah  Leach,  Sophronia 
Brushcup,  Lavinia  Brown,  and  Sarah  E.  Baker,  are  acceptable  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Protestant  Church,  of  Pitt  street  station. 

(Signed.)  William  Collier,  Super  ifitendent. 

We  take  leave  then  to  say  in  conclusion: — 1.  This  whole  subject 
must  be  perfectly  familiar  to  the  Superior  of  the  Convent,  and  to  the 
Priest  who  resides  there  as  Confessor  to  the  establishment,  and  we  de- 
mand of  them  an  explicit  and  satisfactory  account  of  this  affair;  in 
default  of  receiving  which,  we  shall  put  upon  their  silence  the  only 
construction  it  can  bear. 

2.  The  Archbishop  of  this  diocese  ought  to  know  that  such  trans- 
actions are  perpetrated  in  this  establishment.  And  if  all  his  Ameri- 
can feelings  are  not  swallowed  up  in  his  vows  and  duties  to  the  head  of 
the  Holy  Roman  state,  we  expect  and  call  upon  him  to  ferret  out  this 
transaction  and  relieve  the  public  mind,  by  a  full  statement  of  the  affair. 

3.  To  aid  him,  in  his  humane  labors,  (for  which  we  trust  he  has 
leisure,  as  the  Terrapine  feasts  of  Lent  must  now  be  over,)  we  have  to 
say,  that  we  are  well  assured  that  two  females  have  died  within  sir 
months  in  the  Carmelite  Convent ;  and  if  he  will  furnish  us  with  the 
date  of  their  deaths,  then  we  will  furnish  him  with  the  date  of  the  ter- 
rible affair,  to  which  we  now  call  his  paternal  notice. 

P.  S.-We  have  never  yet  heard  of  any  explanation  of  this  myste- 
rious affair.—- Ed.— December,  1835. 


X.]  NUNS  AND  THEIR  SERVANTS.  135 

they  may  be.  When  they  enter  those  Convents,  they 
come  out  no  more ;  being  so  well  guarded  by  the  wicked 
Abbesses  and  Priests,  I  have  been  told  by  my  Priest,  that 
the  Nuns  have  their  own  servants  in  the  Convent,  (Mu- 
latto maid-servants,)  and  that  their  employment  is  mak- 
ing artificial  flowers,  and  needle-work.  These  are  sent 
out  of  the  Convent,  and  sold  by  the  Abbess.  Their  work 
is  very  handsome,  I  have  seen  it,  and  bought  it.  You 
can  go  on  the  Sabbaths  and  holy-days,  to  the  Convents  of 
the  Priests,  and  hear  the  Priests  sing,  when  there  is  pub- 
lic worship ;  but  you  cannot  see  them.  But  no  females 
are  allowed  to  sing  in  any  of  the  Convents  of  Havanna  ; 
none  but  the  Priests  are  allowed  to  sing  in  public  worship 
there  :  and  they  have  so  many  kinds  of  musical  instru- 
ments, that  you  can  scarcely  perceive  the  human  voice. 
The  great  delicacy  of  the  Priests  is  assigned  as  the  reason 
for  this  separation.  Delicacy  forbids  having  a  female  in 
the  choir  with  them. 

I  could  relate  more  of  their  wickedness  ;  but  a  delicacy, 
different  from  that  of  the  Priests,  must  prevent  me.  One 
thing,  however,  I  will  observe  ;  that  whenever  I  saw 
those  Priests  praying,  or  going  to  hear  the  Confession  of 
the  dying,  or  saw  them  in  their  processions,  I  would  think 
to  myself;  oh,  how  wicked  they  are  ! — How  they  are  de- 
ceiving the  people ! — During  the  time  I  lived  with  this 
Priest,  until  the  last  year,  he  used  to  inform  me  of  a  great 
deal  of  their  proceedings,  and  of  their  intrigues  of  wicked- 
ness ;  and,  as  his  friends  among  the  Priests  were  in  the 
habit  of  coming  to  my  house,  to  partake  of  suppers  and 
wine,  I  could,  and  did  see,  and  hear  from  them,  the  way 
they  managed  their  seductions.  The  old  Bishop  himselfr 
who  died  during  the  time  I  lived  on  the  island,  and  who 
was  nearly  a  hundred  years  old,  was  in  the  habit,  until  a 
few  months  before  his  death,  of  having  young  females 
come  to  his  house  for  evil  purposes  ;  and  he  was  very 
partial  to  foreigners.  If  he  found  a  female  that  pleased 
him,  he  would  keep  her  at  his  house  a  number  of  days  at 
a  time  ;  and  would  bestow  handsome  presents  upon  her. 
I  have  heard  the  American  females,  who  reside  on  the 


136  THE  BISHOP  AND  HIS  FEMALES.  [Chap. 

island,  lament  how  they  missed  the  old  Bishop;  for  they 
often  used  to  be  invited  to  his  house.  He  lived  about 
two  miles  out  of  the  city,  at  the  Place  de  Toros.  They 
used  to  go  there  for  a  treat,  as  they  called  it ;  for  he  al- 
ways gave  them  wines  and  cakes  of  every  description ; 
and  it  never  cost  them  any  thingfor  the  ride ;  for  he  often 
sent  his  kitterrine  for  them,  and  always  made  them  that 
pleased  him,  handsome  presents.  I  have  seen  diamond 
pins,  and  diamond  rings,  that  he  has  given  to  different 
American  females.  When  I  informed  my  Priest  of  this, 
he  would  appear  to  rejoice ;  for  he  knew  more  than  I 
could  tell  him,  not  only  about  the  Bishop,  but  all  the 
Priests ;  how  they  are  always  aiming  and  plotting  in- 
trigues to  seduce  the  young  females,  and  married  ladies. 


XL]  DRESS  AND  AMUSEMENTS.  137 


CHAPTER  XI. 


u  It  was  a  strain  of  witchery, 
So  sweet,  yet  mournful  to  my  ear, 
It  lit  the  smile,  it  waked  the  sigh, 
Then  startled  pity's  pearly  tear ; 
There  was  a  ruffle  in  my  breast, 
It  was  not  joy,  it  was  not  pain, 
'Twas  wild  as  yonder  billow's  crest, 
That  tosses  o'er  the  heaving  main." 

Pbrcival. 


Description  of  the  dress  and  amusements  of  the  inhabitants  of  Cuba. — 
Their  mode  of  sanctifying  the  Sabbath. — Frequency  of  Assassinations. 
Slothful  habits  of  the  natives  of  Cuba. 

I  will  endeavor  to  give  you,  as  near  as  I  can,  some  of 
the  customs,  and  the  mode  of  living,  of  the  citizens  of 
Cuba ;  although  my  mind  does  not  bend  to  the  subject ; 
for  the  view  of  this  world,  I  have  laid  aside.  In  the  first 
place,  there  is  very*  little  moral  and  virtuous  principle 
possessed  by  the  natives  of  Cuba  ;  neither  by  males,  nor 
females.*  Their  principal  study  is  dress,  and  public 
amusements,  such  as  masquerade  balls,  the  theatres, 
gambling-houses,  and  bull-fights.  These  are  all  visited 
by  male  and  female,  old  and  young.  And  I  must  include 
the  Priests  among  the  visiters  of  all  those  places,  except 
the  bull-fights.  The  bull-fights  they  attend  not;  because 
they  are  exhibited  in  the  day-time.t 

*  Lest  this  might  seem  to  be  the  fruit  of  the  observation  of  one  who 
was  not  likely  to  be  acquainted  much  in  the  circles  of  the  virtuous,  it 
is  proper  to  add,  that  from  the  testimony  of  others  who  have  personal 
acquaintance  at  Havanna,  the  remark  is  fully  and  fearfully  corrobora- 
ted. And  how  can  it  well  be  otherwise,  when  the  shepherds  who  feed 
the  flock,  are  not  only  robbing  them,  but  are  leading  them  into  all 
manner  of  snares  and  devices,  to  the  corrupting  of  their  morals,  and 
their  habits. 

The  remark  is  generally  a  sound  one  :  Like  pastor,  like  people.  This 
being  true  of  Cuba,  and  as  those  say  who  have  visited  the  island  long 
enough  to  be  thoroughly  acquainted  with  it,  the  society  of  that  island 
must  be  in  a  deplorable  state,  in  regard  to  all  the  domestic  relations,  and 
the  private  virtues. 

t  Moore,  in  his  tour  through  Italy,  tells  us,  that  "  all  of  the  Clergy, 
the  Monks  not  excepted,  attend  the  theatre,  and  seem  to  join  most  cor- 
12* 


138  bull-fights.  [Chap. 

The  first  object  of  females  there,  is  dress,  which  is  very 
tasty,  and  very  rich.     They  wear  a  great  deal  of  jewelry. 

dially  in  other  diversions  and  amusements.  The  common  people  are 
no  ways  offended  at  this  ;  nor  do  they  imagine  that  they  ought  to  live 
in  a  more  recluse  manner."  Moore's  View,  Vol.  2.  Lett.  59. 

We  have  seen,  from  the  note  extracted  from  the  Theology  of  St.  Li- 
gori,  on  the  subject  of  sanctification  of  the  Sabbath,  that  the  Romish 
church  allows  theatrical  representations  on  the  Lord's  Day  as  well  as 
on  any  other  day.  Consequently,  if  it  is  not  wrong  to  perform  plays  on 
the  Sabbath,  it  is  not  wrong  for  the  Clergy  to  attend  them.  So  far  are 
the  Popish  Priests  from  thinking  it  sinful  to  frequent  the  theatre  on  the 
Sabbath,  that  I  have  frequently  heard  them  condemn  the  Protestants 
for  their  ignorance,  and  Pharisaical  strictness,  in  maintaining  it  is 
wrong. 

The  following  Bull,  however,  which  was  issned  by  the  late  Pope 
Pius  VII.,  on  the  1st  of  January,  1815,  ends  all  further  controversy  on 
the  subject.  The  24th  article  of  this  Bull  runs  as  follows  :  "  Every  Ec- 
clesiastic, Deacon,  Subdeacon,  &c,  is  forbidden  to  appear  at  any  play- 
house in  his  religious  habits.  The  play-houses  are  to  remain  shut 
every  Friday  throughout  the  year.  No  Ecclesiastic  is  to  go  into  a 
play-house,  in  any  habit  or  dress  soever,  on  "Wednesdays  and  Satur- 
days, but  HE  MAY  ON   SUNDAYS  I  I  !" 

The  reason  why  the  Romish  church  does  not  allow  her  Clergy  to  ap- 
pear at  any  play-house  on  Wednesdays,  Fridays,  and  Saturdays,  is, 
because  on  these  days  the  laws  of  that  church  enjoin  universal  absti- 
nence from  flesh  meat ;  and  Saturday  is  the  day  appropriated  to  the 
honor  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  their  "  Queen  of  heaven" 

Thus  it  is,  that  they  officially  exalt  a  creature  "  above  the  Creator,  who 
is  God,  blessed  for  ever  more."  On  the  Lord's  Day,  the  Lord  who  is 
King  of  heaven  and  earth,  Priests  can  innocently  frequent  the  play- 
house ;  but  on  the  Virgin's  Day,  the  Virgin,  their  Glueen  of  heaven,  it 
would  be  sinful ! ! ! — It  seems  almost  incredible  ! — Surely,  indeed,  the 
prediction  of  the  Apostle  is  verified,  when  he  says,  "  God  shall  send 
them  strong  delusion,  that  they  should  believe  a  lie"  2  Thes.  11 :  11. — Ed. 

Capt.  J.  E.  Alexander,  and  other  tourists,  who  have  visited  the  West 
India  islands,  testify,  that  the  Priests  do  frequent  the  bull-fights.  See 
Alexander's  "  Transatlantic  Sketches,"  Vol.  1.  p.  339. 

The  apparent  discrepance  between  the  authoress  of  this  Narrative, 
and  Captain  Alexander,  can  very  easily  be  reconciled,  without  the 
slightest  disparagement  to  the  veracity  of  the  latter,  and  much  to  the 
favor  of  the  testimony  of  the  former.  The  authoress,  ever  tenacious 
of  the  truth,  describes  nothing  more  than  what  she  knows,  or  what  she 
has  been  witness  of.  She  says  the  Priests  did  not  attend  the  bull-fights  ; 
—evidently  meaning  thereby,  that  she  did  not  know  of  their  attending. 
She  never  was  in  their  company  at  those  fights ;  for  the  simple  reason, 
as  she  states,  because  they  were  u  exhibited  in  the  day-time."  The  time 
the  Priests  take  to  gallant  their  Mistresses  about,  is  under  the  shades  of 
night.    When  they  attend  the  bull-fights,  they  leave  them  at  home. 

On  reading  what  the  authoress  has  stated  on  this  subject,  who  » 
there  that  cannot  see  that  she  writes  under  the  dictates  of  truth,  candor, 


XL]  DRESS  OF  THE  NATIVES.  139 

They  wear  no  hats,  but  ornament  their  head  with  gilded 
artificial  flowers.  They  never  wear  any  but  satin  shoes 
and  silk  stockings,  with  their  clothes  very  short.  Instead 
of  hats,  they  wear  lace  veils  over  their  heads,  either 
white  or  black.  Their  dresses  are  made  with  short 
sleeves,  and  their  necks  are  bare.  They  wear  no  gloves, 
in  order  to  display  their  bracelets  and  rings,  which  are 
mostly  of  diamonds.  The  females  are  small  in  size,  with 
small  feet  and  hands.  The  natives  have  generally  dark 
complexions,  but  they  make  use  of  whiting  and  red 
When  they  are  dressed,  they  are  very  beautiful  to  look  at 
The  elderly  ladies  wear  no  hats,  or  caps.  Their  dressei 
are  also  made  with  short  sleeves,  and  their  arms  orna 
mented  with  bracelets  and  rings.  Fathers,  mothers,  and 
daughters,  all  mix  together  in  the  public  amusements. 

The  gentlemen  likewise  are  very  neat  in  their  dress. 
They  are,  in  general,  possessed  of  a  lively  disposition,  very 
easy,  open,  and  polite,  in  their  manner,  both  male  and  fe- 
male, as  much  so,  if  not  more,  than  the  French.  They 
are  very  fond  of  music,  singing,  and  dancing.  You  will 
hear  instruments  of  music  in  all  the  houses  of  rich  and 
poor,  from  the  heads  of  the  houses  down  to  the  poor 
slaves.  Their  principal  and  favorite  instruments,  are  the 
piano-forte,  and  the  guitar.  These  two  instruments  you 
will  hear  in  their  houses,  from  morning  till  late  at  night ; 
likewise,  singing  and  dancing.  In  this  way,  they  pass  their 
time. 

The  servants  are  also  permitted  to  indulge  in  their  in* 
struments  of  music,  which  are  of  their  own  manufactur- 
ing ;  consisting  of  a  Banjou,  and  some  other  instruments. 
Of  an  evening,  their  houses  will  echo  with  the^ifferent  mu- 
sic, from  the  masters  and  mistresses,  to  the  servants.  They 
are  very  holy  on  the  Sabbath  mornings,  until  11  o'clock ; 


and  impartiality  1  If  she  had  wished  to  paint  the  frightful  picture  of  the 
moral  depravity  of  the  Romish  Priesthood,  in  colors  darker  than  could 
be  drawn  by  the  pencil  of  truth,  why  did  she  withhold  her  pen  from 
giving  it  such  a  touch  as  that  of  their  frequenting  the  bull-fights  1— 
Evidently,  because  she  was  unwilling  to  sacrifice  the  truth  for  the  em- 
bellishing of  a  tale. — Ed. 


140  SABBATH  AMISEMEMS.  [Chap. 

going  to  their  churches,  and  to  the  altar  ;  dipping  their 
fingers  in  Holy  Water  ;  and  kneeling  and  Crossing  them- 
selves :  and  going  to  the  image  of  our  Saviour,  and  kiss- 
ing its  feet.  After  they  return  to  their  homes,  they  take- 
off their  ;;  Sacred  black-dresses.''  which  they  all  wear  at 
church,  and  decorate  themselves  in  their  usual  tasty 
dresses.  The  remainder  of  the  Sabbath  will  be  spent  in 
talking,  laughing,  singing,  and  playing  until  the  evening. 
Then  they  prepare  to  o'o  to  the  theatre,  or  masquerade 
balls,  or  to  the  gamblinsr-houses.  All  these  places  of  pub- 
lic amusement  are  open  on  Sunday  evening  ;  and  not 
only  the  citizens  will  go.  but  the  Priests,  1  have  been 
often,  yes.  often,  with  my  Priest ;  and  have  seen  other 
Priests  there,  and  talked  with  them,  on  the  Sabbath. 

The  Sabbath  day  is  considered  a  holy-day  for  amuse- 
ments. The  soldiers  are  out.  o-oing  through  the  streets 
with  music.  On  Sunday  evening,  at  five  o'clock,  they 
will  prepare  to  ride  out  in  their  kitterrines.  to  the  Place 
de  Toros.  about  two  miles  out  of  the  city.  It  is  a  beauti- 
ful place,  where  they  resort  to  ride,  called  the  king's  Pas- 
sour,  or  Garden.  This  garden  is  about  four  or  five  miles 
of  level  ground,  along  the  sea-shore,  laid  out  with  oranges, 
and  lemons,  and  flowers  of  every  description  Here  there 
will  be.  on  Sabbath  afternoon,  a  number  of  bands  of  music 
playing.  At  six  o'clock,  they  will  return  to  the  city,  to 
prepare  for  the  theatres,  where  they  stay  till  eleven  or 
twelve  o'clock.*     After  returning  home  from  the  theatres, 

*  In  all  Popish  countries,  the  Sabbath-day  is  a  holy-day.  It  comes 
to  be  the  same  among  the  Papists  of  this  country.  In  New-Orleans  the 
places  of  public  amusement  are  open  on  the  Sabbath-day.  In  the  city 
of  »w-York,  the  cake  shops,  and  orange  women,  present  the  usual 
temptations  of  the  week  in  a  vast  many  cases,  where  Roman  catholics 
are  the  proprietors.  The  review  day  of  the  soldiery  is  the  Sabbath-day, 
in  all  the  dominions  of  the  Roman  religion.  The  reader  shall  know  the 
ground  on  which  Rome  ventures  to  abate  the  fourth  commandment, 
and  to  turn  the  Lord's  day  into  a  day  of  carnal  amusement. 

Rome  affirms  that  the  church  has  all  power  through  its  ministers,  to 
alter  or  amend  the  Divine  commandment,  according  to  the  exigencies 
of  the  case:  to  appoint  a  day,  and  make  it  holy,  or  to  make  the  day 
common  and  secular.  The  immemorial  custom  of  the  Romish  church 
is  taken  for  the  common  law  of  that  church  ;  and  the  custom  of  Ro- 
mans, having  been,  time  out  of  mind,  to  be  devout  on  Sabbath  momiDg 


XL]  GALLANTRY  OP  THE  PRIESTS.  141 

they  will  partake  of  supper  and  wine,  and  smoke  cigars, 
it  is  customary  for  females,  as  well  as  males,  to  smoke 
cigars.  They  are  made  of  fine  tobacco  wrapt  up  in  white 
paper.  When  a  gentleman  makes  his  calls  on  the  ladies, 
after  entering  the  house,  and  passing  the  compliments  of 
the  day,  he  will  present  his  cigars  to  them.  It  is  custom 
ary  for  the  Priests  to  do  the  same,  when  calling  on  their 
friends,  only  their  method  is  to  Cross  themselves,  when 
presenting  the  cigar  to  a  lady.  And  the  people  would 
think  it  a  sin,  if  they  did  not  present  wine  and  refresh 
ments  to  the  Priests,  when  they  called  on  them. 

They  generally  rise  at  half-past  five,  in  the  morning,  01 
six,  and  prepare  to  go  to  Mass  or  Confession  ;  and  return 
to  their  homes  in   about  an    hour.*    At    eight,    they 

while  attending  one  Mass,  and  to  spend  the  remainder  of  the  day  in 
amusement,  this  settles  the  question  of  the  sanctity  of  the  Sabbath,  and 
removes  the  obligation  of  the  fourth  commandment.  Moreover,  the 
Saints'  days,  appointed  to  be  observed  by  the  Romish  church,  are, 
many  of  them,  of  the  same  sanctity  with  the  Sabbath-day :  and,  as  it  is 
very  inconvenient  to  give  several  days  in  seven  to  Divine  worship  ex- 
clusively, they  are  accustomed  to  clip  holy-time,  on  every  holy-day ; 
and,  finally,  to  convert  that  season  which  they  intended  to  sanctify,  into 
a  season  of  amusement.  And  they  treat  the  Sabbath,  precisely  as  they 
treat  the  days  of  the  greatest  Saints.     They  make  it  also  a  holy-day. 

*  The  Mass  is  this: — The  Romish  Council  of  Trent,  the  last  and 
greatest  of  the  Romish  Councils,  say,  that  although  Christ  was  offered 
once  on  the  Cross,  to  procure  eternal  salvation,  he  left  in  the  Last-Sup- 
per a  sacrifice,  which  the  nature  of  sinful  man  requires  to  be  applied 
to  the  atonement  of  the  daily  sins,  which  Christians  commit :  and  that 
the  same  Christ  who  was  sacrificed  on  the  Cross  with  his  blood  shed,  is 
daily  sacrificed  without  blood  in  the  Mass,  to  make  reconciliation  for 
the  true  penitents,  on  account  of  their  daily  sins.  And  that  this  offering 
is  not  only  effectual  to  remove  the  stains  of  guilt  from  the  living,  but 
also  to  make  atonement  for  the  sins  of  the  deceased  believer,  who  has 
not  yet  paid  the  full  price  of  his  offences  in  the  fires  of  Purgatory. 

In  performing  the  ceremony  of  the  Mass,  which  should  be  done  every 
morning,  in  all  Roman  catholic  churches,  for  the  sins  of  the  people, 
there  is  some  part  of  the  service  to  be  pronounced  aloud,  and  some 
only  to  be  spoken  in  a  whisper,  and  all  to  be  said  in  the  Latin  tongue, 
with  a  display  of  burning  candles,  incense,  and  changes  of  the  Priest's 
garments,  to  excite  the  attention  of  the  worshipers. 

The  Mass  is  a  mingling  of  wine  and  water  and  particles  of  bread 
in  the  chalice,  which  the  Priest  consecrates,  as  the  flesh  and  blood  of 
our  Lord,  and,  having  offered  it  up  to  be  adored  by  the  worshipers,  he 
reverently  drinks  it  off,  and  thrice  rinses  the  cup,  and  drinks,  that  no 
particle  of  the  sacred  elements  may  remain  in  the  cup ;  and  then,  ho 


142  BRANDY  IN  COFFEE.  [Chap. 

take  their  strong  coffee.    They  never  use  tea,  except  as 
medicine.   Thev  take  a  little  brandy  in  the  coffee,  instead 

carefully  wipes  it  out  with  a  consecrated  napkin,  and  restores  the  cha- 
lice to  its  place  in  the  altar. 

This  is  the  Mass,  "  the  unbloody  sacrifice,"  as  the  Romans  call  it, 
which  is  daily  offered  for  the  sins  of  the  living,  and  of  the  dead,  if  there 
is  any  money  to  be  had  for  the  service. 

And  so  tenacious  is  Rome  of  this  monstrous  rite,  and  of  the  circum- 
stances here  connected  with  it,  that  she  pronounces  an  awful  curse  on 
the  man  who  denies  that  the  Mass  is  a  true  and  proper  sacrifice  of 
Christ  to  God;  and  also  on  him,  who  says  that  the  service  is  only  use- 
ful to  the  Priest  who  performs  it,  and  that  it  ought  not  to  be  offered  in 
atonement  for  the  sins  of  the  living  and  of  the  dead;  and,  on  him  also, 
who  says,  it  is  an  imposture,  to  offer  the  Mass  in  honor  of  the  Saints,  to 
obtain  their  intercession  with  God  ;  and  even  on  the  man,  who  says  the 
ceremonies,  and  changes  of  raiment,  and  external  signs  used  by  the 
Roman  catholic  church  in  celebrating  the  Mass  are  more  vain  than  pious. 

Therefore,  in  Cuba,  and  in  all  Roman  catholic  countries,  the  devout 
are  particular  every  morning  to  attend  Mass,  and  to  pay  the  Priests 
well  for  Masses  to  be  read,  said,  and  offered  for  the  sins  of  their  de- 
ceased friends,  to  help  them  through  Purgatory;  and  to  leave  a  bequest 
to  the  Priests  to  the  same  end. 

How  much  profit  this  may  be  to  the  dead,  no  one  has  returned  to  tell, 
but  it  is  evidently  profitable  to  the  Priests. 

But,  in  all  the  Holy  Gospel,  not  a  word  is  said  of  the  Mass,  or  of  a 
daily  sacrifice  of  Christ,  except  it  is,  that  the  apostate  by  their  sins 
crucify  the  Lord  afresh:  "  Seeing  they  crucify  to  themselves  the  Son  of 
God  afresh,  and  put  him  to  an  open  shame."  Heb.  6:6.  "  Who  needeth 
not  daily,  as  those  high  Priests,  to  offer  up  sacrifice  ;—for  this  he  did, 
once,  when  he  offered  up  himself"  Heb.  7:  27. 

"  Under  the  idea  that  the  Priest,  who  performs  the  bloodless  sacrifice, 
as  they  call  it,  can  appropriate  the  full  benefit  of  it  to  the  individual 
whom  he  mentions  in  his  secret  prayer,  before  and  after  consecration, 
the  Roman  catholics  are  eager,  all  over  the  world,  to  purchase  the  be- 
nefit of  Masses  for  themselves  ;  to  obtain  the  favor  of  Saints,  by  having 
Masses  done  in  their  praise;  and,  finally,  to  save  the  souls  of  their 
friends  out  of  Purgatory,  by  the  same  means." 

This  miraculous  change  of  the  wafer,  by  which  the  Lord  in  heaven 
becomes  every  day  offered  up  in  sacrifice,  according  to  Rome,  at  the 
hands  of  her  Priests,  on  the  account  of  that  person,  or  thing,  that  the 
Priest  is  pleased  to  name  in  the  prayers  of  the  Mass,  constitutes  the 
brazen  forehead  of  u  the  Man  of  Sin"  the  most  imposing  feature  of  the 
Antichrist.  All  Roman  Priests  are  clothed  with  this  power,  as  they 
think,  by  virtue  of  their  office ;  and  the  supposed  possession  of  this 
power,  makes  them  the  terror  of  the  poor  flock,  over  which  they  are 
placed  as  pastors.  To  gain  the  exercise  of  this  divine  gift  for  the  sav- 
ing of  the  soul,  is  the  anxious  desire  of  every  good  Roman  catholic ; 
and  the  worst  of  them  fear  the  spell  on  their  prospects,  both  for  time 
and  eternity,  which  the  Priest  is  believed  to  have  it  in  his  power  to  lay 
for  his  enemies,  by  virtue  of  the  Mass. 


XL]  MANNERS  OF  THE  NATIVES.  143 

of  milk ;  and,  afterwards,  smoke  a  cigar.  This  is  custo- 
mary, both  with  old  and  young.  They  breakfast  at  nine 
or  half-past,  and  take  wine,  instead  of  coffee.  They  take 
luncheon  at  twelve,  which  will  be  of  confectionary,  jel- 
lies, wines,  and  cordial.  They  dine  at  three.  Their 
cookery  is  very  rich  ;  mostly  fricassees.  After  drinking 
their  wine,  smoking,  and  cleaning  their  teeth  with  snuff, 
they  retire  to  their  couches,  to  refresh  themselves.  I  have 
heard  my  Priest,  and  others,  say,  that  tobacco  was  a  holy 
herb.  The  first  that  ever  was  known  to  grow,  was  on 
our  Saviour's  tomb.  At  five  o'clock  they  decorate  them- 
selves for  some  public  amusement ;  and  return  and  take 
supper  at  ten. 

They  are  fond  of  fish,  eggs,  or  something  hearty  for 
supper.  The  native  females  seldom  do  any  kind  of  work  ; 
neither  the  rich  nor  poor  families  teach  their  children  to 
make  so  much  as  their  own  clothes.  There  are  a  great 
many  foreigners  living  there,  Italians  and  French,  who 
do  their  principal  sewing.  They  employ  their  leisure 
time  in  singing,  dancing,  playing  on  musical  instruments, 
and  smoking  cigars.  You  will  see  little  girls  and  boys, 
as  soon  as  they  can  walk,  with  cigars  in  their  mouths. 
The  parents  do  not  mind  holding  conversation  on  any 
subject,  good  or  bad,  in  the  presence  of  their  children- 
They  say  it  will  make  them  wise,  to  know  all  things, 
both  good  and  bad.  A  poor  man  will  have  money  to  sup- 
port his  family  in  idleness,  if  he  has  to  rob  or  murder  to 
get  it ;  this  I  have  been  told  often.  Frequently  persons 
hung  for  murder,  (which  you  will  see  more  or  less  every 
week,)  will  confess  that  they  had  taken  the  lives  of  ten  to 
fifteen  persons,  before  they  would  be  detected ;  as  the 
men  are  too  lazy  to  work,  especially  the  natives.  The 
native  Spaniards  will  not  work ;  but  the  emigrants  from 
old  Spain,  especially  the  Catalan  Spaniards,  are  indus- 

For  the  power  to  appropriate  it  to  whom  he  will,  is  accompanied  with 
the  power  likewise  to  appropriate  it  for  whatever  he  will.  Masses  are 
known  to  be  offered  in  the  Popish  countries  for  the  benefit  of  brutes, 
even  of  dumb  beasts,  as  well  as  man  ;  and  also,  to  curse,  as  well  as  to 
bless,  the  souls  of  the  deluded  Roman  Catholics. 


144  CATALAN  SPANIARDS.  [Chap, 

trious.  These  Catalan  Spaniards  are  numerous  in  Ha- 
vanna.  They  are  dark  complexioned,  have  a  language 
of  their  own.  and  come  from  Catalonia  in  old  Spain. 
They  constitute  the  great  body  of  the  wealthy,  indus- 
trious, and  enterprising  inhabitants  of  Havanna. 


XII.]  VARIOUS  MODES  OF  PENANCE.  145 


CHAPTER  XII. 

u  See  superstition  crouched  in  some  rude  rock, 

Books,  beads,  and  maple-dish,  his  meagre  stock ; 

In  shirt  of  hair,  and  weeds  of  canvass  dressed, 

Girt  with  a  bell-rope  that  the  Pope  has  blessed-; 

Adust  with  stripes  told  out  for  ev'ry  crime, 

And  sore  tormented  long  before  his  time  : 

His  pray'rpreferr'd  to  Saints  that  cannot  aid  .J 

His  praise  postponed,  and  never  to  be  paid ; 

See  the  sage  hermit,  by  Popery  admir'd, 

With  all  that  bigotry  adopts  inspir'd, 

Wearing  out  life  in  his  religious  whim, 

Till  his  religious  whimsey  wears  out  him ; 

His  works,  his  abstinence,  his  zeal  allow'd, 

You  think  him  hui^ble, — God  accounts  him  proud." 

CbwPER. 

ManueVs  confidential  communications  to  Rosamond. — Penance  in  the 
Vault ,'  in  an  iron  coffin. — Fasting  on  bread  and  water. — Penance  in 
the  Pur  gator  y-rovm. —  The  penances  end  with  presents  to  the  Priests. — 
How  the  Priests  put  young  females  on  penance  too  shameful  to  be  told. — 
Some  of  the  licentious  Priests  sent  to  the  Mississippi  to  propagate  their 
faith. 

For  the  first  two  years  that  I  lived  with  Manuel,  he 
used  to  open  his  mind  very  freely  to  me,  as  to  how  and 
what  the  Priests  had  done,  and  were  doing  :  but  when  he 
saw  that  my  feelings  were  changing  to  a  gloomy  and  un- 
happy state,  he  was  more  cautious.  He  used  to  tell  me 
when  such  and  such  a  Priest  would  go  on  penance  ;  and 
in  what  way  he  himself  used  to  go  on  penance,  at  differ- 
ent times,  while  I  lived  with  him,  when  he  knew  that  he 
had  treated  me  cruelly.  They  are  obliged  to  Confess 
every  mornirig  to  the  head  Comparthra,  or  Superior  Con- 
fessor of  the  Convent.  The  Superior  puts  them  on  pen- 
ance, according  to  what  they  have  done.  Manuel  has 
told  me  some  of  the  forms  in  which  they  go  under  pen- 
ance, according  to  what  they  have  done.*  Some  will  be 
confined  in  a  vault  under  the  Convent,  and  will  remain 
there  nine  days,  fasting  on  bread  and  water.      Some  will 

*  "  A  man  who  is  not  yet  reconciled  to  God,  (says  Bellarmine,)  can, 
by  works  of  penance,  pray  for,  and  obtain  as  a  right,  ('  de  congruo/) 
the  grace  of  justification."  Bellarm.  de  Just.  L.  V. — Ed. 

13 


146  VARIOUS  MODES  OF  PENANCE,  [Chap, 

go  to  the  Purgatory-room,  and  be  laid  in  an  iron  coffin  •* 
some  for  three,  and  some  for  nine  da3rs,  fasting  on  bread 
and  water.  I  have  heard  Manuel  say,  that,  before  the 
Constitution,  hundreds  of  Priests  have  suffered  death  in 
that  vault.  When  he  talked  about  it,  as  he  did  much  in 
the  year  the  eight  or  nine  Spanish  prisoners,  confined  on 
charges  of  treason,  escaped  from  Moro  Castle  by  night,  in 
a  boat,  during  a  thunder-storm,  he  would  devoutly  Cross 
himself,  and  repeat:  "  K a  sta  mallo  /"  "How  very 
bad !" 

My  Priest  has  told  me  that  the  most  respectable,  and 
elderly  men,  when  they  wish  to  go  on  deep  penance7 
(that  is,  if  they  have  hired  a  person  to  murder  an  indivi- 
dual ;  for  if  they  have  a  lawsuit  with  an}?-  one,  and  are 
afraid  it  will  go  against  them,  they  will  get  their  opponent 
murdered,)  then  they  will  apply  to  their  Priest  Confessor, 
how  to  go  on  deep  penance ;  and  their  Priest  will  take 
them  into  the  Convents,  and  put  them  on  penance  in  this 
room,  which  is  called  Purgatory-room  ;  but  1  have  heard 

*  Tfcis  penance  of  the  Priests  is  an  evidence  of  the  iron  consistency 
of  Romanism,  and  of  the  confidence  of  the  Priests  themselves  in  the 
nostrums  for  expiating  guilt,  which  they  prescribe  in  much  heavier 
doses  for  the  guilty  people,  than  for  their  own  plague-spots  in  the  soul. 
It  is  easy  to  laugh  at  their  stupid  folly  ;  but  possibly  it  is  not  right ;  for 
to  them  who  are  called  to  it,  the  lying  in  an  iron  coffin  for  successive 
days,  in  the  midst  of  the  fumes  of  sulphur,  with  no  better  food  than 
bread  and  water  for  a  dainty  stomach,  is  truly  a  serious  affair :  and 
since  the  poor  souls  have  always  been  taught  this  mode  of  repentance, 
and  know  no  better ;  and  for  their  labor  have  only  their  pains,  and  a 
false  license  to  sin  afresh ;  they  rather  deserve  our  tender  pity,  and  our 
most  earnest  and  kind  efforts,  to  save  them  from  their  own  torments  in 
this  world,  and  from  the  endless  torments  of  the  wicked  in  the  world  to 
come.  It  is  natural  and  common  to  despise  the  errors  of  other  men,  and 
the  men  who  maintain  the  errors ;  yet,  we  admit,  that  it  is  cruel  to 
mock  at  one  born  blind,  because  he  cannot  distinguish  colors.  And 
how  much  is  a  poor  soul,  born  and  educated  in  the  delusions  of  Rome, 
better  than  one  mentally  blind  to  the  holy  perfections  of  God,  and  to  the 
tender  compassions  of  Jesus,  and  to  the  sanctifying  power  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  1  He  is  made  blind  to  the  salvation  which  is  offered  in  the  Gos- 
pel, by  folds  of  mystery,  and  abominable  delusion,  drawn  over  his  sight 
from  the  time  he  can  distinguish  between  a  living  man,  and  a  senseless 
image.  Therefore  we  ought  to  have  compassion  on  the  souls  that  wear 
the  hard  yoke  of  Rome,  and  in  the  kindest  spirit  to  ease  them  of  their 
cruel  burthen  of  senseless  ceremonies,  and  deceitful  penances,  and  false 
hopes. 


XIL]  THE  VIRGIN  AND  THE  MURDERER.  147 

Manuel  say,  it  depended  a  good  deal  on  who  the  persons 
were  that  they  would  take  into  the  Convents,  to  go  on 
penance.  It  must  be  a  respectable  man,  and  one  whom 
the  Priest  knows  to  be  a  strict  Catholic,  and  wealthy* 
When  these  offenders  have  gone  through  their  penance, 
they  are  obliged  to  make  handsome  presents  to  all  their 
Saints  in  the  Convents,  and  which  are  numerous.  The 
images  of  Abraham,  David,  Solomon,  Peter,  Paul,  and 
John,  a  great  company  dressed  in  habits  ;  these  are  not 
decorated ;  only  the  Virgin  Mary's  image  is  dressed  rich.  I 
have  seen  a  crown  placed  on  the  head  of  the  Virgin 
Mary's  image,*  set  with  diamonds,  in  the  most  costly  man- 
ner, which  he  told  me  was  presented  to  her,  by  a  very 
wicked  man,  a  pirate-captain  and  a  murderer,  who  had 
been  in  the  Convent  on  penance,  and  who  presented  it 
when  kaving.t     I  saw  this  man  when  afterwards  he  was 


'  *  "  Seest  thou  not  what  they  do  in  the  cities  of  Judah,  and  the  streets  of 
Jerusalem  ?  The  children  gather  wood,  and  the  fathers  kindle  the  fire, 
and  the  women  knead  their  dough  to  make  cakes  to  the  GLueen  op 
heaven,  and  to  pour  out  drink-offerings  unto  other  gods,  that  they  may 
provoke  me  to  anger.11  Jerem.  VII.  17.  18. 

The  Papists  universally  in  their  Officers,  and  everywhere,  style  the 
Virgin  Mary,  the  "  GLueen  of  heaven." — "  Ave  !  Regina  otelorum  !" — 
u  Haiti  Queen  of  heaven!11  says  their  Breviary  in  the  Office  of  the 
Virgin.  Offic.  Parv.  B.  Maries.  Antip.  ad  Magnif. 

The  cake  of  which  the  Scripture  speaks  in  the  above  text,  is  made 
in  the  Popish  church,  and  offered  to  the  Virgin  Mary,  their  "  Queen  of 
heaven,11  every  Saturday  in  the  Mass.  This  day  the  Romish  church 
appropriates,  in  a  special  manner,  to  the  honoring  of  the  li  Queen  of 
heaven,11  and  the  Mass  that  is  then  enjoined  to  be  said  unto  her,  is  called 
a  Votive  Mass,  "  Missa  Votiva11  Vide  Offic.  B.  Virgin,  in  Sabbato.  in 
Breviar. 

The  cakes  are  made  in  the  form  of  a  large  wafer,  and  the  (<  dough 
is  kneaded,11  precisely  as  the  text  declares,  by  tl  women11 

The  drink-offering  is  the  wine  in  the  Mass,  which,  in  the  Popish 
church,  "  is  poured  out11  or  offered  every  morning  to  their  different 
Saints,  which  they  call  honoring  the  Saints.  Vide  Breviar.  Rom.  Pas- 
sim.— Ed. 

t  The  greater  the  sinner,  and  the  greater  his  offence,  the  greater  is 
the  price  of  his  pardon,  and  the  greater  is  the  Priest's  fee.  It  was  fit 
for  the  captain  of  a  piratical  crew,  to  adorn  the  head  of  the  image  of 
the  Virgin  with  a  costly  crown  :  for  no  small  acknowledgment  was  due 
to  the  supposed  remissions  of  his  multiplied  offences. 

The  natural  fruit  and  inevitable  consequence  of  this  state  of  things 
is,  to  make  the  Priests  rejoice  in  the  greatness  of  the  iniquity  of  their 


14S  PENANCE  OF  YOUNG  FEMALES.  [Chap. 

hung  for  murder ;  and  seeing  him,  led  my  Priest  to  tell 
me  he  was  the  person,  who,  at  one  time,  had  been  in  the 
Convent  on  penance,  and  had  presented  this  crown  to  the 
Virgin  Mary. 

My  Priest  was  always  reserved  in  informing  me  in 
what  mode  these  men  would  afflict  themselves,  when  on 
penance  in  the  Convents  ;  but,  always  when  they  had  one 
there,  he  would  often  speak  of  him,  and  appear  to  pity 
him,  but  he  would  say  he  wished  it  was  the  rule  for  fe- 
males to  go  into  the  Convents  on  penance,  and  he  was 
their  Father- Confessor  for  ordering  the  penances  upon 
them. 

I  could  here  relate  in  what  ways  the  Priests  put  young 
females  on  penance,  which  I  have  been  informed  by  Ma- 
nuel ;  but  delicacy  must  prevent  me.  I  wish  the  world 
knew  of  their  deception  and  intrigues,  seductions  and 
wickedness,  as  I  do.  I  even  pity  the  Priests  ;  and  how 
much  more  do  I  pity  and  feel  for  the  people  they  are  de- 
ceiving, and  ruining,  and  leading  into  darkness  ;  and  not 
only  the  natives,  bat  even  American  females  who  are 
there.  For  the  Priests  of  the  island,  the  very  same  1 
knew  to  love  licentiousness  at  heart,  were  ordered  away 
by  the  Bishop  to  some  other  settlement ;  some  of  them  to 
the  villages  on  the  Mississippi  river,  to  remain  there,  to 
preach  the  Roman  religion.* 

penitents,  so  long  as  their  copious  treasures  enable  the  criminals  to  pay 
for  their  pardon  a  sum  proportionate  to  their  transgressions.  And  for 
this  joy  a  man  who.  is  educated  to  the  Roman  Priesthood  is  not  so  much 
to  blame,  as  the  system  which  exposes  him  to  the  temptation  of  taking 
pleasure  in  that  which  mightily  increases  his  means  of  procuring  pleas- 
ure. The  Priests  are  but  men :  their  garments  do  not'  change  their 
hearts.  They  rejoice  and  must  rejoice  in  those  things,  which  lawfully 
fill  their  pockets  with  the  means  of  increasing  their  worldly  comforts. 
*  This  1  confirm  in  regard  to  licentious  Priests  in  the  United  States. 
—Ed. 


XIII.]  FATHER  HOSA  149 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


-The  unfaithful  Priest  what  !ongue 


Enough  shall  execrate  !    His  doctrine  may 
Be  passed,  though  mixed  with  most  unhallowed  leaven, 
That  proved  to  those  who  foolishly  partook, 
Eternal  bitterness  : — bat  this  was  still 
His  sin — beneath  what  cloak  soever  veiled  ; 
His  ever  growing  and  perpetual  sin, 
First,  last,  and  middle  'nought,  whence  every  wish, 
Whence  every  action  rose,  and  ended  both — 
To  mount  to  place ;  and  pjower  of  worldly  sort ; 
To  aid  the  gaudy  pomp  and  equipage 
Of  earthly  state,  and  on  his  mitred  brow 
To  place  a  royal  crown  :  for  this,  he  sold 
The  sacred  truth  to  him,  who  most  would  give 
Of  titles,  benefices,  honors,  names ; 
For  this,  betrayed  his  master  ;  and  for  this. 
Made  merchandise  of  the  immortal  souls 
Committed  to  his  care — this  was  his  sin ." 

POLLOK. 

Father  Horn's  execrable  conversation  with  Manuel  respecting  the  Nuns.~ 
Lived  some  years  in  concubinage  with  a  Quadroon  girl. — His  barbarity 
towards  her. — He  interrogates  Rosamond  respecting  the  beauty,  fyc,  of 
the  females  of  the  Mississippi  valley. — His  and  Manuel's  desire  to  have 
all  the  Protestant  ministers  in  Moro-caslle. — An  American  imprisoned 
in  Moro-castle  40  years. — Description  of  Moro-caslle. — Priestcraft. — - 
The  Priests  refuse  to  intercede  with  the  Virgin  without  money. — Super- 
stition in  regard  to  dreams. — In  default  of  money  for  Masses,  jewelry  is 
taken. —  The  laying  of  souls. — Priestly  exactions  and  impositions. —  The 
Cassa  or  house  of  the  Virgin  Mary. —  The  room  in  which  were  the  devil 
and  other  horrible  images. —  The  people's  superstitious  fear  of  the  Priests, 
— Mode  of  performing  penance. — Jealousy  among  the  Priests. — Seduc* 
tion  of  a  young  girl. — All  compelled  to  kneel  while  the  Host  or  consecrated, 
Wafer  passes. —  The  common  people  kiss  tlie  Priest's  feet. 

I  knew  a  Priest  well,  at  the  time  he  left  the  island  to 
go  to  the  Mississippi,  about  the  year  1830  ;  whose  name 
was  Father  Hosa.  He  was  a  man  about  thirty-five  years 
of  age,  tall,  slender,  and  of  a  delicate  appearance,  dark 
complexion,  with  full  black  eyes,  and  very  heavy  eye- 
brows. His  left  hand  was  deformed  by  the  loss  of  the  4th 
finger,  which  was  taken  off  close  to  the  palm  of  the  hand. 
Father  Hosa  was  an  intimate  friend  of  Manuel.  They 
were  both  natives  of  Spain,  and  educated  for  Priests  in 
Spain,  as  1  have  heard  them  say.  Father  Hosa  used  to 
visit  my  house  often  :  and  I  have  heard  him  say  things, 
13* 


150  FATHER  HOSA'S  CHILDREN.  [Chap. 

in  conversation  with  Manuel,  which  he  ought  to  be  hung 
for,  relating  to  what  he  had  done,  and  what  he  wished  to 
do,  with  the  Nuns,  who  were  in  the  Convents  on  the 
island.  He  had  been  living  then  about  seven  years  with 
a  Quadroon  girl,  as  his  Mistress,  and  had  two  children  by 
her,  who  were  living.  She  was  young,  when  he  first  be- 
came acquainted  with  her,  and  he  was  the  cause  of  her 
ruin,  as  I  have  been  informed  by  my  Priest,  and  other 
individuals.  While  living  with  her,  he  made  her  a  per- 
fect slave,  by  his  cruel  and  harsh  treatment.  The  food  he 
provided  for  her  and  the  children,  would  be  the  remnants 
that  were  left  of  his  luxurious  suppers,  which  he  would 
have  at  her  house.*  1  was  informed  she  grieved  much 
at  his  leaving  the  island  without  making  any  arrange- 
ments for  the  support  of  her,  or  his  children.  He  told 
her,  when  he  was  settled  on  the  Mississippi  river,  he 
would  send  for  them.t 

A  few  days  before  Father  Hosa  left  the  island,  for 
America,  he  was  at  a  supper-party  at  my  house  ;  and 
knowing  that  I  had  formerly  lived  in  the  Mississippi 
country,  he  wanted  to  get  some  information  'about  the 
customs,  and  manner  of  living  there  ;  and  if  the  females 
were  handsome,  and  open  and  easy  in  their  manners ; 
and  asked  me,  if  I  could  not  put  him  into  the  way  to  get 
into  their  favour.  I  told  hinrthat  the  females  were  gen- 
erally virtuous  and  chaste  in  that  country.  My  Priest 
made  reply,  that  he  was  very  glad  it  had  fallen  to  Father 

*  Six  months  in  a  Convent,  apple-parings. 

t  Rosamond  spoke  of  the  pitiable  situation  of  this  poor  girl,  more  than 
once,  in  a  way  to  show  how  much  she  felt  it ;  but  never  intimated  the 
hardest  feature  in  her  case,  until  an  apothecary  of  this  city,  who  has 
spent  a  season  in  Havanna.  was  descanting  upon  the  fices  of  the 
Priests ;  their  notorious  habits  of  concubinage,  gambling,  and  crime, 
and  added,  among  other  things,  that  they  weve  known  to  keep  girls  to 
hire  out  for  vicious  indulgences.  Then  she  explained  that  this  same 
Quadroon  was  so  abused  by  Father  Hosa.  He  would  be  jealous  of  her 
in  the  extreme  ;  for  fear  lest  she  received  company  without  his  knowl- 
edge, and  yet  he  would  send  her  foolish  souls  on  sinful  hire,  which  he 
received  for  her.  This  is  an  enormity  that  only  could  be  committed 
by  a  man  under  the  blind  delusion  of  "  The  Mother  of  harlots  and  abom- 
inations of  the  earth.v  Vile  as  this  is,  it  sorts  but  too  well  with  the 
other  traits  of  Father  Hosa's  conduct  recorded  here. 


XIIL]  AN  AMERICAN  IN  MORO  CASTLE.  151 

Hosa's  lot  to  go,  instead  of  him.  He  said  that  he  had 
been  informed  the  same  by  others.  Manuel  advised  him 
to  be  very  prudent  here  in  America  ;  as  there  were  so 
many  poor  Protestants  living  there,  whom  their  Protes- 
tant ministers  were  leading  in  darkness  :  and  they  would 
all  be  lost.  They  said  they  wished  they  had  all  the  Pro 
testant  ministers  on  the  island,  in  the  Moro  castle,  wher* 
the  old  man  was.  This  man  that  they  spoke  of,  was  an 
American,  who  was  found  in  the  Moro  castle,  not  long- 
before  Father  Hosa  left  the  island.  He  had  been  there 
about  forty  years.  I  cannot  inform  you  who  first  learnt 
he  was  there,  or  for  what  purpose ;  but  when  he  was 
found,  they  said  that  he  was  elderly,  but  in  health.  I  re- 
collected a  few  months  previous,  that  there  was  great  talk 
about  some  one  finding  him  in  this  prison. 

Moro  castle  is  the  principal  fort,  and  station  for  sol- 
diers, and  the  prison  for  desperate  criminals.  It  is  on  a 
small  island,  close  to  the  harbor  of  the  city.  They  keep 
the  prisoners  in  it :  those  who  have  committed  murder, 
and  those  who  are  waiting  to  be  transported  to  Spain, 
and  to  the  Spanish  mines.  I  know,  at  the  time  the  old 
man  was  found  in  the  castle,  the  Priests  were  very  un- 
easy about  it.  I  asked  my  Priest,  if  they  could  not  set 
him  free,  and  let  him  come  to  America.  He  said  it  would 
be  just  as  the  Bishop  decided ;  and  charged  me  not  to 
mention  it  to  any  of  my  country  people.  What  I  learned 
from  my  Priest,  at  the  time,  led  me  to  believe  this  poor 
man  had  been  put  into  the  prison,  for  some  of  the  wicked 
purposes  of  the  Priests.  I  can  not  tell  his  name,  nor  the 
part  of  the  United  States  he  came  from  :  but  he  was  from 
the  United  States,  and  was  very  old,  and  Manuel  pitied 
aim  much. 

Since  I  have  been  writing  and  reflecting  about  thest* 
Roman  Priests,  so  much  of  their  wickedness  comes  to  rny 
mind,  which  I  was  eyewitness  of,  during  five  years  I  was 
on  the  island  of  Cuba,  that  my  mind  is  overwhelmed  ; 
and  I  feel  as  if  it  was  my  duty,  and  as  if  it  was  serving 
the  Lord,  in  writing,  to  let  the  world  know  about  them ; 
not,  that  I  believe  it  will  be  so  much  for  the  benefit  of  th'» 


152  DREAMS WITCHCRAFT.  [Chap. 

souls  of  the  Priests,  (although  God  is  able,)  for  they  all 
know,  that  their  lives  are  full  of  evil  purposes  ;  but  it  is 
for  the  love  I  bear  for  the  souls  of  the  many  people  they 
are  leading  in  darkness. 

Their  religion  is  perfect  witchcraft.  They  have  a  most 
peculiar  way  of  enlisting  you  into  it.  You  may  think  it 
strange  that  there  is  so  much  murder  and  robbery  in  those 
countries,  but  it  is  because  the  Priests  make  the  people 
believe  there  is  no  harm,  which  they  cannot  heal,  in  com- 
mitting murder,  robbery,  or  telling  a  lie ;  if,  when  you 
are  committing  any  of  these  wicked  deeds,  you  have  your 
mind,  your  thoughts,  and  your  heart,  fixed  on  the  Virgin 
Mary  ;  and  it  is  no  sin,  if  you  go  immediately  to  some 
Priest,  and  Confess  it  to  him.*  This  was  common  doc- 
trine among  both  Priests  and  people,  so  far  as  I  knew 
them.  But  they  cannot  intercede  with  the  Virgin  Mary, 
unless  you  take  them  a  sum  of  money,  to  have  your  par- 
don. Money  with  them  is  necessary  to  buy  salvation  for 
the  soul. 

They  are  also  very  superstitious.  If  you  dream  about 
any  near  relative,  who  may  have  been  dead  for  years, 
you  are  led  to  believe  by  the  Priests,  that  their  souls  are 
unhappy :  and  that  they  can  put  them  to  rest,  by  saying- 
Masses  and  burning  Holy  Candles.  If  a  person  has  not 
got  money  to  pay  for  them,  they  will  take  jewelry.  I 
have  had  given  me  by  Manuel,  while  living  with  him,  at 
diiferent  times,  jewelry,  which  he  has  got  in  such  a  way. 
When  I  asked  him  if  he  thought  it  was  not  wicked  to  do 
so,  he  would  reply:  "If  I  did  not  take  it,  some  other 
Priest  would." 

In  this  city  the  souls  of  the  dead  are  also  sought  "  to 
be  laid.''''     If  any  rich  lady,  or  gentleman,  be  in  bad  health, 

*  All  the  evils  of  the  world,  are,  by  the  Apostle,  reduced  to  three 
heads:  "The  lust  of  the  flesh,  the  lust  of  the  eyes,  and  the  pride  of 
life."  1  John  11.  16.  The  Popish  Doctors,  however,  say,  that  these 
are  onlv  "  evangelical  counsels."  Thorn.  Aquin.  L.  II.  Ctuest.  9. 
Art.  3.  " 

"  To  disobey  an  evangelical  counsel,"  (they  say,)  "is  no  sin."  Vega 
de  Justif.  L.  XIV.  C.  12.  Navar.  C.  XXIII.  N.  49.  and  C.  XXI.  N.  43. 
—Ed.  • 


EICH  LADY    DOIIsTG       PEMXCE. 


X1IL]  THE  RICH  LADY  AND  THE  PRIEST.  153 

and  think  they  are  going  to  die  soon,  they  will  some- 
times put  their  money  into  the  Priest's  possession,  believ- 
ing that  he  will  pray  more  sincerely  for  their  souls,  on 
account  of  the  money. 

1  knew  a  rich  widow  lady  who  had  given  her  wealth 
to  a  Priest,  Father  Antonia,  belonging  to  the  Convent  of 
St.  Domingo,  to  keep.  This  is  not  the  Father  Antonia 
that  used  to  visit  at  my  house.  They  both  belonged  to 
the  same  Convent ;  but  Manuel's  friend  was  a  young, 
small,  light  framed  man,  with  a  Roman  nose  ;  while  this 
Antonia  was  a  large,  fat  man,  with  a  red  face,  forty  or 
fifty  years  of  age.  This  Priest  would  make  her  believe 
that  she  must  live  in  such  a  secluded  way,  that  she  would 
not  allow  herself  the  necessaries  of  life  ;  but  every  cent 
she  could  get,  she  would  give  to  this  Priest.  He  made  it 
a  rule  to  call  at  her  house  every  day  at  eleven  o'clock,  to 
heal"  her  Confession.  Her  retired  room  for  worship  had 
images  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  our  Saviour,  and  other  Saints, 
as  large  as  grown  persons.  The  Virgin  Mary  was  placed 
in  a  small  house,  they  call  it,  de  Cassa,  the  house,  (simi- 
lar to  a  cage,  or  show-box,  to  contain  the  image,)  decora- 
ted with  artificial  flowers  ;  and  dressed  in  the  richest 
manner  with  pearls  and  diamonds.  The  room  was  al- 
ways illuminated  with  Holy  Candles.  Precisely  at  the 
hour  her  Priest  would  come,  a  table  was  placed  in  the 
centre  of  the  room,  with  a  bottle  of  wine,  cakes,  sweet- 
meats, and  fruits  of  every  description.  A  large  candle, 
placed  in  the  centre  of  it,  Would  be  lighted  up.  They 
would  remain  in  this  room,  alone,  about  an  hour. 

Afterwards,  Father  Antonia  would  go  to  another  room 
which  she  had  appropriated  to  the  servants.  In  this  room 
would  be  the  Virgin  Mary  and  our  Saviour,  and  one  can- 
dle. In  a  corner  of  this  room,  was  placed  an  image  rep- 
resenting the  devil,  a  most  horrid  figure.  Here  he  would 
every  day  hear  the  Confessions  of  the  servants,  to  keep 
them  in  subjection  through  fear.  These  scenes  I  have 
witnessed,  as  I  used  to  go  to  her  house  often ;  and  she 
has  often  taken  me  into  her  room  of  worship,  and  kneel- 
ing down  with  me  to  the  image  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  sho 


154  her  penances.  [Chap. 

would  pray,  among  other  things,  for  me,  that  I  might 
leave  the  Priest,  and  become  a  Christian.  And  in  talk- 
ing with  me,  she  would  say,  that  he  could  save  his  own 
soul,  and  had  that  power  and  influence  with  the  Saints 
above,  that  he  prayed  for  all  the  curses  of  his  sins  to  be 
laid  on  my  head.  This  rich  lady's  name  was  Madame 
Pelori,  the  widow  of  a  dry-good  merchant  of  Havanna. 
She  was  an  old  lady,  and  lived  in  "  cui  le  Vorispa"  as 
they  call  the  street  where  her  house  stands.  This  impres- 
sion of  the  Priest's  power  to  curse  the  head  of  the  woman, 
is  universal  among  the  people  of  Cuba,  with  whom  I  was 
acquainted  :  and  what  gives  ground  for  it  is,  that  it  is  so 
common  to  see  those  females  who  are  long  in  their  vile 
and  wicked  company,  exposed  to  their  sorceries,  and  their 
Priestcraft,  and  their  lewd  conversation,  go  crazy.  I  have 
myself  known  many  females  who  lost  their  reason,  as  I 
myself  did,  while  living  with  Roman  Priests.  The  people 
are  so  afraid  of  displeasing  one  of  the  Priests,  even  if  they 
know  the  Priests  do  what  is  wrong  and  wicked,  that  they 
dare  not  tell  them  of  it,  for  fear  they  should  pray  a  spell, 
or  curse  upon  them. 

I  have  known  this  rich  widow  lady  to  go  on  penance 
often,  and  have  seen  the  forms  of  her  suffering.  Some- 
times she  would  wear  a  coarse  tow-gown,  made  in  the 
form  of  a  habit,  with  a  leather  belt  round  her  waist,  and 
would  go  barefooted,  with  her  head  shaved  like  a  Priest, 
during  from  three  to  six  months  ;  and  her  diet  would  be 
chiefly  plantains  and  bannanas.  At  other  times,  I  have 
seen  her  on  penance  with  a  steel  collar  round  her  neck, 
placed  in  such  a  way  that  she  could  not  turn  her  head. 
This  she  wore,  night  and  day,  for  nine  months.  These 
penances  were  ordered  by  her  Priest.  This  lady  died, 
leaving  no  children,  and  giving  all  she  had  to  the  Priest. 
While  I  lived  on  the  island,  the  Priest,  Father  Antonia, 
came  to  her  house,  and  removed  her  corpse  to  the  Con- 
vent. It  remained  there  four  hours,  and  then  was  taken 
to  the  grave,  in  the  same  form  as  one  of  their  poor,  and 
buried  without  honor,     Her  Priest  took  possession  of  her 


XIII.] 


MUTUAL  JEALOUSY  OF  THE  PRIESTS.  155 


servants,  and  all  her  property,  which  was  thought  to  be 
great.* 

.  When  an  occurrence  of  this  kind  took  place,  as  it  often 
did,  I  have  heard  Manuel  say  it  would  create  a  jealous 
feeling  among  the  other  Priests,  towards  the  Priest  who 
would  be  the  gainer  of  these  treasures,  which  they  are 
always  aiming  at. 

*  In  reading  this  to  the  authoress  for  correction,  it  was  observed  that 
this  part  is  so  unnatural  in  itself,  and  so  contrary  to  all  our  habits  and 
laws,  that  it  deserves  some  explanation.  She  replied,  it  is  not  unnatu- 
ral in  Cuba,  and  needs  no  explanation  to  the  residents  of  that  island. 
Whether  the  sick  in  the  Convents  make  any  Will  in  this  case,  she 
never  heard  ;  but  thinks  she  should  have  heard,  if  this  were  the  case. 
Her  impression  is,  that  the  dying  give  it  by  a  word  to  the  Priests,  to 
pay  them  for  praying  their  souls  out  of  Purgatory;  and  that  the  cus- 
toms of  the  Roman  catholic  church,  and  people,  confirm  this  mode  of 
conveyance,  with  the  same  certainty,  as  if  it  were  devised  by  a  sealed 
instrument,  a  deed  acknowledged,  or  a  last  Will  and  Testament.  But 
it  is  not  in  Cuba  alone  that  this  iniquity  is  practised.  Mr.  Stevens,  a 
Methodist  Minister  of  Boston,  holds  this  language  respecting  the  case 
of  Patrick  Ward  of  Baltimore. 

u  Look  at  the  following,  with  scores  in  one  of  your  cities,  in  one  of 
the  middle  states,  known  to  be  true,  as  the  fact  came  out  in  the  open  court. 

"  About  four  years  since,  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church,  who 
was  a  native  of  Ireland,  accumulated  by  his  industry  a  handsome  pro- 
perty. He  was  taken  sick,  and  remained  so  a  long  time.  The  officia- 
ting Roman  Priest  visited  him,  and  was,  apparently  very  kind  to  him, 
and  his  family,  and  won  their  confidence.  The  sick  man  at  length  be- 
came insane.  The  Priest  advised  a  removal  to  the  dispensary,  of  which 
the  Papists  have  the  control.  The  family  consented,  and  he  was  placed 
under  the  care  of  the  '  Sisters  of  Charity.5  His  Will  was  made  pre- 
viously to  his  removal.  He  died,  but  behold!  another  Will  appears, 
in  which  a  large  sum  was  left  for  the  Priest  in  question,  a  large  sum 
for  St.  Patrick's  Church,  and  the  rest  for  his  lawful  wife  in  Ireland  ! 
The  distressed  family  knew  not  what  to  do;  there  was  his  last  Will 
with  his  signature.  No  money  to  support  an  action,  their  friends 
doubted  the  propriety  of  bringing  one  ;  and  it  rested  awhile.  At  length 
the  case  was  tried,  and  it  was  shown  that  the  deceased  never  was  a 
Papist — that  he  had  no  wife  in  Ireland — that  the  plaintiff  was  his  law- 
ful wife,  then  a  widow,  and  that  the  Priest  got  the  instrument  drawn 
up,  and  obtained  the  deceased  man's  signature  when  in  a  state  of  in- 
sanity ! !  The  counsel  for  the  Priest  was  so  affected,  that  he  refused  tc 
plead  against  the  poor,  distressed,  cruelly-treated  widow. 

"  The  deceased  brother  was  a  member  of  the  church  where  I  preach- 
ed in  turn  with  other  ministers.     Must  Popery  be  let  alone  ?" 

This  is  not  a  tale  of  the  12th  century  ;  but  of  the  Roman  catholics  of 
our  own  times  and  country,  affording  evidence  of  the  depravity  inhe- 
rent, through  all  time,  and  under  every  form  of  government,  in  the 
Roman  catholic  system  of  faith  and  worship. 


156  PRIESTS  CAN  ANNUL  WILLS.  [Chap. 

When  they  meet  with  a  rich  man,  who  they  think  will 
not  live  long,  they  will  persuade  him  to  go  to  the  Con- 
vent, and  prepare  to  die  ;  but  he  must  leave  them  all  his 
wealth.* 

I  knew  another  trait  of  the  wickedness  of  a  Priest  who 
belonged  to  St.  Domingo  Convent.  I  do  not  recollect  his 
name.  He  persuaded  a  rich  man,  whose  name  was  Don 
Vesta,  a  native  of  old  Spain,  who  lay  low  with  a  con- 
sumption, to  go  to  the  Convent,  and  prepare  to  die.  This 
man  had  a  wife  and  three  children.  When  he  went  to 
the  Convent,  he  took  all  his  money,  and  left  nothing  for 
the  support  of  his  family,  except  the  house  and  furniture. 
He  lived  but  a  short  time  after  he  was  taken  to  the  Con- 
vent ;  and,  at  his  death,  the  Priest  went  and  took  posses- 
sion of  the  house,  and  turned  out  the  poor  widow  with 
her  three  children,  to  seek  a  living  for  themselves.  This 
family  lived  in  the  same  square  or  street  that  1  then  lived 
in,  which  was  the  Pontra-street,  leading  out  of  the  Pontra 
gate.  The  cruelty  of  this  Priest  was  talked  about  very 
loudly. 

Shortly  after  this,  he  placed  his  Mistress  in  the  same 
house,  a  young  girl  about  sixteen,  who  had  been  led  away 
by  him  ;  and  I  was  informed,  by  my  Priest,  that  Antonia 
was  formerly  her  Father  Confessor  in  her  father's  house. 
They  both  have  been  at  my  house,  when  my  Priest  would 
have  supper-parties.  If  I  were  to  tell  all  I  know  about 
them,  I  should  never  have  done  ;  I  don't  know  one  Con- 
vent on  the  island,  where  the  Priests  reside,  but  I  have 
heard,  or  seen  the  intrigues,  snares,  and  traps  of  wicked- 
ness carried  on  there.  Still  the  church  laws  are  very 
strict  in  regard  to  the  obedience  of  the  Priests. 

Whenever  they  go  to  hear  the  Confessions  of  a  dying 
person,  the  Confessor  will  be  placed  in  a  Kitterine,  that 


*  So  determined  are  the  Priests  to  get  possession  of  the  money  of  their 
credulous  followers,  that  many  Popish  divines  teach,  that  the  Bishops  of 
the  church  of  Rome  have  the  power  and  the  right  of  altering  a  man's 
last  Will  and  Testament,  whether  the  heir  agrees  to  it  or  not.  "Posse 
id  facerc  Episcopum  illo)  {herede,}  contradicente"  Ligorj,  Theol.  de 
Privilegiis,  G.  III.  N.  68.— Ed. 


XIIL]  POPISH  PROCESSION.  157 

is,  a  carriage,  or  Havanna  chaise,  with  a  candle  burning 
in  one  hand,  and  a  prayer-book  in  the  other.  He  will  be 
praying,  while  two  young  Priests  are  walking  by  his  side  ; 
one,  with  a  death-lantern  with  a  candle  burning  in  it,  and 
the  anointing-oil,  and  the  consecrated  host,  or  Communion 
bread  ;  and  the  other,  with  a  small  bell,  which  he  keeps 
ringing.  This  bell  is  to  summon  the  people  to  the  doors 
and  windows,  while  the  Priest  passes,  where  they  must 
kneel  and  Cross  themselves.  It  is  considered  a  great  sin 
by  the  Catholics,  not  to  perform  this  duty.  If  you  are  in 
the  street,  and  meet  the  procession,  you  must  stop  ;  and 
if  walking  or  riding,  the  men  must  take  off  their  hats,  and 
Cross  themselves.*  When  the  elderly  or  strict  Catholics 
meet  the  Priests  in  the  streets,  they  kiss  their  habits  in 
speaking  to  them  ;  and  the  poor  and  ignorant  class  of 
people,  and  especially  the  slaves,  will  kneel  down  in  the 
street,  and  kiss  their  feet.  This  I  have  often  seen  done. 
When  a  young  person,  or  a  child,  has  been  very  sick, 
on  recovering,  it  must  go  on  penance  from  three  to  nine 
months.  If  a  boy,  he  must  put  on  a  habit  made  in  the 
form  of  the  Priest's,  with  white  cotton-cord  round  his 
waist,  and  a  gospel-piece  suspended  round  his  neck  by  a 
white  cord,  and  his  head  shaved  like  a  Priest's.!     His 

*  The  Journal  of  Commerce  of  this  city,  July,  1835,  gives  an  account 
of  two  Americans  in  Mexico,  who  were  violently  seized  and  cast  into 
prison,  where  they  remained  in  confinement  under  the  charge  of  the 
offended  Priest,  for  refusing  this  homage.  The  following  is  a  notice 
of  the  same  event,  which  is  found  in  the  Pittsburgh,  Pa.  Times,  22d 
July,  1835. 

"  Insults  to  citizens  of  the  United  States ! — Great  excitement  is  said  to 
prevail  in  Metamoras  among  the  foreigners7  in  consequence  of  the  im- 
prisonment of  Messrs.  Boyd  and  Lee,  American  merchants,  and  the 
subsequent  harsh  treatment  they  received.  The  Mercurio  of  Metamo- 
ras, says,  that  a  few  days  before,  the  Parish  Priest,  while  conveying  the 
Sacrament  in  the  usual  cortege  to  the  house  of  a  sick  person,  was  met  by 
the  above  named  gentlemen,  who  did  not  pay  the  procession  those  marks 
of  reverence  which  are  customary.  The  Priest,  irritated,  appealed  to 
the  spectators,  ordered  them  to  seize  Messrs.  Boyd  and  Lee,  and  throw 
them  into  a  dungeon,  which  was  done  without  the  least  hesitation  on 
the  part  of  the  people,  or  interference  on  the  part  of  the  magistrates. 

t  "  The  Papists  pretend  they  borrow  their  ceremonies  from  the  Jews. 
If  true,  bad  enough. — Not  true,  however: — they  are  borrowed  from  the 
Pagans. — All  the  Egyptian  Priests,  as  Herodotus  informs  us,  had  their 
14 


158  DRESS  OF  THE  PRIESTS.  [Chap, 

habit  must  be  the  same  color  as  his  Priests'.  The  Priests' 
habits  are  of  different  colors  and  different  cut,  according 
to  the  Convent  they  belong  to :  so  that,  when  you  see 
them,  you  may  always  know  the  Convent  they  belong  to, 
A  little  girl,  when  recovering  from  sickness,  must  put  on 
a  habit,  with  a  white  cord  round  her  waist ;  and  many 
other  different  forms  of  penance,  they  are  put  under. 

heads  shaved  and  bald.  (Herod.  Lib.  II.  36.)  Thus,  the  Emperor  Com- 
modus,  that  he  might  be  admitted  into  that  order,  got  himself  shaved, 
and  carried  the  god  Anubis  in  procession."     Lamprid,  in  Com.  9. 

The  Jewish  Priests  -were  commanded,  not  to  shave  their  heads.     Le- 
vit.  XXI.  5.     Ezek.  XLIV.  20,— Ed. 


XrV.]        MANUEL  ANTONIA  AND  HIS  MISTRESS.  159 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

■"  Stop  !  ye  are  on  the  brink 
Of  endless  wo  and  ruin — sleep  no  more — 
The  charm  will  soon  be  broken — ye  will  wake, 
And  find  the  alluring  hours  that  wooed  you,  o'er, 
And,  rising  like  a  fury,  Vice  will  shake 
Her  smoky  torch,  and  in  your  heart;s  blood  slake 
Its  hell-lit  fires  ;  and  you  will  seek  in  vain 
The  young  days  that  have  vanished." 

Percival. 

Father  Manuel  Anlonia  and  his  Mistress. — His  love-letters. — Prize  in  the 
lottery  consecrated  by  the  Priest  to  the  Virgin  Mary. — Lottery  prizes 
are  the  gifts  of  the  Saints  in  Heaven. —  The  Virgin  Mary  will  not  hear 
the  prayer  of  Protestants. — Rosamond  in  deep  despondency. — Intrigue 
of  Father  Panterilla  to  obtain  the  properly  of  his  Mistress.— Suspicions 
against  Panterilla  relative  to  the  sudden  death  of  a  certain  wealthy  for- 
eigner^ who  died  on  Pantcrillah  plantation. — In  consequence  of  which 
Panterilla,  is  banished  to  Nciv-  York,  where  he  continued  to  exercise  his 
Priestly  functions. — Is  eventually  recalled  to  Havanna,  and  resumes  his 
functions. —  While  in  New-  York,  prevails  upon  two  young  ladies  to  ac- 
company Kim  back  to  Havanna. — Mode  of  living  in  the  Convents. —  The 
Priests  disguise  themselves  in  citizens'  dresses. —  The  Priests  use  no 
perfumery  in  their  Sacerdotal  habits,  but  use  it  profusely  in  their  dress  of 
citizen. —  The  Priests'  hoorie,  or  oath. — ManueVs  amorous  playfulness. — 
The  Priests'  shaven  heads  a  shield  against  robbery. — Priestly  pastime. 
— From  carousing  they  go  to  Confession,  and  to  the  celebration  of  Mass^ 
or  to  visit  the  sick,  or  bury  the  dead. 

I  knew  of  another  Priest  belonging  to  St.  Wanadou 
Convent,  whose  name  is  Manuel  Antonia.  He  was  about 
thirty  years  of  age  ;  a  Creole  of  very  light  complexion  ; 
large  black  full  eye  ;  round  featured  ;  black  hair  ;  and  a 
rare  instance  of  a  Priest  who  looked  well  in  his  Priest's 
habit.  He  was  born  and  educated  on  the  island,  to  be  a 
Priest.  He  had  been  living  with  an  unmarried  female 
about  nine  years,  as  his  Mistress.  This  female  belonged 
to  New  York,  and  has  a  mother  and  sister  now  living 
here.  I  have  seen  them,  and  have  been  at  their  house  in 
New  York.  They  are  of  the  Jewish  persuasion  ;  and 
this  female  was  brought  up  in  it.  When  she  left  New 
York,  she  was  going  to  New  Orleans  with  the  child  of  a 
lady  in  her  charge,  to  take  it  to  its  mother,  who  lived  in 
New  Orleans.     When  on  her  way,  the  vessel,  which  was 


160  -       LOTTERY  PRIZES  THE  GIFT  OF  HEAVEN.     [Chap, 

commanded  by  Captain  Andrews,  was  taken  by  some  pi- 
rates, and  carried  into  Matanzas,  on  the  island  of  Cuba? 
where  she  first  became  acquainted  with  Father  Antonia, 
After  being  detained  a  few  weeks,  the  vessel  left  the  port, 
and  she  went  in  it  to  New  Orleans.  Antonia  was  con- 
tinually writing  to  her,  wishing  her  to  come  to  him,  which 
she  did,  and  placed  herself  under  his  protection,  and  was 
living  with  him  when  I  left  Cuba.  She  had  become  a 
complete  idiot.  Her  mind  was  perfectly  stupified,  and 
sometimes  crazed,  by  the  influence  of  the  Priest,  and  of 
his  cruel  and  superstitious  conduct  to  her.  She  has  no 
desire  to  leave  him ;  as  she  believes,  if  she  remains,  with 
him,  until  she  dies,  he  can  save  her  soul.  He  makes  her 
believe  she  will  remain  in  Purgatory  a  short  time,  but  he 
can  pray  her  out  of  it  into  Heaven.  I  know  this  to  be 
true,  for  I  was  well  acquainted  with  them,  while  living 
there.  I  know  at  one  time,  she  drew  a  prize  in  the  lot- 
tery of  five  hundred  dollars.  The  Priest  persuaded  her 
to  lay  the  money  aside,  as  he  believed  it  to  be  a  gift  from 
the  Virgin  Mary,  to  help  to  prepare  her  soul  for  heaven. 
"When  she  died,  it  would  purchase  Holy  Candles  and  pay 
for  Masses,  to  be  read,  to  help  her  soul  out  of  Purgatory. 
This  poor  female  believed  him,  and  gave  it  to  him,  to 
keep  for  that  purpose,  when  she  dies.  He  has  brought 
her  to  believe,  that  when  he  treats  her  unkindly  and  cru- 
elly, it  is  for  the  good  of  her  soul  ;*  and  her  soul  must 
always  be  persecuted,  while  in  this  world.  When  I  told 
my  Priest  all  this,  he  would  tell  me  it  was  all  right,  and 
that  she  was  wise ;  that  the  money  was  given  to  her  by 
the  Saints  above  for  that  use ;  and  that  I  must  pray  to 
fche  Virgin  Mary  for  the  same  gift.f 

*  I  remember  to  have  heard  the  editor  of  the  downfall  of  babylon, 
Samuel  B.  Smith,  who  is  a  converted  Priest,  say,  when  explaining  the 
cause  of  a  weakness  on  his  lungs,  that  he  took  cold  while  preaching  in 
an  unfinished  chapel  in  Michigan,  where  the  roof  along  the  eaves,  was 
open  directly  over  his  head,  and  the  cold  air  came  in  a  current  upon 
him,  from  Sabbath  to  Sabbath,  while  preaching.  He  knew  that  he  was 
suffering  dreadfully  for  it,  "  but,"  (said  he,)  'I  did  not  mind  it ;  for  I 
thought  it  was  good  for  my  sins." 

t  See  "  Six  Months  in  a  Convent,"  bushel  of  gold,  to  be  sent  from 
Leaven. — Ed. 


XIV.]  PROTESTANTS  DUMB  BEASTS.  161 

He  would  frequently  give  me  money  to  buy  lottery 
tickets  ;  and  while  these  tickets  would  not  be  successful, 
he  has  often  persecuted  me,  and  told  me  that  the  Virgin 
Mary  would  not  hear  my  prayers,  because  I  was  still  a 
poor  dead  Protestant  at  heart ;  (and  he  has  compared  me 
to  the  dumb  beasts  ;)  that  he  believed  this  female  was  a 
true  Catholic  Christian  ;  that  I  was  to  be  lost,  and  she 
would  be  saved.  My  feelings  have  been  brought  to  such 
a  state  by  what  he  would  tell  me  of  heaven  and  hell,  that 
I  became  bewildered,  and  would  sink  down  in  despair, 
and  remain  so  for  weeks.  In  this  state  I  would  kneel 
down  before  the  image,  and  cry  out  to  the  Virgin  Mary 
for  mercy.     Oh  !  then  I  could  well  repeat  these  lines : 

"  Beneath  the  poisonous  dart 

Of  Satan's  rage  I  fell; 
How  narrowly  my  feet  escaped 

The  snares  of  deaih  and  hell! 

"Darkness,  and  shame,  and  grief, 

Oppressed  my  gloomy  mind  ; 
I  looked  around  me  for  relief, 

But  no  relief  could  find." 

While  writing  this  to  the  world,  to  let  them  know  of 
my  misery  and  suffering,  and  how  blind  and  ignorant  I 
have  been  all  my  life,  until  now,  as  to  the  right  view  of 
eternity,  my  heart  is  melted  down.  Oh  !  I  can  truly  say, 
I  feel  myself  to  be  nothing ;  that  I  can  and  do  repent, 
with  this  frail  body  of  mine,  in  dust  and  ashes,  before  the 
Lord  ;  and  praise  him,  for  the  loving  mercies  he  has 
showed  for  my  poor  immortal  soul,  in  sparing  my  life, 
and  bringing  me  out  from  among  those  Roman  abomina- 
tions, and  placing  me  in  this  Christian  country  ;  he  has, 
I  hope  and  trust,  placed  me  on  the  rock  of  safety ;  and 
now  I  can  say, 

"Deep  on  my  heart  let  memory  trace 
His  acts  of  mercy  and  of  grace  ; 
Who  with  a  father's  tender  care, 
Saved  me,  when  sinking  in  despair." 

14* 


162  PRIESTS*  INTRIGUES  FOR  MONEY.  [Chap 

I 

I  have  written  to  this  female  several  times,  since  I  have 
been  brought  here ;  but  I  have  received  no  answer  from 
her;  I  am  informed  that  she  died  last  summer.  I  have 
often,  in  this  country,  reflected  on  the  fact,  that  the  Priests 
do  not  cast  off  their  crazed  companions,  as  other  men, 
under  the  same  circumstances,  would  certainly  do  ;  and 
I  do  believe  it  is  partly  owing  to  their  superstitious  fear 
of  the  Virgin  Mary,  lest  she  should  avenge  their  cruelty 
to  the  poor  victims  of  their  vile  lusts;  and  partly  owing 
to  the  cherished  belief  that  the  female  in  this  case  is  evi- 
dently bearing  on  her  head  the  punishment  of  their  sin  of 
living  together.  While  they  behold  their  iniquity  thus 
borne  by  another,  they  are  content  to  put  up  with  some 
inconveniences,  rather  than  risk  a  change,  that  might  ex- 
pose their  own  heads  to  a  possible  curse. 

I  knew  another  Priest,  Father  Pan terilla,  who  belonged 
to  St.  Francisco  Convent,  and  was  chaplain  to  the  sol- 
diers stationed  there,  outside  of  the  Pontra  gate.  He  had, 
by  his  snares  and  traps,  for  her  money,  gained  the  affec- 
tions of  an  American  lady,  who  had  accumulated  a  good 
deal  of  property  ;  but  whose  principles  were  as  depraved 
as  his  own.  Not  Ions;  after  she  had  put  herself  under  his 
protection,  he  persuaded  her  to  purchase  a  plantation, 
about  six  miles  from  the  city,  on  which  they  both  went 
to  reside,  as  he  said  his  health  was  bad,  and  he  thought 
the  country  air  would  be  of  benefit  to  him.  Pie  purchased 
a  number  of  slaves,  to  work  on  the  plantation,  with  the 
money  of  the  lady ;  but  as  she  had  been  living  on  the 
island  about  thirteen  years,  she  had  some  knowledge  of 
their  intrigues  and  wickedness,  and  some  art  herself,  and 
she  took  the  deed,  and  held  her  money  fast,  only  giving  it 
to  him,  as  he  wanted  to  make  purchases.  They  had 
lived  together  on  the  island  about  two  years;  and,  dur- 
ing the  time,  he  seldom  came  into  the  city,  to  perform  his 
duty  as  chaplain  to  the  soldiers  ;  so  that  his  friends 
thought  he  remained  in  the  country  to  recover  his 
health. 

During  this  time,  a  friend  of  his  from  Spain,  arrived  on 
die  island,  who  was  said  to  be  very  rich,  and  had  then  a 


XIV.]  PRIEST  SUSPECTED  OF  MURDER.  163 

large  amount  of  money  with  him.  He  was  in  bad  health, 
and  far  advanced  in  a  consumption.  Father  Panterilla 
took  this  friend  to  his  plantation,  to  remain  there  a  few 
months,  it  being  thought  more  healthy  than  the  city.  He 
had  been  there  but  a  few  months,  before  he  was  suddenly 
missed.  He  had  an  uncle  living  in  the  city,  who  madG 
many  inquiries,  and  searched  about  for  him  ;  but  he  could 
not  be  heard  of  or  found.  This  created  a  great  stir  and 
confusion  among  the  Priests.  Shortly  after,  his  body  was 
found,  buried  on  the  'plantation.  I  never  heard  who 
found  it,  whether  his  uncle,  or  some  other  individual ; 
but  I  was  informed  by  my  Priest,  that  the  Bishop,  and  the 
Priests,  had  made  arrangements  with  his  uncle,  to  keep 
silent,  for  fear  of  a  persecution  against  the  Holy  catholic 
church  ;  and  that,  if  the  Priest  had  taken  the  man's  life, 
he  must  have  been  tempted  by  the  devil ;  and  some  other 
remarks  he  made  upon  it,  such  as  these, — that  if  Father 
Panterilla  had  murdered  and  robbed  the  man,  if  he  had 
not  his  heart  on  the  deed,  it  was  no  sin  ;  and  while  the 
Old  Adversary  led  Father  Panterilla  to  be  the  instrument 
of  his  will  in  committing  this  murder,  if  Father  Pan- 
terilla kept  his  heart  fixed  on  the  Virgin  Mary,  it  was  no 
sin. 

This  Priest  was  obliged  to  leave  the  island  :  and  he 
came  to  New  York.  This  was  in  the  first  year  I  was  in 
Cuba,  A.  D.  1828.  He  stayed  and  boarded  in  this  city, 
in  Walker-street,  near  Centre-street ;  and  remained  about 
a  year  ;  and  learned  to  paint  landscapes  beautifully,  while 
here.  During  thejime  he  was  here,  he  sent  for  the  Amer- 
ican femalj,  who  came  to  him.  I  saw  her  the  morning 
she  sailed,  and  also  saw  and  read  letters  she  wrote  to  her 
friends  on  the  island,  while  she  was  there,  stating  that  hei 
Priest  was  preaching  in  the  Catholic  churches  of  New 
York ;  and  if  arrangements  could  not  be  made  for  him 
to  return,  he  would  settle  in  New  York,  as  he  had  offers 
made  by  the  Bishop  to  preach  in  the  city.  But  I  was  in- 
formed by  Manuel,  that  the  Priests  had  made  arrange- 
ments with  the  governor  of  the  island  for  Panterilla  to  re- 
turn.    The  Bishop  was  obliged  to  give  the  uncle  of  the 


164  PRIEST   4ND  HIS  MISTRESSES.  [Chap. 

murdered  man  a  large  sum  of  money,  I  do  not  know 
the  amount ;  but  my  Priest  told  me,  that  if  Panterilla  had 
not  been  a  Priest,  they  would  have  committed  him  to  the 
gallows.  They  both  returned  to  the  Island,  and  were  living 
there  when  I  left.*  They  persuaded  two  young  ladies, 
who  lived  in  Chatham-street,  in  New  York,  virtuous  and 
poor,  to  accompany  them  to  Havanna,  promising  to  set 

them  up  in  the  Milliners  trade.     Panterilla  and  B.  C , 

his  Mistress,,  who  speaks  three  languages  fluently,  and  is 
very  smart,  accomplished,  and  rich,  passed  for  a  wedded 
pair.  After  a  short  residence  in  Havanna,  the  young 
ladies  found  themselves  in  a  snare  among  strangers. 
They  demanded  to  be  returned  to  New  York  free  of  ex- 
pense ;  and,  in  their  distress,  wrote  to  a  friend,  to  whom 
one  of  the  young  ladies  was  betrothed  in  New  York  ;  and 
they  also  found  friends  in  Havanna  to  bring  the  matter 

before  the  governor.     He  brought  Miss  B.  C ,  Pante- 

rilla's  Mistress,  before  him,  and  obliged  her  to  pay  the  re- 
turning expenses  of  the  young  ladies,  and  threatened  her 
that  in  a  case  of  this  sort  again,  he  would  send  her  to  the 
Castle.  The  young  ladies  returned,  under  the  protection 
of  the  young  man,  to  whom  one  was  married  on  their 
arrival  in  New  York.  All  these  things  were  well  known 
and  commonly  spoken  of  among  the  Americans  in  Ha- 
vanna ;  but  I  do  not  remember  the  names  of  the  young 
ladies,  nor  have  I  seen  or  heard  of  either  of  them,  though 
often  I  have  inquired  after  them,  since  I  have  been  in 
New  York. 

My  Priest  told  me,  that  the  Bishop  was  going  to  send 
Panterilla  to  a  Convent  in  Trinidad,  because  the  robbery 
and  murder  had  become  so  public,  that  it  would  be  better 
both  for  him,  and  the  rest  of  the  Priests,  if  he  went  where 


*  The  iniquity  of  the  Roman  Priest  having  burst  out  in  an  act  of  in- 
sufferable violence,  even  in  Cuba,  he  was  obliged  to  .fly  before  the  ter- 
rors of  justice.  He  took  refuge  in  New  York,  and  amused  himself 
with  his  pencil,  in  a  private  way,  and  publicly  ministered  at  the  Roman 
altars  in  this  city.  So  it  happens,  that  when  their  vices  make  them  in- 
tolerable in  Havanna,  they  can  find  unholy  employment  in  New  York, 
guiding  the  citizens  of  this  free  country  in  the  ways  of  Rome. 


XIV.]  MODE  OF  LIVING  IN  CONVENTS.  165 

he  was  not  known  ;  and  the  Bishop  did  not  wish  to  send 
him  to  Spain,  or  to  the  Pope ;  because  he  had  a  father 
living  in  some  part  of  Spain,  who  was  a  great  Priest  in  a 
Convent ;  and  there  were  a  number  of  Priests  then  living 
in  Cuba,  who  were  intimate  friends  of  his  father.* 

I  would  wish  to  remark  iu  particular,  that  I  have  often 
heard  Manuel,  and  other  Priests,  say,  they  did  not  like  the 
new  governor  so  well  as  the  former  one,  who  left  the  island 
about  a  year  before  me.  The  present  governor  was  more 
strict;  and  I  heard  the  citizens  say  he  was  a  far  better 
man  than  the  former  one.  You  could  not  bribe  him  to 
do  any  criminal  act.  After  the  old  governor  had  made  his 
fortune,  he  left  the  island  for  Spain.t 

I  will  here  relate,  as  near  as  I  can,  their  mode  of  living 
in  the  Convents,  where  the  Priests  reside.  I  have  been 
informed  by  Manuel,  that  their  diet  is  principally  soups  of 
the  richest  kinds,  poultry,  eggs,  and  fish.  They  take  claret 
wine,  instead  of  coffee,  for  breakfast,  dinner,  and  supper.t 
This  must  be  of  the  best  quality.  Each  Priest  has  his 
own  plate,  goblet,  and  knife  and  fork  ;  and,  after  a  meal3 

*  I  knew  two  Bishops  in  the  United  States  to  act  in  the  same  manner, 
in  respect,  however,  to  other  crimes. — En. 

t  In  this  simple  manner  Rosamond  notices  a  fact  most  notorious  at 
the  present  day,  to  all  readers  of  the  New  York  newspapers,  to  wit : — 
that  the  new  governor  of  Cuba  has  introduced  a  new  order  of  things 
in  Havanna.  She  states  what  she  had  heard  the  Priests  say  on  the  one 
hand,  and  what  the  citizens  said  on  the  other.  She  does  not  affirm  a 
word  of  her  own  knowledge  about  the  new  governor,  but  many  things 
in  the  Narrative  impeach  the  righteousness  of  the  old  governor.  He 
would  take  bribes,  and  do  all  corresponding  iniquity.  Him  the  Priests 
liked.  But  they  like  not  the  new  governor,  because  he  is  "more 
strict." 

He  is  strict.  A  merchant  of  the  first  rank  in  this  city,  who  has  spent 
a  short  time  in  Havanna,  observed  of  him  : — "  He  is  a  most  extraordi- 
nary man.  He  has  abolished  gambling.  He  has  introduced  a  police 
that  makes  the  life  of  a  man  almost  as  safe  there,  as  in  New  York.  As- 
sassinations have  almost  ceased.  And  when  formerly  money  would 
accomplish  any  thing  in  the  way  of  a  breach  of  the  laws,  now  it  is  pos- 
itively refused  in  every  form,  as  a  bribe  to  turn  aside  the  execution  of 
rigid  justice."  The  same  is  the  frequent  testimony  of  the  public  prints, 
repeated  for  a  year  or  two  past;  and  this  of  Rosamond  falls  in  with  it, 
as  the  little  rill  with  the  mighty  stream,  bearing  distinctive  marks  of  it* 
own  in  the  current. 

t  This  is  the  Clerical  custom  also  in  France. — Ed. 


166  PRIESTLY  SUPERSTITION.  [Chap. 

each  takes  and  washes  his  own  utensils,  and  lays  them 
aside,  until  he  returns  again  to  his  meals.  Their  servants 
are  not  permitted  to  handle  them,  as  they  believe  their 
hands  are  not  holy  enough.*  When  they  sit  down  to 
meals,  they  Cross  themselves  in  prayer  ;  and  after  prayers, 
on  rising  from  their  meals,  they  Cross  themselves,  and  go 
to  wash  their  dishes.  On  laying  them  aside,  they  Cross 
themselves  again.  I  never  knew  my  Priest  enter,  or  leave 
my  house,  (that  is,  when  I  had  my  reason  to  know  him.) 
without  Crossing  himself.t  They  never  retire  to  their 
beds  without  chocolate,  wine,  and  confectionary.  I  have 
never  seen  the  Priests  partake  of  their  common  Convent 
meals  ;  but  while  I  was  in  the  Convent  with  Manuel,  his 
table  was  supplied  with  such,  and  he  informed  me  that 
was  their  mode  of  living.  He  was  always  in  the  habit  of 
taking  supper  in  my  house  ;  and  then,  he  was  not  so  par- 
ticular about  his  knife  and  fork,  and  plate  ;  but  would  al- 
ways Cros$  himself,  and  say  a  few  words  in  Latin,  when 
first  seated  at  the  table ;  but  I  cannot  say  he  was  so  par- 
ticular at  rising  from  table.  He  would  always  take  care 
to  have  his  bottle  emptied. 

Manuel  used  to  make  his  call  at  my  house,  during  the 
day,  in  his  habit ;  but  in  the  evening,  as  soon  as  he  entered 
my  house,  he  would  lay  aside  his  habit,  and  put  on  the 
dress  of  a  citizen;  and  on  leaving  the  house,  put  on  his 
habit  again.  The  alteration  would  be  so  great  in  him, 
when  dressed  as  a  citizen  with  his  wig  on,  that  he  could 
pass  by  his  intimate  friends,  and  not  be  known  by  them. 
I  am  sure  if  I  had  first  become  acquainted  with  him  in  a 
Priest's  habit,  I  never  should  have  lived  five  years  such  a 
gloomy  and  wretched  life  as  I  did;  for  when  dressed  in 
their  habits,  they  do  not  look  like  natural  beings  on  earth  ; 
even  their  complexion  changes.     He  was  a  fine-looking 

*  The  reader  will  perceive  a  much  better  reason  for  this,  in  the  nat- 
ural fear  that  souls  so  abused  with  religious  profession,  and  intoler- 
able oppression,  as  the  servants  of  the  Priests  in  Cuba  are,  might  have 
something  in  their  hands,  when  they  cleansed  the  dishes,  more  danger- 
ous to  the  bodies,  than  unholy  hands  of  the  servants  could  possibly  be  to 
the  souls  of  the  Priests. 

t  This  is  their  custom  every  where.— El. 


XIV.]  THE  priests'  hoorie,  167 

man,  when  dressed  as  a  citizen,  a  little  above  the  middle 
stature,  and  was  admired  for  his  easy  and  polite  manners 
by  his  friends.  He  and  all  the  Priests  have  their  pockets 
in  the  wrist  of  the  great  sleeve  of  their  habits.  Here  they 
always  carry  their  money.  The  Priests  are  very  particu- 
lar never  to  allow  any  perfume  of  any  sort  on  their  conse- 
crated habits,  or  on  their  persons,  while  dressed  in  their 
habits.  But  the  Spanish  gentlemen  and  ladies  make  great 
use  of  perfumes  ;  and  the  Priests,  when  they  put  on  their 
citizen's  dress,  indulge  themselves  freely  in  this  common 
luxury;  wetting  their  heads,  and  hands,  and  handker- 
chiefs with  cologne. 

Every  morning  Manuel  would  carefully  wash  his  head, 
to  remove  all  the  scent  of  the  perfume,  before  he  resumed 
the  Priests'  habit.  I  have  often  asked  him  why  he  was  so 
particular  ;  and  what  was  the  harm  of  the  perfume  to  the 
consecrated  garments.  He  would  always  exclaim :  u  O, 
Rosettee  !"  (so  he  called  me,)  "  Ka,  ka,  esta,  esta,  sta 
mallo  !" — This  is  a  common  expression  for  something 
very  bad  and  horrid.  Before  I  came  to  fear  him  so 
much,  I  have  often  plagued  him  for  my  sport,  by  sprink- 
ling cologne  water  on  his  habit,  or  on  him  when  dressed 
in  his  habit.  He  would  jump  up  as  if  aquafortis  came 
on  his  head  ;  and  in  evident  distress,  exclaim  as  above  : 
"  O,  ka,  ka,  esta,  esta,  sta  mallo !"  and  tell  me,  if  I  knew 
how  wicked  it  was,  I  would  never  do  it.  I  have  forced 
him  to  grant  me  small  favors,  by  holding  up  the  cologne 
bottle,  and  threatening  to  throw  cologne  on  him  ;  and 
when  he  had  promised,  I  would  make  him  seal  it  with  a 
hoorie,  that  is,  a  Priest's  oath  ;  and  then  I  would  be  satis- 
fied, and  lay  down  the  cologne.  This  word  is  spelt  in 
Champerra,  whoorie  ;  and  the  act  is  done  by  placing  the 
thumb  across  the  middle  of  its  nearest  finger,  to  form  a 
Cross,  and  then,  touching  the  thumb  nail  to  the  lips.  In 
making  me  hoorie,  he  was  always  very  particular,  to  see 
that  I  put  my  thumb  across  the  middle  of  the  finger,  for 
fear  that  I  would  cheat. 

When  going  out  with  him,  in  the  evening,  to  the  " Place 
de  Armos"  (that  is,  the  place  where  the  people  resort  for 


168  PRIESTL\  >.  ap. 

amus  urmg  mi  meet  with 

his  '  Priests,  who  ;  would  1  < 

in  d  T  tfier,  and 

.   in   all   kinds  of  in- 
i  informed,  that  if  the 

Pries  g        tlioir 

they 
will  not  hurt  them.4     T      P     sts  say  i  the 

s 
9 

T     -  .  and  it 

their  houses,  witl 
with  them.     v  F     ich,  s         9  anish.     I 

\  mi  amongst  them.     There  they  would 

.  with  wi  -  de- 

tion,  and  remain  until  thn  ck  is  the 

ng  cards :  and  sin<r- 
j  on  the  g  1  Ted,  tliat 

they  w<  re  not  so  particular  a  s  and 

sayn  g  said  to  be 

in  tb  »ts;  bat  they  would,  at  tin  iem- 

Ls  t]       ■         90  much  in  the  hal  g  it.  it 

became  natural  to  them,  and  an  almost  involuntary  DO 
ment     I  know  it  to  be  true,  thai  the  next  day.  and.  per- 

-  a  few  boon  after  tl 
they  would  go  to  the  Convents,  and  would  Confess  to  the 
of  the  Convent,  and  then,   they  would  be 

ritual,  and  relig 
duties  >r  hearing  <  osatthepti- 

Altars  ii 

1M  hen  he  would  h    j 

my  house,  that  he  was         g  g     that  morning  to  such 

a  lady,  or  man.  who  g  perha]  -  to  a 

house,  where  th  tipee  laid  out,  to  say  prayers 

ovlt  the  body.      When  I  tirst  went  to  live  with  him.  and 

*  II  em  to  plunder  thieves. 


XIV.]  ROSAMOND  JEERS  HER  PRIEST.  169 

he  would  tell  me  he  was  going  to  pray  over  the  corpse  of 
any  one,  I  would  laugh  at  him,  and  tell  him  he  was  wick- 
ed ;  but  when  I  had  become  better  acquainted  with  him, 
all  this  freedom  forsook  me. 
15 


170  FATHER  PIES  AND  HIS  MISTRESSES.  [Chap. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

"It  is  the  pirate's  cursed  bark ! 
The  villains  linger  to  decoy  ! 
Thus  bounding  o'er  the  waters  dark, 
They  seek  to  lure,  and  then  destroy !" 

Miss  L.  M.  Davidson. 

Father  Pies,  and  his  Mistresses,  and  his  lap-dog. — Seduces  the  wife  of  a 
wealthy  citizen,  and  is  betrayed  by  the  barking  of  his  lap-dog. —  The 
husband  rushes  in  upon  them,  and  bites  his  wife's  nose  nearly  off. — 
Father  Pies1  amorous  and  wicked  letters  now  in  the  hands  of  the 
Authoress  of  this  Narrative. — He  was  the  Confessor  of  the  public  crimi- 
nals.— A  wealthy  lady  imprisoned  under  a  false  pretext  in  order  to  get 
her  money. —  What  the  diabolical  pretext  was. 

I  can  inform  you  of  a  Priest,  who  belonged  to  St. 
O'Christo  Convent,  whom  I  knew  well.  He  was  about 
sixty  years  of  age,  small  face,  and  sandy  complexion. 
His  name  was  Father  Pies.  He  was  chief  Father  Con- 
fessor to  the  criminals  about  to  be  executed.  He  wore  a 
snuff-colored  habit,  with  a  leather  belt  round  his  waist, 
and  would  walk  with  a  cane.  His  hat  was  of  black 
straw,  except  on  duty  in  a  procession,  when  he  wore  no 
hat.  He  was  always  accompanied  by  a  little  white  lap- 
dog,  which  he  appeared  almost  to  worship,  when  walking 
in  the  street.  I  have  been  informed  by  Manuel,  and 
others,  that  he  supports  a  great  number  of  poor  families, 
where  there  are  daughters.  He  visits  them,  as  his  Mis 
tresses,  in  their  father's  houses.  They  are  from  twelve  to 
eighteen  years  of  age,  and  are  all  living  near  his  Convent. 
The  other  Priests  give  him  the  name  of  "  Father  Dolce? 
("  sweety.")  They  say  he  is  such  a  favorite  with  the 
young  girls,  and  wins  their  affections,  and  obtains  the 
consent  of  their  fathers.  His  little  dog  once  caused  him 
a  good  deal  of  trouble,  by  betraying  him  in  one  of  his 
wicked  intrigues  with  a  married  lady,  to  whose  house  he 
used  to  go  daily,  to  hear  her  Confessions. 

When  they  were  both  retired  alone  to  a  room,  but  not 
into  her  Holy  Room  of  worship,  where  her  Saints7  images 


XV.]  A  DEAR  CONFESSION-DAY.  17! 

were,  her  husband  unexpectedly  came  home.  He  was  a 
wealthy  man,  but  very  dissipated.  He  was  intoxicated 
at  the  time,  and  inquired  of  his  little  daughter,  where  her 
mother  was.— The  child  said  her  mamma  had  gone  with 
Father  Pies,  to  tell  the  Virgin  Mary  how  wicked  he  was. 
This  excited  him,  as  he  was  in  liquor,  and  he  searched 
for  her.  Finding  her  Sacred  Room  empty,  he  walked  to 
another  room,  which  he  found  fastened.  Knocking  at  the 
door  made  the  little  dog  bark.  This  caused  him  to  break 
open  the  door  ;  and  aiming  his  violence,  first,  at  his  wife, 
he  bit  her  nose  half  off,  which  disfigured  her  in  the  face 
until  this  day,  if  she  is  living,  and  she  was,  when  I  left 
the  island.  I  have  seen  the  lady  often  since  it  happened. 
Father  Pies  made  his  escape  from  the  house,  while  the 
husband  and  wife  were  at  combat. 

Their  violence  caused  great  alarm  to  the  neighbors, 
who  came  to  see  what  was  the  trouble.  The  husband 
made  no  ceremony  about  making  public  the  whole  truth 
of  what  had  taken  place  between  his  wife  and  Father 
Pies.  Father  Pies  sent  Captain  Antony,  a  Spanish  officer 
of  the  army,  "to  Don  Varilla,  (for  that  was  his  name,)  to 
make  some  settlement.  I  don't  know  what  amount  he 
was  obliged  to  give  Don  Varilla  ;  but  Manuel  said,  "  that 
was  a  dear  Confessing-day  to  Father  Dulcet  In  the 
island  of  Cuba,  occurrences  similar  to  this  take  place  so 
frequently  among  the  Priests,  that  when  another  happens, 
the  first  soon  dies  way.  I  have  often  seen  this  Father 
Pies,  when  in  the  procession  with  poor  criminals  going  to 
be  executed,  (which  is  a  dreadful  and  horrid  sight.)  He 
always  walked  at  the  side  of  the  criminal,  with  a  candle 
in  one  hand,  and  a  prayer-book  in  the  other,  talking  and 
praying  with  them,  until  they  arrived  at  the  gallows.  I 
have  seen  him,  during  the  solemn  scene,  wink  his  eye, 
and  smile  at  a  female.  At  executions,  he  would  be 
dressed  in  a  white  habit,  with  two  or  three  yards  of  beads, 
and  an  image  of  our  Saviour,  and  a  Cross,  hanging  round 
him.  I  have  often  told  my  Priest,  that  if  I  was  going  to 
die,  I  would  not  wish  Father  Pies  to  pray  for  me  ;  and  he 


172  LOVE-LETTERS  OF  FATHER  1'IES.  [Chap, 

would  say  he  was  chosen  by  the  Saints  above  for  that 
office,  and  he  was  a  good  man. 

1  have  never  known  or  heard  so  much  of  Father  Pies7 
cruelty,  or  wicked  intrigues,  to  rob  people  of  their  money, 
as  I  have  of  other  Priests  ;  but  I  have  always  heard  about 
his  weakness,  in  falling  in  love  with  every  female  he  saw. 
I  have  some  letters  in  my  possession  at  this  time  of  his 
own  handwriting,  which  I  feel  it  my  duty  to  spread  out 
to  the  world.  They  contain  the  sentiments  of  his  own 
wicked  heart,  penned  by  his  own  hand.  The  lady,  to 
whom  he  addressed  them,  was  at  that  time  living  on  the 
island  of  Cuba  ;  but  is  now  living  in  New  York.*  I  was 
well  acquainted  with  her  at  the  time  Father  Pies  was 
writing  to  her,  and  my  motive  in  making  his  letters  pub- 
lic, is,  to  show  the  inward  sentiments  of  his  own  heart, 
and  then  for  the  world  to  decide,  if  he  is  a- true  and  holy 
Christian  Priest,  and  one  of  the  chosen  servants  of  the 
Saints  above,  as  my  Priest  told  me  he  was.  It  was  his 
duty  to  Confess  the  poor  criminals  who  were  sentenced  to 
be  hung,  and  to  instruct  them  in  their  last  moments,  how 
to  repent,  and  prepare  their  dying  souls,  to  .meet  at  the 
Judgment  Seat  of  Christ. 

I  lament  much,  losing  my  letters  with  my  trunks,  at 
the  time  I  lost  them  ;  as  you  will  see  in  my  Narrative, 
how  I  lost  them  on  my  way  from  Philadelphia  to  this 
city.  I  had  letters  written  by  my  Priest's  own  hand, 
which  he  sent  me  at  the  time  I  was  living  with  him  ;  and 
if  I  had  them  to  expose  to  the  world,  they  would  show  a 
great  deal  of  the  wickedness  of  different  Priests. 

Father  Pies  once  called  at  my  house  with  Manuel,  to 
take  some  refreshments,  as  they  both  had  been  to  the 
prison  that  day,  to  hear  the  Confession  of  a  lady  who 
was  put  there  by  her  husband  ;  so  that  he  could  leave 
her,  and  go  to  Spain,  with  all  her  property.  My  Priest 
had  been  her  Father-Confessor  some  years.  Father  Pies 
had  been  to  see  some  criminals,  who  were  shortly  to  be 
executed.     I  will  inform  you  how  this  Spaniard  managed 

*  See  these  letters  in  the  introduction  to  this  Narrative. 


XV.]  PERFIDY  OF  BON  W — .  173 

to  get  rid  of  his  wife,  and  go  off  with  her  property.     This 

Spanish  gentleman's  name  was  Don  W L .     He 

was  a  native  of  Spain,  and  his  wife  was  a  Catalan 
Spaniard.  They  lived  about  three  miles  from  the  city. 
He  was  a  dyer  by  trade,  and  had  accumulated,  with  his 
wife's  assistance,  a  good  deal  of  money.  She  had  a  cha- 
racter for  being  a  good  and  industrious  woman.  They 
had  lived  together  about  twelve   years,  and  had  three 

sons.     Don  W had  treated  his  wife  cruelly  for  some 

time,  and  had  tried  many  schemes  to  prove  she  was  not 
honest ;  and  would  appear  to  be  jealous  of  her,  for  which, 
it  was  said,  by  those  who  knew  her,  that  he  had  no  cause. 
My  Priest  informed  me,  that  in  her  Confessions  to  him, 
she  told  him  she  was  afraid  of  her  life  with  her  husbanci 
She  used  to  have  Masses  said  for  him,  and  was  always 
having  the  evil  spirits  burnt  out  with  Holy  Candles  around 
her  house ;  for  which  she  was  called  a  good  and  holy 
Christian  by  those  I  heard  speak  of  her. 

Don   W succeeded,    however,    in    effecting    his 

wishes,  at  last,  and  possessed  himself  of  her  property  in 
this  way.  He  hired  a  Spaniard,  a  native  of  Cuba,  no 
better  than  himself,  but  notorious  for  his  dissoluteness,  to 

come  to  his  house  at  a  time  when  Madam  W ■  was 

very  unwell,  and  confined  to  her  bed-room.  He  came, 
pretending  to  inquire  for  a  servant-girl  that  he  wanted  to 

hire,  as  Don  W kept  servants  to  hire  out  by  the 

month.  He  told  the  servants  that  he  was  acquainted 
with  their  mistress,  and  would  walk  into  her  bed-room, 
which  he  did,  and  drew  a  small  bolt  for  an  inside  fasten- 
ing of  the  door  unperceived  by  Madam  W ,     The 

customs  and  habits  on  the  island  are  so  different  from 
what  they  are  here,  she  did  not  think  it  any  harm  for  a 
man  to  come  on  business  into  her  sick-room,  as  he  wished 
to  have  one  of  her  slaves. 

Don  W knew  the  precise  time  he  would  be  there 

in  her  room,  and  he  came  home  with  three  commissaries 
in  company.  In  their  presence  he  inquired  of  his  ser- 
vants where  their  mistress  was.  They  told  him  she  was 
in  her  bed-room,  and  that  a  gentleman  was  there  with 
15* 


174  WITHOUT  MONEY,  NO  MASSES.  [Chap. 

her.     Don  W *.  went  with  the  commissaries  to  the 

bed-room  door,  and  finding  it  fastened,  he  directed  them 
to  break  it  open.  The  sudden  alarm,  and  the  strange 
voices  outside  the  door,  and  the  violent  entrance  of  three 

strangers  into  her  bed-room,  frightened  Madam  W , 

so  that  she  knew  not  what  she  did ;  but  she  sprang  from 
her  bed,  and  flew  to  this  man  for  protection,  when  the 
commissaries  entered,  and  found  them  together.     Madam 

W fainted.     The  family  and   neighbors,  in  alarm, 

came  in  to  see  what  was  the  matter.  Her  fright  made 
her  appear  guilty  in  the  eyes  of  all,  as  this  man,  found 
with  her,  was   well  known  for   his   vile   habits.     Don 

W had  his  wife  taken  by  the  commissaries,  and  put 

into  the  Cathedral,  which  is  a  prison.  He  then  sold  his 
house  and  slaves,  and  changed  all  his  estate  into  money, 
and  left  the  island  with  his  three  sons  for  some  part  of 
America.  I  have  heard  Manuel  say  he  was  here  in  New 
York  ;  and  Manuel  was  well  acquainted  with  the  Father- 
Confessor  of  Don  W . 

This  took  place  about  a  year  before  I  left  the  island,  and 

made  a  good  deal  of  talk.     But  as  Madam  W was 

left  poor  and  penniless,  and  had  no  rich  friends  to  bribe 
the  Alcades,  or  judges,  or  to  fee  the  Priests,  her  situation 
was  hopeless.  When  her  money  was  all  gone,  the  Priests 
were  at  no  pains  to  comfort  her  blinded  mind  with  Masses, 
and  candles,  and  prayers,  for  her  husband  and  dear 
children,  which  they  would  have  been  forward  to  do,  if 
she  had  possessed  money  or  rich  friends.  Then  she 
might  have  had  all  the  Priests  on  the  island  around  her  } 
and  they  would  have  kept  her  mind  well  employed  with 
Masses,  Confessions,  penancesr  and  burning  candles  ;  but 
she  was  deprived  of  all  these  comforts  for  the  want  of 
money ;  as  Manuel,  who  was  her  Father-Confessor,  told 
Father  Pies  at  that  time,  he  should  not  go  to  see  her  again, 
for  he  had  told  her  long  since  to  take  what  money  she 
had,  and  leave  him,  and  find  another  Confessor  :  that  she 
had  not  taken  his  advice,  and  he  should  not  trouble  him- 
self any  further  about  her :;  and  laughed,  and  said,  "  Don 


XV.]  PRIESTLY  BARBARITY.  175 

Yf was  no  fool ;  he  can  have  a  fine  choice  in  Ame- 
rica; for  he  had  a  good  store  of  money." 

I  asked  Manuel  if  he  thought  it  was  right  to  leave  Ma- 
dam W— — ,  when  she  was  in  trouble.  The  answer  he 
made  was,  "  Ka  sta  mallo"  and,  I  cannot  spend  my  time 
with  her  for  nothing. 

I  saw  a  person  that  had  seen  Madam  W in  prison, 

and  had  conversed  with  her,  just  before  the  cholera  broke 
out  on  the  island,  who  told  me  that  she  had  not,  at  that 
time,  any  prospect  of  ever  being  liberated  from  prison,  as 
the  laws  of  the  island  are  such,  that  she  must  be  in  prison 
until  her  husband  appears,  and  takes  her  out.  It  was  said 
that  her  mind  had  become  bewildered  and  childish. 


176  DESCRIPTION  OF  HAVANNA.  [Chap. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

''Gold  many  hunted,  sweat,  and  bled  for  gold  ! 
Waked  all  the  night,  and  laboured  all  the  day  ; 
And  what  was  this  allurement,  dost  thou  ask? 
A  dust  dug  from  the  bowels  of  the  earth, 
Which  being  cast  into  the  fire,  came  out 
A  shining  thing  that  fools  admired,  and  called 
A  God ;  and  in  devout  and  humble  plight 
Before  it  kneeled,  the  greater  to  the  less. 
And  on  its  altar,  sacrificed  ease,  peace, 
Truth,  faith,  integrity  ;  good  conscience,  friendsi 
Love,  charity,  benevolence,  and  all 
The  sweet  and  tender  sympathies  of  life  ; 
And  to  complete  the  horrid  murderous  rite, 
And  signalize  their  folly,  offered  up 
Their  souls,  and  an  eternity  of  bliss." 

POLLOK. 

Kiome  description  of  Havanna. —  The  Priests  afraid  to  trust  their  servant  \ 
en  marketing . —  The  people  drink  ivine  out  of  their  Priests'  mouths. — 
They  think  the  food  from  his  hands,  is  blessed. —  The  Priests  become  ac- 
quainted with  domestic  concerns  through  Confession. — It  is  the  custom 
for  man  and  wife,  to  have  their  domestic  disputes  in  the  presence  of  their 
relations. —  To  have  Mass  said,  is  the  way  to  settle  disputes. —  The 
Priests  sell  blessed  Candles  to  perform  conjuration  or  witchcraft. — Su- 
perstitious fear  of  the  Priests. 

The  houses  in  Havanna  are  built  of  stone,  mostly  one 
story,  but  they  are  very  large  and  roomy.  The  parlours 
and  bed-rooms  all. extend  on  one  level.  The  rooms  are 
very  long  and  lofty y painted  with  landscapes,  or  flowers, 
very  showy.  They  have  no  glass  in  the  windows,  which 
are  large  and  high,  extending  nearly  from  the  floor  to  the 
ceiling.  Instead  of  glass,  they  have  iron  bars  arched  out- 
ward, about  five  or  six  inches  apart,  to  secure  them  from 
robbers.  They  have  strong  shutters  inside.  Their  fur- 
niture is  very  rich  and  beautiful,  gilded  very  much,  which 
makes  it  appear  very  rich  and  tasty.  They  have  no  fire- 
places in  their  houses,  as  the  climate  is  warm.  They 
cook  with  furnaces  in  the  yard.  Their  parlours  and  bed- 
rooms are  lighted  with  chandeliers  ;  and  they  make  use 
of  no  lamps  or  candlesticks.  House-rent  is  high,  from 
eighty  to  a  hundred  dollars  a  month,  for  a  comfortable, 
decent  house.     You  must  buy  all  your  water.     It  is  car- 


XVL]  SINGULAR  CUSTOMS.  177 

ried  about  from  the  public  fountains,  by  negroes,  in  half- 
barrels  on  their  heads,  and  sold  two  pails  full  for  six  cents. 
It  is  so  poor,  that  it  must  be  purified  with  a  small  piece  of 
brimstone.  This  lies  undissolved  at  the  bottom  of  the 
jar,  where  the  mud  settles,  and  will  purify  for  months. 
The  markets  are  very  filthy.  Meat,  poultry,  and  vege- 
tables, are  suffered  to  lie  in  market,  on  the  ground.  They 
have  no  stalls  for  them  ;  and  they  are  high  in  price.  Ve- 
getables are  in  great  variety,  and  good  at  all  seasons  of 
the  year.  Fish  and  poultry  are  good.  Pork  is  thought 
to  be  better  than  beef.  The  Spaniards  in  Havanna  are 
very  fond  of  pork,  which  is  commonly  fried  with  plan- 
tain. 

The  Priests  have  their  select  places  for  market.  They 
never  trust  their  servants  to  go  alone.  One  Priest  will  al- 
ways go  with  them.  Neither  do  they  suffer  their  servants 
to  cook  their  food  alone.  There  is  always  a  Priest  to 
overlook  them  in  the  kitchen  ;  the  same  Priest  who  goes 
to  market,  also  for  that  day  oversees  the  kitchen,  and  this 
office  they  take  in  turn.  They  say  it  is  to  bless  the  food. 
I  knew  some  Catholic  families  there,  who  were  so  super- 
stitious and  blind,  that' when  the  Priest  called  on  them, 
and  took  wine,  which  it  was  customary  to  offer  to  them, 
he  would  take  the  wine  into  his  own  mouth,  and  after 
Crossing  himself,  his  friend,  or  friends,  they  would  take 
and  drink  it  from  his  mouth.  They  believe  it  is  then 
blessed  and  holy.  I  have  seen  it  done  myself;  and  my 
Priest  has  told  me,  that  it  is  frequently  done  in  high  and 
respectable  families.  When  sick,  they  also  send  for  the 
Priest  to  come  and  feed  them.  They  think  the  food  from 
his  hand  is  blessed. 

When  a  gentleman  is  paying  his  addresses  to  a  young 
lady,  their  courtship  is  mostly  carried  on  in  the  presence 
of  the  family  ;  and  when  she  gets  married,  if  she  has  any 
property,  it  is  settled  upon  her  in  her  maiden  name ;  so 
that  her  husband  cannot  spend  or  make  use  of  it  without 
her  consent,  and  she  transacts  all  her  business  in  her 
maiden  name.  The  Priest  knows  all  about  their  court- 
ship from  her  Confession.     I  have  often  heard  Manuel 


178  MARRIED  LADIES*  GALLANTS.  [Chap. 

say.  how  such  and  such  were  going  to  be  married.  They 
generally  marry  distant  relations,  so  that  their  property 
may  remain  in  the  family.  A  wife  not  only  transacts  bu- 
siness in  her  maiden  name,  but  generally  °;oes  by  it. 
The  Priests  always  call  them  by  their  maiden  name. 

It  is  customary  in  the  highest  circle,  among  the  nobil- 
ity, for  a  married  lady  to  have  her  gallant.*  to  escort  her 
about  to  the  amusements,  and  a  man  to  have  his  Mis- 
tress. As  I  have  said,  there  is  not  much  virtue  or  moral 
principle  possessed  by  them  ;  and  if  a  husband  becomes 
jealous  of  his  wife,  or  a  wife  of  her  husband,  they  will 
have  their  disputes  in  the  presence  of  all  the  family,  or 

*  For  a  corroboration  of  this  shameful  Popish  custom,  we  will  give 
the  following,  from  Sismondi's  "History  of  the  Italian*  Republics.'' 
^Ve  wiU  observe,  in  regard  to  this  author,  that  his  "  History  of  the 
ln  Republics,*-  a  work  in  16  v  with  a  good  deal  of 

cand;  Bring  that  he  was  a  Papi^r.  and  that  he  published  his  ela- 

k  in  Italy,  immediately  under  the  very  eye  of  the  Sovereign 
iff  This  work,  for  reasons  which  we  have  not  room  here  to  ex- 
plain, has  escaped  the  condemnation  of  the  -:  Expurgatorial  Lvdex.'' 
We  see  that  the  "Catholic  Miscellany"  oi  Charleston,  and  other  Po- 
pish papers  in  the  Uniied  States,  quote  from  this  author  as  from  good 
authority;  and  it  is  to  be  presumed  they  will  not  refuse  us  the  same 
privi. 

Sismondi  describes  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  Italians,  and  es- 
Clergy,  in  a  manner  calculated  to  excite  both  our  pity 
:  on  tempt. 

The  :n  which  he  gives  Oi  the  gallants  of  married  ladies,  is 

as  follows: — ;"  One  of  the  greatest  public  masfbrtnness,  in  Italy.'5  (says 
he.")  ,:  and  st  every  family,  is  the  s:ain  to  the  sacred 

jf  marriage,  by  another  bond  which  is  acknowledged;  and  consi- 
dered as  honorable,  and  which  strangers  in  Italy  always  look  upon  with 
the  same  surprise,  without  comprehending  it ;  and  this  is  the  '  Cicis- 
fieri  Serventi'  This  direful  custom  was  introduced  in 
the  17th  century,  by  the  example  of  the  Court,  and  being  placed  under 
the  protection  of  all  the  vanities,  the  peace  of  families  was  banished  from 
ali  I:aly.— No  husband  any  longer  regarded  hi<  wife  as  a  faithful  com- 
panion.— They  could  no  longer  seek  counsel  of  her  in  doubts  ;  or  sup- 
port in  adversity. — They  found  her  no  longer  a  saviour  in  danger,  or  a 
comforter  in  despair. — No  father  could  be  assured,  that  the  children  who 
bore  his  name,  were  his  own  ;  and.  in  fine,  every  domestic  relation  was 
poison 

"  These  Cavalieries  were  gallants  that.  wiTh  the  consent  even  of  the 
husband,  always  escorted  the  lady  out  on  her  visits,  walks,  and  shop- 
ping, and  to  the  theatres,  balls.  &c,  and  back  home  again  ;  the  nusband 
attending  to  his  business  or  pleasure  elsewhere.''  Sismondi.  Hist  ItaU 
T.  XVI.  p  221.— Ed. 


XVL]  TRIESTS  IN  DOMESTIC  CONCERNS.  179 

friends  who  may  be  present,  and  both  sexes  have  jealous 
dispositions.  Whenever  they  have  settled  a  dispute,  they 
will  go  to  their  Priests,  and  Confess,  ,and  have  a  Mass 
read.  That  seals  the  settlement.  It  is  generally  known 
that  the  Priests  get  a  good  deal  of  money  for  candles  and 
Masses,  to  be  burned  and  read  in  the  Convents,  from  per- 
sons going  to  law,  to  bewilder  and  craze  the  mind  of  their 
adversary.  I  have  known  Manuel  to  perform  this  office, 
and  he  has  given  me  money,  which  he  said  in  the  act  of 
giving  it,  that  he  had  received  that  day,  for  this  sorcery 
of  the  Mass  and  red  candles,  to  confound  an  adversary  in 
the  court  of  law.  This  is  done  in  the  higher  classes 
among  the  rich  people.  The  power  of  the  Priests  in  this 
particular,  is  generally  believed.  I  have  seen  so  much  of 
their  wickedness,  and  conjuration,  and  malediction  Priest- 
craft, that  1  could  not  help  believing  it.  Each  have  their 
own  Priest ;  the  man  his  and  the  wife  hers.  My  Priest 
has  often  told  me,  when  a  married  lady  came  to  him,  to 
Confess,  she  would  tell  him  all  about  their  disputes,  and 
what  her  feelings  were  towards  her  husband.  In  telling 
me,  he  generally  sympathized  with  the  wife.  Whatever 
the  Priest  told  her  to  do,  to  regain  the  affections  of  her 
husband,  she  would  believe,  and  do.  Her  husband  would 
likewise  complain  of  her  to  his  Priest,  to  subdue  her  by  a 
curse  to  submission,  when  he  could  not  persuade  her  by 
his  love,  and  would  have  Mass  said  on  her  head.*  I  have 
known  Manuel  often  to  have  this  duty  to  perform.  The 
wife  will  also  buy  candles  of  her  Priest,  to  burn  nine 
days,  with  nine  Masses,  upon  her  husband's  head,  but  I 
never  knew  a  man  to  buy  the. red  candles.  The  Priest 
tells  her,  that  he  will  bless  them  in  such  a  way,  that  by 
her  burning  them  nine  days,  and  his  reading  of  the  nine 
Masses,  her  husband  will  become  humble  and  submissive 
to  her.     She  must  pay  the  Priest  for  these  candles  and 

*  This  "  saying  Mass  on  the  head"  is  an  idiomatic  expression  among 
the  Papists  in  Cuba.  The  meaning  of  it  is,  not  that  the  Mass  is  actually- 
celebrated  on  the  head  of  a  person,  but  merely  that  it  is  celebrated  or 
said  with  a  view  of  being  applied  to  some  particular  person  and  for  some 
special  object.—  Ed. 


180  CANDLES  FOR  CURSING.  [Chap. 

Masses.*  The  Priests  do  sell  candles  to  the  people  to  per- 
form conjuration  or  witchcraft,  (or  ?nalediction  as  the 
natives  call  it.)  It  may  be  thought  to  be  my  weakness, 
but  I  tell  the  truth:  I  have  bent  my  knees  before  Manuel, 
and  cried,  and  begged,  that  he  would  not  do  so ;  that  he 
would  not  say  Masses,  and  burn  candles  on  my  head ;  and 
that  he  never  would  make  me  crazy.  One  Sunday,  in 
particular,  I  felt  very  wretched,  and  when  Manuel  came 
in,  I  told  him,  on  my  knees,  I  knew  by  my  wretchedness, 
that  he  had  just  been  saying  a  Mass  on  my  head,  and 
begged  him  not  to  do  so.  He  <sank  into  a  chair,  pale  and 
faint,  so  that  I  left  caring  for  myself,  and  brought  him  the 
cologne.  He  gave  no  explanations,  but  did  not  leave  the 
house  again  that  day,  except  for  evening  oration  in  the 
Convent ;  after  which,  as  his  custom  was,  he  would  put  on 
a  citizen's  dress,  and  go  out  to  the  public  amusements. 
Manuel  has  often  told  me,  that  no  one  had  the  power  to 
injure  a  Priest. 

It  will  be  seen  in  my  Narrative,  at  the  time  I  was  living 
in  New  Orleans,  that  I  have  gone  myself  to  the  Catholic 
Priest,  and  bought  candles,  for  which  I  gave  a  five  dollar 


*  There  are  some  Papists  in  the  United  States,  who  deny  that  money 
is  received  by  the  Priests  for  saying  Mass.  And  they  have  frequently 
said,  that  if  such  could  be  proved  to  be  the  practice  of  the  Church,  they 
would  renounce  it.  To  these,  I  say,  it  is  the  universal  practice  of 
the  Priests,  acting  according  to  the  doctrine,  and  under  the  authority  of 
their  church,  not  only  to  receive  pay  for  Masses,  but  to  exact  it.  This 
is  one  of  the  principal  sources  of  their  revenue.  I  myself,  who  was 
once  a  Popish  Priest,  was  forbidden  by  a  certain  Bishop  in  the  West, 
from  ever  saying  a  Mass  gratuitously  for  any  one  whomsoever,  how- 
ever poor  and  needy  he  might  be. 

For  the  proof  of  what  is  advanced,  that  is,  that  pay  can  be  exacted  for 
the  saying  of  Masses,  I  could  refer  to  hundreds  of  Popish  authorities. 
From  them  all,  it  will  be  sufficient  to  select  two  who  stand  the  highest, 
and  these  are  the  Angelical  St.  Thomas,  and  St.  Ligori.  The  former 
says,  speaking  of  Masses,  "  Gratis  tamen,  fyc." — "  Spiritual  favors  hav- 
ing been  previously  bestowed,  the  fixed  and  customary  oblations,  and  any 
other  proceeds  whatsoever,  can  be  exacted  from  those  who  are  able  and 
unwilling  to  pay."  Thorn.  Aquin.  2,  2  q.  100,  A.  3. — St.  Ligori  says, 
that  "  a  Priest  is  allowed  to  take  pay  for  Masses,  because  it  is  the  com- 
mon practice  of  the  whole  church,  and,  because  every  laborer,  whether  he 
be  rich  or  poor,  is  worthy  of  his  hire."  Ligor.  de  Euch.  L.  V.  C.  3. 
— Ed. 


XVI]  SUPERSTITIOUS  PRACTICES.  181 

note,  a  free-will  offering,  to  burn  on  a  gentleman's  head? 
to  gain  him  to  buy  me  a  valuable  servant,  and  a  Brussels 
carpet,  and  for  other  like  purposes  ;  and  the  Priest  knew 
what  I  wanted  them  for.  It  was  done  in  the  same  man- 
ner as  you  would  go  to  a  fortune-teller,  or  conjurer,  to  gain 
any  thing  by  their  black  art.  I  know  my  wicked  heart 
would  not  have  been  too  good  to  have  done  the  same  at 
Cuba,  if  I  had  not  been  living  with  this  Priest ;  for  I  was 
so  blinded,  I  thought  he  had  power  with  the  Saints  to  pre- 
vent my  doing  any  thing  to  him  by  sorcery.  Seeing  and 
hearing  so  much  of  their  Priestcraft,  my  mind  and  feel- 
ings were  eaten  up  with  superstition  and  misery  ;  as  the 
minds  of  all  are  who  fall  under  the  blind  guidance  of  the 
Roman  Priests  in  the  island  of  Cuba. 

Their  minds  are  all  destroyed  by  superstition,  and  the 
Priests  themselves  are  eaten  up  with  it.  Many  ladies, 
who  professed  to  be  of  the  first  respectability,  when  talk- 
ing to  me  about  living  with  this  Priest,  would  say,  that  he 
could  pray  for  the  curses  of  the  sin  of  our  living  together 
on  my  head  ;  but  made  me  promise  not  to  tell  him,  as 
they  believe  that  a  Priest  can  go  into  any  house,  and  leave 
a  curse  on  any  one,  if  he  be  displeased.  They  are  so  su- 
perstitious, that  if  one  individual  has  any  thing  against 
another,  and  calls  at  his  house,  when  he  is  gone,  the 
householder  will  rise,  and  Cross  himself,  and  sprinkle 
Holy  Water  after  .  him ;  or,  if  one  friend  calls  upon 
another,  and  is  in  trouble,  or  unfortunate,  when  he  leaves 
the  house,  those  in  the  house  will  burn  incense,  and 
sprinkle  Holv  Water  round  the  house.  This  is  done  in 
the  most  respectable  families  ;  and  I  need  not  pretend  to 
tell  how  much  more  superstition  and  Priestcraft  is  carried 
on  among  the  lower  and  ignorant  classes  of  the  people. 
16 


182  SCHEME  OF  A  PRIEST.  [Chap. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

Though  you,  and  all  the  kings  of  Christendom, 

Are  led  so  grossly  by  this  meddling  Priest, 

And,  by  the  merit  of  vile  gold,  dross,  dust, 

Purchase  corrupted  pardon  of  a  man, 

Who,  in  that  sale,  sells  pardon  from  himself; 

Though  you,  and  all  the  rest,  so  grossly  led. 

This  juggling  witchcraft  with  revenue  cherish, 

Yet  I,  alone,  alone  do  me  oppose 

Against  the  Pope,  and  count  his  friends  my  foes. 

Shakspeare. 

Scheme  of  a  Priest  to  get  possession  of  the  estate  of  Poiicheetee,  one  of  their 
female  devotees. — He?'  private  chapel. — Mode  of  penance  — Becomes  a 
mere  skeleton. — Counting  of  the  beads  in  the  street. — She  commits  the  un- 
pardonable sin  in  judging  the  Holy  Priest ;  for  which  she  is  enjoined  a 
severe  penance. 

There  was  a  poor  woman,  who  was  a  strong  and  su- 
perstitious Catholic,  a  native  of  Old  Spain,  who  had  been 
living  in  Cuba  fifteen  years.  I  was  in  the  habit  of  going 
to  her  house  often.  Her  husband  was  a  bad  man.  He 
died  in  Moro  Castle,  in  Cuba,  a  number  of  years  since. 
At  the  time  I  first  knew  her,  she  had  been  informed  by 
some  of  her  friends,  that  her  uncle  had  died  in  Spain,  and 
had  left  her  property  to  the  amount  of  a  hundred  thousand 
dollars,  which,  I  believe,  was  true ;  for  so,  it  was  gene- 
rally reported,  and  Manuel  told  me  it  was  true.  Imme- 
diately after  she  heard  of  it,  she  went  to  a  Priest  belong- 
ing to  St. Convent,  which  stands  on  the  hill,  back 

of  St.  Wanadou,  to  ask  his  counsel  and  advice.  His 
name  was  Father  Francisco.  He  advised  her  to  employ 
a  lawyei  to  send  to  Spain  for  the  Will  in  writing,  and  to 
take,  for  her,  the  possession  of  the  estate.  Francisco  him- 
self engaged  the  lawyer  to  transact  the  business.  The 
lady's  name  was  Poiicheetee.  She  was  obliged  to  go  with 
the  lawyer  and  Priest,  to  the  governor,  to  give  her  proofs, 
that  she  was  a  niece  of  the  deceased,  before  they  could 
send  to  Spain.  I  have  seen  the  Priest  and  lawyer  at  her 
house  on  this  business,  and  have  drunk  wine  with  them, 
for  they  never  fail  to  offer  the  Priest  wine.  She,  being  a 
poor  woman,  had  not  wherewith  to  buy  large  images  of 


XVIL]  poncheetee's  penance.  183 

the  Saints,  and  the  Virgin  Mary,  to  decorate  a  private 
room  for  worship,  but  was  obliged  to  have  her  images  in 
her  bed-room,  which  had  nothing  in  it  but  a  cot,  and 
some  old  faded  Saints,  that  had  been  given  her.  Neither 
was  her  Virgin  Mary  dressed  in  rich  apparel,  but  looked 
as  if  she  was  forsaken,  and  had  become  poor,  like  her 
worshiper. 

After  they  had  it  all  arranged,  the  Priest,  the  lawyer, 
and  the  heiress,  they  sent  to  Spain.  Her  Priest  was  very 
attentive  to  her,  in  calling  at  her  house  every  day.  She 
then  went  under  penance  for  a  year,  to  gain  a  blessing  on 
the  arrangements  which  were  made ;  wearing  a  coarse  blue 
striped  loose  dress,  with  a  leather  belt  round  her  waist,  and 
her  hair  combed  straight  back,  braided,  and  hanging  down 
her  back.  She  wore  half  sandals,  and  no  stockings.  She 
was  not  permitted  to  §it  in  a  chair  at  table,  or  to  use  a 
knife  and  fork  when  eating :  but  would  take  her  meals  on 
a  dressed  morocco  skin,  on  the  stone  floor,  using  her  hands.* 

*  By  this  Roman  discipline,  the  Priest  placed  Poncheetee  in  close 
confinement,  and  cut  her  off  from  the  intercourse  of  society,  without 
exciting  a  suspicion  in  her  mind,  that  she  was  under  bonds,  stronger 
than  iron  chains,  and  was  restrained  by  customs,  higher  and  less  pene- 
trable than  prison  walls.  How  could  she  visit,  or  receive  company,  in 
her  garb  of  penance,  her  leather-belt,  her  hair  braided  down  her  back, 
her  naked  feet  in  sandals!  A  few  might  approach  her,  such  as  were 
in  like  misery  with  her,  under  the  Roman  yoke;  but  no  one  able  to  ex- 
pose the  Priest's  wrong,  able  to  contend  with  the  oppressor,  *■  able  to 
make  war  with  the  Beast"  would  be  likely  to  visit  so  forlorn  an  object 
of  Priestly  deception. 

By  this  power  of  inflicting  penance,  and  by  the  true  "  doctrine  of 
devils"  that  self-inflicted  pains  gain  the  Divine  favor,  the  Roman 
Father  Francisco  shut  up  his  victim,  as  effectually  as  ever  a  fly  was 
taken  in  the  toils  of  the  spider's  web ;  and  he  wore  out  her  life  in  this 
confinement,  with  false  hopes,  suggested  to  the  mind,  and  with  severe 
hardships,  exacted  of  the  body ;  fasting,  kneeling,  watching,  hoping,  and 
obtaining  nothing,  but  death  at  last. 

"  Ye  shall  knoio  them  by  their  fruits" 

Every  Roman  catholic  must  see  that  the  forms  of  his  church  enable 
the  Priests  to  impose  in  this  manner  on  the  people  of  their  charge. 
And  the  history  of  the  world,  and  the  experience  of  mankind,  show, 
that  power  always  has  been  abused  by  Priests  or  magistrates,  where  the 
line  of  succession  is  formed  by  the  rulers,  and  not  by  the  people.  The 
abuse  of  power  is  not  peculiar  to,  Roman  catholics  or  to  Priests ;  but  it 
is  common  to  those  who  have  power,  independent  of  the  control  of  the 
people. 


184  SAINTS  AND  RELICS.  [Chap, 

I  have  been  at  her  house  often,  when  she  has  been  eating, 
and  have  partaken  of  her  fare  with  her  off  the  floor.  They 
think  it  a  sin  to  refuse,  when  asked,  to  eat  or  drink  with 
any  one  under  penance.  Her  rule  was,  whenever  she  eat 
or  drank,  to  Cross  herself,  and  call  on  the  Virgin  Mary 
before  sitting  down  ;  and  as  soon  as  her  meals  were  fin- 
ished, to  go  to  her  bed-room,  where  there  were  always 
candles  burning  before  the  relic,*  and  the  images  of  the 
saints,  and  kneel  down  and  pray  to  them.  Her  knees  had 
become  callous  by  kneeling  on  them,  bare,  upon  the  hard 
stony  floor.  She  worshiped  her  images  nine  times  a  day : 
at  six  o'clock,  at  nine,  at  eleven,  twelve,  three,  five,  seven, 
ten,  and  eleven.  Then  she  retired  to  bed,  Which  would 
be  a  bare  cot,  without  a  pillow,  or  any  clothing. 

Every  Friday  she  would  fast,  and  scarcely  rise  from 
her  knees.  All  Catholics  fast,  so  far,  as  to  abstain  from 
meat  on  Friday.  When  praying  and  Crossing  herself, 
she  would  strike  on  her  breast  with  such  force,  that  you 
might  hear  her  stomach  ring,  as  she  was  nothing  but  skin 

*  Such  is  the  veneration  that  the  poor  deluded  Papists  entertain  far 
relics,  that  "  even  the  very  hair  that  fell  from  Peter  the  hermit's  mule, 
was  treasured  up  as  a  precious  relic."  So  says  their  own  historian 
Guibert,  L.  II.  C.  VIII.  This  is  the  Peter  who  led  on  the  Crusades 
against  the  Holy  Land. 

Henricus,  one  of  the  Romish  Divines,  maintains,  that  the  relics  in  the 
form  of  ashes  or  dust,  may,  and  ought  to  be  adored,  but  not  under  the 
form  of  vermin;  but  their  great  Vasquez  rejects  this  scruple,  and  the 
grounds  of  it,  as  vain  and  frivolous;  and  concludes  they  may  be  wor- 
shiped as  well  when  they  are  vermin  as  when  they  are  ashes.  Vasq. 
An.  34,  in  Spondon.  Cap.  Ulto.  N.  113.,  114. 

It  was,  for  ages,  palmed  upon  the  deluded  Papists,  that  it  was  the  real 
blood  of  Christ  that  was  exhibited  in  various  churches  in  Europe,  and 
which  they  adored.  But,  afterwards,  when  the  heretics,  (so  called,) 
asked,  "How  this  could  be'?"  since  the  doctrine  of  the  Romish  church 
is,  "  quod  semel  assumpsit  nunquam  reliquit" — "  that  which  Christ  once 
assumed,  he  never  lept." — To  this  the  Angelical  Doctor  Thomas  of 
A  *\uin,  gave  the  following  answer  : — "  Sanguis  autem  Me"  fyc. — "  The 
bxood  which  is  preserved  in  certain  churches,  as  a  relic  of  Christ,  did 
not  flow  from  the  side  of  Christ,  but  is  said  to  have  flowed,  in  a  miracu- 
lous manner,  from  a  certain  image  of  Christ  that  was  struck"  Thom. 
Aquin.  III.  Glues.  54,  Art.  2,  ad  3. 

Valla,  a  person  of  great  learning  and  eminence  among  the  Papists, 
says,  that  "  at  Rome  there  are  ten  thousand  different  sorts  of  relicsJ* 
Vaila  de  Constant.  DonaL—  Ed. 


XVIL]  poncheetee's  credulity.  185 

and  bone.  She  would  pray,  and  talk  with  the  Saints' 
images,  as  if  they  were  actually  human  beings  before  her.* 
At  this  time,  she  was  not  pleading  with  them  to  forgive 
her  sins,  but  praying  for  this  money,  sometimes  the  tears 
streaming  down  her  cheeks,  and  sometimes  getting  angry 

*  "  How  have  we  renounced  the  devil  and  his  angels,  (says  Tertul- 
lian,)  if  we  make  images?  (simulachrum.)  How  can  we  be  said  to  re- 
pudiate those  things  not  only  with  which,  but  by  which  we  live? — Can 
"we  deny  with  our  tongues  what  we  confess  by  our  hands? — Destroy  by 
our  words  what  we  confirm  by  our  deeds  ? — Can  those  who  have  many 
gods  preach  that  there  is  but  one  God  1 — I  make  the  images,  some  will 
say,  but  I  do  not  worship  them. — Wherefore,  then,  do  they  make  them, 
if  it  is  not  right  to  worship  them? — V#erily,  they  worship  them,  who 
make  them  that  they  can  be  worshiped. — If  honor  is  due  to  an  image, 
doubtless  the  honor  to  the  image  is  idolatry. 

"  We  are  to  render  unto  Caesar  what  belongs  to  Caesar,  and  to  Gog 
what  belongs  to  God;  that  is,  the  image  of  Caesar,  to  Caesar,  which  is 
upon  the  coin ;  and  the  image  of  God,  to  God,  which  is  in  man. — To 
Caesar,  indeed,  the  money  belongs,  but  you  belong  to  God  ; — otherwise 
what  would  be  for  God,  if  all  belongs  to  Caesar?"  Tertul.  de  Idololat. 

Jerom,  whom  the  Papists  claim  as  their  own  great  Saint,  settles  the 
controversy  between  us  and  the  church  of  Rome  at  once,  in  respect  to 
what  constitutes  idols.  His  words  are  as  follows :— "  Idola  intelligi- 
mus  imagines  mortuorum." — "  By  idols  we  mean  the  images  of  the 
dead."  Hier.  Com.  in  Isa.  C.  37. 

Tertullian  confirms  the  above,  when  he  says,  "  Quid  enim"  fyc. — 
<c  What  is  there  so  worthy  of  God,  as  that  which  is  so  unworthy  of 
being  an  idol? — And  what  is  there  so  worthy  of  being  an  idol  as  that 
which  is  dead  ?"  Tertul.  Corona  Militis. 

The  Popish  historian,  Mariana,  speaking  of  the  multitude  of  mi- 
racles believed  in  Spain,  exclaimed,  after  having  described  some  of 
them,  "  Methinks  I  am  writing  Fables  or  Romances  ;  but  many  of  this 
nature  are  recounted  in  the  Chronicles  of  Spain,  which  I  will  neither 
condemn  nor  approve  of"  Marian.  His.  Esp.  L.  VIII.  C.  10, 

He  dared  not  openly  condemn  them  for  fear  of  the  Inquisition  ;  and 
he  could  not  approve  of  them  for  conscience'  sake. 

So  completely  infatuated  is  the  Popish  church,  and  her  devotees 
upon  the  subject  of  miracles,  that  they  will  have  them  to  be  performed 
even  in  confirmation  of  a  lie.  In  proof  of  this  I  will  give  an  example 
from  Mariana's  History  of  Spain,  which  is  now  before  me. 

"Casilda,  the  daughter  of  the  king  of  Toledo,  and  Zaida,of  the  king 
of  Seville,  whose  fathers  were  Moors,  were  converted  to  the  faith  by 
the  following  incident: — Casilda  was  very  compassionate,  and  fre- 
quently used  to  relieve  the  captive  Christians.  These  acts  of  benevo- 
lence offended  her  father,  who  met  her,  one  day,  carrying  meal  to  them. 
He  asked  her  what  it  was? — she  replied,  '  they  were  roses;'  and,  un- 
covering it,  they  found  the  meat  converted  into  those  flowers.  This 
miracle  moved  them  to  embrace  Christianity."  Marian.  Hist.  Esp.  L, 
IX.  C.  3.— Ed. 

16* 


186  SAINTS  FROM  THE  PRESS.  [Chap, 

and  out  of  patience  with  them.     She  was  upwards  of  fifty 
years  of  age,  and  very  thin. 

Every  month  on  the  island  there  are  issued  from  the 
Press,  Saints,  with  prayers  under  them,  (a  few  words  in 
Latin,)  printed  on  an  octavo  page  of  paper,  and  carried 
about  the  streets  for  sale,  at  twelve  and  a  half  cents 
apiece.  These  are  sold  by  boys  and  the  servants  of  the 
Priests  for  the  benefit  of  the  Priests.  She  had  her  bed- 
room papered  over  with  these  prints  of  different  Saints, 
which  she  had  bought.  She  was  still  obliged  to  continue 
paying  the  Priest  for  Masses,  which  he  read,  to  make  the 
Saints  propitious  to  her  claim  to  the  deceased  uncle's  es- 
tate, with  money  which  she  begged  her  friends  to  give 
her.  I  have  given  her  money,  when  I  knew  what  she 
wanted  it  for,  until  Manuel  found  it  out,  and  said : — 
Father  Francisco  had  more  money  than  he  had,  and  I 
must  give  her  no  more.  He  then  told  me  that  Poncheetee 
never  would  get  any  of  the  money  left  by  her  uncle  ;  that 
Father  Francisco  had  the  deed  of  the  property  already  in 
his  possession.  This  he  charged  me  not  to  mention  at 
the  price  of  my  life  ;  for  he  said  it  would  do  more  good  to 
the  Convent,  than  to  her.  Manuel  did  not  feel  unwilling 
to  have  me  visit  Poncheetee.  We  loved  to  talk  over  our 
mutual  troubles  together. 

I  often  met  this  Priest,  Francisco,  in  her  house,  with  a 
prayer-book  in  his  hand,  after  I  was  informed  that  he  had 
got  possession  of  the  estate,  and  he  would  still  be  encour- 
aging her  to  believe  that  she  would,  sometime,  get  the 
money  from  Spain  ;  and,  if  not,  it  would  be,  because  she 
was  not  faithful  in  her  prayers.  This  made  her  scarcely 
give  herself  time  to  eat ;  and  whenever  any  lady  called  to 
see  her,  (which  I  often  did,  for  I  pitied  her,  and  in  her 
misery  found  company,)  if  it  was  prayer  time,  she  would 
ask  her  into  her  bed-room,  when  she  would  be  obliged  to 
kneel,  or  sit  down  on  the  floor,  until  Poncheetee  had  gone 
through  her  ceremony.  She  would  plead  and  pray  for 
the  Saints,  to  fix  a  time,  when  she  should  get  her  money. 
For  the  Catholics  do  not  mind  praying  before  any  one, 
and  you  will  see  the  females  praying  to  their  Saint's,  and 


XV1L]  FONCHEETEE  A  SKELETON.  187 

counting  their  beads,   when  they  are  going  along  the 
streets  to  church.* 

When  I  left  the  island,  Poncheetee  was  laboring  under 
the  same  state  of  mind  she  had  been  in,  for  two  years, 
since  she  first  heard  of  the  money  being  left  her  in  Spain, 
and  she  was  a  perfect  skeleton.  When  I  saw  her  last, 
which  was  after  the  cholera  broke  out,  and  but  a  few  days 
before  I  left  the  island,  some  one  had  hinted  to  her,  that 
the  Priest  would  wrong  her  out  of  this  money,  and  she 
had  asked  several  Priests  about  it ;  but  they  all  rejected 
the  idea ;  and  Manuel  told  her  before  me,  that  she  had 
committed  an  unpardonable  sin,  and  she  must  Confess  to 
her  Priest,  and  go  under  a  deep  penance,  for  harboring 
such  a  thought  against  her  Father-Confessor.  She  ap- 
peared to  be  very  much  distressed,  and  I  have  no  doubt 
she  was.  I  am  sure,  if  they  put  her  under  some  penances 
I  have  known  them  to  impose  on  others,  she  would  never 
live  through  it. 

*  Use  not  vain  repetitions,  as  the  heathen  do ;  for  they  think  that  they 
shall  be  heard  for  their  much  speaking"  Matt.  vi.  7. 


188      EXECUTIONS  FOR  KILLING  NEGROES.    [Chap. 


CHAPTER  XVI11. 

H  Come,  thick  night, 
And  pall  thee  in  thy  dunnest  smoke  of  hell ! 
That  my  keen  knife  see  not  the  wound  it  makes ; 
Nor  heaven  peep  through  the  blanket  of  the  dark, 
To  cry,  Hold,  hold!" 

Shakspeare. 

The  execution  of  culprits  for  the  killing  of  negroes,  and  making  sausages 
of  their  bodies. — By  bribing  the  Priests,  some  of  them  are  reprieved. — 
People  rendered  crazy  by  the  malediction  of  the  Priests. —  The  wealth 
of  the  Priests  in  proportion  to  their  wickedness. —  The  wickedness  she 
witnesses,  too  horrible  to  be  described. —  The  Virgin  can  pardon  all 
sins. — Avarice  of  t/ie  Priests. —  When  the  Priests  fall  in  love  with  a  fe- 
male, they  induce  her  to  enter  into  a  Convent. — Priestly  stratagems  for 
seduction. — Females  secretly  armed  icith  the  Spanish  knife. — Priestly 
abominations  too  shocking  and  immodest  to  be  related. 

Father  Francisco,  who  was  the  Confessor  of  Pon- 
cheetee.  was  the  Priest  who  obtained  the  reprieve  of  some 
of  the  robbers  who  were  condemned  for  killing  black  peo- 
ple, and  making  sausages  of  them.  This  occurred  just 
before,  and  at  the  time  of  my  first  coming  to  Havanna, 
about  eight  years  ago.  They  were  Spaniards,  French- 
men, Italians,  and  Portuguese,  who  belonged  to  the  gang. 
They  had  their  trial  while  I  lived  on  the  island,  and  were 
condemned.  I  saw  twelve  of  them  hung.  There  were 
about  fifty  belonging  to  the  gang.  Some  were  sent  to  the 
Spanish  mines.  Of  those  who  were  reprieved  was  the 
captain.  He  had  a  great  deal  of  money;  and  with  the 
former  governor,  and  the  Priests,  money  would  save  any 
person's  life  from  the  gallows.*  I  have  frequently  heard 
people  say,  that  they  carried  on  their  robberies  two  years 
before  they  were  detected.     They  lived  about  two  miles 

*  Captain  J.  E.  Alexander,  in  his  tour  through  the  West  India  islands, 
tells  us  that,  "  If  a  criminal  has  money,  he  may  put  off  capital  punish- 
ment for  years,  even  after  sentence  is  passed  upon  him;  but  he  who  is 
friendless  and  penniless,  mounts  the  scaffold  immediately  after  he  has 
been  found  guilty  of  a  capital  offence. ""  Alexander's  Transatlantic 
Sketches,  Vol.  I.  p.  357.— Ed, 


XVIIL]  NEGRO-FLESH    SAUSAGES.  189 

out  of  the  city,  by  the  Montserat  gate.  They  used  to 
seek  out  the  young,  and  fat  negroes,  to  make  up  the  sau- 
sages. Those  who  bought  and  eat  them,  said  they  were 
the  best  they  ever  eat.  They  called  them  French  sau- 
sages ;  and  people  far  and  near  would  buy  them.  They 
were  detected  by  two  young  negresses,  who  were  sent  out 
according  to  the  custom  of  the  city,  with  dry  goods,  and 
other  articles  for  sale,  in  the  streets,  as  is  customary.  One 
of  them  was  fat  and  young.  They  called  her  into  the 
house,  pretending  to  want  some  of  her  goods ;  and  told 
the  other  to  go  along  and  sell.  She  waited  opposite  the 
house  sometime,  for  her  companion  to  come  out,  until  she 
was  tired ;  and  then  went  to  the  door,  to  ask  for  her. 
They  told  her  she  had  gone  out  at  the  back  door  some 
time  since,  which  alarmed  her,  lest  they  had  robbed  her 
of  some  of  her  goods,  as  it  is  not  uncommon  for  the  na- 
tives to  call  in  those  Mashons,  who  sell  goods,  to  pilfer 
them ;  and  then  the  poor  slaves  are  punished  by  their 
master  or  mistress  most  cruelly  for  the  loss.  If  they  die 
in  consequence  of  their  punishment,  there  is  no  law  to 
inquire  how  they  come  by  their  death. 

The  negress  returned  immediately  to  her  mistress,  and 
told  her  about  her  companion's  going  into  the  house,  and 
not  coming  out  again ;  and  she  took  the  commissaries, 
together  with  the  soldiers,  who  guard  the  city,  and  went 
to  the  house,  to  demand  her  slave,  without  thinking  she 
was  murdered.  The  commissaries  saw  all  was  not  right, 
and  sent  for  more  soldiers  to  help  them.  When  they 
reached  the  place,  they  found  the  girl  in  their  slaughter- 
room,  with  her  head  cut  off,  and  a  number  of  other  dead 
bodies,  which  they  were  cutting  up.  They  took,  at  that 
time,  eighteen  of  the  murderers,  and  confined  them  in 
Moro  castle  ;  and  numbers  of  the  others  were  taken  after- 
wards, and  confined  in  this  prison. 

Father  Francisco  was  one  of  the  influential  Priests, 
who  signed  the  request  which  was  sent  to  Puerto  Prin- 
cipe, and  to  the  king  of  Spain,  in  order  to  obtain  the  re- 
prieve of  part  of  them.  Those  who  were  reprieved  gave 
immense  sums  of  money  to  those  that  obtained  their  par- 


190  FATHER  P SUSPECTED  OF  MURDER.        [Chap. 

don.  The  way  I  learned  that  Father  Francisco  had  be- 
friended them,  was  through  Manuel.  When  he  told  me 
that  Francisco  had  got  the  power,  and  the  will  of  Pon- 
cheetee's  money,  he  added,  that  he  was  always  fortunate 
in  getting  hold  of  persons  who  had  money,  and  mentioned 
this  instance  of  his  befriending  the  cannibals  in  proof  of 
it.  Father  Francisco  had  been  living  with  a  Spanish 
woman  a  great  many  years,  and  had  a  number  of  children 
by  her.  Some  of  them  were  grown  up,  but  their  mother 
had  been  crazy  a  number  of  years.  I  have  heard  the 
Catholic  ladies  say,  he  had  prayed  all  the  curses  of  his 
sin  on  her  head,  and  that  this  was  the  cause  of  her  being 
crazy.  I  never  saw  the  woman,  although  I  often  passed 
their  house ;  but  I  have  seen  the  children.  They  lived 
opposite  St.  Wanadou's  Convent ;  and  Father  Francisco 

was  a  great  friend  of  Father  P ,  who  was  suspected 

of  murder,  and  was  obliged  to  come  to  New- York,  to  re- 
main until  the  Priests,  his  friends,  had  arranged  for  him 
to  return.  Those  Priests  who  had  the  most  money,  were 
those  who  had  the  most  influence  and  power ;  and  those 
who  were  the  most  wicked,  obtained  the  most  money. 
I  have  heard  that  the  former  Bishop,  who  was  deceased 
about  two  years  before  I  left  the  island,  was  in  the  habit 
of  signing  papers,  to  favor  the  worst  of  criminals ;  but 
when  the  latter  Bishop  came,  who  died  of  the  cholera,  it 
was  thought  he  would  not  be  so  favorable.  I  have  heard 
Manuel  say,  that  the  Priests  generally  did  not  like  him  so 
well  as  the  one  deceased.  He  had  been  appointed  Bishop 
but  a  few  months,  before  he  died  of  the  cholera.  His 
death  occurred  before  my  escape  from  Cuba. 

1  have  witnessed,  and  gone  through  most  horrid  and 
awful  scenes,  while  living  on  the  island,  such  as  I  dare 
not  and  can  not  bring  my  mind  to  inform  the  world  of. 
The  remembrance  of  them  brings  me  to  loathe  myself, 
and  my  past  life,  and  brings  me  to  feel  what  obligations  I 
am  under  to  God,  for  sparing  my  life,  and  forbearing  with 
me,  when  I  also  was  living  in  rebellion  against  him.  Oh, 
how  plain  I  can  see  and  feel  his  loving  mercies,  that  he 
has  had  for  my  poor  immortal  soul,  in  not  cutting  me  off, 


XVIIL]  Rosamond's  reflections.  19] 

and  sending  my  soul  to  everlasting  wo ;  and  in  bringing 
me  out  from  among  them,  and  placing  me  among  his 
chosen  people  in  this  Christian  country ;  and  in  opening 
my  blind  eyes  to  see  and  seek  the  right  way  to  save  my 
poor  immortal  soul!  Oh,  that  I  may  always  have  death, 
judgment,  and  eternity  in  my  view !  I  know  it  cannot  be 
long,  (as  this  poor  frail  body  is  in  a  decline,)  before  my 
soul  will  go  to  Jesus.  I  have  that  faith,  hope,  and  com- 
fort, that  when  it  is  the  Lord's  will  to  call  me,  Blessed 
Jesus  will  guard  my  soul  through  the  dark  valley  of  death. 

When  on  my  dying  bed  I  lay, 
Lord!  give  me  strength  to  sing  and  pray, 
And  praise  thee  with  my  latest  breath, 
Until  my  voice  is  lost  in  death. 

Oh !  that  serious  thought, — the  Judgment-seat, — where 
my  soul  must  shortly  appear  before  a  holy  and  just  God ; 
there  to  have  all  my  wicked  pilgrimage  exposed,  with  all 
the  wicked  deeds  that  1  have  nourished  and  cherished  in 
fny  wicked  heart  all  my  life  !  But  now  I  cannot  see  God 
Wronged,  or  the  Blessed  Jesus  wounded,  but  my  heart 
luelts  within  me. 

While  I  am  writing  an  account  of  my  dark  and  wicked 
bilgrimage,  to  be  read  aloud  to  this  evil  and  gloomy  world, 
It  brings  me  to  see  and  feel  more  clearly  what  a  sinner  I 
have  been  ;  and  how  merciful  the  Lord  has  been  to  me. 
Yes, — I  can  now  look  back,  and  see  when  I  was  in  misery, 
in  trials,  and  troubles,  in  a  far  and  wicked  country,  I 
brought  them  upon  myself.  And  I  can  see  the  blessed 
Lord  was  by  me,  and  kept  me  from  slipping  down  into  the 
gulf  of  wo.  I  did  not  think  so  then.  I  saw  many 
Crosses,  and  images  of  the  Virgin  Mary  and  the  Saints, 
but  it  looked  to  me  all  like  a  show,  until  I  was  brought  by 
the  Lord  to  this  Christian  land. 

While  I  was  in  Cuba  I  heard  much  about  Purgatory 
and  hell,  and  I  felt  sure  they  must  all  go  there,  when  they 
died,  for  I  could  see,  that  instead  of  trying  to  save  the 
people,  they  were  encouraging  them  to  goon  in  the  broad 
road  to  destruction  ;  and  I  felt,  that  if  I  died  on  the  island 


192  THE  PRIESTS  REJOICE  AT  MURDER.  [Chap. 

with  this  Priest,  I  should  certainly  go  with  them.  I  felt 
as  if  I  wanted  to  be  a  Christian,  but  did  not  know  how. 
There  was  no  Christian  friend  there,  to  take  me  by  the 
hand,  and  show  me  the  way  to  the  Blessed  Jesus.  I  was 
living  with  a  man,  who  was  leading  rne  with  himself,  and 
all  his  people,  down  to  the  pit  of  wo. 

As  I  have  said,  you  may  murder,  steal,  or  lie,  according 
to  their  doctrine,  if,  at  the  time,  you  have  your  heart  fixed 
on  the  Virgin  Mary,  and  go  immediately  to  some  Priest 
to  Confess,  and  hear  Mass  read.  Thus  the  criminal  is  set 
free,  until  he  is  detected  by  the  law ;  and  1  have  said  it  is 
not  uncommon  to  hear,  in  the  confession  of  a  criminal 
who  is  to  be  hung,  that  he  has  taken  the  lives  of  many 
persons  before  he  was  detected.  Manuel  has  often  come 
home,  during  the  day,  and  counted  over  the  money  he  had 
gained  by  Confessing,  and  reading  Masses  for  the  dying. 
If  any  one  had  murdered  or  robbed,  he  would  appear  to 
rejoice  in  it,  for  the  gain  it  brought  him,  and  would  say : 
"  This  has  been  a  lucky  day ; — I  have  never  seen  so  many 
Priests  out  Confessing  as  I  have  to-day." — And  at  other 
times,  when  their  wicked  duty  was  dull  amongst  them, 
he  would  say :  "  he  wished  the  Bishop  would  send  him  to 
some  other  place,  where  there  was  more  money  to  be 
made." — Many  of  the  other  Priests  wanted  to  leave  the 
island ;  some  wished  to  go  to  one  part  of  America,  and 
some  to  another  ;  and  many  to  the  Valley  of  the  Missis- 
sippi. 

Some  appeared  to  have  a  greater  desire  to  go  to  Ame- 
rica, than  to  some  of  the  Spanish  islands,  for  they  say 
they  are  very  partial  to  the  American  females  ;  as  you 
will  see  in  Father  Pies'  letters,  which  he  wrote  to  the 
American  lady  at  the  time  she  was  living  at  Cuba.  If  I 
Irad  those  letters  which  I  lost  in  my  trunks,  in  coming 
here,  they  would  show  the  same  thing.  These  letters 
wrere  written  to  me  by  different  Priests  while  I  was  in 
Cuba,  begging  me  to  be  their  friend,  and  to  take  them  to 
some  lady  ;  perhaps  to  a  married  lady,  or  to  a  young  and 
beautiful  female,  they  had  fallen  in  love  with  at  church  ; 
but  I  can  appeal  to  my  conscience,  to  my  comfort,  that  I 


XVIIL]  priests'  love-letters.  193 

aever  did  comply  with  their  request  I  used  to  hide  their 
letters  for  the  ladies,  and  lock  them  up  •  but  I  have  oftent 
said  to  the  Priests,  that  I  had  delivered  them  to  the  maiden, 
or  married  ladies,  to  whom  they  were  addressed,  when  I 
had  not 

While  1  am  writing  an  -account  of  my  wicked  pilgrim- 
age. I  can  say,  that  the  sin  of  leading  or  encouraging  any 
of  my  own  sex  from  the  paths  of  virtue,  I  never  have  been 
guilty  of.  Whenever  I  was  placed  in  snares  of  that  kind, 
it  would  come  to  my  mind,  that  I  had  a  dear  young  sister, 
whom  I  had  left  behind. 

I  often  told  the  Priests  falsehoods,  how  the  ladies  re- 
ceived their  affectionate  notes  •  for  they  plagued  me  so 
much,  I  was  obliged  to  do  it ;  sometimes,  to  get  rid  of 
them/,  and,  sometimes,  to  flatter  them.  I  feel  the  loss  of 
those  letters,  and  some  other  writings,  which  were  in  my 
trunks;  for,  I  have  a  great  desire  to  convince  this  Chris- 
tian land,  how  wicked  those  Priests  truiy  are.  I  have 
heard  Manuel  and  others  say,  in  our  social  circles,  and 
boast  of  it,  that,  whenever  they  put  their  eye  on  a  hand- 
some female,  they  wanted  the  power  to  get  her,  and  gain 
their  purposes ;  and  to  persuade  her  to  go  into  the  Con- 
vent, and  take  the  veil. 

I  know  many  forms  and  ways  they  use,  to  effect  their 
object,  in  destroying  the  innocence  of  virtuous  females. 
One  way  they  use,  is  to  put  young  females  on  penances, 
unknown  to  their  parents,  in  order  to  subdue  them  to  their 
will.  Delicacy  must  prevent  my  exposing  all  their  in- 
trigues of  wickedness ;  one  thing  I  will  say,  that  these 
snares  are  laid  for  young  girls  of  the  first  families.  What 
would  a  mother  think  of  a  minister,  to  whom  she  was 
looking  for  instruction,  who  would  tell  her  tales  to  obtain 
the  ruin  of  a  young  and  beautiful  daughter,  perhaps  only 
twelve  years  of  age? — for,  among  the  poorer  class  of 
people,  when  the  wicked  Priest  sees  a  young  and  beauti- 
ful girl,  he  will  tell  her  mother,  that  he  has  a  foresight  and 
warning  from  the  Saints,  that  so  many  crosses  lie  before 
h#r,  and  snares  which  she  is  to  fall  into,  that  she  must  im- 
mediately be  given  under  his  holy  care  They  will  also 
17 


194  KNIVES  CARRIED  IN  ST0C&IKG3T,  [Chap, 

say,  that  these  misfortunes  will  happen  in  such  a  year ; 
and  at  such  a  time  they  will  be  murdered,  or  will  attempt 
to  commit  murder,  or  to  rob,  or  something  similar.  Some 
of  the  females,  especially  the  natives,  from  the  highest  to 
the  lowest,  will  carry  a  knife  in  their  stockings.  The 
mother  will  then  deliver  her  daughter  up  to  the  Priest,  to 
look  after  her.  She  will  be  trained  up  by  him;  and  he 
will  place  Beads,  and  three  Crosses,  and  the  Gospel  round 
her  ;*  and  will  be  liberal  towards  the  support  of  the  whole 
family,  until  she  is  old  enough  to  become  his  prey.t 

*  This  Gospel-bag  is  a  certain  talisman  or  charm  worn,  suspended  to 
a  string  or  chain,  around  the  neck.  It  consists  of  some  verse  of  Scrip- 
ture rolled  up,  and  sewed  in  the  bag.  It  is,  indeed,,  a  fair  representa- 
tion of  the  Gospel  in  the  hands  of  Papists  : — "  it  is  hidden  : — it  is  "  a 
book  sealed" 

There  is  another  species  of  charm  worn  by  almost  every  Papist, 
called  the  Scapular.  This  consists  of  two  small  pieces  of  cloth,  which 
is  also  suspended  to  a  string,  and  is  worn  around  the  neck.  This  is  to 
protect  them  from  all  the  accidents  of  life,  from  sudden  deathrfrom  the 
power  of  the  devil,  and  from  hell.  They  are  taught  to  believe,  that  the 
Scapular  is  a  part  of  the  Virgin  Mary's  dress.  which,  it  is  related,  was- 
actually  presented  by  the  Virgin  herself,,  to  one  Simon  Stock,  on  Mount 
Carmel.  It  is  said,  that  the  Virgin  commanded  him  to  establish  a 
Monastery  in  her  honor,  and  that  she  assured  him,  that  whosoever 
should  be  found  with  a  piece  of  that  garment  about  him  at  the  hour  of 
death,  should  never  go  to  hell,  and  that  they  should  be  delivered  out  of 
Purgatory  on  the  first  Friday  after  their  decease.  The  Order  was  ac- 
cordingly established,  and  it  still  subsists  under  the  title  of  the  Order  of 
the  Carmelites. 

In  order,  however,  to  reap  the  highest  benefits  to  be  derived  from  this 
charm,  they  are  taught,  that  if  they  are  not  addicted  to  mortal  sins,  and 
have  no  habitual  attachment  to  venial  sins,  their  souls  will  be  received 
into  heaven,  by  the  Virgin,  immediately  after  death,  without  being  de- 
tained at  all  in  Purgatory.  To  gain  this  Indulgence,  however,  they 
are  bound  daily  to  recite  a  certain  number  of  prayers  to  the  Virgin  j 
otherwise,  they  would  still  have  to  suffer  in  Purgatory  until  Friday. 

For  the  proof  that  such,  and  precisely  such,  is  the  doctrine  of  the 
Romish  church,  on  the  subject  of  the  Scapular,  I  refer  to  the  "  HistorT 
op  the  Scapular,"  which  they  all  have  in  their  own  hands.  I  point  to 
no  one  in  particular,  but  to  any  one  whatsoever,  since  they  are  all  sub- 
stantially alike. 

It  is  very  apropos,  while  we  are  on  this  subject,  to  state,  that  I  was 
once,  while  a  Papist,  dupe  enough  to  believe  all  the  absurdities  of  the 
doctrine  respecting  the  Scapular.  I  wore  it  constantly  during  many 
years ;  and  I  was  firmly  persuaded  that,  if  I  died  with  it  about  me,  I 
should  not  be  lost;  and  that  I  would  infallibly  be  delivered  from  Pur- 
gatory on  the  first  Friday  after  my  decease. — Ed. 

tThe  Popish  Priests,  if  their  church  is  the  infallible  church,  cannot 


XVIII.]  PRIESTS  ENSNARE  TITE  YOUNG.  195 

I  was  well  acquainted  with  a  little  girl  of  sixteen,  that 
my  Priest  had  plunged  into  vice  by  measures  of  this  kind, 

consistently  be  blamed  either  by  any  of  their  Bishops,  their  Popes,  or 
their  people,  for  having,  at  least,  one  fair  object  in  the  place  of  a  law- 
ful wife.  They  cannot  consistently  blame  them,  I  say,  since,  by  their 
own  Council  of  Toledo,  in  the  17th  Canon,  it  was  declared,  that  any 
person,  Clergyman  or  layman,  who  has  not  a  wife,  but  a  concubine,  is 
not  to  be  repelled  from  the  Communion,  if  he  be  content  with  one. 
"Christian©  habere  licit um  est  unam  tantum  aut  uxorem  autcerte  loco 
uxoris,  coneubinam."  Pithou,  47.  Bin.  1,  739,  740.  Crabb;  1,  449. 
Gian.  V.  5.  Dachery,  1,  528.  Canis.  2.  111.  The  Bishops,  indeed, 
would  not  allow  two  women  to  one  man,  but  any  one  might  keep  either 
a  wife  or  a  Mistress.  This  liberality  of  the  Council  of  Toledo,  was 
afterwards  confirmed  by  the  Head  of  the  chureh,  Pope  Leo.  Bin.  I. 
737. 

This  indulgence  of  the  Council,  and  the  Pope,  has  been  inserted  in 
the  Canon  Law  of  the  Romish  ehurch,  edited  by  Gratian  and  Pithou. 
Gratian1s  compilation  of  the  Canon  Law,  it  is  true,  was  a  private  pro- 
duction, unauthenticated  by  any  Pope ;  but  that  of  Pithou  was  pub- 
lished by  the  command  of  Gregory  XI II.,  whose  work  contains  the 
Canon  Law  as  acknowledged  by  the  Romish  chureh.  Dist.  34,  C.  4. 
Pithou,  47.  Thus,  we  see,  that  fornication  is  sanctioned  by  a  Spanish 
Council,  a  Roman  Pontiff,  and  the  Canon  Law. 

Fornication,  in  this  manner,  was,  in  the  Clergy,  not  only  tolerated, 
but  also  preferred  to  matrimony.  Many  of  the  Popish  casuists,  such  as 
Costerus,  Pigius,  Hosius,  Campeggio,  and  those  reported  by  Agrippa, 
raised  whoredom  above  wedlock  in  the  Hierarchy.  Costerus  admits, 
that  a  Clergyman  sins,  if  he  commits  fornication;  but  more  heinously  if 
he  marry.  Concubinage,  this  Jesuit  grants,  is  sinful,  but  less  aggra- 
vated, he  maintains,  than  marriage.  Costerus  was  followed  by  Pigius 
and  Hosius.  Campeggio  proceeded  to  still  greater  extravagancy.  He 
represented  a  Priest,  who  became  a  husband,  as  committing  a  more 
grievous  transgression,  than  if  he  should  keep  many  domestic  harlots. 
"Gravius  peccat  si  contrahat  matrimonium."  Cost.  C.  15.  The  Car- 
dinal gives  an  odd  reason  for  his  theory.  The  Clergyman,  he  affirms, 
who  perpetrates  whoredom,  acts  from  a  persuasion  of  its  rectitude  or 
legality;  while  the  other  knows,  and  acknowledges,  his  criminality. 
"  Gtuod  sacerdotes  fiant  raariti  multo  esse  gravius  peccatum  quam  si  plu- 
rimas  domi  meretricesalunt.  Nam  illos  habere  persuasum  quasi  recte 
faciant,  hos  autem  scire  et  peccatum  agnoscere."  Campeg.  in  Sleidai^ 
36.  Edgar. 

We  learn  also  from  Agrippa,  "that  the  Clergy  who  married,  were 
dismissed  from  the  exercise  of  the  sacred  functions;  while  the  Sacer- 
dotal fornicators,  who  violated  the  laws  of  God  and  man,  were  allowed 
to  retain  the  holy  ministry."   Agrippa  in  Bayle,  I.  111. 

Thuanus,  the  famous  Popish  historian,  writing  on  this  subject,  says, 
that  "  it  is  absurd  indeed,  that  Priests  should  be  suspended  from  the  ex- 
ercise of  their  functions  on  account  of  getting  married,  while  whore* 
mongers,  whc  violate  both  the  laws  of  God  and  man,  are  tolerated " 
Thuaa.  2, 417.~~Ez>, 


196  AFFLICTION  OF  THE  MOTHERS.  [Chap 

before  I  knew  her.  About  a  year  after  he  had  ruined  her, 
she  took  the  small-po£?  which  disfigured  her,  and  he  left 
her.  Father  Hosa,  who  went  to  the  Valley  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, as  you  will  see  in  my  Narrative,  was  guilty  of  the 
crime  of  raining  a  young  girl  of  fourteen,  by  gaining  the 
consent  of  her  parents  to  his  training  her  up.  She  died  in 
child-birth,  about  two  years  after.  I  have  heard  him  talk 
abput  her,  and  say,  if  the  child.had  lived,  and  been  a  girl, 
what  he  would  have  done  for  her.  I  have  seen  her 
mother  often  at  Poncheetee's  house,  where  she  would 
mourn  much  about  her.  and  say,  she  never  could  rest,  her 
child  was  always  before  her..  She  was  continually  hav- 
ing Masses  read,  candles  burning,  and  the  body  of  her 
child  laid  by  some  Priest.  She  was  a  superstitious-  Catho- 
lic, like  Poncheetee,  her  friend.  I  could  relate  a  number 
of  circumstances  of  this  kind,  which  I  have  been  eye- 
witness of,  and  of  others  my  Priest  has  told  me,  but  their 
cruelty  and  immodesty  are  such,  as  to  make  me  cover  them 
from  the  public  eye :  they  would  hardly  be  believed,  and 
they  cannot  be  told.* 

*  "  How  many  soever  of  the  members  of  the  Church  be  dead  and  im- 
pious," (say  the  Popish  divines,)  "so  long  as  there  is  any  one  man  that 
retains  holiness,  the  Church  must  be  called  holy."  Costerus,  Enchirid, 
L.  III.  C.  7. 

Therefore,  the  Romish  church  is  holy,  notwithstanding  all  the  tilth 
she  contains  : — is  true,  in  spite  of  all  the  errors  which  she  propagates  : 
— is  a  Dove,  although  every  Pastor  of  her  flock  is  a  ravenous  Vulture  : 
— provided,  however,  that  u  one  man  can  be  found  that  retains  holi- 
ness."— Ed. 


XIX.  EXECUTION  OP  A  LADY.  IDT 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

*  There's  not  a  hollow  cave,  nor  lurking  place{ 
No  vast  obscurity,  or  misty  vale. 
Where  bloody  murder,  or  detested  rape, 
Can  couch  for  fear,  but  I  will  find  them  out; 
And  in  their  ear  tell  them  my  dreadful  name, 
Revenge,  which  makes  the  foul  offenders  quake." 

Shakspeare. 

*The  "  Groting"  or  public  execution  of  a  lady  twenty-one  years  of  age. — 
The  Priests  get  her  money. —  The  burning  of  red  candles  on  her  hus- 
band? s  head. —  The  relation  of  her  extraordinary  case. — She  kills  her 
husband,  cuts  up  his  body,  and  packs  it  in  a  barrel. — Is  betrayed  by  her 
god-mother. — A  Priest  attends  at  her  execution :  his  singular  costume. — 
The  Priest  terrified  by  a  black  cat 

Now  I  will  inform  you  about  a  married  lady,  twenty- 
one  years  of  age,  whom  I  saw  " groted"  while  I  was  liv- 
ing on  the  island.  They  do  not  hang  white  convicts, 
but  they  are  placed  on  a  scaffold,  in  a  chair,  and  strangled 
by  an  iron  collar  put  round  their  necks.*  This  law  was 
made  by  the  queen  of  Spain,  to  distinguish  the  whites 
from  the  blacks.  Sometimes  a  rich  man  will  commit  mur- 
der ;  in  this  case  the  Priests  will  fare  well ;  for  they  will 
get  money  from  the  criminal  for  candles,  Masses,  and 
praying  his  soul  out  of  Purgatory.  They  think  it  is  not 
so  much  disgrace  to  be  groted,  as  to  be  hung. 

This  lady  was  born  and  educated  in  Havanna.  Her 
parents  were  very  wealthy,  and  natives  of  Old  Spain. 
Her  name  was  Mariettee.  Her  parents  compelled  her  to 
marry  a  Catalan  Spaniard  against  her  will ;  for  she  wanted 
to  marry  a  Spanish  officer.  The  Catalan  Spaniard  had  a 
very  dark  complexion,  his  name  was  Roupee,  and  he  was 
very  rich.  Before  this  young  lady  would  marry  him,  she 
was  put  under  heavy  penances  by  a  Capuchin  Friar  of 

*  The  convict  sets  upright  in  the  chair.  A  board  runs  up  behind  his 
back,  to  a  height  above  his  head.  The  iron  collar  runs  through  the 
board  and  round  his  neck.  The  pressure  is  applied  by  means  of  a 
screw  in  the  iron  collar  behind  the  board  :  as  the  screw  is  pressed  honaq 
the  collar  tighten*;,  and  strangles  the  criminal. 

17* 


198  THE  BARRELING  OF  A  HTTSFAND.  [Cfeap 

the  name  of  Father  Sobrisco.  Manuel  did  not  tell  me 
what  those  penances  were  ;  but  I  have  heard,  in  cases  of 
this  kind,  they  are  very  cruel,  and  sometimes  death.  Ma- 
riettee  lived  a  dreadful  life  with  her  husband  three  years  ; 
for  she  loved  this  officer,  and  was  in  the  habit  of  seeing 
him  often,  and  her  husband  knew  of  it.  She  was  in  the 
habit  of  having  Masses  read  by  different  Priests,  and  hav- 
ing red  candles  burning  upon  her  husband's  head.  Man- 
uel told  me  she  had  been  a  number  of  times  to  him  for 
Masses  and  candles  ;  and  that  it  was  expected,  by  a  num- 
ber of  Priests,  she  would  destroy  her  husband  in  some 
way. 

It  was  said  this  officer  had  agreed  to  help  her  to  mur- 
der him  ;  and  the  night  was  appointed  for  him  to  be  there. 
During  the  day,  she  put  laudanum  into  her  husband's 
wine,  to  make  him  sleepy;  and  when  night  came,  he  was 
quite  stupid  from  the  effect  of  the  laudanum  and  wine*;: 
and  went  to  bed.  The  officer  went  to  her  house,,  and  she 
got  all  arranged  for  the  murder  ;  but  he  would  not  stay,, 
and  went  away,  promising  to  return  shortly.  She  wait- 
ed;— and  as  he  did  not  come,  she,  being  alone,  with  the 
servants  asleep  in  a  back  room,  thought  it  was  the  only 
time,  and  stabbed  him  with  a  knife  in  several  places,  as  he 
was  asleep,  stupified  with  the  laudanum.  He  made  no 
noise,  and  after  she  had  killed  him,  she^cut  him  up,  and 
put  him  into  a  barrel,  as  had  been  agreed  on  by  the  officer 
and  herself;  and  he  was  to  send  some  soldiers,  who  were 
to  take  the  barrel  outside  the  walls>  and  cast  it  into  the 
sea.  But  he  did  not  send  ;  and  she  waited  till  day4igl.it> 
and  then  went  to  her  god-mother,  and  told  her  what  she 
had  done ;  and  begged  her  to  send  some  of  her  servants, 
to  put  it  into  the  sea  for  her  ;  which  her  god-mother  told 
her  she  would  do.  She  then  told  her  to  go  home,  and  not 
to  Confess  to  any  Priest.  Her  god-mother,  in  the  mean- 
time, sent  to  the  commissaries,  and  told  them  what  she 
had  heard,  and  they  went  to  the  house,  and  found  her 
smoking  a  cigar  in  the  bed-room.  They  found  no  blood 
in  the  room,  but  the  barrel  was  there,  with  her  husband 
cut  up  in  it. 


XIX.]  MARIETTEE  GROTED.  199 

She  immediately  confessed  all  to  the  commissaries ;  and 
was  taken  and  put  into  prison.  All  the  Priests  fared  well 
for  Masses  and  candles,  as  she  had  a  great  many  rich 
friends.  The  Priests  got  a  good  deal  of  money  from  them, 
as  well  as  from  her.  It  was  commonly  said  by  the  Priests, 
that  she  would  not  b)e  groted}  she  had  so  many  rich 
friends;  and  there  were  petitions  sent  to  the  king  and 
queen  of  Spain,  to  have  her  reprieved,  or  transported  to 
some  part  of  Spain,  signed  by  the  Bishop,  Priests,  and  na- 
tives of  Cuba,  as  her  friends.  The  ladies  of  the  nobility 
thought  it  would  be  a  disgrace,  to  have  her  publicly  exe- 
cuted, she  being  a  native  of  Cuba.  Her  friends  gave  a 
great  deal  of  money  to  the  Priests,  and  to  some  of  the 
civil  officers.  Eut  the  queen  would  not  reprieve  her,  and 
she  was  groted. 

I  saw  her  in  the  procession,  which  was  an  awful  scene 
to  witness.  She  was  placed  in  the  chair,  which  was  to 
be  set  on  the  scaffold,  dressed  in  white ;  and  appeared  to 
be  lifeless.  Father  Pies  was  walking  close  by  her  side, 
dressed  in  a  white  habit  with  Beads,  Crosses,  and  an  image 
representing  our  Saviour,  hung  about  him  :  a  prayer-book 
in  one  hand ;  and  in  the  other,  a  long  gilded  pole,  with  a 
large  Cross>  and  a  candle  burning  at  the  end.  The  pole 
and  Cross  were  trimmed  with  black  crape ;  and  Father 
Pies  was  saying  prayers  for  her.  In  processions  of  this 
kind,  there  are  always  about  fifty  men,  who  live  in  the 
Convents,  as  waiters  to  the  Priests,  dressed  in  black  habits, 
and  a  kind  of  turban  of  black  crape  on  the  head,  with 
poles,  and  Crosses,  and  candles,  carried  in  their  hands  be- 
fore them.  When  the  procession  passes  outside  the  walk 
of  the  city,  at  the  Pontra  gate,  where  there  are  soldiers 
stationed,  sometimes  there  will  be  a  table  placed  there,  co- 
vered with  white,  having  death-candles  burning-,  and 
Crosses  laid  upon  it ;  and  sometimes  a  Virgin  Mary  is 
seated  at  this  table,  dressed  in  black.  This  is  when  the 
person  to  be  hung"  is  rich,  or  has  rich  friends. 

In  bringing  this  most  horrible  scene  to  my  mind,  it 
makes  me  feel  more  sensible  of  its  horrors,  than  when  I 
witnessed  it ;  for  when  you  live  in  a  country,  where  there 


200  THE  PRIEST  AND  BLACK  CAT.  [Chap. 

are  so  many  scenes  and  crimes  of  this  kind,  you  get  hard- 
ened to  them.  I  have  been  laughed  at  by  Manuel  and 
others,  for  the  effect  it  would  have  upon  me ;  and  they 
would  say,  they  did  not  think  before  this,  that  a  Protestant 
had  any  feeling.  I  did  not  then  know  what  they  meant 
by  insisting  that  I  was  a  Protestant.  I  have  often  been 
persecuted  by  my  Priest,  because  he  said  I  knew,  and 
would  not  own  of  what  religion  I  was.  The  friends  of 
Mariettee  gave  what  property  she  and  her  husband  had, 
to  the  Capuchins  of  St.  Philippee  Convent,  which  I  was 
told  by  my  Priest,  was  to  pay  the  Priests  for  praying  their 
souls  out  of  Purgatory.  I  never  heard  that  the  officer 
was  taken,  or  done  any  thing  with. 

As  all  these  dreadful  scenes  are  now  before  my  mind,  I 
will  tell  you  what  took  place  at  my  house,  the  night  after 
I  saw  her  groted.  Several  Priests  had  been  at  my  house 
that  night,  to  supper.  They  talked  a  great  deal  about 
Mariettee,  and  of  her  guilt,  and  other  crimes  of  a  similar 
kind.  Being  drowned  in  superstition,  in  the  belief  of 
forerunners,  and  ghosts,  and  Purgatory,  I  was  afraid  of 
myself,  and  of  every  body  about  me.  After  they  had 
gone,  about  twelve  o'clock  at  night,  I  was  waked  up  by  a 
large  black  cat,  which  had  got  into  the  house  in  some 
way.  Manuel  would  have  some  candles  always  burning 
in  the  bedroom,  above  which  candles,  he  placed  an  image 
representing  our  Saviour,  hung  on  a  string  of  beads,  and 
the  Gospel-bag,  and  a  prayer  book  on  the  table.  He  would 
also  put  his  knife  under  his  pillow,  to  defend  himself  from 
robbers  ;  for,  in  a  citizen's  dress,  he  would  always  fear 
them;  but  he  was  not  afraid,  when  dressed  in  his  Holy 
Habit.  As  the  room  was  light,  when  I  heard  the  noise, 
I  looked  up,  and  saw  the  black  cat  by  my  bed  side,  and  I 
cried  out  to  my  Priest  for  help;  but  he  was  speechless 
from  fright.  I  really  thought  it  was  the  Old  Adversary 
himself,  come  to  take  us  both  off.  We  both  remained  in 
this  awful  condition,  till  day-light.  Sometimes  the  cat 
would  be  in  my  room,  and  sometimes  in  the  parlor,  mak- 
ing a  most  horrid  cry.  I  never  knew,  till  then,  how  much 
Priests  feared  and  hated  cats.     Manuel  informed  me,  that 


XIX.] 


THE  CAT  AND  HOLY  WATER.  201 


the  Priests  dislike  cats ;  and  what  a  time  it  used  to  make, 
if  a  cat  got  into  the  Convents  ;*  and  how  they  would  in- 
stantly drive  them  out,  and  sprinkle  the  Convent  with 
Holy  Water,  lest  death  would  follow.  They  do  not  dis- 
like dogs  ;  but  are  generally  very  fond  of  them. 

I  have  mentioned  this  occurrence,  to  show  what  a  su- 
perstitious state  of  feelings,  both  his  and  mine  was.  The 
fright  actually  made  him  sick  for  a  number  of  days  ;  and 
he  never  went  to  bed,  another  night,  without  a  good  look 
out  that  there  were  no  cats  in  the  house. 

*  The  aversion  to  black  cats  is  not  peculiar  to  the  Roman  Priesthood 
of  Cuba.  From  a  relation  given  by  the  author  of  Ship  and  Shore,  we 
find  that  sailors  also  are  somewhat  affected  with  odd  notions  about  black 
cats.  Speaking  on  this  subject,  he  says,  "  This  restless  domestic  is 
looked  upon  by  the  sailor,  especially  when  afflicted  with  a  black  visage, 
with  no  kindly  or  tolerant  feelings.  There  is  no  bad  luck  about  the 
ship,  which  is  not  ascribed  to  some  evil  influence,  which  she  is  supposed 
to  exercise.  Hence,  in  a  storm,  or  dead  calm,  poor  tab  has  a  tremendous 
responsibility.  Our  unfortunate  puss  had  been  taken  on  board  at  Ma- 
laga, and  since  her  embarkation  we  had  not  been  visited  by  one  favor- 
able breeze.  This  calamity  was  attributed  to  her  universally  among 
the  crew.  There  needed  no  language  to  tell  what  their  sentiments 
were,  for  as  poor  puss  came  upon  deck,  so  far  from  being  petted,  she 
encountered  every  where  looks  of  Ihe  most  threatening  aversion.  'Ne- 
ver,' said  an  old  tar  to  me,  'did  any  good  come  to  a  ship  that  had  a 
black  cat  in  its  concern.  I  have  sailed,'  he  continued,  '  on  every  sea, 
and  in  every  kind  of  craft,  and  I  never  yet  knew  a  ship  make  a  good 
voyage,  that  went  to  sea  on  Friday,  or  had  on  board  one  of  these  black 
imps.  These  are  facts,  sir;  land  lubbers  may  laugh  at  them,  but  they 
are  facts,  and  true  as  my  name  is  John  Wilkins.'  It  was  no  use  to 
question  the  convictions  of  the  seaman's  experience;  he  was  as  confi- 
dent and  deeply  earnest  as  a  man  testifying  to  the  indisputable  evidence 
of  his  senses.     So  poor  tab  went  overboard." — Ed. 


202  BEGGING  FOR  THE  CONVENTS.  [Chap. 


CHAPTER  XX. 


1  He  strewed 


The  path  that  led  to  hell  with  tempting  flowers, 

And  in  the  ear  of  sinners,  as  they  took 

The  way  of  death,  he  whispered,  peace  !  he  swore 

Away  all  love  of  lucre,  all  desire 

Of  earthly  pomp;  and  yet  a  princely  seat 

He  liked,  and  to  the  clink  of  Mammon's  box 

Gave  most  rapacious  ear." 

POLLOK. 

Manner  of  the  Priests'  begging  for  the  Convents. — Money  stolen  to  pay 
for  Masses. —  The  Priest  gives^  his  Mistress  the  money,  which  had  been 
stolen  to  pay  for  a  Mass. — Jealousy  about  the  fees  for  Confession. —  Va- 
rious benedictions,  and  their  prices. — Funeral,  and  other  prayers^  with 
their  prices.—  The  Priest's  money  is  considered  blessed. — Sin  to  p«y  money 
without  Crossing  one's  self. — Every  action  to  be  consecrated  by  Crossing 
one's  self. —  The  Priests  change  their  dress  to  gallant  the  females. —  Two 
of  the  Priests  sent  as  criminals  to  Spain. —  The  sudden  and  suspicious 
death  of  the  Bishop. 

I  will  here  mention  the  way  the  Priests  beg  for  their 
Convents,  and  churches.  Men  are  continually  passing 
and  repassing,  from  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning,  till  six 
in  the  evening,  every  day,  dressed  in  the  Priests'  old 
habits,  with  a  small  box,  carried  in  the  hand ;  on  the 
front  of  which  box  the  Virgin  Mary  is  drawn  on  paper, 
and  decorated  with  artificial  flowers.  They  beg  in  this 
way,  for  money  for  the  church  ;*  or  if  any  Priest  is  dan- 
gerously sick  in  the  Convent,  his  likeness  will  be  drawn, 
lying  on  a  cot-bed,  and  placed  on  the  box.  The  money 
given  into  the  box,  is  to  pay  for  Masses  and  candles  for 
the  sick  Priest.  The  money  is  dropped  into  the  box 
through  a  narrow  hole  ;  and  the  Priests  keep  the  key.  If 
a  person  has  no  money,  he  must  take  the  box,  Cross  him- 

*  Cicero,  in  his  book  of  laws,  restrains  this  practice  of  begging,  or 
gathering  alms,  to  one  particular  order  of  Pagan  Priests ;  and  he  allowi 
it  only  on  certain  days;  because,  as  he  says,  "  it  propagate* superstition, 
and  impoverishes  families."  Cicero  de  Legibus,  Lib.  2.  8.  16; — which, 
by  the  way,  shows  us  the  policy  of  the  church  of  Rome  in  the  great  care 
they  have  taken  to  multiply  their  begging  orders ;  which,  in  Europe,  art 
numerous. — Ed. 


XX.]  priest's  begging  money.  203 

self,  and  kiss  the  image  of  the  Virgin  on  the  box.  If  he 
gives  moneys  he  must  Cross  himself,  and  kiss  the  image, 
after  he  drops  the  money  in. 

There  is  also  a  man  out  three  days  before  any  one  is 
hung,  or  groted,  begging  for  money,  in  charity,  to  give 
the  Priests  for  Masses  and  candles,  to  be  read  and  burned 
for  the  saving  of  the  criminal's  soul.  The  beggar  is 
dressed  in  a  black  habit,  with  a  small  pole  about  five  feet 
long,  with  a  large  silver  Cross  at  the  end,  and  a  large  sil- 
ver plate  in  his  hand.  If  it  is  a  white  man  that  is  to  suf- 
fer  death,  the  pole  is  painted  white ;  and  black,  if  a  black 
man.  It  is  a  white  man  that  begs  for  a  white  man  ;  and 
a  colored,  for  a  colored  man.  In  either  case  the  beggar  is 
always  accompanied  by  a  Priest.  When  they  give,  they 
believe  the  Priest  can  pray  the  criminal's  soul  out  of  Pur- 
gatory, or,  that  they  have  such  influence  with  the  Saints, 
and  the  Virgin  Mary,  that  their  sufferings  will  be  light. 
When  begging  is  made  for  the  Priests,  no  Priest  goes 
along ;  for  the  boxes  are  made  in  such  a  way,  that  the 
beggar  cannot  take  any  money  out,  neither  must  he  re- 
ceive any  ;  but  the  giver  must  Cross  himself,  and  drop  it 
into  the  box.  Sometimes,  however,  the  beggar  never  re- 
turns to  the  Convent  with  the  box.  Bat  when  they  beg 
for  a  convict,  the  money  is  put  into  the  plate,  and  the 
Priest  is  by  to  watch  it.  They  have  from  fifteen  to  twenty 
men,  begging  every  day,  for  each  Convent.  The  money, 
they  say,  is  to  pay  for  the  Holy  Candles  they  burn  in  the 
Convent.  The  lowest  prices  for  Masses  and  Confessing, 
for  white  people,  is  one  dollar ;  fifty  cents  for  colored  per- 
sons.    They  cannot  receive  less  than  that,  or  its  value. 

When  Manuel  saw  any  change  lying  loose  about  my 
room,  he  would  caution  me,  and  say,  "  my  servant  would 
take  it,  and  think  it  no  sin,  if  she  went  to  some  Priest  and 
Confessed." 

When  I  told  him  I  did  not  believe  my  servant  would 
take  any  thing,  he  would  tell  me  not  to  be  too  sure ;  for 
if  she  did,  and  came  to  him  to  Confess,  he  would  not  tell 
me  of  it,  or  injure  the  girl.  I  lost  a  very  costly  belt-buc- 
kle, set  round  with  diamonds,  which  was  given  me  by  a 


204  confession  fees.  [Chap. 

Marquis'  lady,  shortly  after  I  was  robbed,  which  I  valued 
much  :  but  never  thought  my  girl  took  it.  1  had  several 
presents  sent  me  after  I  was  robbed,  by  very  wealthy  la- 
dies, some  of  whom  I  never  saw.  One  gave  me  a  set  of 
diamond  ear-rings,  which  were  in  my  trunk,  which  I  lost 
in  coming  from  Philadelphia  to  New  York.  This  present 
was,  probably,  because  she  heard  my  ear-rings  were  vio- 
lently torn  out  by  the  robbers.  Another  sent  me  a  dou- 
bloon wrapped  up  in  a  piece  of  paper. 

There  were  two  large  leather  covered  trunks,  marked 
with  brass  nails,  one  A.  G.  the  other  R.  0.  In  the  trunks 
were  a  number  of  letters,  some  of  which  were  for  persons 
in  New  York  ;  and  many  of  them  were  old  letters  ad- 
dressed to  me.  Fine  linen,  and  costly  dresses,  filled  the 
trunks ;  such  as  are  common  among  the  wealthy  of  Ha- 
vanna,  but  are  very  rare  in  this  country.  I  note  these 
facts  in  hopes  that  some  of  the  contents  of  those  trunks 
may  yet  be  found,  to  confirm  the  accuracy  of  this  Narra- 
tive, and  to  throw  further  light  upon  the  works  of  Roman 
darkness  and  Priestcraft.  I  then  told  him  I  believed  the 
girl  had  taken  it,  and  given  it  to  him  for  Masses.  I  did 
not  believe  it ;  but  I  was  angry  at  the  loss  of  the  buckle, 
and  at  him,  for  telling  me,  that  if  she  had  stolen  any  thing 
from  me,  and  she  should  Confess  it  to  him,  he  would  not 
tell  me.  Then  he  called  the  girl,  and  asked  her  who  was 
her  Father- Confessor.  She  replied,  Father  Antonia,  of  St. 
Augustine's  Convent.  Manuel  knew  him,  and  went  and 
asked  him,  and  learned  that  he  had  had  it  at  one  time,  in 
his  possession,  and  that  my  girl  had  given  it  to  him  for  a 
Mass  ;  but  he  had  given  it  to  his  Mistress.  Manuel  made 
me  promise  never  to  mention  it  to  the  girl ;  and  said  Fa- 
ther Antonia  would  charge  her  never  to  take  any  thing 
from  me  again.  When  I  asked  him,  why  he  did  not  wish 
me  to  mention  it  to  the  girl,  he  said,  Father  Antonia  wa$ 
a  friend  of  his,  and  the  girl  would  then  go  to  some  other 
Priest  to  Confess,  and  Antonia  would  lose  the  fees  of 
Confession.  For  the  Priests  think  as  much  of  having  a 
large  number  of  penitents  on  their  Confession  list,  as  any 
newspaper  publisher  thinks  of  having  a  long  list  of  su!> 


XX.]       VARIOUS  PRICES  OF  BLESSINGS.         205 

scribers.  The  Priests  are  very  jealous  of  one  another. 
The  honorable  among  them,  are  particularly  careful  to 
do  nothing  that  seems  like  taking  from  another  ^Father- 
Confessor,  his  penitents.  I  was  obliged  to  submit  to  this  ; 
and  never  said  a  word  to  the  girl  about  it,  but  kept  her, 
trusting  more  to  the  charge  of  Father  Antonia,  never  to 
take  any  thing  from  me  again,  than  to  her  honesty. 

The  price  for  blessing  a  house  you  are  going  to  move 
into,  or  a  new  house,  that  is,  to  sprinkle  Holy  Water,  with 
prayer,  and  read  a  Mass  in  every  room,  is  one  ounce,  or 
seventeen  dollars : — for  saying  a  few  words  in  Latin  over 
a  corpse,  two  dollars  : — for  going  to  a  house  to  bless  the 
sick  or  well,  (they  Cross  them  on  the  stomach,  sprinkle 
them  with  Holy  Water,  and  say  Mass,)  four  dollars  : — for 
going  to  burn  out  evil  spirits  from  a  house,  (that  is,  to  burn 
incense  with  prayer  and  a  Mass,  and  Holy  Water  in  every 
room,)  four  dollars.  Nothing  less  can  beN  taken  for  these 
blessings:  but  the  rich  always  give  more.  When  I  have 
been  paying  money  for  any  little  thing  to  poor  people,  who 
krww  with  whom  I  was  living,  they  would  say  they  liked 
to  take  money  from  me,  for  it  teas  blessed  ;  and  when 
they  took  it,  they  would  Cross  themselves,  and  put  it  by 
itself.  Manuel  would  tell  me  it  was  a  sin  to  pay  money 
without  Crossing  one's  self.  I  never  knew  him  to  give  away 
money/ or  any  thing  else,  without  Crossing  himself,  and 
saying  some  word  in  Latin.  When  I  first  went  to  live  with 
him,  I  laughed  at  his  rules,  until  he  brought  me  into  fear 
of  him.  A  Priest  or  Catholic  never  enters  or  leaves  a 
house,  without  Crossing  himself;  and  when  gaping,  he 
Crosses  his  mouth.  Manuel  would  never  put  on,  or  take 
off  his  habit,  without  Crossing  himself;  but  he  was  never 
so  particular  with  his  citizen's  dress. 

The  rule  is  for  them,  never  to  wear  a  citizen's  dress, 
when  they  have  once  taken  the  habit ;  also,  never  to  ride 
in  a  carriage  with  any  lady,  or  walk  with  one  in  the 
streets.  When  they  once  take. their  habits,  they  vow  ne- 
ver to  leave  them ;  but  they  are  not  particular,  when  they 
have  broken  their  rules  by  putting  on  a  citizen's  dress,  to 
break  it  a«rain  by  riding  or  walking  with  a  lady  in  the 


206  superstitions  crossings.  [Chap, 

streets.  Manuel  has  often  reproved  me  for  not  Crossing 
myself,  when  paying-,  or  receiving  any  thing,  or  gaping  ; 
which  practice  through  fear  I  learned,  and  got  such  a  ha- 
bit of  it,  that  it  was  some  time  after  I  came  to  this  Chris- 
tian country,  before  I  could  break  myself  of  it.  How 
many  lonely  hours  have  I  reflected  on  these  past  scenes  ! 
and  how  I  have  been  brought  through,  seeing  and  hearing 
all  these  superstitious  and  wicked  rules !  You  will  see. 
in  some  after  part  of  my  Narrative,  how  the  Cross  which 
the  Capuchin  Priest  put  round  my  neck,  at  the  time  he 
christened  me,  worried  me  at  the  time  I  was  under  deep 
conviction. 

I  feel  as  if  I  had  a  right  and  privilege,  to  express  my 
thoughts  about  the  conduct  and  principles  of  the  Priests, 
then  living  on  the  island  of  Cuba.  Whatever  the  result 
may  be  to  Manuel  Canto,  the  Priest  I  lived  with,  when 
my  Narrative  conies  out,  to  be  read  to  the  world  ;  (it  has 
already  been  read  in  heaven,  where  I  must  shortly  appear 
at  the  judgment  seat :  and  it  will  all  be  presented  before 
me,)  I  think,  from  what  I  know  about  them,  the  result 
will  be  this  ; — he  will  be  privately  sent  to  Spain,  or  to  the 
Pope  ;  not  but  what  all  the  Priests  know  themselves  to  be 
just  as  wicked  :  and,  I  believe,  some  are  more  wicked,  al- 
though they  may  not  have  acted  exactly  as  he  has  done  ; 
but  some  are  deeper  in  seductions,  and  other  snares  and 
traps  of  wickedness.  The  only  difference  I  think  there 
is  in  the  case,  is,  that  Manuel  is  the  individual  through 
whom  the  information  comes  out.  He  has  not  only  ex- 
posed his  own  wickedness,  under  the  cloak  of  a  Holy 
Habit,  but  theirs  also.  Oh,  how  little  have  I  been  able  to 
expose  the  many  dark  and  gloomy  places  and  corners 
which  they  have  in  the  Convents,  that  I  know  nothing 
about,  except  what  they  themselves  have  told  me! — 
They  are  all,  however,  known  to  God. 

Daring  the  time  I  was  living  with  this  Priest  on  the 
island,  there  were  two  Priests  sent  privately  away  to 
Spain.  I  never  learned  exactly  all  the  particulars  of 
what  they  had  done  to  their  religion,  in  exposing  it ;  but 
they  had  done  something  of  this  kind,  and  they  were  kept 


XX.]  TRANSPORTATION  OF  PRIESTS.  207 

prisoners  in  the  Convents  several  months,  before  they 
were  sent  to  Spain.*  They  were  confined  in  some  cells, 
to  which  no  -communication  could  be  had,  but  by  the  Su- 
perior of  the  Convent.  One  belonged  to  St.  Francisco 
Convent,  of  the  name  of  Ferdinand  ;  the  other  belonged 
to  St.  Domingo  Convent,  whose  name  I  did  not  know,  or 
have  forgotten  it.  I  used  to  hear  my  Priest  lament,  and 
say  rash  things  about  the  old  Bishop,  and  some  Priests 
who  were  the  Superiors  of  other  Convents.  Before  they 
were  sent  away,  neither  the  Priests,  the  prisoners,  nor 
any  one,  except  the  Bishop  and  the  head  Priests  of  the 
Convents,  knew  that  they  were  going  to  be  sent  away  to 
Spain,  until  the  very  hour  of  the  day  the  vessel  v/as  to 
sail ;  and,  when  they  were  taken  on  board  by  soldiers,  as 
criminals,  they  did  not  wish  to  have  it  known.  I  asked 
my  Priest  what  they  would  do  with  them,  when  they 
were  in  Spain.  He  said  he  did  not  know,  but  1  could  see 
by  his  countenance,  he  dreaded  something  horrible.  He 
often  spoke  about  them  in  conversation  with  the  other 
Priests.,  who  came  to  my  house  ;  and  he  informed  me, 
with  regret,  the  very  day  they  were  sent  away,  charging 
me  not  to  mention  it  to  any  one. 

How  much  more  of  their  wickedness  I  could  have 
learned  from  Manuel,  if,  at  that  time,  I  had  any  desire  to 

*  To  such  a  notorious  pitch  of  licentiousness  the  Popish  Clergy  had 
arrived,  at  the  time  when  Pope  Benedict  XIV.  sat  upon  the  throne, 
that  this  Sovereign  Pontiff,  (as  St.  Ligori  himself  tells  us,)  was  under 
the  necessity  of  issuing  a  Decree,  in  order  to  put  a  check  to  the  conti- 
nual and  multiplied  accusations  which  were  laid  by,  the  people  against 
the  Clergy.  The  Decree  ends  as  follows: — "  If  any  one  soever  dare  to 
infringe  or  disobey  this  our  will  and  command,  let  him  know  that  he 
will  incur  the  wrath  of  Almighty  God,  and  of  the  blessed  Apostles, 
Peter  and  Paul.— Given  at  Rome,  in  the  church  of  Holy  Mary  the 
Great,  in  the  year  of  the  Incarnation  of  the  Lord,  1741."  Ligor.  Theol. 
de  Rom.  Pont.  Dec.  C.  II.  Dec.  L 

Such  was  the  fixed  determination  of  the  Holy  Father,  that  the  people 
should  not  accuse  the  Clergy  of  their  nefarious  deeds,  that  he  forbids 
il  any  Priest  whatsoever  to  give  them  absolution,  except  in  the  article 
of  death."  Id.  in. 

"  The  Clergy  are  by  no  means  subject  to  the  civil  law,"  says  the  same 
Saint.  Ligor.  Then},  de  Privilegies,  C.  II.  N.  18.  The  Canon  Law,  St. 
Thomas  Aquin,  Bellarmine,  Dens,  and  all  the  Popish  Divines,  without 
exception,  tench  the  same  doctrine, — Ed. 


208  SUSPICIOUS  DEATH  OF  THE  BISHOP.  [Chap* 

know,  cannot  be  told  now.  When  he  brought  his  friends^ 
among  the  other  Priests,  to  the  house,  I  have  heard  them 
consult  about  the  affairs  of  different  Priests,  in  the  Con- 
vents, and  about  their  late  Bishop>  who  died  of  the 
cholera.  He  was  appointed  but  a  short  time  before  he 
died,  but,  as  I  said,  it  is  all  known  to  God.  The  Bishop 
who  died  of  the  cholera  did  not  suit  the  Priests  at  alh 
They  were  sure  he  would  not  continue  long  in  his  office, 
He  died  unexpectedly  to  the  people,  and  was  buried  pri- 
vately, which  led  the  people  to  talk  much  about  it,  when 
they  compared  his  unknown  burial  with  theluneral  of  the 
old  Bishop,  which  was  so  splendid* 


XXL]  THE  PRIEST  IN  DISGUISE.  209 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

M  He  was  a  wolf  in  clothing  of  the  lamb, 
That  stole  into  the  fold  of  God,  and  on 
The  blood  of  souls,  which  he  did  sell  to  death, 
Grew  fat ;  and  yet,  when  any  would  have  turned 
Him  out,  he  cried,  'Touch  not  the  Priest  of  God.5  " 

Pollox. 

The  Priest  in  disguise. —  The  Convents  a  harbor  for  robbers  and  murder- 
.  ers. —  The  criminal  refugees  in  the  Convents  cannot  be  apprehended  by 
the  officers  of  the  civil  law. — By  day,  the  criminals  lie  concealed  in  the 
Convents,  and  by  night,  prowl  the  sir  eels. —  The  Priests  are  well  paid 
for  screening  criminals  in  the  Convents. —  The  Priests  rob  on-?  another 
even  when  dying. — An  account  of  a  Priest  and  his  chest  of  Money. — 
Suspicions  exit  of  inmates  of  the  Convents. — Robbing  a  Priest  synony- 
mous with  robbing  the  Church. —  The  Priests,  when  superannuated  by 
vice  and  dissipation,  are  employed  in  the  Convents  as  domestics. —  To  be 
good,  in  Spanish  Popery,  signifies  to  be  'wealthy. —  The  effects  of  Priestly 
vice  conspicuous  in  the  disfiguroMo'n*  of  their  faces. — Priest  testifies 
against  Priest,  that  he  is  possessed  of  the  devil. — Priest  turned  fortune- 
teller ;  he  makes  the  people  kiss  his  frogs,  scorpions,  and  devils. —  Tlie 
Bouquet  or  picture  to  frighten  prof  Agate  Priests  into  virtuous  ones. — 
The  awful  impressions  made  by  seeing  the  Bouquet,  made  instrumental  in 
determining  Rosamond  to  escape  from  Cuba. 

I  will  mention  here,  that  they  have  a  Catholic  Priest 
living  in  Havanna,  and  one  in  Matanzas,  who  are  of  Irish 
descent.  Their  duty  is  to  Confess,  and  instruct  their  own 
country  people,  or  any  foreigners,  who  live  in  Havanna. 
The  one  in  Havanna  does  not  live  in  a  Convent  with  the 
other  Priests  ;  but  in  a  house  aloiiQ  ;  neither  does  he 
wear  a  habit,  nor  have  his  head  shaved.  The  only  thing 
by  which  you  can  know  him  to  be  a  Priest,  when  you 
meet  him  in  the  street,  is  the  stock  he  wears,  made  of  dif- 
ferent colors,  either  blue  or  white,  in  stripes.  His  name 
is  Father  Bailey. 

I  have  seen  him,  but  had  no  acquaintance  with  him. 
I  am  not  afraid  to  say,  from  what  I  have  heard  from  the 
Priests,  that  their  Convents  harbor  gentlemen,  and  sons 
of  the  nobility,  who  have  robbed  or  stabbed  any  one,  or 
clone  something  of  this  kind.  Their  parents  or  friends 
can  put  them  into  the  Convent,  to  remain  :  so  that  they 
18* 


210  PRIEST  AND  HIS  CHEST  OP  MONEY.  [Chap. 

are  not  taken  by  the  officers  of  the  civil  law  ;*  and  they 
will  come  out  at  night,  in  disguise,  to  see  their  friends, 
and  remain  all  the  day  in  the  Convents.  I  mention  this 
to  let  you  know,  what  the  Priests  will  do  for  money.  I 
have  heard  from  some  of  the  Priests,  that  they  will  even 
rob  each  other  of  money .t 

There  was  a  Priest,  who  died  in  St.  Francisco  Con- 
vent, at  the  time  I  was  living  on  the  island,  an  elderly 
man,  of  the  name  of  Father  Sedoha,  who  died  in  a  con- 
sumption, after  an  illness  of  about  two  years.  He  had  a 
large  sum  of  money,  which  he  kept  in  an  iron  chest.  I 
do  not  know  the  amount  of  his  money,  but  my  Priest  said 
it  was  a  large  amount.  He  kept  it  by  the  side  of  his  bed, 
and,  for  several  months  before  he  died,  he  used  to  count 
it  over,  for  fear  some  one  had  robbed  him.  A  few  weeks 
before  he  died,  he  became  delirious ;  and  he  still  conti- 
nued counting  it  over.     When  he  died,  it  was  all  missing. 

T  *  In  Popish  countries,  the  churches,  Monasteries,  and  Cardinal's 
palaces,  are  a  sure  refuge  from  the  law.  "  A  man  guilty  of  the  great- 
est crimes,"  (says  Petrarch,)  "  had  only  to  take  refuge  in  the  court  of  a 
Cardinal's  palace,  and  he  could  not  be  pursued  by  justice."  Dob.  Pe- 
trarch, L.  VI.  P.  451. 

Middleton,  in  his  "Letters  from  Rome,"  writes  as  follows: — "The 
Popish  Asylums  are  continually  open,  not  to  receive  strangers,  but  to 
shelter  villains  ;  so  that  it  may  literally  be  said  of  these,  what  our  Sa- 
viour said  of  the  Jewish  temple,  '  That  they  have  turned  the  House  oj 
prayer  into  a  den  of  thieves.' "  Matt.  xxi.  13.— Middleton's  Letters,  215. 
—Ed. 

t  This  Priestly  trait  of  robbing  or  stealing  from  or.e  another,  is  by  no 
means  to  be  limited  to  the  island  of  Cuba.  Such  conduct  I  have  fre- 
quently witnessed  among  them  in  the  United  States.  They  stole  from 
me,  when  I  was  oneof  their  number,  and  I  have  known  them  frequent- 
ly to  steal  from  one  another.     One  of  them,  a  certain  Rev.  Mr.  K , 

with  a  false  key,  entered  the  room  of  one  of  his  comrade  Priests,  during 
his  absence  on  a  missionary  tour,  broke  open  several  of  his  trunks  and 
boxes,  and  robbed  him  of  various  articles  to  a  considerable  amount. 
The  Priest  returned,  missed  the  articles  that  were  stolen,  suspicion  fell 
upon  the  guilty,  search  was  made,  and  some  of  the  things  stolen  were 

found  in  the  possession  of  his  Reverence  Mr.  K .    I,  myself,  was  one 

of  those  who  made  the  search;  therefore,  I  can  personally  testify  to  the 
truth  of  what  I  state. 

For  a  fuller  detail  of  this  transaction,  I  refer  to  the  52d  Number  of 
the  1st  Volume,  and  to  the  1st  Number  of  the  2d  Volume  of  the  "  Down- 
fall of  Babylon,"  a  weekly  paper,  published  by  myself,  in  the  city  of 
New  York.— Ed. 


XXI.]  PRIESTS  ROBBED  BY  ALCOWATERS.  211 

The  Superiors  of  the  Convent  made  a  great  stir  about  it, 
and  a  number  of  Priests  were  suspected  of  having  taken 
it,  and  Manuel  among  the  number.  At  this  time,  Manuel 
told  me,  that  occasions  of  this  kind  frequently  took  place 
in  the  Convents.  They  would  rob  from  each  other  even 
when  dying.  They  nearer  are  robbed  by  their  servants  ; 
for  when  they  are  sick,  their  servants  are  not  allowed  to 
wait  on  them.     The  Priests  wait  on  each  other, 

I  believe,  from  what  I  have  heard  and  seen  amongst 
them,  that  many  a  poor  man  whom  the  Priests  will  get 
into  the  Convents,  to  be  their  servant,  will  be  suddenly 
missing,  without  any  one  but  the  Priests  knowing  where 
he  is,  or  what  has  become  of  him  ;  but  it  is  known  to 
God.  A  servant,  who  attends  the  Priests,  is  more  obe- 
dient and  humble,  than  a  poor  slave,  in  serving  and  aid- 
ing them  in  all  their  wickedness.  I  have  been  eye-wit- 
ness of  some  of  the  wickedness  of  their  servants ;  but 
they  appear  to  do  it  in  fear.  Sometimes  the  Priests  are 
robbed  by  their  Alcowaters  of  their  citizen's  clothes,  when 
they  are  taking  them  to,  or  bringing  them  from  their 
houses.  The  Priest  cannot  leave  the  Convent  in  a  citi- 
zen's dress.  When  they  have  robbed  a  Priest  in  this  way, 
and  the  Priests  pursue  them,  they  do  not  tell  what  they 
have  been  robbed  of,  but  will  say,  the  Alcowaters  have 
robbed  the  Church  ;  and  when  they  are  taken,  they  pun- 
ish them  cruelly.* 

I  will  mention  here  what  I  know  of  some  of  the  old 
Priests,  who  were  living  in"  the  Convents,  and  who  had 
formerly  been  Priests  of  high  standing  in  their  churches  ; 
but  through  dissipation  and  wicked  vices,  were  laid  aside.t 


*  This  is  striking, — and  shows  how  well  the  Authoress  was  versed  in 
the  technical  qnaintness  of  Jesuitism.  She  was  thoroughly  initiated 
inlo  the  mysterious  subtleties  of  Priestcraft,  or  this  idea  would  never 
have  glanced  across  her  mind. — How  simple  ;  how  unaffected  ;  and  yet 
how  wonderfully  varied  are  the  facts  which  she  discloses  ! — Ed. 

t  Cardinal  Bellarmine,  describing  the  degeneracy  of  the  Priesthood, 
in  the  days  in  which  he  lived,  the  17th  century,  and  contrasting  it  with 
the  holiness  of  the  primitive  times,  represents  the  answer  they  would  be 
wont  to  make  him,  as  follows: — "But  we  are  no  longer  in  those  days," 
(some  of  you  will  say,)  '  and  things  are  entirely  changed. ' — 1  grant  that 


212  PRIESTS  MADE  SERVANTS.  [Chap. 

They  were  still  maintained  in  the  Convent.  Some  of 
them  were  employed  as  door-keepers  ;  others,  in  keeping 
the  Convent  clean,  and  various  other  offices,  as  they  were 
old  and  decrepit.  They  were  permitted  to  wear  the  old 
habits.  I  have  heard  it  remarked  of  them,  by  Catholics 
of  good  standing,  when  seeing  them  pass  in  the  street,  as 
they  go  on  commissions  for  the  Superior  Priests,  (and  you 
can  tell  them  by  their  old  and  faded  habits,  they  look  poor 
and  forsaken,)  it  would  be  remarked  :  "  Look  at  that  poor 
Father  !  but  a  short  time  since,  he  was  a  good  man  !"* 

time  has  effected  great  changes,  both  in  discipline  and  morals  ;  but  the 
obligation  is  always  the  same. 

"  The  little  circumspection,  and  the  great  facility  with  which  Holy 
Orders!  are  now-a-days  conferred,  is  the  reason  why  the  Clergy  is 
crowded  with  those  who  aspire  to  be  Priests  ;  not,  that'God  alone  may 
be  their  portion  ;  but  for  the  sake  of  placing  themselves  above  the  con- 
trol of  the  civil  jurisdiction ;  or  in  order  to  have  wherewithal  to  live 
upon;  or  in  the  hope  of  being  promoted  to  the  dignities  of  the  Church. 

"  Hence  it  is,  that  we  see  Priests  reduced  to  a  shameful  state  of  beg- 
gary, and  going  from  door  to  door,  seeking  for  sustenance.  Others, 
again,  we  see,  who  by  their  enormous  crimes,  dishonor  their  character, 
and  oblige  the  civil  authorities  to  condemn  them,  some  to  the  galleys,  and 
others  to  perpetual  imprisonment.  Let  us  beg  of  God,  said  St.  Gre- 
gory, the  tears  of  Jeremiah  ;  and  exclaim,  with  grief,  '  How  has  the  gold 
lost  its  lustre  /' 

"  In  ancient  times,  public  penances  were  not  laid  upon  the  Priests, 
whatever  might  have  been  their  crimes,  for  fear  of  tarnishing  in  the 
least  degree,  the  glory  of  the  Priesthood.  If  they  deserved  some  signal 
punishment,  their  resource  was  to  confine  them  in  the  Monasteries,  that 
they  might  there  expiate  their  faults.  But  now  we  find  them  among  the 
most  abandoned  villains,  in  the  dungeons,  and  the  galleys."  Bellarm. 
3  Opusc.  Lib.  II.  C.  5.— Ed. 

*  This  reminds  me  of  something  I  observed  when  I  was  in  France, 
which  may  very  appropriately  be  introduced  here,  by  way  of  illustra- 
tion. The  Papists,  in  that  country,  are  so  habitually  trained  to  connect 
the  idea  of  holiness  with  that  of  levity,  frivolity,  and  dissipation,  that, 
when  they  wish  to  express, — a  man  is  good  or  holy, — they  say,  "  11  est 
gaie"—u  He  is  lively." — This  levity,  and  frivolity  of  disposition, 
which  is  so  peculiarly  characteristic  of  the  French,  is  to  them  the  only 
criterion  by  which  to  judge  of  a  man's  piety. — If  he  is  not  "  gay"  as 
they  call  it,  he  cannot  be  pious,  let  him,  in  other  respects,  be  what  he 
may.  Lost  indeed,  and  Priest-ridden,  must  be  a  people  whose  senti- 
ments can  be  so  warped  as  to  substitute  frivolity  and  dissipation  for  true 
piety!  Weil  did  Addison,  alluding  to  Popish  France,  exclaim  j  "that 
trifling  nation  !" — 

In  France,  then,  to  be  gay  and  trifling,  is  to  be  pious. — 

Among  the  Spaniards,  to  be  pious,  is  to  be  wealthy. — 


PRIEST    TTmivTED  TORTTXNE -TELLER. 


XXL]         PRIESTS  DISFIGURED  WITH  DISEASE.  213 

And  another  would  say: — "Why,  I  know  him  ; — I  have 
gone  to  him  to  Confess,  and  to  have  Masses  read  !" — The 
people  would  sometimes  call  them  in,  and  treat  them  with 
wine  and  cigars ;  and  give  them  money.  They  would 
appear  to  feel  veiV  sorry  for  them,  and  to  pity  them  ;  but 
not  to  feel  as  if  they  were  wicked  and  had  done  wrong. 

I  was  spending  the  day  in  a  Spanish  family,  when  an 
elderly  Priest,  about  sixty* years  of  age,  came  in.  He  be- 
longed to  St.  Wanadou  Convent.  They  called  him 
Father  Antonia.  I  was  informed  by  this  family,  that  he 
had  been  a  Priest,  beloved  and  worshiped  by  his  people. 
The  lady  told  me  she  had  known  him  many  years,  when 
he  stood  high,  and  she  had  often  gone  to  him  for  Masses 
and  to  Confess ;  bat  through  dissipation,  and  other  vicesr 
he  was  laid  aside.  He  was  a  dreadful  object  to  look  at7 
both  on  account  of  the  old  age,  and  a  disease  he  was  la- 
bouring under  which  disfigured  his  face.  From  the  time 
he  entered  the  house,  until  he  left,  he  never  spoke  on  any 
subject  without  Crossing  himself.  In  talking  over  former 
days,  when  he  stood,  as  a  Priest,  respected  and  worshiped 
by  his  people,  he  mourned,  and  appeared  to  feel  deeply  his 
fallen  situation. — He  cried  like  a  child. — But  I  do  not 
know  whether  he  was  mourning  for  his  sins,  or  for  the 
loss  of  his  character,  and  the  confidence  of  the  people, 
Often,  when  any  of  the  Priests  asked  my  Priest,  if  he 
knew  Father  Antonia,  of  St,  Wanadou  Convent,  he  would 
reply  that  he  did ;  and  that  he  was  a  wicked  man  ;  and 
he  believed  he  had  made  a  league  with  the  devil,  and 
could  put  a  spell  and  a  curse  on  any  one.  The  Priests 
were  all  afraid  to  displease  him,  and  were  obliged  to  give 


In  China,  Popish  piety  is  interwoven  with  heathenish  idolatry,  and 
the  Virgin,  their  i(  Regina  caslorum"  is  rolled  along  upon  a  car,  and 
worshiped,  in  order  to  reconcile  Christianity  with  Pagan  superstition. — 
Popery  is  every  thing,  or  any  thing; — truth  and  piety  excepted. 

Middleton,  in  his  "  Letters  from  Rome,"  observes,  that  "  the  tolera- 
tion of  Pagan  prejudices,  and  mixing  Christ  with  it  by  the  policy  of  the 
Papists,  however  useful,  at  first,  the  Papists  might  pretend  it  was  for  re- 
conciling Heathens  to  Christianity,  seems,  now,  to  be  the  readiest  way 
to  drive  Christians  back  again  to  Paganism."  Middteton's  Letters,  p. 
823,— Ed. 


214  PRIEST  TURNED  FORTUNE-TELLER.  [Chap* 

him  any  little  thing  he  asked  for  in  the  Convent.  His 
living  was  of  the  best  that  could  be  procured  in  St.  Wa- 
nadou.  Neither  would  he  eat.  but  in  a  room  by  himself. 
Manuel  also  told  me  this  Father  Antonia  had,  at  one  time, 
an  immense  amount  of  money  left  to  him.  by  different  in- 
dividuals, who  died,  and  left  their  property  to  have  their 
souls  prayed  out  of  Purgatory;  but,  he  became  acquainted 
with  a  French  lady,  who  had  ruined  him,  and  made  him 
poor.  He  told  me,  too,  that  he  believed,  he  had  left  the 
religion  of  the  Holy  Catholic  Church,  and  had  made  a 
league  with  the  devil.  He  spoke  with  all  sincerity;  and 
no  doubt,  believed  in  the  truth  of  what  he  said. 

I  knew  another  Priest,  who  was  called  Father  Gosha, 
of  St.  Domingo  Convent,  who  was  once  a  Priest  of  high 
standing,  and  was  almost  worshiped  by  his  people. 
Through  the  effects  of  dissipation,  and  other  vices,  which 
disfigured  his  features,  he  was  laid  aside,  but  was  still  sup- 
ported in  the  Convent.  He  used  to  tell  fortunes,  and  to 
sell  things  to  conjure  with.  He  is  known  all  over  the 
city  and  the  count ry.  People,  far  and  near,  would  send 
for  him,  to  have  their  fortunes  told ;  and  he  made  money 
by  it.  He  was  a  very  elderly  man,  and  walked  with  a 
crutch.  I  have  sent  for  him  to  tell  my  fortune,  at  a 
friend's  house,  as  I  dare  not  admit  him  to  my  own,  be- 
cause he  was  so  well  known  by  all  the  Priests.  He  car- 
ried with  him  a  box  containing  Crosses3  images  represent- 
ing our  Saviour,  and  the  devil,  made  of  brass,  and  live 
lizards,  and  scorpions ;  and  small  frogs,  in  vials ;  all 
mixed  up  in  the  box  together.  These  he  would  oblige 
you  to  kiss,  and  make  you  Cross  yourself,  before  he 
would  commence  telling  your  fortune.  He  would  still 
wear  an  old  Priest's  habit;  but  was  not  permitted  to 
shave  his  bead,  as  formerly,  I  mention  this  to  shew, 
what  wickedness  has  brought  these  poor  Priests  to  in 
their  old  age ;  as  well  as  the  wickedness  they  do  in  their 
old  age.  They  are  not  laid  aside,  until  they  become  dis- 
figured with  disease. 

*  They  are  always  permitted  to  return  to  duty  in  their 
Priestly  office,  so  long  as  they  can  be  cured  of  disease, 


XXI.]  THE  BOtWtJET.  215 

without  the  loss  of  any  feature.  And  I  have  often 
heard  Manuel  say  ;  "  such  and  such  a  Priest  will  receive 
his  bouquet  to-day  ;" — or,  that  he  had  been  to  see  such  a 
Priest,  or  such  a  Priest,  who  was  confined  by  disease  ; 
and  that,  among  other  things,  he  said  to  him  ;  "  Be 
patient; — to-morrow,  or  in  a  day  or  two,  you  will  receive 
your  bouquet? — Every  Convent  is  said  to  have  a  room 
set  apart  to  sufferers  of  this  unhappy  description ;— and 
its  inmates  are  not  allowed  to  put  on  their  habits  until 
they  have  received  the  bouquet, 

I  never  saw  but  one  bouquet; — and  that,  Manuel 
was  sorry  for  having  showed  me,  because  it  filled  me 
with  such  awful  impressions  of  my  own  doom.  A  friend 
of  his  loaned  him  one  that  he  had  from  the  Superior  of 
the  Convent,  on  Confession,  and  for  a  remembrance  to  re 
strain  his  passions.  It  was  a  drawing  representing  the 
countenance  of  the  Priest  getting  well,  on  a  body,  gouty, 
swelled,  and  disfigured.  Cherubs  guarded  the  gouty 
Priest's  head.  Before  him  stood  the  representation  of  a 
beautiful  female  dressed  in  the  highest  fashion,  at  whom 
he  sorrowfully  gazed.  She  seemed  to  be  returning  his 
repentant  look,  with  bewitching' smiles.  But,  behind  her, 
and  above  her,  was  the  arm  of  the  Prince  of  Darkness, 
reaching  from  darkness,  and  grasping  the  severed  head  of 
a  lady  by  the  .crown,  and  drawing  its  ghastly  features 
away  in  a  black  cloud.  There  were,  I  should  think,  two 
quarto  pages  of  poetry  in  Spanish,  underneath  the  draw- 
ing.    Manuel  would  not  suffer  me  to  read  it. 

^When  I  saw  it,  the  whole  came  home  to  my  heart.  I 
felt  as  if  there  was  no  hope  for  me.  It  was  my  own  self 
that  had  no  cherubs  to  flutter  around  my  head;  no 
angels  to  defend  me  from  the  Old  Adversary ;  but  there 
the  Wicked  One  seemed  to  have  me  by  the  crown,  bearing 
me  away  to  perdition,  for  living  with  a  Priest.  It  dis- 
tressed me  exceedingly  ;  and  Manuel,  in  the  last  year  of 
my  residence  with  him,  in  order  to  break  my  spirit,  often 
alluded  to  this  grasp  of  the  Great  Enemy  on  the  crown  of 
my  head ;   and  the   allusion  never  failed  to  do   it.     I 


2.16      *        priests'  fear,  of  the  bouquet.         [Chap. 

would  then  retire,  and  fall  before  the  ima^e  of  the  Virgin 
Mary,  and  pouring  out  my  grief  to  her,  I  felt  some  relief. 
My  confidence  in  the  Virgin  was  strengthening  everyday 
in  Cuba,  from  the  relief  1  experienced  in  communing  with 
her  image. 

The  Priests  have  a  separate  room  in  their  Convents  for 
the  blind  people,  of  whom  there  are  a  great  many  living 
on  the  island.  I  have  frequently  been  in  the  room  in  St. 
Francisco  Convent  on  a  Sabbath  morning,  and  saw  them 
kneeling  down,  praying  to  our  Saviour,  and  the  Virgin 
Mary.  In  this  room  they  go  to  Confess,  and  have  Masses 
read,  for  which  they  are  obliged  to  pay  the  Priests. 
They  are  let  out  every  Friday,  and  then  only  to  beg  for 
the  Priests. 

Two  things  I  have  heard  said,  which  I  will  mention 
here. — Manuel  and  others  have  boasted  in  my  hearing, 
that,  whatever  else  had  overtaken  them,  they  never  had  a 
bouquet. 

Again,  when  the  Priests  are  confined  by  sickness,  the 
ladies  often  send  them  little  refreshments  and  presents 
suitable  for  the  sick ;  and  when  it  has  happened  to  them, 
to  be  so  favored  in  this  particular  room,  I  have  heard  Ma- 
nuel and  others  lau^h  and  say,  "the  sick  Priest  would 
not  have  received  this  kindness,  if  the  lady  had  known 
what  ailed  him." 

The  sight  of  the  bouquet  did  me  a  great  deal  of  good. 
I  had  no  idea  how  wicked  I  was,  like  that  which  this 
drawing  impressed  upon  me.  It  quickened  and  strength- 
ened my  resolution  to  forsake  the  life  I  was  leading,  and 
to  escape  both  from  Cuba  and  the  Priest,  and  the  hand  of 
the  Evil  One.  Through  the  Lord's  mercies  this  painful 
drawing,  which  was  shown  to  me  to  impress  me  with  the 
Priests'  superior  interest  in  the  Divine  favor,  was  made 
instrumental  of  leading  me  heartily  to  seek  the  forgiveness 
of  God,  and  an  interest  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  in  the 
possession  of  which,  I  am  sometimes  ready  to  rejoice,  that 
I  ever  went  to  Cuba,  and  suffered  many  sorrows  there ; 
for,  through  them  I  have  been  led,  as  by  a  way  I  knew 


THE        BOUaUET. 


XXL]  ROSAMONDS  REFLECTIONS.  217 

not,  to  an  acquaintance  with  my  blessed  Saviour.  My 
anguish  there  was  great;  but  it  was  for  a  little  season; 
and  it  was  blessed  to  the  saving  of  my  body  and  soul,  I 
humbly  trust,  from  the  worm  that  never  dies,  and  the  fire 
that  shall  never  be  quenched. 
19 


218  EVENING  RIDE  WITH  MANUEL.  [Chap, 


CHAPTER  XXH. 

"Faults  in  the  life  breed  errors  in  the  brain, 
And  these  reciprocally,  those  again, 
The  mind  and  conduct  mutually  imprint, 
And  stamp  their  image  in  each  othei's  mint: 
Each  sire  and  dam,  of  an  infernal  race, 
Begetting  and  conceiving  all  that's  base." 

COWPEK/ 

McmueVs  evening  ride  with  Rosamond.— Extraordinary  occurrence  at  sup* 
•  per-table. — Its  effects  on  Manuel. —  The  king  of  Spain  abrogates  the  cus- 
tom of  criminals  finding  refuge  in  Churches  and  Convents. —  The  Priests 
ad  the  part  of  Inquisitors:  gamble  and  fight.— Criminal  Priests  con-' 
fined  in  the  "  Expulsion  Room :"— their  grief  for  the  loss  of  their  fees.— ~ 
Sin  is  no  sin  if  committed  twisting  to  the  Virgin  Mary.—  Two  dollars 
for  robbing  or  murdering. — Money  and  the  Priests  are  the  gods  of  the 
people. — Escapes  from  Havanna,- and  arrives  in  New  York. 

In  Havanna,  the  rainy  season  is  very  gloomy ;  and  af- 
ter a  succession  of  rains  the  nights  are  usually  dark  as  welt 
as  damp ;  and  most  people  keep  in-doors,  and  shut  up 
close,  on  account  of  the  robbers. 

On  an  evening,  dark,  rainy,  and  foggy,  Manuel  came 
without  any  previous  intimation  of  his  wish,  driving  up 
to  my  door  in  a  volante  or  chaise,  after  evening  oration  ; 
and  wanted  me  to  ride  with  him.  I  said  he  was  crazy  ; 
but  he  insisted ;  and  as  he  had  been  very  unhappy  fox 
several  days,  weeping  with  wretchedness,  I  threw  on  my 
mantle,  and  went  with  him.  People  may  not  believe  the 
Priests  are  so  wretched,  but  they  are  the  most  unhappy 
beings  in  the  world.  I  had  more  than  once  asked  Manuel 
in  his  tears,  why  he  wept — He  replied,  that  it  was  at  see- 
ing me  so  unhappy.  This  was  after  I  had  been  in  the 
Convent,  during  last  year,  on  the  island. 

The  volante  was  so  closed  that  I  do  not  know  where 
we  went ;  but  we  made  several  turns,  and  did  not  go  out- 
side of  the  gates.  It  was  by  the  side  of  the  city  walls 
where  we  got  out ;  and  it  rained  while  we  rode.  We  en- 
tered an  ancient  built  and  furnished  house ;  and  Manuel 
introduced  me  to  his  commarthra,  a  lady  upwards  of  forty. 


XXII.]        MANUEL  ATTEMPTS  TO  POISON  HER.  219 

Commarthra  is  an  affectionate  term,  answering  to  good 
mother.  No  other  person  appeared  about  the  house,  ex- 
cept slaves.  Wherever  I  went,  Manuel's  friends  used  to 
make  a  great  deal  of  me,  as  all  do  of  a  foreigner ;  but 
this  woman  was  cold  and  unfriendly ;  the  very  reverse  of 
what  Spaniards  usually  are  to  a  guest 

After  sitting  a  short  time,  in  which  Manuel  had  very 
little  to  say,  (for  generally  when  the  Priests  enter  a  house3 
their  tongues  can  hardly  go  fast  enough  for  the  gay  spi- 
rits,) we  were  invited  to  go  and  partake  of  refreshments. 
We  passed  through  a  hall  into  the  back  piazza,  where  a 
table  was  spread  with  cold  ham,  lettuce,  almonds,  bread, 
and  claret- wine.  There  were  two  botdes  of  wine ;  and 
Manuel  filled  three  tumblers  from  the  same  bottle. 

We  had  gone  through  the  usual  ceremony  of  saying 
" Bon  sante" — "  your  good  health,"  and  touching  glasses;* 
and  I  brought  mine  towards  me  to  drink  ;  when,  suddenly 
Manuel  put  forth  his  hand  and  seized  my  tumbler ;  ex- 
claiming with  horror,  u  Ka  !  Rosetta  P — which  signifies, 
"Oh!  Rosamond!" — And  he  laid  down  the  tumbler  he 
had  taken  from  me,  and  fell  back,  and  fainted. 

The  lady  of  the  house  did  not  appear  surprised.  I  be- 
lieve, before  he  got  the  tumbler  out  of  my  hands,  the  whole 
thing  came  to  my  mind  at  once.  We  sprang  up. — The 
lady  threw  cold  water  in  Manuel's  face,  and  rubbed  his 
temples.  When  he  came  to  himself,  he  said  he  was  very 
unwell.— We  all  left  the  table  without  having  tasted  a 
mouthful  of  any  thing,  as  it  is  the  custom  to  drink  before 
eating-— and  Manuel  and  I  soon  after  went  home. 

I  never  knew  the  name  of  the  lady ;  nor  did  I  hear  a 
word  of  explanation  between  Manuel  and  her  ;  nor  did  I 
ever  ask  any  explanation  of  the  matter  of  Manuel,  or 
even  allude  to  it.  I  felt  so  thankful  for  my  escape,  that 
I  would  not  trouble  him  about  it.  I  knew  that  I  owed  my 
life  to  him ;  that  he  was  set  to  do  this  deed  by  the  Supe- 
rior of  the  Convent,  and  the  other  Priests  ;  and  I  thought 
I  was  safer  never  to  let  him  know  that  I  understood  how 

\  *  Tfce  custom  preyails  in  France. — Ed. 


220  MANUEL  FAINTS.  [Chap. 

near  I  was  to  death.     I  feared  that  if  he  found  out  I  knew 
it,  he  would  put  me  to  death  at  once. 

He  drove  in  silence  home. — It  rained  very  hard. — 1  was 
so  overcome  with  fear  that  1  would  not  speak. — We  passed 
a  dreadful  night. — He  walked  in  anguish  to  and  fro; — 
said  he  was  sick; — he  wished  the  Bishop  would  send  him 
to  Spain.  He  sighed  and  exclaimed  "Mon  Dieu!"  in- 
cessantly, and  had  a  high  fever  and  headache  all  night. — 
I  bathed  his  head,  and  comforted  him  as  well  as  I  could, 
He  left  me  in  the  morning  more  affectionately  than  he  had 
done  for  some  time  previous.  About  eleven  o'clock  of 
that  day  he  sent  to  me  by  his  Alcowater,  two  silver  forks, 
and  two  silver  table-spoons,  of  uncommonly  thick  plate. 

After  evening  oration,  when  he  came  in.  I  admired  the 
thick  plate  of  his  rich  present ;  and  though  sorrowful,  he 
was  more  cheerful  than  he  had  been  for  several  days. 

No  doubt  his  plan  was  to  poison  me,  in  order  to  rid 
himself  and  the  ;^her  Priests  of  the  presence  of  one  whom 
they  were  afraid  to  dismiss,  or  to  suffer  to  escape  ;  and 
whose  presence  had  of  late,  been  to  them  a  source  of 
much  mortification.  They  had  arranged  every  thing, 
but  Manuel's  strength  failed  in  the  execution  of  the  plan. 
The  Lord  did  not  give  him  strength  to  complete  his  design. 
Seeing  how  freely  I  received  the  cup,  he  had  himself 
poured  out  for  me,  his  conscience  smote  him ;  his  purpose 
failed  ;  and  he  fainted  in  the  conflict  of  his  strong  pas- 
sions. The  Lord  took  away  his  strength,  and  defeated 
his  treacherous  design. 

While  I  resided  on  the  island,  many  communications 
passed  between  Rome  and  Havanna,  respecting  a  change 
of  the  Priests'  residence,  proposing  to  remove  those  on 
the  island,  and  to  replace  them  with  others  from  Spain, 
There  was  much  uneasiness  among  the  Priests  about  it. 
They  are  like  soldiers,  and  must  go  where  they  are  com- 
manded by  the  Pope  and  the  Bishop.  I  used  to  hear 
them  say,  they  did  not  care  abqut  being  removed  to  the 
Valley  of  the  Mississippi ;  but  they  were  unwilling  to  be 
transported  to  any  other  of  the  West  India  islands. 

I  asked  Manuel  what  this  was  for,  and  why  they  wished 


attempt  at  pois  omN~a. 


XXII.]  THE  NEW  CONSTITUTION.  221 

to  send  away  the  Priests  that  were  there,  and  to  send 
others  in  their  place. — "  O,"  said  he,  "  there  are  so  many 
Priests  and  Friars  in  Spain,  they  do  not  know  what  to  dc 
with  them.  There  are  in  some  Convents  there,  two  01 
three  hundred  of  them."  Shortly  after,  other  news  would 
come  that  used  to  revive  the  spirits  of  the  Priests  ;  and 
they  would  all  rejoice  together  in  the  hope  of  continuing 
on  the  island.  So  they  were  subject  to  hopes  and  fears, 
depending  on  the  news  from  Rome.  But,  finally,  they 
warded  off  the  blow  that  was  aimed  at  their  places  ;  and 
the  Priests  of  Old  Spain  were  left  to  their  own  fate  in 
Spain,  and  the  Priests  of  Cuba  to  the  enjoyment  of  their 
pleasures. 

Before  the  new  Constitution  made  by  the  king  of  Spain, 
any  criminal  guilty  of  murder,  or  of  any  other  breach  of 
the  laws,  if  he  could  escape  to  any  of  the  Convents,  and 
touch  or  place  his  finger  on  any  part  of  the  Holy  Con- 
vents, by  that  means  he  was  made  free  from  the  penalty  of 
the  law  ;  so  that  no  man  could  take  or  hurt  him,  while  he 
remained  under  the  protection  of  the  walls  of  the  Con- 
vent and  of  the  Priests.*     So  I  was  told  by  Manuel. 

I  asked  Manuel  if  there  were  not  more  murders  com- 
mitted before  the  Constitution,  than  now.  He  said,  no ; 
that  there  was  more  robbery  and  more  murder  committed 
since  the  Constitution  than  before ;  for  now,  when  the  rob- 
bers attack  a  man,  he  would  not  give  up  his  money  so  de- 
liberately and  freely  as  was  usual  previous  to  the  laws 
under  the  Constitution. 

And  further,  I  have  heard  Manuel  and  others  say,  that 
before  the  Constitution,  the  Priests  could  and  would  go  to 
any  gentleman's  house,  at  any  hour  of  the  night,  and  enter 
it,  and  take  any  one,  the  husband  from  his  wife,  or  the 
wife  from  her  husband,  or  the  son,  or  the  daughter,  from 
their  parents,  and  confine  them  in  the  Convent  for  any 
thing  they  might  have  said  or  done  against  the  Priests  or 
the  Holy  Church.  And  I  have  heard  it  said  that  if  the 
Priests  had  other  motives,  they  would  lay  false  charges 

♦  See  note  on  Chap.  XXI.  p.  210. 


222  PRIESTS,  NUNS  AND  PEOPLE  GETTING  WORSE. [Chap. 

against  any  one  they  wished  to  capture,  and  so  would 
make  a  prey  of  the  innocent,  and  drag  the  protector  of 
the  family  from  the  guardianship  of  his  lambs,  that  the 
wolves  might  have  easy  entrance. 

Manuel  has  told  me  that  the  Priests  all  liked  the  state 
of  things  before  the  Constitution  better  than  they  do  now  ; 
because  they  received  more  money,  and  fared  more  sump- 
tuously, and  were  more  respected,  and  the  people  were 
more  humble  and  submissive.  For  then  a  parent  would 
not  dare  permit  his  son  to  come  to  America,  to  travel  in 
any  part  of  the  United  States,  as  the  Priests  would  not 
consent ;  because  they  said  it  made  the  young  men  diso- 
bedient and  wicked  ;  and  they  were  never  the  same  after 
returning,  in  respect  to  the  forms  of  the  Holy  Church, 
and  obedience  to  the  Priests. 

1  have  heard  Manuel  and  other  Priests  say,  that  Cuba 
was  getting  more  and  more  wicked  every  year,  with  the 
Priests,  and  the  Convents,  and  the  people.  I  can  inform 
you  what  led  the  Priests  to  make  this  remark  on  them- 
selves, and  on  their  Convents.  That  night  several  Priests 
were  at  my  house  to  take  supper.  A  Priest  by  the  name 
of  Father  Fortinner,  of  St.  Domingo  Convent,  a  friend  of 
theirs,  had  been,  the  night  previous,  gambling  in  his  Con- 
vent with  some  other  Priests,  who  had  been  unfortunate, 
and  had  lost  a  great  deal  of  money,  and  thought  they  lost 
it  wrongfully,  and  had  been  cheated  by  another  of  the 
Priests.  This  caused  a  dispute,  so  that  words  came  to 
blows,  and  Father  Fortinner  took  a  dftor-bar,  (as  I  was 
informed  by  Manuel,)  and  struck  his  antagonist,  and  broke 
his  arm.  For  this  he  was  taken  by  the  orders  of  the  Su- 
perior of  the  Convent,  and  put  into  a  room  of  the  Con- 
vent, such  as  all  Convents  have,  called  the  Expulsion- 
room,  and  was  confined.  The  criminal  Priest  is  con- 
fined here,  during  the  pleasure  of  his  Superior,  or  of  the 
Bishop ;  and  is  suspended  during  the  time  from  all  his 
duties. 

Manuel  was  put  into  this  room  twice,  during  the  five 
years  I  lived  with  him  ;  but  he  was  confined  only  a  few 
days  each  time.     I  recollect  he  was  in  five  days  at  one 


XXIL]  THE  EXPULSION-ROOM.  223 

time.  He  would  not  tell  me  what  he  had  done ;  but  I 
have  heard  them  say,  that  they  do  not  go  in  for  trifles. 
I  remember  hearing  him  say,  after  he  came  out  at  that 
time,  that  he  had  lost  a  good  deal  of  money  a  short  time 
previous  in  this  way  ;  he  had  been  engaged  by  some  new 
subjects,  who  had  chosen  him  for  their  Father  Confessor, 
and  also  had  been  engaged  to  christen  several  houses ; 
and  he  was  afraid  some  other  Priest  had  taken  the  bar- 
gain  out  of  his  hands,  or  had  robbed  him  of  the  job.  This 
appeared  to  bear  on  his  mind  more  than  the  crime  he  had 
committed,  for  which  he  had  been  confined  in  the  Ex- 
puis io?i- room,  whatever  that  crime  was ;  for  lie  never 
would  tell  me  what  it  was.  But,  as  I  have  said,  they  do 
not  enter  there  for  a  light  offence ;  nor  do  their  people 
know  when  they  are  in  that  room ;  for  whenever  their 
people,  or  any  one  of  them,  sends  to  the  Convent  for  their 
Father  Confessor,  on  any  occasion,  when  he  happens  to 
be  confined  in  the  Expulsio7i-room,  orders  are  given  by 
the  Superior,  to  say  that  the  Priest  is  indisposed  ;  and  that 
probably  he  will  be  out  in  a  few  days.  I  have  been  in- 
formed by  Manuel  that  the  Superior  usually  sends  another 
Priest,  as  a  substitute  for  the  one  confined  in  the  Expul- 
sion-room, to  punish  him  still  more.  The  loss  of  his  fees 
adds  much  to  his  vexation  for  the  loss  of  his  liberty. 

All  the  people  are  led  to  believe  by  the  Priests,  that 
whatever  they  do  in  the  way  of  crime,  they  commit  no 
sin  if  they  have  not  the  heart  and  mind  upon  the  crime, 
but  upon  the  Virgin  Mary,  and  go  away  immediately  and 
Confess  it  to  some  Priest,  and  obtain  pardon.  But  the 
Priest  cannot  pardon  without  money. 

You  may  get  any  one  marked  in  the  face  with  an  ugly 
scar,  or  robbed,  or  murdered,  for  two  dollars.*  This  may 
appear  unnatural  and  incredible  to  many ;  but  not  to  those 

*  Captain  J.  E.  Alexander,  describing  the  manners  and  customs  of 
the  Papists  in  the  West  India  islands,  tells  us  that  *  Murders  are  com- 
mon almost  every  day.  Some  time  ago  no  fewer  than  seven  white  peo- 
ple were  murdered  in  different  parts  of  the  city  of  Havanna.  People 
are  here  robbed  in  open  day.  Transatlantic  Sketches,  Vol.  I.  p. 
353.-  Ed. 


224  MONEY  AND  THE  PRIESTS  THEIR  GO£S.       [Chap. 

who  hare  lived  on  the  island,  and  know  something  about 
the  people.  Almost  every  one  you  meet  is  marked  with 
some  scar  or  gash  in  bis  face.  Even  females  are  often 
made  in  this  way  to  feel  the  envy  of  a  rival  beauty,  and 
even  while  sitting  at  the  window,  they  sometimes  receive 
a  blow  from  the  passing  assassin. 

If  any  one,  citizen  or  stranger,  has  business  to  transact 
on  the  island,  or  wishes  to  make  any  speculation,  or  to 
smuggle  goods  to  any  amount  past  the  customhouse,  or 
leave  the  island  without  a  regular  passport,  and  many 
other  things  of  the  same  dishonest  principle,  he  can  bribe, 
with  a  small  sum  of  money,  either  the  commissaries,  the 
alcades,  or  judges,  or  the  customhouse  officers  :  for  mo- 
ney and  the  Priests  are  their  gods,  if  I  have  any  right  view 
and  knowledge  of  them,  after  living  among  them  five 
years,  and  in  the  heart  of  their  vile  and  wicked  ways. 


XXIII]        MANNER  OF  LAYING  OUT  THE  DEAD.  225 


CHAPTER  XXIll. 

I(  And  lo  !  another  angel  stood  in  heaven, 
Crying  aloud  with  mighty  voice,  '  Fallen,  fallen, 
Is  Babylon  the  Great,  to  rise  no  more. 
Rejoice,  ye  prophets  !  over  her  rejoice, 
Apostles  !  holy  men,  all  saints,  rejoice  ! 
And  glory  give  to  God,  and  to  the  Lamb. 
And  all  the  armies  of  disburdened  earth. 
As  voice  of  many  waters,  and  as  voice 
Of  thunderings,  and  voice  of  multitudes. 
Answered,  Amen. — And  every  hill  and  rock 
And  sea  and  every  beast,  answered,  Amen. 
Europe  answered,  and  the  farthest,  bound 
Of  woody  Chili,  Asia's  fertile  coasts, 
And  Afric's  burning  wastes,  answered,  Amen. 
And  Heaven,  rejoicing,  answered  back,  Amen." 

POLLOK, 

Manner  of  laying  out  the  dead. —  The  American  and  Popish  grave-yards, 
— Death  of  Mary  Stewart  —  The  Priests  get  her  money. — Rosamond  es- 
capes from  Cuba,  and  arrives  in  New  York. 

I  will  describe  as  near  as  I  can.  the  mode  of  laying 
out  the  dead.  First,  after  a  person  dies,  he  is  reniovect 
out  of  the  room  where  his  death  happened,  and  all  the 
furniture  is  also  removed.  The  Priest  then  comes  and 
blesses  it ;  after  this,  he  returns  to  his  Convent  and  brings 
his  Holy  death  articles,  accompanied  wi^h  attendants,  to 
wait  upon  him.  A  Holy  Brussels  carpet  is  then  spread 
upon  the  floor,  and  the  room  is  hung1  round  with  silk  vel- 
vet, or  black  damask  lining.  Then  four  sculls  are  placed 
in  different  parts  of  the  room,  with  the  Cross  on  the  tops 
of  each  one  of  them,  and  with  candles  burning  under 
them.  The  death-table,  which  is  also  brought  from  the 
Convent,  is  placed  in  the  centre  of  the  room.  This  is 
dressed  in  deep  mourning  for  a  man,  but  for  a  lady  it  is 
dressed  in  white.  Pour  large  death-candles  are  burning 
at  each  corner  of  the  table,  with  the  Cross  lying  by  the 
side  of  each  candle.  The  corpse  is  dressed  in  a  new  suit 
of  clothes,  and  laid  out  on  the  table.  The  room  is  then 
sprinkled  with  Holy  Water.  An  image  of  the  Virgin 
Mary,  as  large  as  life,  is  placed  at  the  head  of  the  corpse. 


226  THE  DEATH-ROOM.  [Chap. 

She  is  generally  placed  in  such  an  attitude  as  to  appear 
to  be  weeping  over  it ;  and  a  number  of  candles  are 
lighted  up  round  about  her,  with  a  large  silver  Cross 
with  an  image  of  our  Saviour  on  it.  When  a  female  is 
laid  out,  her  death-table  is  dressed  in  white,  and  ornamented 
with  green  or  orange  leaves  and  flowers.  The  corpse  is 
dressed  in  black  silk  or  satin  ;  that  of  a  young  maid  or 
babe,  has  the  head  set  off  with  flowers,  and  the  face 
painted. 

The  people  go  more  for  the  sake  of  seeing  how  the 
room  is  ornamented,  and  the  corpses  laid  out,  than  they 
do  to  see  the  corpse,  which  looks  more  like  the  living 
than  the  dead ;  so  much  would  they  be  laid  out  in  dis- 
guise by  their  friends  and  the  Priests.  The  Priests  dis- 
guise and  dress  the  death-rooms,  and  the  relations  and 
friends  dress  the  corpses. 

In  this  death-room  there  will  be  a  man,  in  the  capacity 
of  a  clerk,  to  receive  the  gifts  or  fees  which  the  people  al- 
ways bring  on  these  occasions  for  the  prayers  they  say 
over  the  corpses  ;  this  fee  is  two  dollars  and  a  half.  The 
ceremony  which  the  Priest  performs,  is  to  Cross  himself, 
and  say  a  few  words  in  Latin.  After  he  has  performed 
the  ceremony,  he  will  go  up  to  the  clerk  and  get  his  fee. 
If  the  deceased  be  a  rich  person,  you  will  sec  the  Priests 
from  ail  the  Convents  in  the  death-room.  In  this  case, 
you  will  see  a  table  set  out  with  different  kinds  of  wine, 
confectionaries,  and  cigars.  It  is  not  customary  for  the 
Priests  to  leave  the  room  without  taking  some  wine  and 
cigars  as  a  Blessing.  You  will  see  too,  in  this  room  or  in 
the  adjoining  one,  ladies  and  gentlemen  talking  and 
laughing,  smoking  and  drinking  wine,  playing  cards,  and 
playing  on  the  guitars,  as  they  think  it  is  a  sin  to  mourn, 
until  the  soul  of  the  deceased  is  prayed  out  of  Purgatory ; 
and,  they  believe,  that  this  is  done  by  the  prayers  of  the 
Priests. 

When  the  corpse  is  removed  to  be  interred,  one  of  the 
Priests  remains  to  have  the  Holy  Ornaments  conveyed 
back  to  the  Convent,  or  to  some  other  death-room,  which, 
perhaps,  may  be  waiting  to  be  dressed.     The  Priests  aU 


XXIII.]  ROSAMOND  BAPTIZED  BY  SATAN.  227 

ways  take  the  fee  from  the  poor  before  they  leave  the 
house.  The  price  varies  from  an  ounce  to  four  or  six 
ounces,  according  to  the  circumstances  of  the  relatives  of 
the  deceased. 

When  I  reflect  and  bring  up  to  my  mind  how  merciful 
the  Lord  has  been  to  me  in  sparing  my  life,  and  bringing 
me  out  from  among  those  wicked  people,  and  placing  me 
here  where  1  can  see  how  wicked  I  was,  I  feel  overcome 
with  gratitude ;  and  I  hope  and  trust,  that  this  wicked 
heart  of  mine  has  been  melted  down  to  that  "  repentance 
which  needs  not  to  be  repented  of?  1  know  there  is  no 
one  to  blame  but  myself,  for  all  the  misery  I  have  suffered. 
I  know  that  from  the  time  I  left  the  path  of  virtue,  my  life 
was  gloomy,  wicked,  and  full  of  thorns ;  that  my  heart 
was  never  easy,  and  my  mind  was  always  like  the  wav- 
ing ocean  tossed  to  and  fro.  O,  that  I  could  then  have 
said,  and  believed,  (hat  u  the  way  of  the  transgressor  is 
hard!"  and  "  the  wages  of  sin  is  death!" — But  no, — 
that  blessed  Bible  was  a  sealed  book  to  me. — As  soon  as 
I  was  baptized  by  Satan,  I  can  truly  say,  that  I  always 
found  him  to  be  a  hard  master.  Many  are  the  scenes  of 
guilt,  misery,  and  unmixed  sorrow,  that  I  have  sketched 
in  my  wandering  and  wicked  pilgrimage,  to  be  laid  be- 
fore this  dark  and  gloomy  world;  and  yet  I  do  not  sup- 
pose that  I  have  succeeded  in  expressing  that  deep  feel- 
ing which  I  have  suffered.  O,  reader!  if  the  tear  starts, 
if  your  heart  aches  within  you  as  you  think  on  my  gloomy 
narrative,  pause ! — that  those  tears  may  swell  into  a 
stream; — that  your  heart  may  almost  burst,  to  think  how 
common  were  my  sufferings,  and  that  every  day  brings 
forth  the  same  story,  and  say  : 

u  Who  is  that,  forlorn  and  wasting, 

Wrapped  in  study  and  despair  I 
All  the  pangs  of  death  she's  tasting, 

Sad  world,  indeed,  O,  who  can  bear ! 

M  Once  by  virtue's  fireside  dwelling, 
She  was  blessed  with  parents'  love, 

Now,  her  heart  with  anguish  swelling, 
Finds  no  rest,  like  Noah's  dove.', 


228  THE  AMERICAN  GRAVE-YARD.  [Chap/- 

I  will  now  give  a  description,  as  near  as  I  can,  of  the 
situation  of  the  American  grave-yard,  of  the  manner  in 
which  the  dead  are  buried  there,  and  how  much  they  are 
exposed  in  their  graves. 

The  American  grave-yard  is  three  miles  outside  of 
the  walls  of  the  city,  (Havanna.)  It  lays  out  by  the  sea- 
side. This  is  the  place  they  appropriate  for  burying  the 
poor  Protestants,  as  they  call  us.  It  is  about  three  acres, 
partly  fenced,  and  partly  walled  in.  The  wall  in  many 
parts  is  broken  down,  and  the  fence  is  old  and  broken. 
Turkey  buzzards,  cattle,  mules,  and  wild  animals  enter  it 
whenever  they  choose.  You  may  go  in  there  at  anytime 
you  will,  and  you  will  see  on  the  graves,  part  of  the  dead 
bodies,  an  arm,  or  a  leg,  or  the  face  of  the  dead  exposed 
naked,  and  the  buzzards  devouring  the  bodies.  If  the 
body  would  be  laid  out  in  a  shroud,  some  of  the  natives 
would  come  and  strip  it  naked,  and  leave  the  body  ex- 
posed on  the  earth.  The  friends,  however,  or  the  relations 
of  the  deceased,  generally  cut  up  the  shroud  into  small 
pieces,  so  that  it  may  be  of  no  use  to  the  natives,  that  they 
may  let  it  alone.  You  will  find  no  tomb-stones  on  the 
graves.  Formerly,  when  any  friend  would  put  a  tomb- 
stone on  the  grave  of  their  friend,  it  would  be  taken  im- 
mediately away  by  some  of  the  natives  of  the  island.  I 
have  myself,  with  some  friend,  and  without  Manuel's 
knowing  it,  gone  out  there  to  see  this  impious  scene.  I 
have  counted  ten,  and  sometimes  twenty  bodies  exposed 
out  of  the  ground  for  the  wild  animals  to  devour.  I  some- 
times asked  Manuel,  if  he  did  not  think  it  cruel  and 
wicked  to  have  the  dead  so  much  exposed  to  be  devoured 
by  the  wild  animals.  He  used  to  reply,  "  no, — it  mattered 
not  where  the  poor  wicked  Protestants  were  laid," — and 
he  compared  us  to  the  dumb  beasts,  and  said,  if  I  died 
without  being  christened,  and  would  not  become  a  Catho- 
lic, that  when  I  died,  my  body  would  also  be  exposed  in 
the  same  way ;  that  he  could  not  bury  me  ;  neither  could 
he  have  my  soul  prayed  out  of  Purgatory. 

During  the  last  year  I  was  living  on  the  island,  there 
was  an  American  female,  who  belonged  here  in  New 


XXIIL]  DEATH  OF  MARY  STEWART.  229 

York,  and  who  had  a  mother  and  two  sisters  living  here, 
who,  she  said,  were  Christians.  At  that  time,  she  was 
living  with  a  Spanish  gentleman ;  and  as  she  was 
young,  and  handsome,  she  was  frequently  visited  by  the 
,  Priests..  She  was  sick  with  the  black-vomit,  and  lived 
only  five  days.  I  saw  her  a  number  of  times  during  the 
time  that  she  was  sick,  Her  constant  cry  was  about  her 
poor  mother,  and  to  warn  all*>f  her  female  friends,  that 
would  call  and  see  her,  and  who  were  living  in  the  same 
capacity  with  herself,  to  leave  that  life,  and  the  island,  and 
return  to  their  dear  parents,  and  prepare  to  die.  I  must 
die,  she  said,  unprepared.  It  was  the  wish  of  her  friend, 
and  some  of  her  favorite  friends  of  the  Priests,  for  her  to 
be  christened.  They  told  her  that  she  would  be  lost )  and 
that  they  could  not  bury  her,  or  have  her  buried  in  the 
u  Compassant ,"— -(the  Catholic  grave-yard  ;)  that  she 
would  be  obliged  to  be  laid  in  the  American  grave-yard, 
for  the  wild  beasts  to  devour.  This  awful  dread  and  ter- 
ror of  having  her  body  exposed  to  the  wild  animals,  (as 
she  had  been  out  to  the  American  grave -yard,)  made  her 
consent  to  be  christened  in  the  form  of  the  Holy  Catholic 
Church,  as  they  call  it.  As  soon  as  some  of  her  Ameri- 
can female  friends  heard  this,  they  objected  to  it,  and  kept 
the  Priests  out  of  the  house  until  the  breath  was  out  of 
her  body.  The  Priests  that  belong  to  St.  Domingo  Con- 
vent, felt  very  much  vexed  about  it,  and  threatened  to 
have  these  American  female  friends  put  into  Moro  Castle, 
for  depriving  them  of  saving  that  poor  soul  from  going  to 
hell  There  were  several  Priests  who  met  there  from 
different  Convents ;  and  they  held  a  consultation  upon 
what  should  be  done.  They  concluded,  in  the  end,  that 
she  should  be  buried  in  the  Holy  Ground,  because  they 
had  heard  her  say,  that  she  was  willing  to  be  christened ; 
and  that  if  she  died  without  the  Priests,  it  was  because  her 
wicked  Protestant  friends  would  not  let  them  come. 

She  was  about  eighteen  years  old,  and  her  name  was 
Mary  Stewart.  She  had  some  property*  and,  as  soon  as  the 
breath  was  out  of  her  body,  they  began  to  seize  upon  her 
things,  and  to  cnrry  them  away, 
20 


230  ESCAPES  FROM  HAVANA. 

The  Catholic  grave-yard  is  very  different  from  the  Ame- 
rican ;  for  the  graves  are  all  covered  with  beautiful  flow- 
ers, and  it  is  fenced  in  with  a  high  stone  wail,  and  the 
graves  all  have  Crosses  at  the  head  of  them. 

It  was  daring  the  cholera,  in  the  year  1S33,  that  I  made 
my  escape  from  Manuel,  and  from  the  island,  when  my 

Priest  had  left   the   city  with   the   Marquis  M Js 

family,  the  same  lady  who  had  hired  those  robbers  to  kill 
me.  A  great  many  families  left  the  city  during  the 
cholera,  all  taking  their  Priests  with  them,  believing  their 
Priests  could  save  them.  Before  he  went  into  the 
country,  he  supplied  my  wants,  and  gave  me  money  to 
make  me  comfortable.  He  left  an  old  Aleowater  in  the 
house,  to  remain  during  his  absence.  I  was  assisted  to 
get  away  by  one,  whom  it  might  injure  to  mention  his 
name,  who  felt  very  much  for  my  forlorn  and  lost  condi- 
tion ;  and  through  the  mercies  of  the  Lord,  and  the  love 
he  had  for  ray  poor  immortal  soul,  I  am  brought  to  this 
Christian  country,  and  am  placed  anions  Christian 
friends :  and  I  hope  and  trust,  that  I  am  not  only  reclaim- 
ed in  this  world,  but  am  in  the  arms  of  my  dear 'Saviour, 


APPENDIX, 

FURTHER  ILLUSTRATING  ROMANISM. 


CHAPTER  I 


ROMISH  PRIESTS. 

This  Narrative  treats  so  largely  on  the  conduct  of  the  Ro- 
man Catholic  Priests,  that  the  reader  is  entitled  to  every  degree 
of  information  concerning  their  rank  and  office,  which  it  is 
possible  in  a  brief  space  to  bestow. 

The  Council  of  Trent,  in  its  twenty-third  session,  decrees, 
that  "sacrifice  and  Priesthood  are  so  joined  by  the  ordinance 
.of  God,  that  both  are  found  together  in  every  dispensation ;"- — 
u  that  the  Catholic  church,  having  received  by  divine  institu- 
tion, the  holy  and  visible  sacrifice  of  the  Eucharist,  (the  Mass,) 
she  has  a  new,  and  visible,  and  external  Priesthood,  in  the 
place  of  the  old~  (Mosaic;) — that  this  Priesthood  was  insti- 
tuted by  the  Lord  our  Saviour,  and  that  to  his  Apostles  and 
their  successors  in  the  Priesthood,  the  power  was  given  to  con- 
secrate, offer,  and  minister  his  body  and  blood;  and  also  to 
remit  and  retain  sins.17 

This  is  then  the  peculiar  office  of  a  Roman  Priest ;  to  wit : 
To  offer  Mass,  and  also  to  remit  and  retain  sins.  And  the 
Roman  Catholics  are  taught  in  the  catechism,  that  the  office 
of  the  Priest  transcends  all  others  in  dignity,  inasmuch  as  their 
power  of  consecrating  the  body  of  the  Lord,  and  remitting 
sins,  is  incomprehensible,  and  unequalled  by  any  power  on  the 
earth. 

The  Priesthood  is  divided  into  seven  Orders,  beginning  with 
the  Clerical  tonsure,  or  the  shaving  of  the  young  student's 
head,  and  ascending,  gradually,  to  the  rank  of  Priest.  They 
are  oJJcd  Porter  Reader.,  Exorcist,  Acolyte,  Sub-deacon,  Dea- 


232  APPENDIX. 

con,  and  Priest.  The  first  four  of  the  seven  are  called  Wmor 
Orders ;  the  three  latter  are  called  Holy  Orders.  The  Porter 
keeps  the  church  door.  The  Reader  reads  to  the  people.  The 
Exorcist  receives  power  over  evil  spirits,  to  cast  them  out. 
The  Acolyte  serves  the  Priests  at  the  altar,  by  attending  the 
candles  in  the  offering  of  the  Mass.  The  Sub-deacon  prepares 
the  altar-linen,  the  sacred  vessels,  the  bread  and  wine,  the  water 
to  wash  the  Priest's  hands  at  Mass,  and  to  read  the  epistle,  and 
assist  as  a  witness,  and  sees  that  nothing  occurs  to  disturb  the 
celebration  of  the  Mass.  The  Deacon  waits  on  the  Bishop  as- 
the  Sub-deacon  serves  the  Priest,,  and,  in  an  emergency,  he  may 
expound  the  Gospel  to  the  people,  but  not  from  an  elevated 
place.  The  Priest  has  power  to  offer  sacrifice  to  God,  and  to 
administer  the  Sacraments  of  the  Romish  church. 

Ordination,  they  say,  confers  grace,  and  constitutes  one  of 
their  seven  church  Sacraments :  it  impresses  a  character  on  the 
Priest,  that  never  can  be  destroyed  or  taken  away.  Death 
alone  severs  a  Priest  from  the  obligation  of  his  vows ;  even 
the  grave  receives  him  in  his  habits,  though  he  may  have  been 
removed  from  public  office  on  account  of  scandalous  vices. 
This  we  have  seen  illustrated  in  the  Narrative  most  amply. 
Neither  open  concubinage,  nor  secret  murder,  was  sufficient  to 
take  away  the  office  of  the  Priests  of  Cuba.  They  were  never 
laid  by,  as  unfit  for  duty,  while  their  base  indulgences  failed  to 
disfigure  their  countenances,  and  odiously  to  deprive  them  of 
some  one  of  the  features  of  the  face.  When  the  curse  of  their 
indulgences  breaks  uncontrollably  out  upon  their  eyes,  nose,  or 
mouth,  then,  in  shame,  they  are  laid  by,  and  no  longer  suffered 
to  consecrate  and  offer  the  Romish  Mass.  In  conformity  with 
this  imperishable  character  of  the  Priest,  the  great  Council  of 
Trent  pronounced,  "  Whoever  shall  affirm  that  he  who  was 
once  a  Priest  may  become  a  layman  again :  let  him  be  ac- 
cursed."    Sess.  XXIII. 

The  Bishops  are  not  an  Order  by  themselves,  but  they  are  of 
the  Order  of  Priests,  set  apart  to  the  high  office  of  overseers 
and  governors  of  the  church,  to  whom  belongs  the  administra- 
tion of  the  rite  of  ordination  :  and  any  man  who  says  "  that  Or- 
ders conferred  by  them,  without  the  consent  or  calling  of  tho 
people,  or  the  secular  power^  are  invalid,  let  him  be  accursed." 
That  is,  they  make  Priests  whom  they  will,,  and  whom  they 
will  they  reject,  without  giving  any  account  to  the  people,  or 
taking  care  to  consult  those  over  whom  the  Priest  is  placed ; 


APPENDIX.  233 

although  the  Bishop  full  well  knows  how  to  remove  an  ob- 
noxious Priest  from  one  part  of  the  Roman  domains  to  another; 
and  to  replace  a  notorious  offender,  by  an  utter  stranger ;  and 
to  change  the  residence  of  one  who  is  endangering  the  Roman 
credit  to  a  new  field,  which  he  enters  with  all  the  sanctity  of  a 
man  under  a  solemn  vow  of  chastity,  obedience,  and  poverty, 
for  the  sake  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven.     Such  were  Father 

Hosa,  and  Father  Panterilla,  and  Father  R ,  and  others, 

who  took  refuge  from  Havanna  in  these  United  States,  or  were 
ordered  hither  by  the  Bishop  of  Cuba. 

The  Pope  himself,  and  the  Cardinals,. and  all  the- multitude 
of  the  lower  Hierarchy,  are  of  the  Order  of  Priests,  holding  the 
rank  of  Bishops,  <fcc.  &c;  The  Pope  is  Bishop  of  Rome  :  and 
his  Cardinals  are  nominally  Priests  and  Deacons  of  Rome, 
and  its  vicinity. 

The  Council  of  Trent  made  no  definition  of  the  powers  of 
the  Bishops,  probably  from  a  difficulty  of  discerning,  readily 
between  those  of  the  Bishop  of  Rome,  and  of  the  other  Bishops. 
But,  according  to  the  Doctors  of  Rome,  the  Bishops  are  all  in 
the  rank  of  the  Apostles,  over  whom  they  place  the  Bishop  of 
Rome  instead  of  Peter.  The  Scriptures  do  not  furnish  an  in- 
stance of  Peter's  exercising  authority,  or  even  seeking  to  do  it, 
over  the  rest  of  the  Apostles ;  so  far  from  it,  they  tell  of  Paul's 
withstanding  him  publicly  to  his  face,  and  putting  him  under 
open  rebuke,  which  he  bore  with  meekness,  for  he  was  to 
blame.  Yet  history  is  full  of  the  feats  cf  authority  of  the 
Bishop  of  Rome,  who  is  the  head  of  the  Roman  Priesthood, 
the  fountain  of  all  grace,  and  honor,  and  power,  to  the  Romish 
Priests,  wherever  they  are  found  on  the  face  of  the  whole  earth, 
and  the  object  of  their  homage,  whom  they  swear  to  obey,  when 
absent,  and  in  whose  presence  they  fall  down  and  worship. 

This  is  not  a  sketch  of  ancient  history,  or  of  poetic  fancy ; 
but  it  is  the  testimony  of  modern  travelers,  taken  here  from  the 
classical  Tour  of  Eustace,  (Vol.  II.  168,)  himself  a  Roman 
Catholic,  zealous  for  that  faith.  Describing  the  manner  in 
which  the  head  of  the  Roman  Priesthood  is  received,  when  he 
shows  himself  to  the  multitude,  he  says  :  "The  Pontiff  appears, 
elevated  on  his  chair  of  state  under  the  middle  arch  (of  St.  Pe- 
ter's.) Instantly  the  whole  multitude  below  fall  on  their  knees. 
The  cannons  of  St.  Angdo,  (a  neighboring  fort)  give  a  general 
discharge;  while  rising  slowly  from  his  throne,  he  lifts  his  hands 
to  heaven,  stretches  forth  his  arm,  and  thrice  gives  his  bene 
20* 


234  APPENDIX. 

diction,  to  the  crowd,  to  the  city,  and  to  all  mankind.  A  solemn 
pause  follows;  another  discharge  from  the  fort  is  heard:  the 
crowd  rises,  and  the  pomp  gradually  disappears."  Cram]?* 
Text  Book,  p.  314.  How  much  it  would  serve  the  Pope,  if  he 
could  thunder  !  Poor  man,  that  he  should  be  beholden  to  the 
castle  of  Angelo  for  a  voice  to  announce  his  presence,  and  the 
conclusion  of  his  blessing !  For  the  blessing  itself  no  man 
hears.  The  Rev.  Dr.  M'Auley  of  this  city  gives  me  leave  to 
say  he  stood  within  ten  feet  of  the  Pope  this  very  year,  when 
he  came  forth  to  bless  some  fifty  thousand  people,  and  neither 
could  the  sound  of  his  voice  be  heard,  nor  his  lips  be  discov- 
ered to  move. 

Mr.  Eustace  adds,  that,  in  the  ceremony  called  the  adoration 
of  the  Pope,  which  takes  place  almost  immediately  after  his 
election,  '-he  is  placed  in  a  chair  on  the  altar  of  the  Cistine 
chapel,  and  there  receives  the  homage  of  the  Cardinals.  This 
ceremony  is  again  repeated  on  the  high  altar  of  St.  Peter's." — 
Their  Roman  altars  are  nothing  to  me.  A  Pope  or  a  slave 
may  alike  sit  or  stand  on  them ;  but  to  the  Romans  themselves, 
it  is  the  most  holy  place,  where  the  Lord  is  daily  offered  up ; 
and  for  a  Priest  to  approach  it,  he  must  kneel  down  :  and  for  a 
commoner  to  pass  by  it,  he  must  kneel  down ;  because  it  is  the 
place  of  the  Lord  of  Hosts ;  the  holy  elements  are  treasured 
there.  They  worship  and  adore  the  consecrated  elements,  in 
that  place;  and  in  that  place  they  adore  the  Pope,  who  ikas  (or 
instead  of )  God,  sitteth  in  the  temple  of  God,  shoicing  himself 
that  he  is  God.11  2  Thess.  II. 

Candidates  for  the  Priesthood  are  admitted  to  the  Minor  Or- 
ders, at  the  age  of  fourteen.  Sub-deacons  must  be  twenty-two  : 
Deacons  twenty-three;  and  Priests  twenty-five.*  They  are 
educated  at  public  seminaries ;  the  poor  gratuitously,  the  rich 
at  charges.  They  are  required  to  learn  grammar,  singing,  and 
other  ordinary  branches  of  education :  to  become  versed  in 
Scripture,  Ecclesiastical  reading,  the  homilies  of  the  Saints,  and 
the  ceremonies  of  the  Sacraments.  They  must  attend  Mass 
every  day,  Confess  and  receive  the  sacrament  once  a  month, 
under  direction  of  their  Confessor.  They  receive  the  first  ton- 
sure, immediately  on  their  admission  to  wear  the  clerical  habit ; 
and,  from  that  time,  are  gradually  initiated  into  the  services  of 
the  church. 

*  By  a  dispensation  they  can  be  ordained  at  any  a§e. — Ed. 


APPENDIX.  235 

One  of  the  distinguishing  and  indelible  marks  of  the  Romish 
Priesthood  is  the  vow  of  chastity,  obedience,  and  poverty.  How 
it  is  kept  by  them  in  Cuba,  the  reader  very  well  knows.  Their 
licentiousness  is  not  usually  exceeded  by  their  wealth,  even 
when  they  pursue  the  steps  taken  by  Father  Francisco,  and  by 
Father  Panterilla,  to  increase  riches.  The  article  of  obedience 
has  reference  to  the  duty  they  owe  to  their  Superiors ;  and  that, 
they  are  forced  to  perform  to  the  letter. 

It  is  not  in  Cuba  alone  where  the  corrupt  Priests  of  the  Ro- 
mish doctrine  of  celibacy  are  found.  In  every  part  of  the 
world,  where  it  is  forbidden  to  marry,  the  same  licentiousness 
is  said  to  prevail ;  and,  in  the  very  nature  of  frail  man,  it  must 
prevail.  Jos  Blanco  White,  whose  place  as  royal  chaplain  to 
the  king  of  Spain,  gave  him  opportunity  to  know,  thus  speaks 
of  his  own  observations. 

"  I  cannot  think  of  the  wanderings  of  the  friends  of  my 
youth,  without  heart-rending  pain.  One,  now  no  more,  whose 
talents  raised  him  to  one  of  the  highest  dignities  of  the  church 
of  Spain,  was,  for  many  years,  a  model  of  Christian  purity. 
When,  by  the  powerful  influence  of  his  mind,  and  the  warmth  of 
his  devotion,  this  man  had  drawn  many  into  the  clerical  and  reli- 
gious life,  (my  youngest  sister  among  the  latter,)  he  sunk  at  once 
into  the  grossest  and  most  daring  profligacy.  I  heard  him  boast 
that  the  night  before  the  solemn  procession  of  Corpus  Christi, 
where  he  appeared  nearly  at  the  head  of  his  Chapter,  one  of 
two  children  had  been  born,  which  his  two  concubines  had 
brought  to  light  within  a  few  days  of  each  other.  Such,  more 
or  less,  has  been  the  fate  of  my  early  friends,  whose  minds  and 
hearts  were  much  above  the  common  standard  of  the  Spanish 
Clergy.  What,  then,  need  I  say  of  the  vulgar  crowd  of 
Priests,-  who,  coming,  as  the  Spanish  phrase  has  it,  from 
coarse  swaddling  clothes,  and  raised  by  Ordination  to  a  rank 
of  life,  for  which  they  have  not  been  prepared,  mingle  vice 
and  superstition,  grossness  of  feeling,  and  pride  of  office,  in 
their  character  ?  I  have  known  the  best  among  them,  I  have 
heard  their  Confessions;  I  have  heard  the  Confessions  of  per- 
sons of  both  sexes,  who  fell  under  the  influence  of  their  sug- 
gestions and  example;  and  I  do  declare,  that  nothing  can  fcl 
more  dangerous  to  youthful  virtue,  than  their  company. 

"  I  have  seen  the  mo^'t  promising  men  of  my  University, 
(Salamanca,)  obtain  country  Vicarages  with  characters  unim- 
peached,  and  hearts  overflowing  with  hopes  of  usefulness.     A 


236 


APPENDIX. 


virtuous  wife  would  have  confirmed  and  strengthened  their 
purposes :  but  they  were  required  to  live  a  life  of  angels  in  ce- 
libacy. They  were,  however,  men,  and  their  duties  connected 
them  with  beings  of  no  higher  description.  Young  women 
knelt  before  them  in  all  the  intimacy  and  frankness  of  Confes- 
sion. A  solitary  home  made  them  go  abroad  in  search  of 
social  converse.  Love  seized  them,  at  length,  like  madness. 
Two,  I  knew,  who  died  insane :  hundreds  might  be  found, 
who  avoid  that  fate  by  a  life  of  settled  systematic  vice.7'  Prac- 
tical and  Internal  Evidence  against  Catholicism, 
Page  132. 

Such  fruits  prove  the  tree  to  be  corrupt,  which  produces 
them.  They  are  common  in  Roman  catholic  countries.  The 
vulgar  crowd  of  Spanish  Priests,  named  by  Mr.  While,  are  in- 
troduced to  us  one  by  one  in  the  course  of  this  Narrative; 
their  grossness  of  feeling,  their  superstition,  their  vices,  their 
pride  of  office,  are  all  unveiled.  The  circle  of  Priests  in 
which  Rosamond  moved,  contained  characters  of  various 
grades  ;  but  they  were  all  licentious,  cruel,  and  wanting  na- 
tural affection,  as  their  vows,  together  with  the  ordinary  duties 
of  their  office,  most  certainly  make  them.  They  may  start  in 
life  pure  and  innocent ;  and  may  cherish  ardent  hopes  of  serv- 
ing the  Lord  in  the  ministry.  I  am  willing  to  think  they  do  ; 
but  it  is  impossible  to  continue  in  this  state  through  a  long  life 
of  temptation.  The  Priest  may  praise  celibacy,  and  boast  of 
chastity,  and  sprinkle  Holy  Water  to  frighten  away  the  evil 
spirits,  and  even  Cross  himself  every  time  an  assault  is  made 
on  his  vows;  he  may  resist  the  warm  kiss  of  the  devout  peni- 
tent, impressed  on  his  hands,  when  she  has  frank'.y  told  him, 
by  herself  alone,  all  that  is,  or  has  been,  in  her  heart,  and  re- 
ceives absolution  and  a  blessing  in  return ;  but  in  the  effort  to 
maintain  his  innocence,  it  is  easy  to  believe  that  out  of  a  hun- 
dred Priests,  ninety-eight  would  sooner  or  later  sink  under  the 
power  of  temptation,  and  the  other  two  would  go  mad. 

That  word  of  Manuel's,  when  he  took  his  habit  between  his 
thumb  and  finger,  and  extending  it,  said;  "Rosetta,  this  habit 
does  not  change  our  feelings ;  we  have  feelings  like  other 
men;"  is  a  true  word,  whether  spoken  in  New  York  or  Ha- 
vanna.  The  vow  of  the  Priest  is  the  same ;  and  the  tempta- 
tions of  the  Priest  are  the  same,  here,  as  elsewhere;  but  the 
restraints  upon  the  licentiousness  of  Priests  are  tenfold  greater 
here,  than  in  a  Rorr*an  catholic  country.     The  eye  of  a  jealous 


APPENDIX.  237 

people  is  upon  them,  and  they  are  defended  from  the  allure- 
ments of  their  own  official  duties,  by  a  proper  dread  of  that 
public  reproach,  which,  in  this  country,  assuredly  falls  on  the 
wanton  lip  and  leering  eye  of  a  professed  teacher  of  morals 
and  of  religion. 


238 


APPENDIX. 


CHAPTER  II. 


Reader. — "  Where  is  that  Church,  against  which  Christ 
tells  us  Satan  shall  not  prevail  7 

J.  B.  White. — "  Let  me  answer  you  by  a  question,  though  I 
fear  it  will  appear  to  you  rather  out  of  the  way. — Where  is  the 
plough  we  pray  God  to  speed  % 

Reader. — "  Oh,  Sir !  we  do  not  mean  any  particular  plough. 
We  only  pray  God,  to  prosper  and  bless  the  labors  of  the  hus- 
bandman. 

White. — "  Very  well. — Now,  suppose  that  God  had,  in  the 
Scriptures,  promised  that  evil  should  never  prevail  against  the 
f  lough ;   what  would  you  understand  by  the  words  % 

Reader. — "  I  believe  they  would  mean  that  all  the  crops 
should  never  fail  at  once,  so  that  it  would  be  impossible  ever  to 
grow  any  more  grain. 

White. — "  And  what  would  you  think,  if  a  society  of  far- 
mers, with  a  rich  man  at  their  head,  had  established  them- 
selves at  London,  and  wished  to  have  a  monopoly  of  all  the 
corn  on  earth,  saying  to  the  government ;  '  You  must  go  to 
war  to  defend  our  rights ;  for  God  has  said :  Evil  shall  not 
prevail  against  the  plough.  And  who  can  be  the  plough,  but 
the  head  and  society  of  farmers  of  the  county  of  Middlesex, 
wherein  stands  the  great  city  of  London,  which  is  the  first  city 
of  the  world  V 

Reader. — "  I  should  certainly  think  they  were  a  set  either 
of  madmen  or  rogues,  who  wished  for  their  own  benefit  to  levy 
a  tax  upon  all  farmers,  wherever  they  were. 

White. — "I  will  leave  you  to  apply  what  we  have  said,  to 
the  use  which  the  Pope  and  his  Cardinals  have  made  of 
Christ's  promise  to  the  Church,  that  Satan  should  not  prevail 
against  his  Church. — Church,  here,  must  mean  Christianity  in 
general ;  not  Christianity  confined  to  the  walls  of  any  town. 
The  meaning,  therefore,  of  the  promise  must  be,  that  Satan 
shall  never  succeed  in  abolishing  the  faith  in  God  through 
Christ: — not  that  the  Pope  and  Rome  must  always  be  right; 
and  much  less,  that  the  Pope  is  the  spiritual  governor  of  the 
world. 

"  As  far  as  the  Roman  Church  regulates  her  faith  by  the. 
Gospel,   we  believe  her  to  be  a  true  portion  of  the  Univer- 


APPENDIX.  239 

gal  Church  of  Christ.  But  in  regard  to  her  inventions,  where- 
by she  makes  void  the  power  and  spirit  of  the  Gospel,  we  de- 
clare her  corrupt  and  heretical ;  and  in  proportion  to  the 
additions,  which  out  of  her  own  fancy  she  has  made  to  the 
Gospel,  she  has  separated  herself  from  that  multitude  of  per- 
sons of  every  age  and  country,  who,  being  called  by  the  grace 
of  God,  to  believe  in  his  Son  Jesus  Christ,  have  conformed, 
and  do  now  conform  their  lives  to  the  obedience  of  the  Gos- 
pel, and  ground  their  hopes  of  salvation  on  the  promises  made 
therein. 

*'  Many  suppose  the  Roman  church  has  reformed ;  has  aban- 
doned its  ancient  errors,  its  blind  superstitions,  its  idolatries,  its 
political  meddling,  its  secret  works  of  darkness,  its  intolerance. 
But  Rome  no  more  admits  the  doctrine  of  any  salvation  out  of 
the  pale  of  her  church,  now,  than  in  the  thirteenth  century, 
She  distrusts,  and  where  she  can,  she  disfranchises  aliens  to 
her  faith,  now,  as  much  as  in  the  days  of  Leo  the  Tenth.  Her 
celebration  of  the  Mass  is  the  same;  her  Convents  and  Monas- 
teries are  the  same;  her  Monks  and  Nuns  are  the  same;  her 
worship  of  images,  and  pictures,  and  Crosses,  is  the  very 
same;  her  Latin  services,  her  exclusion  of  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures, her  Priestly  power,  and  Papal  claims,  are  the  same;  not 
one  of  them  is  renounced;  and  the  order  of  Jesuits,  once  dis- 
banded, is  again  organized  by  Rome.  Her  private  Confes- 
sions, her  Absolutions,  her  Indulgences,  her  doctrine  of  Purga- 
tory, her  vaunting  display  of  robes  and  habits,  her  overbearing 
pride;  her  Roman  yoke,  in  all  its  hardships  of  penance,  scourg- 
mgs,  fastings,  and  fines,  are  the  same  now,  as  they  were  in  the 
days  of  Luther.  In  what  is  Rome  reformed  ?  Are  her 
Priests  more  pure?  Her  Nuns  more  chaste ?  Her  ceremonies 
less  numerous?  Her  devotions  better  understood?  Her  de- 
signs less  grasping?  In  what  is  Rome  reformed?  She  anathe- 
matizes all  who  dissent  from  her  Bishop,  with  the  same  curse, 
and  pronounces  it  in  the  same  spirit,  as  in  the  sixteenth  cen- 
tury. Because  her  power  is  brought  low,  and  nations  have 
learned  to  break  her  burdensome  yoke,  she  seems  changed; 
and  outwardly  she  is  changed ;  but  the  reform  is  on  the  out- 
side. It  proceeds  from  no  retraction  of  her  principles,  her 
aims,  her  doctrines,  or  her  practices.  They  are  the  same,  and 
will  be  for  ever.  The  Jews  did  not  adhere  to  the  Mosiac  law, 
and  to  the  traditions  of  the  Elders,  more  devoutly,  than  the 
Roman  catholics  adhere  to  the  traditions  of  Rome.     Jerusalem 


240  APPENDIX.  " 

was  destroyed :  it  could  not  be  reformed.  The  preaching  of 
John,  the  miracles  and  doctrines  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  the  displays 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  lives  of  the  Apostles,  failed  to  reform 
the  Jews.  The  destruction  of  Jerusalem  did  not  reform  them. 
They  retain  their  errors  to  this  day.  And  Rome  is  no  nearer 
conversion.  Rome  gives  no  fairer  evidence  of  a  reformation 
of  heart,  than  the  dispersed  of  Israel  give  of  loving  the  name 
of  Jesus,  the  Christ  crucified.  They  hate  the  name,  as  Rome 
hates  reform* 

"  It  is  written,  that  Babylon  shall  be  destroyed ;  and  it  is  ad- 
mitted by  competent  judges,  and  by  the  proudest  Cardinals  of 
the  Papacy,  that  in  the  New  Testament,  Babylon  means  Rome, 
only  heathen  Rome,  But  the  reader  knows,  that  as  the  wor- 
ship of  images  is  the  mark  of  a  heathen,  so  Rome  is,  and  has 
ever  been  a  heathen  city.  It  may  be  confidently  affirmed  of 
every  century,  since  the  foundations  of  Rome  were  laid,  that 
the  inhabitants  of  Rome,  by  a  majority,  were  worshipers  of 
images,  were,  and  are  idolators  ;  and  the  past  affords  us  no  en- 
couragement to  expect  they  will  ever  be  any  thing  «else.  The 
prophet  tells  how  she  shall  come  to  an  end,  and  by  whose 
hand,  [Rev.  18:  8 ;)  but,  while  the  Lord  spares  her,  we  are 
bound  to  labor  for  their  good,  to  open  their  eyes,  and  to  convert 
their  hearts,  who  are,  wherever  they  reside,  Roman  citizens, 
not  now  a  title  of  honor,  as  it  was  \a  the  Apostolic  times ;  but 
a  name  which  expresses  Lordship,  and  the  dominion  over  other 
men,  and  places  on  the  earth. 

"  While  laboring,  however,  for  the  conversion  of  the  Ro- 
mans, it  is  good  to  bear  in  mind  what  has  been  already 
attempted  without  success,  m  order  to  guide  the  effort  in  a 
direction  likely  to  be  more  successful.  In  the  days  of  the  great 
Reformation,  the  nations  who  adhered  to  Rome,  asked,  and 
urged,  and  then  demanded  a  thorough  reform  of  the  Papal 
church.  The  French  Ambassadors  to  the  Council  of  Trent, 
were  particularly  instructed  to  insist  on  a  reform  in  the  church 
service,  in  order  to  the  abolition  ot  all  superstitions  and  useless 
ceremonies;  the  concession  of  the  cup  in  communion  to  the  lay 
members  of  the  church  ;  the  administration  of  the  Sacraments 
in  the  common  languages,  and  not  in  Latin ;  also  the  singing 
of  psalms  and  other  spiritual  songs ;  the  reading  of  the  Scrip- 
ture, and  the  public  prayers  and  praises,  in  the  common  lan- 
guages instead  of  the  Latin ;  the  reformation  of  the  licentious 
lives  of  the  Clergy,  and  many  abuses  which  had  crept  into  the 


APPENDIX.  24l 

Voxirt  of  Rome,  and  the  church  at  large,  of  which  they  fur- 
nished an  ample  list. 

"  The  Spanish  Prelates,  in  that  Council,  zealously  co-oper- 
ated with  those  of  France  in  this  work  of  reform;  and  it 
seemed,  at  one  time,  as  if  they  would  have  carried  it.  The 
Cardinal  Lorraine  came  into  the  Council  at  its  twenty-third 
Session,  with  thirty-nine  French  Prelates,  and  urged  the  most 
prompt  and  energetic  measures.  He  was  followed  by  the  Am- 
bassador of  France,  Du  Terrier,  who  boldly  declared,  that  the 
Church  must  be  brought  back  to  the  standard  of  the  Scriptures, 
the  Canons,  and  the  venerable  Councils  :  '  Unless  this  is  done, 
Holy  Fathers,'  (said  he,)  'in  vain  will  you  inquire  whether 
France  is  in  a  state  of  peace.-— We  can  only  answer  you,  as 
Jehu  answered  Joram,  when  he  said  :  Is  there  peace,  Jehu  ? 
— What  peace,  (he  replied,)  so  long  as  the  fornications* — 
you  know  the  rest.  But  unless  this  is  done,  in  vain  will  you^ 
seek  for  advice  or  help  from  this,  or  that  quarter,'  "  &e.  ( Pal- 
la  vicini,  L.  10,  C.  3.  Sarpi  L.  7,  S.  3.  Le  Plote,  V.  p.  549. 
Quoted  by  Cramp,  P.  294. 

Notwithstanding  the  efforts  of  the  great  Reformers,  and  of 
the  Council,  and  the  spirited  efforts  that  were  made  by  some 
in  the  Council,  the  Sovereign  Pontiff  who  presided  by  his  le- 
gates, overruled  the  whole.  In  order  that  the  Decrees  and 
decisions  of  the  Council  should  be  according  to  his  own  arbi- 
trary will,  he  urged  every  Bishop  in  Italy  to  attend  it  These, 
being  completely  under  his  control,  and  mere  tools  in  his 
hands,  were  influenced  wholly  by  interested  motives.  The  de- 
bates and  wrangling  of  the  Council  were  protracted  to  twenty- 
one  years.  Some  were  for  a  general  Reformation,  but  the  in- 
fluence and  authority  of  the  Sovereign  Pontiff  over  his  legates 
and  partisans,  wearied  out  and  bore  down  all  opposition;  no 
Reformation  was  effected ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  the  worst  fea- 
tures, and  the  highest  claims  of  the  Romish  church  received 
an  official  stamp,  such  as  had  never  before  characterized  the 
"Man  of  Sin" 

The  Council  was  convened  in  Nov.  1542,  under  Pope  Paul 
Hi,  and  was  continued  under  Julius  III,  Marcellus  II.,  Paul 
IV.,  and  Pius  IV.— five  Popes— and  its  Decrees  were  con- 
firmed and  ratified  by  Pope  Pius  IV.,  Jan.  26,  1564. 

When  the  struggle  for  a  Reform  was  conducted  under  these 

*  2  Kings  ix.  22. 
21 


242  APPENDIX. 

favorable  auspices  for  so  long  a  time,  without  any  real  suc- 
cess ;  and  when  the  Roman  Priests  have  from  that  day  to  this 
hardened  themselves  in  the  Roman  faith,  and  in  the  pride  of 
Roman  dominion,  I  see  not  the  ground  on  which  to  build  a 
hope  of  the  present  Reform  of  that  usurping  power.  Its  signs 
and  lying  wonders,  its  pretended  miracles  and  Saints,  its  exac- 
tions, oppressions,  superstitions,  and  self-conceit,  are  increased 
and  multiplied  every  day;  and  not  one  of  its  burdens  are  re- 
moved. 

It  remains  yet  to  be  cried :  "  Alas  !  alas  ! — for  in  one  hour 
so  great  riches  is  come  to  nought"  Rev.  xviii.  16. 

The  doctrine  of  Infallibility  is  one  that  forbids  the  idea,  or 
the  possibility  of  Reform.  All  Roman  catholics  believe,  that 
their  "  church  cannot  err  in  faith,  morals,  or  general  disci- 
pline :"  and  they  "believe  in  all  things,  according  as  the  Holy 
catholic  church  believes."  And  that  church  condemns,  and 
curses  blackly  in  the  face,  all  who  refuse  to  receive  her  doc- 
trines, and  to  obey  her  Canons.  To  Reform  such  a  church  is 
impossible.  Her  members  may  be  converted  and  brought 
away  from  her ;  but  the  supposed  Infallible  one  cannot  be  Re- 
formed. Her  subjects  may  fall  off  from  her  obedience,  may 
reject  her  yoke  ;  but  the  destruction  of  the  yoke  follows ;  and 
this  destruction  is  the  only  Reformation  that  haughty  Rome 
allows.  M  The  first  lispings  of  the  infant, — the  conclusions  of 
the  learned, — the  declarations  of  the  nQble, — the  Priests'  in- 
structions,— the  Pontiff's  Decrees, — re-echo  the  sound:  n  Out 
of  the  Roman  catholic  church  there  is  no  salvation  /"* — Of 
course,  Reform  cannot  be  admitted  from  without ;  and  how 
shall  it  spring  up  within  ?  The  Sovereign  Pontiff  has  the 
most  absolute  dominion  over  the  minds  and  consciences  of  his 
dependants.  They  cannot  begin  to  think  of  a  Reform  which 
does  not  lead  them  to  think  of  curtailing  his  powers;  and  that 
thought,  the  pretended  Vicegerent  will  much  sooner  blast  with 
his  thunderbolt,  than  cherish  with  his  blessing.  Having  it  es- 
tablished, that  all  Christians  ought  to  obey  the  Roman  catholic 
church,  the  Pope  will  see  that  they  do  it;  and  any  one  who  un- 
dertakes to  Reform  that  church,  will  find  it  alike  necessary  and 
impossible  to  obtain  the  Pontiff's  leave. 

*  Cramp's  Text  Book  of  Popery,  p.  47. 


APPENDIX.  243 

I 

CHAPTER  III. 

THE    VIRGIN    MARY. 

The  Virgin  Mary  is  so  frequently  mentioned  in  this  Narra- 
tive, and  holds  a  place  so  prominent  in  the  affections  and  devo- 
tions of  Roman  catholics,  that  the  following  notice  of  her  wor- 
ship may  prove  acceptable  to  the  reader. 

The  blessed  Virgin  is  placed  at  the  very  head  of  the  list  of 
Roman  catholic  Saints.  Her  common  titles  of  honor  are: 
"  The  Queen  of  heaven  ;"  u  The  Mother  of  Mercies;"  "  The 
Mother  of  God."  Five  days  of  the  year  are  set  apart  to  her 
service,  as  solemn  festivals  of  praise. 

1.  The  day  of  her  conception,  which  is  celebrated  Dec.  8. 

2.  The  day  of  her  birth,  which  is  celebrated  Sept.  8. 

3.  The  day  of  the  annunciation  by  the  angel  that  she  should 
have  a  son,  and  call  his  name  Jesus,  which  is  celebrated 
March  25. 

4.  The  day  of  her  purification  according  to  the  Mosaic  law, 
Feb.  2. 

5.  The  day  of  her  pretended  assumption  to  the  skies,  which 
is  celebrated  Aug.  15.  For  the  Romans  believe  she  was  taken 
up  to  heaven. 

I  do  not  recollect  another  Saint  in  the  calendar,  to  whom 
Rome  has  appropriated  more  than  one  day  in  the  year ;  but 
even  this  preference  of  the  Virgin,  in  honor,  falls  far  below 
the  proportion  of  the  respect  paid  her  by  presents,  and  prayers, 
and  offerings  of  devotion  in  every  form.  What  Hume  relates 
of  her  altars  in  England,  is  true  of  her  altars  in  all  the  domin- 
ions of  the  Bishop  of  Rome  at  this  day  ;  and  is  seen  verified 
in  this  Narrative.  The  pirate-robber  who  would  propitiate  the 
favor  of  heaven,  crowned  the  image  of  the  Virgin  with  a  coro- 
net of  pure  gold,  while  the  rest  of  the  Saints  were,  probably, 
treated  only  to  silver  coins;  and  when  Poncheetee  would  gain 
her  estate  in  Spain  by  the  aid  of  the  Saints  and  of  Father 
Francisco,  her  devotions  were  paid  at  the  shrine  of  the  Virgin; 
and  when  Rosamond  was  ready  to  sink  under  her  trials,  she, 
too,  learned  of  the  Roman  Priests,  to  cast  herself  at  the  feet  of 
the  Virgin,  and  pour  out  her  sorrows  there.  She  never 
thought  of  going  to  the  throne  of  grace,  and,  in  the  weariness 


244  APPENDIX. 

of  her  soul,  of  seeking  for  rest  in  the  Lord ;  but  she  fell  before 
the  supposed  Mother  of  Mercies,  and  worshiped  at  the  image 
of  Mary.  So  the  image  of  the  Virgin  leads  the  van  of  the 
Roman  catholic  processions,  and  every  where  receives  the  first 
and  last  honors  of  the  devout  Papist. 

When  Father  Manuel  Canto  would  have  Rosamond  make 
sure  of  good  luck  in  gambling,  he  charged  her  to  bear  the 
Virgin  on  her  heart,  and  to  pray  to  her  unceasingly  for  good 
fortune  through  the  day ;  and  when  the  Italian  banditti  ex- 
cused themselves  to  an  English  traveler  for  the  necessity  of 
living  by  robbery,  they  drew  from  their  bosoms  a  picture  of  the 
Virgin  and  child,  set  in  silver,  saying :  "  We  know  we  are 
likely  to  die  a  violent  death;  but  in  our  hour  of  need,  we  have 
these,"  (touching  their  muskets,)  "to  struggle  for  our  lives 
with,  and  this"  (kissing  the  picture  of  the  Virgin,)  "  to  make 
our  death  easy,"     Graham1  s  East  of  Rome,  pp.  155,  161. 

Some  of  the  prayers  offered  to  her  in  the  Roman  catholic 
Breviary,  or  prayer-book,  as  translated  by  a  Roman  catholic 
Priest,  will  show  the  estimate  in  which  she  is  held  by  the  high- 
est authorities  of  the  Roman  church: 

w  O  holy  Mary  !  vsuccor  the  miserable  ;  help  the  faint-heart- 
ed ;  comfort  the  afflicted;  pray  for  the  people;  intercede  for 
the  Clergy ;  make  supplication  for  the  devout  female  sex ;  let 
all  be  sensible  of  thy  help,  who  celebrate  thy  holy  commemo- 
ration ;" — "  Grant,  we  beseech  thee,  O  Lord  God,  that  we,  thy 
servants,  may  enjoy  perpetual  health  of  mind  and  body  ;  and, 
by  the  glorious  intercession  of  Blessed  Mary,  ever  Virgin,  may 
be  delivered  from  present  sorrows,  and  come  to  eternal  joy, 
through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

The  concluding  expression  "through  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,"  is  a  form,  which  the  Romans  keep  up ;  but  which 
here  is  plainly  obsolete  and  empty,  because  the  substance  is 
contained  in  the  words  previous,  "  by  the  glorious  intercession 
of  Blessed  Mary,  ever  Virgin."  And  certain  it  is,  that  the 
Roman  catholic,  who  is  sure  of  her  favor  and  intercession,  feels 
no  need  of  any  other. 

The  word  "  ever  Virgin"  expresses  an  article  of  universal 
faith  among  the  Roman  catholics ;  and,  at  the  same  time,  fur- 
nishes the  Priests  with  one  good  and  sufficient  reason,  for 
them,  to  deny  the  reading  of  the  Testament  to  the  people. 
Every  reader  of  the  Scriptures  must  know,  that  our  blessed 
Lord  was  the  first  born  of  the  Virgin,  and  that  he  had  brethren 


APPENDIX.  245 

and  sisters  according  to  the  flesh,  born  of  Joseph  and  Mary, 
— so,  that  this  article  of  universal  credence  now  among  the 
Romans,  is  a  delusion  of  the  apostacy;  therefore,  to  conceal 
this,  and  other  of  their  falsehoods,  the  Holy  Scriptures  are 
denied  to  the  laity  ;  for  the  Clergy  find  their  account  lie  in  hold- 
ing fast  the  traditions  of  the  Fathers,  let  what  will  become  of 
the  divine  commandments. 

She  is  hailed  in  the  Roman  Catholic  Prayer-book,  by 
forty-four  different  titles  of  glory,  with  an  aspiration,  "  Pray 
for  us ;"  accompanying  each.  Among  them  are  the  fol- 
lowing: 

Holy  Mary ! 

Queen  of  heaven ! 

Virgin  most  powerful 

Ark  of  the  covenant ! 

Gate  of  heaven!  \Prayforml 

Refuge  of  sinners ! 
Queen  of  angels  ! 
Queen  of  all  saints ! 

While  the  pastors  hail  her  in  this  manner,  and  the  people 
respond,  "Pray  for  us;"  and  while  the  Prayer-book  glorifies 
her  above  all  Saints,  the  people  regard  her  as  easier  of  access, 
and  more  willing  to  save,  than  God ;  the  people  worship  her 
more  freely  and  commonly  than  the  only  living  and  true  God, 
who  forbids  the  worship  of  images,  and  who  will  not  give  his 
praise  to  another.  The  manner  in  which  the  people  regard 
her,  is  described  in  a  Roman  catholic  school-book,  as  follows: 
"  She  is  most  powerful  with  God,  to  obtain  from  him  all  that 
she  shall  ask  of  him.  She  is  all  goodness  in  regard  to  us,  by 
applying  to  God  for  us.  Being  Mother  of  God,  he  cannot  re- 
fuse  her  request ;  and,  being  our  mother,  she  cannot  deny  her 
intercession  when  we  have  recourse  to  her."  See  Cramp9 s 
Text  book  of  Popery,  p.  357. 

The  Roman  mode  of  worship  practically  excludes  the 
thought  of  God,  and  removes  all  dependance  on  Christ,  as  the 
intercessor  and  Saviour;  it  makes  the  Saints  all  and  in  all ; 
and  the  Virgin  the  Queen  of  Saints,  and  the  Queen  of  heaven ; 
and  this  is  the  Antichrist,  "  that  denieth  the  Father  and  the 
Son.1'   1  John  2 :  22. 

One  doctrine  concerning  the  Virgin  Mary  has  caused  the 
21* 


246  APPENDIX. 

Roman  church  no  small  controversy  for  the  last  six  hundred 
years.  Polemics  have  reasoned,  and  enthusiasts  have  waxed 
warm,  on  opposite  sides,  until  the  Roman  Mother  has  found  it 
exceedingly  difficult,  at  times,  to  restrain  the  anger  of  her 
children.  She  has  never  settled  the  point  in  controversy,  by  an 
authentic  Decree,  though  she  has  favored  those  who  maintain 
the  immaculate  conception  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  until  the  great 
body  of  the  Romans  take  it  for  a  matter  settled. 

This  controversy  shook  the  great  Council  of  Trent,  until,  to 
avoid  a  schism,  the  Council  decreed,  that  it  would  not  decide 
the  question  in  dispute,  but  leave  it  open,  as  the  Jews  did  that 
relating  to  John's   baptism :    Whence  is  it :  of  heaven  or  of 


men 


? 


Those  who  hold  the  immaculate  conception,  maintain  that 
the  Virgin  Mary  was  conceived  in  the  womb  of  her  mother, 
with  the  same  purity  that  is  attributed  to  Christ's  conception. 
The  festival  in  honor  of  this  pretended  fact,  commenced  in  the 
12th  century.  (Mosheim,  Chap.  12,  Part  2,  Chap.  3,  Sect.  19.) 
The  Dominicans  and  Franciscans  took  opposite  sides,  and  the 
Popes  were  often  compelled  to  interfere  for  the  purpose  of  re- 
straining their  animosity.  Sixtus  IV.,  in  the  years  1477,  and 
1483>  enacted,  that  Indulgences  should  be  granted  to  those  who 
devoutly  commemorate  the  wonderful  conception  of  the  Virgin, 
to  the  same  extent  as  were  enjoyed  on  Corpus  Christi  day ; 
and  that  the  disputants  should  refrain  from  reviling  and  con- 
demning each  other,  as  the  church  had  not  decided  the  matter. 

Nothing  being  gained  by  holding  the  better  opinion,  the 
worse  grew  and  increased  with  the  confidence  that  those  who 
honored  the  Virgin  would  be  honored  by  her.  Rome  kept  the 
festival  of  the  supposed  conception  day,  and  thus  strengthened 
the  Franciscans,  without  condemning  their  opponents. 

When  the  question  of  original  sin  was  settled  in  the  Council 
of  Trent,  it  was  admitted  by  all,  that  Adam's  sin  was  trans- 
mitted to  all  his  posterity,  only  that  the  Franciscans  would  ex- 
cept the  blessed  Virgin,  and  the  Dominicans  refused.  Of  the 
Pope's  tegates,  De  Monte  favored:  the  immaculateness ;  Santa 
Croce  opposed  it ;  and  Cardinal  Pole  gave  no  opinion.  In  this 
situation  of  the  matter,  the  Council  agreed  to  pass  it  without  a 
decision,  declaring,  "that  it  is  not  its  design  to  include  in  this- 
Decree,  which  treats  of  original  sin,  the  blessed  and  immacu- 
late Virgin  Mary." 

But  m  the  seventeenth  century,  the  kingdom  of  Spain  was 


APPENDIX.  247 

convulsed  with  factions  growing  out  of  this  dispute,  to  such  a 
degree,  that  solemn  embassies  were  sent  to  Rome,  to  bring  the 
dispute  to  an  end  by  an  edict  of  the  Pope.  After  the  most  ear- 
nest entreaties,  all  that  the  court  of  Spain  could  procure  of  the 
Pope,  was,  a  declaration,  that  the  opinion  of  the  Franciscans 
had  a  high  degree  of  probability  on  its  side,  and  forbidding  the 
Dominicans  to  oppose  it  in  a  public  manner.  But  this  was,  in 
the  Delphic  spirit,  accompanied  with  another  declaration,  pro- 
hibiting the  Franciscans  from  treating  as  erroneous  the  opinion 
of  the  Dominicans.  The  immaculates  interpreted  this  in  their 
favor,  and  celebrated  it  with  public  rejoicings  on  both  sides  of 
the  Atlantic.  An  Order  was  instituted  in  honor  of  the  supposed 
event,  and  a  lawr  was  enacted,  requiring  a  declaration  upon 
oath,  of  a  firm  belief  in  the  doctrine  of  the  immaculate  concep- 
tion, from  every  individual  previous  to  his  taking  a  Degree  in 
any  of  the  Universities,  or  being  admitted  into  any  civil  or  re- 
ligious corporations,  which  abound  in  Spain.  The  same  oath 
is  administered  even  to  mechanics,  upon  their  being  made  free 
to  work  at  their  trade.  Dobladd  s  Letters  from  Spain,  p.  24, 
25,  quoted  in  Cramp's  Text  Book  of  Popery,  p.  75. 

The  Spaniards  are  remarkably  zealous  for  the  Virgin. 
They  honor  her  at  all  times.  The  common  courtesies  of  life 
are  not  exchanged  without  reverently  mentioning  her  name, 
"  When  you  enter  a  house,"  says  a  respectable  traveler,  "un- 
less you  wish  to  be  considered  as  impious,  you  must  begin 
with  these  words:  'Ave,  Maria  purissima  f  'Hail,  spotless 
Virgin  !'  to  which  you  will  certainly  receive  this  answer,  lsin 
peccado  concebida,1  'conceived  without  sin!'7'  Bour going's 
modern  state  of  Spain,  Vol.  2,  p.  276,  quoted  by  Cramp,  p.  75. 

In  1708,  Pope  Clement  XL,  appointed  the  festival  in  honor 
of  the  immaculate  conception,  to  be  annually  celebrated 
throughout  the  Roman  church.  But  the  Dominicans  still 
hold  out.  They  deny  the  obligation  of  this  edict  upon  them ; 
and  they  are  suffered,  without  molestation,  to  refuse  any  part  in 
the  celebration.  Mosheim 's  17 th  century,  Sect.  2,  Part  1, 
Cha,p.  1,  Sect.  48.  Bellarmine  says,  the  immaculate  concep- 
tion is  piously  believed  by  the  greater  part  of  the  church.  Dc 
Culler  Sanct.  L.  Ill,  C.  16.  That  was  probably  true,  when 
he  wrote,  above  two  hundred  years  ago ;  and  it  is  certainly 
true  now;  for,  in  all  respects,  the  tendency  of  the  doctrines  and 
practices  of  Rome  is  toward  corruption,  from  age  to  age. 

There  is  said  to  be  no  service  in  the  Roman  catholic  church 


248  APPENDIX. 

so  impressive,  as  the  evening  service,  or  "  Ave  Maria"  to  the 
blessed  Virgin.  They  teach,  that  it  is  "  none  other  than  that 
chanted  in  heaven  by  the  Saints,  around  the  throne  of  the  Al- 
mighty, and  called  the  sweet  communion  of  "  All  Saints."  Six 
Months  in  a  Convent,  p.  75.  Having  described  the  ceremony, 
as  it  is  performed  in  Venice,  with  the  organ,  the  assembled 
multitude,  the  tinkling  bell,  the  silent  devotion  to  the  Virgin  on 
the  bended  knee,  when  every  head  bows  in  adoration,  and  not 
a  whisper  disturbs  the  spirit  of  supplication ;  in  a  minute  or 
two,  the  bell  tinkles  again,  and  the  whole  congregation  rise,  as 
one  man :  one  says,  "  I  witnessed  this  scene  several  times,  and 
never  without  a  universal  degree  of  emotion."  It  was  equally 
impossible  not  to  honor  the  feeling  of  devotion,  and  not  to  con- 
demn the  Roman  doctrine,  which  teaches  the  supplicants  to 
address  their  prayers  to  the  imaginary  "Queen  of  Heaven." 
Gillifs  Tour  through  Piedmont. 


APPENDIX.  249 

CHAPTER  IV. 

PURGATORY. 

Constant  reference  is  had  in  this  Narrative  to  the  influ- 
ence on  Roman  catholics,  of  their  doctrine  of  Purgatory.  It 
is  one  of  the  great  fountains  of  their  power  to  get  wealth,  and 
will  pay  for  a  few  moments'  attention. 

The  following  is  an  extract  of  the  Decree  of  the  Council  o! 
Trent,  setting  forth  the  doctrine.  "  Since  the  Catholic  Church, 
instructed  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  through  the  Sacred  Writings, 
and  the  ancient  traditions  of  the  Fathers,  hath  thought,  in  Holy 
Councils,  and,  lastly,  in  this  (Ecumenical  Council,  that  there  is 
a  Purgatory,  and  that  the  souls  detained  there  are  assisted  by 
the  suffrages  (that  is,  by  the  Masses,  alms,  prayers,  and  works 
of  charity)  of  the  faithful,  but,,  especially,  by  the  acceptable  sa- 
crifice of  the  Mass ;  this  Holy  Council  commands  all  Bishops 
diligently  to  endeavor,  that  the  wholesome  doctrine  of  Purga- 
tory,  delivered  to  us  by  Venerable  Fathers,  and  Holy  Coun- 
cils, be  believed  and  held  by  Christ's  faithful,  and  every  where 
taught  and  preached." 

They  learn  the  doctrine  not  "  through  the  Sacred  Writings." 
No  mention  is  made  of  such  a  place  in  the  books  of  Divine  Re- 
velation. They  learn  it  through  the  "  traditions  of  the 
Fathers,"  and  teach  it  to  their  children  for  holy  truth  "teach- 
ing things  which  they  ought  net,  for  filthy  lucre's  sake}'    Tit. 

But  where  it  is,  and  what  it  is,  the  Council  no  more  tell  us, 
than  the  Bible,  only  the  Council  speak  of  it,  as  a  place  of  dis- 
tress, in  which  the  souls  of  the  deceased  are  confined  for  a, 
season,  on  their  way  toward  heaven,  out  of  which  they  are 
helped  to  escape  by  the  suffrages,  or  offerings  of  the  living. 
Cardinal  Bellarmine  is  more  particular.  He  tells  us  it  is  "  a 
place,  in  which,  after  death,  the  souls  of  those  persons  are  pu- 
rified, who  were  not  fully  cleansed  on  earth,  in  order  that  they 
may  be  prepared  for  heaven,  wherein  nothing  shall  enter  that 
defileth."  De  Purgatorio,  L.  1,  C.  1,  2d  Maccabees  12,  43-46, 
and  Tobit  4,  18,  are  quoted  to  prove  the  doctrine,  and  also  the 
fast  of  the  men  of  Gilead,  for  the  death  of  Saul ;  and  of  David 
for  the  death  of  Abner,   and   many  like  passages  of  Scrip 


250  APPENDIX. 

ture  he  wrests  to  the  support  of  the  Roman  doctrine  of  Pur- 
gatory. 

Purgatory  they  suppose  to  he  in  the  centre  of  the  earth,  one 
of  the  four  compartments  of  the  infernal  regions.  The  first  of 
these  is  the  abode  of  the  hopeless^;  the  second  is  Purgatory ; 
the  third  is  the  place  of  unbaptized  infants ;  the  fourth  is 
Limbo ;  where  the  pious  dead  tarried  before  the  resurrection 
of  the  Lord.  That  is  empty  now,  for  the  Lord  took  them  with 
him  to  glory,  and  Purgatory  will  be  empty  hereafter.  The 
punishment  of  the  place  is  by  fire,  horrible,  and  enduring. 

The  Priests  paint,  in  the  most  vivid  colors,  the  pains  of  this 
place,  to  which  every  pious  Roman  catholic,  unless  he  dies  a 
rare  Saint,  inevitably  is  subject.  The  Priests  also  teach,  that 
the  duration  of  the  pains  of  the  deceased  believer,  may  be  short- 
ened by  the  kind  offices  of  the  living,  more  "  especially,"  as  the 
Council  of  Trent  says,  "  by  the  acceptable  sacrifice  of  the 
Mass,"  which  only  a  Priest  can  offer,  and  which,  in  Roman 
catholic  countries,  he  will  not  offer,  without  his  fees  for  the 
service  in  hand ;  so  that  the  proverb  is  sure,  "  No  penny,  no 
Pater-noster"  They  have  prayers  for  every  condition  with 
the  Mass ;  one,  to  be  offered  at  the  moment  of  death  ;  others, 
at  stated  intervals  after  death ;  and,  again,  at  the  anniversary 
of  the  decease.  On  "  All  Souls' -day, r'  extraordinary  Masses 
are  celebrated  for  their  universal  benefit.  A  small  fee  paid  to 
the  Priest,  enables  one,  at  any  time,  to  arrange  with  him,  to  ap- 
propriate a  part  of  the  benefit  of  the  service  to  the  relief  of  the 
relative  or  friend,  for  whose  soul  he  is  concerned. 

The  extent  to  which  this  corruption  is  carried  almost  re- 
moves our  indignation,  by  the  excitement  of  our  mirth.  In 
Italy  and  Spain,  travelers  are  continually  solicited,  by  depen- 
dants on  the  churches  and  Convents,  for  contributions  in  aid  of 
the  poor  souls  in  Purgatory ;  and  contributions  are  made  in 
favor  of  the  unknown  and  friendless  sufferers  in  the  flames, 
who  have  no  one  to  remember  their  painful  condition.  The 
Pope  has  granted  for  Spain,  and  confined  the  grant  to  Span- 
iards, eight  or  ten  days  in  the  year,  when  every  Spaniard,  by 
kneeling  at  five  different  altars,  and  there  praying  for  the  ex- 
'  tirpation  of  heresy,  is  entitled  to  send  a  species  of  "  habeas  ani- 
mam,"  or  writ,  to  take  the  soul  of  any  one  he  pleases  out  of 
Purgatory.  The  name  of  the  person  intended  to  be  drawn, 
should,  for  fear  of  a  mistake,  be  mentioned  in  the  prayers. 
And  then,  if  it  should  happen,  that  he  is  out  already,  or  con- 


APPENDIX.  251 

fined  within  the  walls  where  the  Pope's  writ  of  habeas  corpus 
is  not  supposed  to  run,  they  are  taught  to  add  other  names,  and 
conclude  with  addressing  it  finally  to  the  relief  of  the  most 
worthy  and  disconsolate.  Thus  they  make  sure  of  a  reward 
for  their  pains,  by  the  rescue  of  some  one  from  the  flames  of 
Purgatory.  These  privileged  days  are  announced  to  the  pub- 
lic, by  a  printed  notice,  placed  over  the  basin  of  Holy  Water, 
at  the  entrance  of  the  church.  The  words  written  are  plain 
and  peremptory :  "  Hoy  se  saca  animal  literally,  "  this  is  a 
soul-drawing  day.11  Dobladd's  Letters  from  Spain,  p.  169, 
quoted  in  Cramp1  s  Text  Book,  p.  339. 

In  "  The  London  Roman  Catholic  Directory,"  may 
be  found,  in  plain  English,  the  appointed  days,  when  every 
Roman  catholic  is  empowered  by  the  Pope,  to  free  one  soul 
from  the  pains  of  Purgatory,  by  means  of  a  Plenary  Indul- 
gence. These  Indulgences  are,  by  the  king  of  Spain,  bought, 
wholesale,  of  the  Pope,  together  with  (I  believe)  the  exclusive 
right  of  retailing  them  in  the  Spanish  dominions.  The  mono- 
poly, or  sale,  is  a  great  source  of  revenue  to  the  crown  of 
Spain. 

The  Romish  doctrine  of  Purgatory,  is  stated  thus  by  Joseph 
Blanco  White :  u  They  believe  that  there  is  a  place  very  like 
hell,  where  such  souls  as  die,  having  received  absolution  of 
their  sins,  are  made  to  undergo  a  certain  degree  of  punishment ; 
like  criminals,  pardoned  on  the  gallows,  but  subjected  to  hard 
labor  in  the  state's  prison  for  a  certain  time.  In  the  pagan,  and 
Roman  doctrine,  an  idea  is  inculcated,  that  pain,  and  bodily  suf- 
fering, have  the  power  of  pleasing  God.  This  notion  gave 
birth  to  that  of  Purgatory,  and  it  is  the  same  notion  which  in- 
duces devout,  and  sincere  Roman  catholics,  almost  to  kill 
themselves  with  self-inflicted  sufferings,  by  stripes,  and  flog- 
gings, and  fasts,  and  penances  of  every  kind,  to  make  them 
feel  holy11 

"  The  poor  souls  think  the  heavenly  account  has  a  credit 
side,  in  which  every  suffering  they  voluntarily  endure  in  the 
flesh  for  their  sins,  will  be  entered  up  ;  and,  at  death,  will  be 
subtracted  from  the  debtor  side.  The  balance,  if  against  them, 
they  must  work  out  in  Purgatory,  at  a  dreadful  advance  of  pen- 
alty and  interest,  for  their  presumption  and  delay;  while,  if  the 
balance  should  fortunately  be  in  their  favor,  they  are  admitted 
to  glory  at  once ;  and  the  overplus  of  their  merits,  goes  into 
the  treasury  account  of  theSaints,  for  the  benefit  of  others,  who 


252  APPENDIX. 

will  pay  the  Pope  to  obtain  it.  This  treasury  account  is  the 
fund,  on  which  the  Pope  draws  for  the  Indulgences  he  sells. 
The  young  reader  will  think  I  am  jesting :  but  in  sober  earn- 
estness, this  is  the  doctrine  and  practice  of  Rome  at  the  pre- 
sent day.  Pope  Leo  the  Tenth  adds  the  merits  of  Christ  to  the 
Pope's  fund.  'The  Roman  Pontiff  may,'  he  says,  'for  reason- 
able causes,  grant  Indulgences  out  of  the  superabundant  merits 
of  Christ  and  the  Saints,  to  the  faithful,  as  well  for  the  living 
as  for  the  dead  ;'  and,  in  thus  dispensing  the  treasure  of  the 
merits  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  Saints,  he  either  confers  the  In- 
dulgence by  the  method  of  absolution,  or  transfers  it  by  the 
method  of  suffrage."     Cramp's  Text  Book,  p.  340. 

The  Council  of  Trent  passed  a  Decree,  "  so  that,"  as  they 
say,  "the  gift  of  Holy  Indulgences  may  be  dispensed  to  the 
faithful  in  a  pious,  holy,  and  incorrupt  manner."   Sess.  xxv. 

The  whole  benefit  of  these  Indulgences  arises  out  of  the 
doctrine  of  Purgatory ;  and  is  applicable^  to  the  state  of  the 
souls  in  that  place  of  confinement.  They  are  granted,  and 
sold  at  the  rate  of  so  many  days  in  Purgatory.  One  day's  in- 
dulgence means,  that  the  purchaser  shall  have  for  his  service 
or  cash,  one  day  taken  off  from  the  time  of  his  sentence  to 
Purgatory;  "two  hundred  days'  Indulgence,"  entitles  him  to 
a  deduction  of  two  hundred  days  from  the  time  of  his  sentence; 
and  when  we  learn,  that,  for  every  kiss  impressed  on  the  great 
black  Cross  in  the  coliseum  at  Rome,  two  hundred  days  In- 
dulgence are  allowed,  every  one  fortunate  enough  to  reach  it, 
would  seem  easily  to  kiss  away  the  pains  of  Purgatory.  Of 
this,  however,  the  poor  Roman  catholic  may  not  be  too  sure, 
for  the  pains  of  Purgatory  run  to  the  utmost  verge  of  time ;  and 
that  is  a  period  remote  in  the  calendar  of  Rome ;  for  the  Pope 
sells  at  no  very  exorbitant  rate,  ten,  twenty,  and  even  thirty 
thousand  years'  indulgence.  Rogues  of  the  Roman  faith  have 
it,  therefore,  in  their  power,  for  a  very  reasonable  considera- 
tion, to  carry  the  Pope's  writ  of  Indulgence  with  them,  to  an 
extent  that  flatters  them  with  the  hope  of  escape  shortly  from 
the  scorching  fires  to  the  blissful  pains  of  the  world  to  come. 

"  Incalculable  treasures  have  flowed  into  the  lap  of  the 
Roman  catholic  Clergy,  for  which  they  have  to  thank  the  doc- 
trine of  Purgatory.  The  Pope  knew  his  interests  too  well,  not 
to  tack  the  doctrines  of  Transubstantiation,  and  the  Mass,  on 
that  of  souls  in  Purgatory.  If  a  Mass,  he  said,  is  a  repetition 
of  the  great  sacrifice  on  the  Cross,  and  it  is  in  the  power  of  the 


APPENDIX.  253 

Priest  to  apply  the  benefit  of  it  to  any  one,  by  naming  that  one 
in  the  select  consecrating1  prayer,  then,  by  sending  such  a  re- 
lief to  a  soul  in  Purgatory,  that  soul  has  the  greatest  possible 
chance  of  being  set  free  from  the  burning  flames,  and  entering 
at  once  into  heaven.  Who,  that  believes  this  doctrine,  will 
spare  his  pocket,  when  he  thinks  his  dearest  relations  are  ask- 
ing  the  aid  of  a  Mass,  to  escape  out  of  the  burning  furnace ! 
Accordingly,  you  will  find,  that  no  Roman  catholic  who  can 
afford  it,  omits  to  pay  as  many  Priests  as  possible,  to  say 
Masses  for  his  deceased  relations  and  friends,  and  that  the  poor 
of  that  persuasion  both  in  England  and  Ireland,  establish  clubs, 
for  the  purpose  of  collecting  a  fund,  out  of  which  a  certain 
number  of  Masses  are  to  be  purchased  for  each  member  when 
he  dies.  Their  accounts  are  regularly  kept,  and  if  any  poor 
member  dies,  without  having  paid  up  his  subscription,  he  is  al- 
lowed to  be  tormented  to  the  full  amount  in  the  other  world, 
where  the  difference  between  rich  and  poor,  according  to  these 
doctrines,  is  much  greater  than  in  this  life.  A  rich  man  may 
sin  away,  and  settle  the  account  with  Masses ;  but  the  poor  man 
must  be  a  beggar  even  at  the  gates  of  heaven,  and  for  his  want 
of  money  to  buy  Masses  and  Indulgences,  he  must  stay  out  his 
full  time  in  the  fires  of  Purgatory.  If  a  man,  for  instance,  has 
been  guilty  of  the  most  horrid  crimes,  murder,  adultery,  and 
piracy,  during  a  long  life,  but,  on  the  gallows  he  repents  of 
them  with  full  Confessions  to  the  Priest,  and  receives  Absolu- 
tion of  the  Roman,  his  soul  goes  to  Purgatory.  There  he 
might  be  for  millions  of  years,  but  if  you  procure  him  a  Plen- 
ary Indulgence  from  the  Pope,  or,  if  he  obtained  one  for  him- 
self, before  his  death,  all  the  merits  he  wanted,  are  given  him, 
and  he  flies  directly  to  heaven."  Preservative  against 
Popery,  by  J.  B.  White.  "  Spaniards!  ascend  to  heaven" — 
is  said  to  have  been  the  last  words  of  the  Roman  Priest,  to  the 
pirates  hung  at  Boston,  this  Spring.  They  had  probably  de- 
voted money  enough  out  of  their  plunder,  to  provide  them- 
selves beforehand,  every  one,  with  a  Plenary  Indulgence ;  and 
then,  by  the  Absolution  of  the  Priest,  they  might,  according  to 
the  doctrine  of  Rome,  ascend  directly  to  heaven. 

The  Romans  are  offended,  when  their  Pope  is  charged  with 
giving  permission  to  sin,  to  those  who  are  able  to  pay  well 
for  it.  The  Pope  does  not  so  word  his  Indulgences ;  but  thei* 
effect  is  to  permit  sin ;  for  when  a  criminal  has  bought  a  Plen- 
ary Indulgence,  or  one  hundred  thousand  years  to  be  deducted 
22 


254  APPENDIX. 

from  his  sentence  in  the  fires  of  Purgatory,  at  a  certain  price, 
he  will  be  tempted  to  think  he  can  sin  with  impunity,  at  least, 
for  a  few  days.  Mr.  Eustace,  himself,  a  Roman  catholic,  asks, 
in  view  of  the  notoriously  depraved  state  of  the  public  morals 
in  Italy,  whether  it  may  not  be  ascribed  to  "  the  corruptions  of 
the  national  religion;  to  the  facility  of  Absolution ;  and  to  the 
easy  purchase  of  Indulgences'?"  Classical  Tour,  Vol.  3,  p.  131. 
The  modern  traveller  may  answer,  who  saw  a  man  at  Tivoli, 
that  had  stabbed  his  brother  to  death,  had  been  to  Rome,  bought 
his  pardon  of  the  church,  and  received  a  written  protection  from 
a  Cardinal,  inconsequence  of  which  he  was  walking  about  un- 
concernedly, "a  second  Cain,  whose  life  was  sacred."  Gra- 
ham1 s  three  months  East  of  Rome,  p.  34,  quoted  in  Cramp's 
Text  Book,  p.  345. 


APPENDIX.  255 

CHAPTER  V. 

Roman  Pride,  Tradition,  Confession* 

In  the  course  of  this  Narrative,  enough  has  already  been 
presented  of  the  peculiarities  of  Romanism,  to  make  the  reader 
astonished  at  the  delusion  of  the  millions  who  trust  in  the  In- 
fallibility of  the  Roman  Church,  and  to  create  in  him  a  desire 
to  know  more  about  the  grounds  of  their  confidence.  It  will 
aid  the  understanding  of  the  Narrative,  to  know  what  are  the 
doctrines  of  Rome  upon  the  topics  brought  to  view  in  its  pages. 
With  the  aid  of  the  Rev.  Joseph  Blanco  White,  a  native  of 
Seville  in  Spain,  and  formerly  Chaplain  to  the  king  of  Spain, 
but  now  an  Episcopal  minister  of  England,  I  will  spread  out 
some  of  the  doctrines  of  Rome. 

Differences  are  made  more  manifest  by  a  striking  contrast. 
Take  the  following  from  Mr.  White,  under  the  parable  of  two 
governors. 

The  people  of  two  neighbouring  islands,  which  acknowledged 
the  authority  uf  the  samtj  sovereign,  received  each  a  governor 
from  the  Metropolis.  One  of  the  governors  presented  himself 
with  his  commission  in  one  hand,  and  with  the  book  of  the 
Laws  in  the  other.  "  Gentlemen,"  said  he,  "  my  name  is  Pro- 
testant Church.  Here  is  the  commission  which  authorizes  me 
to  govern  you  according  to  these  laws.  You  have  every  one 
a  copy  in  your  possession.  If  ever  any  of  you  should  think  that 
I  am  stepping  beyond  my  powers,  or  governing  against  the 
laws,  he  may  examine  the  point  for  himself,  and  consult  his 
friends  about  it ;  and  if,  after  all,  he  feels  inclined  not  to  be 
under  me  any  longer,  I  will  not  at  all  molest  him  in  his  re 
moval  to  tire  neighbouring  island,  or  elsewhere,  carrying  away 
every  thing  that  belongs  to  him." 

The  other  governor  pursued  quite  a  different  course.  He 
appeared  with  all  the  pomp  and  display  of  a  great  king.  He 
gave  out  that  his  name  was  Holy  Roman ;  and  that  he  had 
authority  from  the  sovereign  to  rule  all  nations,  and  not  only 
govern  according  to  the  book  of  the  laws,  but  to  make  new 
statutes,  at  his  will  and  pleasure.  At  the  same  time,  he  for- 
bade the  possessing  and  reading  of  the  book  of  the  laws,  and 


256  APPENDIX, 

charged  his  officers  everywhere  to  search  out,  and  punish  with 
severe  penalties,  all  those  who  should  possess  or  read  any  copy 
of  the  laws,  without  his,  or  his  officers'  leave ;  which  leave  he 
only  granted  to  those,  who  would  buy  the  copy  at  a  great  price, 
having  his  interpretation  along  with  the  laws.  Some  of  his 
people  presented  him  a  petition,  saying,  u  they  were  perfectly 
willing  to  obey  any  one  commissioned  by  their  sovereign ;  but 
still  they  conceived  themselves  entitled  to  possess  and  read  the 
laws  of  the  country  ;  and  that,  if  the  sovereign  had  given  their 
respected  governor  authority  to  make  additional  laws  at  his 
will,  they  would  obey  them  too,  provided  he  would  publish,  or 
exhibit,  an  authentic  copy  of  his  commission  for  this  high 
trust." 

The  Roman  governor  was  wroth ;  and  answered  the  petition- 
ers with  a  voice  roaring  with  fury,  that  his  commission  was  not 
written  with  ink,  but  was  sealed  with  sovereign  power ;  and  that 
those  who  scrupled  it,  should  feel  its  withering  touch.  The  pe- 
titioners murmured.  "Take  these  fellows,"  said  the  governor, 
ki  and  let  them  die  by  fire.7'  While  his  servants  executed  his  man- 
date, some  of  the  citizens  attempted  to  escape  from  the  island;  but, 
at  every  port,  and  creek,  troops  were  stationed,  who  arrested  the 
fugitives,  and  put  them  to  death  without  mercy,  or  confin&d 
them  in  dungeons,  until  they  would  take  an  oath  to  obey  the 
commands  of  governor  Roman  Catholic  Church,  as  reverently 
as  the  book  of  the  laws.  And,  let  me  tell  you,  there  was  among 
the  laws  which  he  added  to  the  statute  book,  not  one  but  what 
gave  him,  or  his  officers,  an  increase  of  wealth  and  power. 

The  tyrant  governor  will  not  be  questioned.  He  wishes  to 
be  thought  Infallible,  and  to  be  believed  on  his  bare  word,  and 
he  puts  to  a  most  cruel  death,  not  only  those  who  resist  his  will, 
but  those  who  would  escape  from  him  by  flight. 

The  Protestant  Clergy  declare,  that  they  have  no  authority 
but  what  the  Script  ires  give,  and  they  submit  all  their  doctrine, 
and  their  lives,  to  be  tried  by  the  book  of  the  laws.  The  Ro- 
man Clergy,  on  the  other  hand,  claim  all  power,  and  refuse  to 
submit  their  doctrine,  or  their  lives,  to  be  tried  by  any  man, 
except  themselves ;  by  any  standard,  except  of  their  own  making. 
How  manifestly  are  the  enormities  detailed  by  Rosamond,  the 
fruits  of  this  irresponsible  and  exorbitant  power ! 

I  have  thus  far  copied  almost  word  for  word  from  Mr. 
White's  third  dialogue,  "  Preservative  against  Popery  " 


APPENDIX.  257 

and  shall  continue  to  do  so,  while  it  continues  to  interest  the 
reader  of  this  Narrative. 

The  Roman  Church  grounds  its  claims  on  its  own  au- 
thority, and  supports  its  authority  with  confiscation,  fire,  and 
sword.  Its  fear  of  the  Bible  is  wonderful.  If  the  Scriptures 
were  favorable  to  the  claims  of  the  Roman  Clergy,  they  would 
not  object  to  their  free  circulation.  But  having  introduced 
many  things  into  the  church,  which  are  forbidden  in  the  Bible, 
they  are  constrained  to  keep  the  Sacred  Word  under  the  shadow 
of  their  interpretations,  lest  its  pure  light  should  confound  their 
traditions,  and  images,  and  false  gods. 

In  every  article  which  Rome,  by  tradition,  attempts  to  add 
to  the  pure  gospel,  one  may  plainly  see  she  is  striving  after 
wealth  and  power.  The  Romans  declare  that  the  Scriptures 
alone  are  not  sufficient  for  salvation,  but  that  there  is  a  word 
of  God  handed  down  by  hearsay,  which  governs  the  sense  of 
the  ivriiten  word.  By  this  hearsay,  they  assure  the  world 
that  the  Scripture  must  be  explained  ;  so  that,  if  the  Bible 
says  white,  and  the  tradition  or  hearsay,  says  black,  a  Roman 
Catholic  is  bound  to  say  that  white  means  black  in  God's 
written  Word. 

To  enable  them  to  distinguish  the  true  from  the  false  hear- 
says, they  pretend  to  a  perpetual  inspiration  in  the  authorities 
of  their  church ;  but  the  existence  of  this  miracle  in  a  commu- 
nity by  a  great  majority  composed  of  men  like  the  Roman 
priests  of  Cuba,  cannot  obtain  the  least  credit. 

The  council  of  Trent  demand  that  the  Old  and  New  Testa- 
ment, together  with  the  traditions  pertaining  to  faith  and 
morals,  and  preserved  by  a  continual  succession  in  the  Cath- 
olic church,  shall  be  received  and  observed  with  equal  respect 
and  affection.  These  traditions  are  words  said  to  have  been 
spoken  by  the  Lord,  or  dictated  by  the  Holy  Spirit ;  and  who- 
ever knowingly  despises  these  traditions  is  accursed  by  the 
Council.     See  its  sess.  4. 

Having  thus  established  the  validity  of  their  traditions,  they 
proceed,  with  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees  of  old,  to  make  void 
the  law  of  God  by  their  hearsays.  They  introduce,  at  this 
open  door,  every  strange  doctrine  of  Rome,  Transubstnntia- 
tion,  Purgatory,  Confession,  images,  relics,  &c.  But  I  will 
confine  attention,  principally,  at  this  time,  to  that  doctrine  of 
Confession,  by  which  Father  Manuel  Canto  took  advantage 
of  Don  Zobriseo's  child  Mariettee ;  and  by  which  many  a 
22* 


258  APPENDIX. 

Roman  priest,  in  every  clime,  is  enabled  to  defile  the  innocent, 
in  the  fold  of  the  father  and  husband,  and  under  the  clothing 
of  religion. 

In  the  first  place,  all  Romans  pay  their  Priests  a  supersti-^ 
tious  veneration.  A  Priest,  even  when  raised  to  that  office 
from  the  lowest  of  the  people,  is  entitled  to  have  his  hands 
kissed  with  the  greatest  reverence  by  every  one,  male  and 
female,  high  and  low,  even  by  a  prince  of  his  Communion. 
Children  are  taught  devoutly  to  press  their  innocent  lips  upon 
those  hands  into  which,  as  they  are  told,  the  very  Saviour  of 
mankind,  who  is  in  heaven,  comes  down  daily :  (that  is,  in 
the  performance  of  the  Mass.)  The  laws  of  Roman  Catholic 
countries  are,  with  regard  to  Priests,  made  according  to  the 
spirit  of  these  extravagant  notions.  A  Priest  cannot  be  tried 
m  Spain  by  the  judges  of  the  land  for  even  the  most  horrible 
crimes.  ••  Murders  of  the  most  shocking  kind  have  often  been 
perpetrated  by  Priests  in  my  country,"  (says  J.  Blanco  White,) 
"  but  I  do  not  recollect  an  instance  of  their  being  put  to  death, 
except  when  the  murdered  person  was  also  a  Priest.  I  knew 
the  sister  of  a  young  lady  who  was  stabbed  to  the  heart  at  the 
door  of  the  church,  where  the  murderer,  who  was  also  her 
Confessor,  had,  a  few  minutes  before,  given  her  Absolution. 
He  stabbed  her  in  the  presence  of  her  mother,  to  prevent  the 
young  lady's  marriage,  which  was  to  have  taken  place  that 
day.  This  monster  was  allowed  to  live,  because  he  was  a 
Priest ;"  and  his  judges  were  Roman  Catholic  Priests. 

What,  but  the  most  profound  veneration,  and  servile  fear,  of 
the  Roman  Clergy,  could  secure  them  impunity  of  this  kind  1 
The  same  spirit  actuates  Priests  and  people  in  Cuba,  and  in 
Italy,  and  in  Ireland,  and  in  North  America.  The  equality  of 
man  with  man  in  this  country  is  maintained  by  the  laws,  and 
titles  of  nobility  are  forbidden  by  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
States ;  yet  the  power  of  the  Roman  Priests  to  disperse  some 
mobs,  far  exceeds  that  of  the  officers  of  the  law  ;  and  the  hum- 
ble reverence  of  the  Priests  for  their  Roman  Bishops,  tran- 
scends the  authority  of  the  American  Constitution.  In  the 
intercourse  of  private  life  the  Roman  Bishops  are  styled  "  My 
Lord  r  and  they  receive  the  salutations  of  their  humble  fol- 
lowers kneeling  or  falling  before  them.  For  this  the  Roman 
Clergy  are  indebted  to  tradition,  without  whidt  pretended 
source  of  divine  revelation,  it  would  be  impossible  to  persuade 
whole  nation  ss  that  a  Priest  can,  at  any  time,  turn   a  wafer 


APPENDIX.  259 

into  the  Son  of  God,  and  can  search  the  hearts  of  the  people, 
to  curse  them  in  their  sins,  or  to  absolve  them  from  the  penalty 
of  their  transgressions. 

Whoever  has  a  man's  conscience  in  his  keeping,  must  have 
the  whole  man  in  his  power.  This  is  so  well  known  even  in 
Roman  Catholic  countries,  that,  when  there  was  a  kind  of  par- 
liament in  Arragon,  they  made  a  law  to  prevent  the  king  from 
choosing  his  own  Priest  or  Confessor ;  and  the  right  of  electing 
him  was  reserved  to  the  representatives  of  the  people,  called 
Cortes. 

But  the  bold  usurpations  of  Rome  leave  her  subjects  neither 
understanding  nor  will,  where  her  interests  require  them  to 
become  blind  tools  of  her  own.*  She  maintains  that  it  is  the 
perfection  of  faith  to  believe  whatever  doctrines  she  holds,  with- 
out hesitation  or  reservation,  whether  they  appear  to  be  true  or 
false  :  and,  indeed,  if  they  appear  to  be  false,  the  greater  is  the 
merit  of  believing  them  implicitly.  And  she  maintains  that  it 
is  the  very  height  of  human  perfection,  to  put  the  conscience 
wholly  into  the  keeping  of  the  Priests.  Not  a  single  pious 
book  of  common  reputation  in  the  Roman  church,  can  be 
found,  which  does  not  make  unlimited  obedience  to  a  Con- 
fessor the  safest,  and  most  perfect  way,  to  salvation  ;  and,  in 
the  same  proportion  as  a  Roman  Catholic  has  a  will  and  un- 
derstanding of  his  own  in  religious  matters,  in  that  same  pro- 
portion he  acts  against  the  duties  enjoined  by  his  religious 
profession. 

The  Roman  church  makes  the  Confession  of  every  sin,  by 
thought,  word,  and  deed,  necessary  to  receive  Absolution  from 
a  Priest :  and  teaches,  that  without  Absolution  on  earth,  where 
it  is  possible  to  obtain  it,  there  can  be  no  remission  in  heaven. 
The  most  sincere  repentance  is  not  sufficient  to  save  a  Roman 
sinner,  without  Confession  to  a  Priest,  and  the  Priest's  Abso- 
lution, if  it  is  possible  to  apply  to  a  Priest.  The  Council  of 
Trent  teach  that  all  sins  committed  before  baptism  are  can- 
celled by  baptism ;  and  that  sins  after  baptism  are  blotted  out 
by  Confession  to  the  Priest,  and  his  Absolution  pronounced. 
If  sins  are  knowingly  concealed,  they  are  not  forgiven.  The 
fainting  soul  that  refuses  to  open  his  wound  to  the  surgeon, 
can  not  expect  it  to  be  healed.     The  penitent  is,  therefore,  re- 


•  "A  religieuse  should  never  have  a  will  of  her  own."  Lady  Sup.  of  the  Charlestown 
Nunnery,  in  "Six  Months  in  a  Convent,"— p.  4f>, 


260  APPENDIX. 

quired  to  search  his  recollection  diligently,  and  to  explore  all 
the  corners  and  hiding-places  of  his  heart,  for  the  sins  he  has 
committed;  and  to  Confess  them  to  a  Priest,  that  he  may  have 
forgiveness  with  God  at  the  hands  of  the  Priest. 

On  the  other  hand,  they  assert,  that,  even  imperfect  repent- 
ance, which  they  call  attrition,  will  save  a  sinner,  who  Con- 
fesses, and  receives  Absolution. 

The  evident  object  of  doctrines  so  inconsistent  with  the  letter 
and  spirit  of  the  Scriptures,  is,  no  doubt,  that  of  making  the  Priest- 
hood absolute  masters  of  the  people's  consciences.  Every  Ro- 
man Catholic  is  bound,  under  pain  of  excommunication,  to 
Confess,  at  least  once  a  year ;  and  thus  the  Priests  become  in- 
trusted with  the  secrets  of  all  hearts  in  the  great  congregation. 
They  enforce  their  authority,  by  impressing  the  penitents  with 
the  belief,  that  any  one  sin  of  the  heart  knowingly  concealed 
from  the  Priest  through  a  sense  of  shame,  will  make  the  Ab- 
solution pronounced  on  them  a  sacrilege,  and  a  mortal  sin. 
The  effects  of  this  bondage,  the  reluctance  which  young  people 
especially  have  to  overcome,  and  the  frequency  of  their  making 
up  their  mind  to  garble  Confession,  in  spite  of  their  belief,  that 
by  silence  they  increase  the  number  and  guilt  of  their  sins,  are 
evils  which  none  but  a  Roman  Priest  can  be  perfectly  acquainted 
with. 

The  paltry  plea  of  Roman  Catholic  writers,  that  Confession 
is  a  check  upon  men's  consciences,  causing  them  to  restore  their 
ill-gotten  wealth,  deserves  only  indignation,  as  a  barefaced  at- 
tempt to  bribe  men's  love  of  money  to  the  support  of  Romanism. 
In  a  case  where  the  main  interests  of  religion  and  morality  are 
concerned,  it  is  an  insult  to  hold  up  the  chance  of  recovering 
stolen  money  through  the  hands  of  a  Priest,  as  if  to  draw  away 
public  attention  from  the  monstrous  evils,  which  the  reader  has 
seen,  and  has  yet  to  see,  springing  out  of  the  Roman  doctrine  of 
Confession.  Restitution  is  no  more  probable  among  Roman 
Catholics,  than  among  any  other  denomination  of  Christians. 
It  is  less  probable.  For  every  Protestant  firmly  believes  in  the 
necessity  of  restitution  in  order  to  obtain  the  divine  forgiveness; 
and  he  is  in  no  danger  of  anticipating  pardon,  without  restitu- 
tion, which  the  Roman  catholic  is,  owing  to  the  dependance 
which  Romans  place  on  the  power  of  the  mysterious  words, 
"Ego  te  absoJvo,  &c,"  used  bv  the  Priest  in  pronouncing  Ab- 
solution. Having  heard  the  words,  the  Roman,  in  the  faith 
that  he  has  received  the  full  pardon,  is  in  no  little  danger  of 


APPENDIX.  261 

neglecting"  the  conditions  on  which  it  is  pronounced.  He  may, 
in  the  joy  of  his  deliverance  from  the  penalty  of  theft,  forget  to 
restore  the  stolen  articles. 

The  Protestant  who  earnestly  and  sincerely  wishes  the  di- 
vine pardon,  knows  that  he  cannot  obtain  it,  without  equally 
earnest  efforts  to  make  restitution ;  but  when  the  Roman  Cath- 
olic has  assured  his  Confessor  that  he  will  try  his  best  to  in- 
demnify those  he  has  wronged,  the  words  of  Absolution  are,  to 
him,  a  sort  of  charm,  that  removes  the  guilt  at  once,  and,  con- 
sequently, relieves  his  uneasiness  about  restitution. 

One  of  the  greatest  evils  of  Confession  is,  that  it  has  changed 
the  genuine  repentance  preached  in  the  Gospel, — that  conver- 
sion and  change  of  life,  which  is  the  only  true  external  sign 
of  the  remission  of  sins  through  Christ,  into  a  ceremony,  which 
silences  remorse  at  the  slight  expense  of  a  little  sorrow  for  past 
offences.  As  the  day  of  Confession  approaches,  (which,  for 
the  greatest  part,  is  hardly  once  a  year,)  the  Roman  Catholic 
grows  restless,  uneasy,  and  gloomy.  He  mistakes  the  shame 
of  a  disgusting  disclosure,  for  sincere  repentance  of  his  sinful 
actions.     At  length,  he  goes  through  the  disagreeable  task, 

and  feels  relieved..  t  The  old  score  is  .cancelled;  and  he  may 
run  into  a  new  spiritual  debt,  with  lighter  heart.     "  This  "I 

know,"  says  Mr.  White,  (to  whom  the  reader  is  indebted  for 
all  that  is  most  valuable  in  this  chapter,)  "this  I  know  from 
my  own  experience,  both  as  Confessor  and  as  penitent.  In  the 
same  characters,  and  from  the  same  experience,  I  can  assure 
you  that  the  practice  of  Confession  is  extremely  injurious  to 
the  purity  of  mind  enjoined  in  the  Scriptures."  Filthy  com- 
munication is  inseparable  from  the  Confessional.  The  Priest, 
in  the  discharge  of  the  duty  enjoined  upon  him  by  his  church, 
is  bound  to  pry  out,  and  listen  to  the  most  abominable  descrip- 
tions of  all  manner  of  sins.  He  must  inquire  into  every  cir- 
cumstance of  the  most  profligate  course  of  life.  Men  and 
women,  the  young  and  the  old,  married  and  single,  the  rude 
and  the  gentle,  are  all  bound  to  describe  to  the  Confessor  the 
most  secret  actions  and  thoughts,  which  are  either  sinful  in 
themselves,  or  may  be  so  from  accidental  circumstances. 

Consider  the  danger  to  which  the  Priests  themselves  are 
exposed ;  a  danger  that  becomes  every  day  more  overwhelm- 
ing to  the  poor  soul  of  the  Priest,  as  the  filthy  communications 
he  has  before  received  are  working  their  natural  corruption  of 
his  good  manners,  and  correct  habits;  a  danger  so  imminent, 


262  APPENDIX. 

that  the  Popes  have,  on  two  occasions,  been  obliged  to  issue 
the  most  severe  edicts  against  those  Priests  who  openly  attempt 
the  seduction  of  their  female  penitents.  I  will  not,  however, 
press  this  subject,  because  it  cannot  be  done  with  sufficient 
delicacy. 

No  invention  of  the  Roman  church  equals  this  of  Confession, 
as  regards  the  power  it  gives  the  Priesthood.  One  of  the  great- 
est hinderances  to  the  establishment  of  a  free  and  rational  form 
of  government  in  Roman  Catholic  countries,  in  Italy,  Austria, 
and  Spanish  America,  lies  in  the  opposition  which  free  and 
equal  laws  meet  with,  from  the  Priests  in  the  Confessional ; 
and  the  greatest  danger  to  a  free  government  arises  from  the 
same  source ;  for  a  Priest  can  promote  even  treason  with 
safety,  in  the  secrecy  which  protects  the  Confessor's  office. 

It  is  astonishing  that  the  Roman  church  could  persuade  the 
nations  to  submit  to  a  power  so  revolting  and  dangerous,  as 
the  Priests  wield  in  the  Confessional ;  and  it  is  a  question  how 
far  it  should  be  tolerated,  and  how  far  restrained,  by  the  laws 
of  this  land  of  civil  and  of  religious  liberty,  a  land  that  in  prof- 
fering freedom  to  all,  does  not  indulge  any  with  leave  to  tram- 
pip.   On    t.hp-  nPr»L"'  r\f  a    fol  lnnr./>rDQhiro.    Piron    5»   ^Prioot   r\n   tho  no/»V 

of  a  freeman,  in  the  name  of  Rome.  The  time  has  come  when 
the  people  of  the  United  States  are  called  on  to  look  Rome  and 
her  cohorts  in  the  face ;  and  to  establish  some  bounds  to  the 
deluge  of  filthy  and  impious  customs,  which  are  pouring  into 
the  country  from  the  territories  of  the  Pope.  The  errors  of 
Rome  did  not  grow  up  in  one  night,  nor  did  the  power  of  her 
Bishop  overtop  the  kings  of  the  earth  in  one  day.  Hers  has 
ever  been  a  keen-eyed  policy,  reaching  far  into  futurity,  and 
gathering  into  her  fatal  grasp  the  liberties  of  all  nations.  Her 
aim  is  fixed  on  the  subjugation  of  this  country  to  her  imperial 
sway,  and  though  the  time  of  conquest  must  be  remote,  her 
plan  is  to  make  it  sure  in  its  day. 

The  man  of  power  in  this  world,  that  pretends  to  be  infalli- 
ble, must  be  by  nature  intolerant,  so  soon  as  his  infallibility  be- 
comes predominant.  The  infallible  man,  when  he  has  the 
power,  will  compel  other  men  to  conform  to  his  infallible  ex- 
ample, and  to  believe  his  infallible  opinions,  and  to  bow  before 
his  infallible  will  and  pleasure.  Such  a  one  is  growing  up, 
and  daily  strengthening  itself  in  these  free  states :  such  a  one  is 
the  Roman  church  that  is  now  gentle  as  a  candidate  for  public 


APPENDIX.  263 

favor ;  and  yet,  in  its  nature,  is  oppressive  as  the  Roman  Priest 
in  the  Confessional. 

The  enormous  power  of  searching  the  hearts  and  of  forgiving" 
the  sins  of  the  people  grew  up  imperceptibly  in  the  hands  of 
the  Priesthood,  together  with  the  whole  system  of  the  Roman 
religion.  It  was  the  practice  in  the  primitive  Church,  to  ex- 
clude scandalous  persons  from  public  worship,  until  they  con- 
fessed their  misconduct  before  the  whole  congregation.  This 
mode  of  discipline  became  burdensome  at  length,  and  it  was 
left  by  the  congregation  with  the  pastors  to  receive  the  con- 
fessions of  the  scandalous,  and  to  restore  the  truly  penitent  to 
the  rights  of  a  worshiper.  In  the  growing  ignorance  and  cor- 
ruption of  aftertimes,  the  people  began  to  believe  that  this  act 
of  external  reconciliation  with  the  congregation  was  a  real  ab- 
solution of  the  moral  guilt  of  the  sin  ;  and  the  church  of  Rome, 
with  that  perpetual  watchfulness,  by  which  she  has  never 
omitted  an  opportunity  of  increasing  her  power,  foisted  upon 
the  Christian  world  what  Romans  call  the  Sacrament  of  Pe- 
nance, obliging  her  members,  as  they  wish  for  the  Lord's  gra- 
cious pardon  of  their  manifold  sins,  to  Confess  them  every  one 
to  a  Roman  Priest 


264  APPENDIX. 


CHAPTER   V. 

SUPERSTITION. 

White.  Before  I  proceed,  I  must  ask  you  whether  you 
have  a  clear  idea  of  superstition? 

Reader.     I  believe  I  have  a  tolerable  good  notion  of  it. 

White.  Superstition  consists  in  credulity,  hopes  and  fears 
about  invisible  and  supernatural  things,  on  slight  and  fanciful 
grounds.  We  call  that  man  superstitious,  who  is  ready  to 
believe  any  idle  story  of  ghosts  and  witches ;  who  nails  a  horse- 
shoe upon  the  ship  or  barn  to  keep  off  bad  luck,  and  dreads  evii 
consequences  from  stepping  out  of  doors  the  first  time  in  the 
morning  with  his  left  foot  first.  Rome  encourages  this  state 
of  mind,  though  not  these  very  things. 

Every  church  may  be  compared  to  a  great  school  of  reli- 
gious instruction.  I  will  present  you  a  pupil  of  the  Roman 
school,  and  draw  the  picture  from  various  Roman  catholics 
whom  I  have  intimately  known. 

Imagine  my  Romanist  friend  retiring  to  his  bed  at  night 
The  walls  of  the  room  are  covered  with  pictures  of  all  sizes. 
Upon  a  table  there  is  a  wooden  or  brass  figure  of  our  Saviour 
nailed  to  the  Cross,  with  two  wax  candles,  ready  to  be  lighted, 
at  each  side.  Our  Romanist  carefully  locks,  lights  up  the  can- 
dles, kneels  before  the  Cross,  and  beats  his  breast  with  his 
clenched  right  hand,  till  it  rings  again  in  a  hollow  sound.  It 
is  probably  a  Friday,  a  day  of  penance :  the  good  man  looks 
pale  and  weak.  I  know  the  reason — he  has  made  but  one 
meal  on  that  day,  and  that  on  fish ;  had  he  tasted  meat,  he  feels 
assured  he  should  have  subjected  his  soul  to  the  pains  of  hell. 
But  the  mortifications  of  the  day  are  not  over.  He  unlocks  a 
small  cupboard,  and  takes  out  a  scull,  which  he  kisses,  and 
places  upon  the  table  at  the  foot  of  the  Crucifix.  He  then  strips 
off  his  clothes,  and  with  a  scourge,  composed  of  small  twisted 
ropes  hardened  with  wax,  lays  stoutly  to  the  right  and  left,  till 
his  bare  skin  is  ready  to  burst  with  accumulated  blood.  The 
discipline,  as  it  is  called,  being  over,  he  mutters  several  pray- 
ers, turning  to  every  picture  in  the  room.     He  then  rises  to  go 


APPENDIX.  265 

to  bed ;  but  before  he  ventures  into  it,  he  puts  his  finger  into  a 
little  cup  which  hangs  at  a  short  distance  over  his  pillow,  and 
sprinkles  with  the  fluid  it  contains,  the  bed  and  the  room  in 
various  directions,  and  finally  moistens  his  lorehead  in  the 
form  of  a  Cross.  The  cup,  you  must  know,  contains  Holy 
Water — water  in  wThich  a  Priest  has  put  some  salt,  making" 
over  it  the  sign  of  the  Cross  several  times,  and  saying  some 
prayers,  which  the  church  of  Rome  has  inserted  for  this  pur- 
pose in  the  Mass-book. 

The  use  of  that  water,  as  our  Roman  Catholic  has  been 
taught  to  believe,  is  to  prevent  the  devil  from  approaching  the 
places  and  things  which  have  been  recently  sprinkled  writh  it ; 
and  he  does  not  feel  himself  safe  in  his  bed  without  the  pre- 
caution which  I  have  described.  The  Holy  Water  has,  be- 
sides, an  internal  and  spiritual  power  of  washing  away  venial 
sins  ;  those  light  sins,  I  mean,  which,  according  to  the  Roman- 
ist, if  unrepented,  or  unwashed  away  by  Holy  Water,  or  the 
sign  of  the  Cross  made  by  the  hand  of  a  Eishop,  or  some  othtT 
five  or  six  methods,  which  I  will  not  trouble  you  with,  wiil 
keep  the  venial  sinner  in  Purgatory  for  a  certain  time. 

The  operations  of  the  devout  Roman  Catholic  are  probably 
not  yet  done.  On  the  other  side  of  the  Holy  Water  cup,  there 
hangs  a  frame,  holding  a  large  cake  of  wax,  w7ith  figures  raised 
by  a  mould,  not  unlike  a  large  butter-pat.  It  is  an  Agnus  Dei, 
blest  by  the  Pope,  which  is  not  to  be  had  except  it  can  be  im- 
ported from  Rome.  I  believe  the  wax  is  kneaded  with  some 
earth  from  the  place  where  the  supposed  bones  of  the  martyrs 
are  dug  up.  Whoever  possesses  one  of  those  spiritual  trea- 
sures, enjoys  the  benefit  of  a  great  number  of  indulgences; 
for,  each  kiss  impressed  on  the  wTax,  gives  him  the  whole  value 
of  fifty  or  one  hundred  days  employed  in  doing  penance  and 
good  works ;  the  amount  of  which  is  to  be  struck  off  the  debt 
which  he  has  to  pay  in  Purgatory. 

1  should  not  wonder  if  our  good  man,  before  laying  himself 
to  sleep,  were  to  feel  about  his  neck,  for  his  Rosary  or  Beads. 
Perhaps  he  has  one  of  particular  value,  and  like  that  which  I 
was  made  to  wear  next  my  skin,  when  a  boy.  A  Priest  hac| 
brought  it  from  Rome,  where  it  had  been  made,  if  we  believe^ 
the  certificates,  of  bits  of  the  very  stones  with  which  the  first 
martyr,  Stephen,  was  put  to  death. 

Being  satisfied  that  the  Rosary  hangs  still  on  his  neck,  he 
arranges  its  companion,  the  Scapulary,  formed  of  two  square 
23 


266  APPENDIX. 

pieces  of  the  stuff  which  is  exclusively  worn  by  some  religious 
order.  By  means  of  the  Scapulary,  he  is  assured  either  that 
the  Virgin  Mary  will  not  allow  him  to  remain  in  Purgatory 
beyond  the  Saturday  next  to  the  day  of  his  death ;  or,  he  is 
made  partaker  of  all  the  penances  and  good  works  performed 
by  the  Religious  of  the  Order  to  which  the  Scapulary  belongs. 

At  last,  having  said  a  prayer  to  the  Angel,  who,  he  believes, 
keeps  a  constant  guard  over  him,  the  devout  Romanist  com- 
poses himself  to  sleep,  touching  his  forehead,  his  breast,  and 
the  two  shoulders,  to  form  the  figure  of  a  Cross  4*.  The 
prayer  and  ceremonies  of  the  morning  are  not  unlike  those 
of  the  night.  Armed  with  the  sprinkling  of  Holy  Water,  he 
proceeds  to  Mass ;  if  it  happens  to  be  one  of  the  privileged 
days,  in  which  souls  may  be  delivered  out  of  Purgatory,  you 
will  see  him  saying  a  certain  number  of  prayers  at  different 
altars.  He  will  repeat  the  Rosary  in  honor  of  the  Virgin  Mary, 
dropping  through  his  fingers  either  fifty-five  or  seventy-seven 
t>eads,  which  are  strung  in  the  form  of  a  necklace.  There 
aiay  be  a  blessing  with  the  Sacrament,  which  the  good  Cath- 
olic will  not  lose,  for  the  sake  of  the  Plenary  Indulgence  which 
the  Pope  grants  to  such  as  are  present.  On  that  occasion  you 
would  see  him  kneeling  and  beating  his  breast,  while  the 
Priest,  in  a  splendid  cloak  of  silk  and  gold,  in  the  midst  of 
lighted  candles,  and  the  smoke  of  frankincense,  makes  the  sign 
of  the  Cross  with  a  consecrated  wafer,  enclosed  between  two 
pieces  of  glass  set  in  gold. 

It  would,  indeed,  be  an  endless  task,  were  I  to  enumerate  all 
the  methods  and  contrivances  of  this  kind,  recommended  by 
the  church  of  Rome  to  all  her  members,  and  practised  by  all 
who  are  not  careless  of  their  spiritual  concerns.  These  are 
facts  which  no  honest  Roman  Catholic  will  venture  to  deny. 
I  therefore  ask,  whether,  since  Revelation  is  the  only  means  we 
have  of  distinguishing  between  religion  and  superstition,  I  ask 
whether  the  whole  system  of  the  church  of  Rome,  for  the  at- 
tainment of  Christian  virtue,  is  not  a  chain  of  superstitious 
practices,  calculated  to  accustom  the  mind  to  imaginary  fear, 
and  to  fly  to  the  church  for  fanciful  remedies?  St.  Paul  had 
a  prophetic  eye  on  this  adulterated  Christianity,  when  he  cau- 
tioned the  Colossians,  saying :  •«  Let  no  man,  therefore,  judge 
you  in  meat  or  in  drink,  or  in  respect  of  a  holy-day.  Let 
no  man  beguile  you  of  your  reward  in  a  voluntary  humility, 
and  worshiping  of  angels,  intruding  into  those  things  which 


APPENDIX.  267 

he  hath  not  seen,  vainly  puffed  up  by  his  fleshly  mind,  and  not 
holding  the  head  from  which  all  the  body  by  joints  and  bands, 
having  nourishment  ministered,  and  knit  together,  increaseth 
with  the  increase  of  God.  Wherefore,  if  ye  be  dead  with 
Christ  from  the  rudiments  of  the  world,  why,  as  though  living 
in  the  world,  are  ye  subject  to  ordinances,  [touch  not,  taste  not, 
handle  not,  which  all  are  to  perish  with  the  using,)  ajter  the 
commandments  and  doctrines  of  men?  Which  things  have 
indeed  a  show  of  wisdom  in  will-worship  and  humility,  and 
neglecting  of  the  body."     Col.  ii. 

I  cannot  conceive  a  more  perfect  resemblance  than  that 
which  exists  between  the  picture  of  a  devout  Romanist,  and 
the  will-ivorship  described  in  this  passage.  Observe  the  dis- 
tinction of  days,  the  prohibition  of  certain  meats,  the  worship- 
ing of  angels,  the  numerous  ordinances,  the  mortification  and 
neglect  of  the  body,  and  most  of  all,  the  losing  hold  of  the  head, 
Christ,  and  substituting  a  constant  endeavour  to  increase,  spir- 
itually, by  fleshly,  that  is,  external  means,  instead  of  fortifying, 
by  a  simple  and  spiritual  worship,  the  bands  and  joints,  through 
which  alone  the  Christian  can  have  nourishment,  and  increase 
with  the  increase  of  God. 

Reader.  I  confess  that  the  likeness  is  very  striking.  But  I 
wish  to  know  if  all  will-worship  of  the  Romanists  is  fully  re- 
commended by  their  church. 

White.  It  is,  and  in  the  most  solemn  and  powerful  manner. 
You  have  only  to  look  into  the  devotionals  which  are  used 
among  the  Romanists,  and  you  will  find  their  Bishops  encour- 
aging this  kind  of  religious  discipline  in  the  most  unqualified 
terms.  I  could  read  to  you  passages  innumerable,  confirming 
and  recommending  more  fleshly  ordinances  than  ever  the  Jews 
observed :  and  this,  too,  in  English  Roman  catholic  books, 
which,  for  fear  of  censure  on  the  part  of  the  Protestants,  are 
generally  more  shy  of  disclosing  the  whole  system  of  their 
church,  than  those  published  abroad.  But  what  settles  the 
point  at  once,  and  shows,  that  it  is  the  church  of  Rome,  and  not 
any  private  individual,  that  adulterates  the  character  and  tem- 
per of  Christian  virtue,  I  have  only  to  refer  you  to  their  Com- 
mon Prayer-book,  which  they  call  the  Breviary.  Now,  that 
is  a  book  not  only  published  and  confirmed  by  three  Popes, 
but  which  they  oblige  their  whole  Clergy  to  read  daily,  for  at 
least  an  hour  and  a  half.  Such,  indeed,  is  the  importance 
which  the  church  of  Rome  attaches  to  that  book,  that  she  dt>- 


208  APPENDIX, 

dares  any  Clergyman  or  Monk  who  omits,  even  less  than  an 
eighth  part  of  the  appointed  daily  reading,  guilty  of  sin  worthy 
of  hell, — a  mortal  sin,  which  deprives  man  of  the  grace  of 
God.  The  Breviary  contains  Psalms  and  Collects,  and  lives 
of  Saints,  for  every  day  of  the  year.  Those  lives  are  given  as 
examples  of  what  the  church,  of  Rome  declares  to  be  Christian 
perfection,  and  her  members  are,  of  course,  urged  to  imitate 
them,  as  far  as  it  may  possibly  be  in  every  one's  power.  Now, 
I  can  assure  you,  having  been  for  many  years  forced  to  read 
the  Breviary  daily,  that  there  is  not  one  instance  of  a  Saint 
whose  worship  is  not  grounded  by  the  church  of  Rome,  mainly 
upon  the  most  extravagant  practice  of  external  ceremonies,  and 
the  most  shocking  use  of  their  imaginary  virtue  of  Penance. 

Reader.     What  do  they  mean  by  penance  ? 

White.  The  voluntary  infliction  of  pain  on  themselves,  to 
expiate  their  sins. 

Reader.     Do  they  not  believe  in  the  atonement  of  Christ  ? 

White.  They  believe  that  the  atonement  is  enough  to  save 
them  from  Hell,  but  not  from  a  temporal  punishment  of  sin. 

Reader.  But  have  they  not  Plenary  Indulgences  to  satisfy 
for  that  temporal  punishment  ? 

White.  So  they  believe  ;  but  the  truth  is,  that  they  cannot 
understand  themselves  upon  the  subject  of  penance  and  Indul- 
gences. Penance,  however,  the  Roman  church  recommends 
eon  at  the  expense  of  depraving  the  sense  of  the  Gospel  in* 
their  translations.  As  there  is  nothing  in  the  New  Testament 
which  can  make  self-inflicted  pain  a  Christian  virtue,  the  Ro- 
manists, wanting  a  text  to  support  their  practices,  have  rendered 
the  third  verse  of  the  13th  Chapter  of  Luke,  "  unless  ye  be  pen- 
itent, ye  shall  all  'perish'1  Yet,  this  was  not  enough  for 
their  purpose ;  and,  as  the  same  sentence  is  repeated  in  the 
5th  verse,  there  they  slipt  in  the  word  penance.  Their  trans- 
lation of  that  verse  is,  "unless  ye  shall  do  penance,  you  shall 
all  alike  perish.''''  By  the  use  of  this  word  they  make  their 
laity  believe,  that  both  Confession,  which  they  call  penance, 
and  ail  the  bodily  mortification  which  go  among  them  by  the 
same  name,  are  commanded  by  Christ. 

Reader.     That,  Sir,  I  look  upon  as  very  unfair. 

White.  And  the  more  so,  my  friend,  as  in  the  original  Gos- 
pel, the  word  used  by  the  inspired  writer  is  the  same  in  both 
verses,  and  cannot  by  any  possibility  mean  any  thing  but  a 


APPENDIX.  269 

change  of  the  mind,  which  we  properly  express  by  the  word 
repent. 

Reader.  What,  Sir,  is  the  origin  of  their  attachment  to 
bodily  mortification  ? 

White.  A  mean  estimate  of  the  atonement  of  Christ ;  and 
the  example  of  some  fanatics,  whom,  at  an  early  period  of  the 
corruptions  of  Christianity,  Rome  declared  to  be  Saints  and 
patterns  of  Evangelical  virtue.  The  Monks,  who  took  them 
for  their  models,  gained  an  unbounded  influence  in  the  church; 
and,  both  by  the  practice  of  some  enthusiasts  among  them,  and 
by  the  stories  of  miracles  which  they  reported  as  being  the  re- 
ward of  their  bodily  mortification,  confirmed  the  opinion  of  the 
great  merit  of  penance  ainong  the  laity.  Here,  also,  the  mu- 
tual aid  of  the  doctrines  invented  by  Rome,  contributed  to  in- 
crease the  error;  for  as  the  Popes  teach  that  the  Indulgences 
which  they  grant  are  taken  from  the  treasure  of  merits  col- 
lected by  the  Saints,  it  is  the  interest  of  those  who  expect  to 
escape  from  Purgatory  by  the  aid  of  Indulgences,  that  the  treas- 
ure of  penances  be  well  stocked:  and  they  greatly  enjoy  the 
accounts  of  wonderful  mortifications  which  their  church  gives 
them  in  her  Prayer-book.  You  know  that  Saint  Patrick  is 
one  of  the  most  favorite  Saints  among  the  Irish  Roman  catho- 
lics, as  having  been  the  first  who  introduced  Christianity  into 
their  Island.  The  church  of  Rome  gives  the  following  account 
of  his  daily  religious  practices;  holding  him  up,  of  course,  as 
a  pattern,  which  if  few  can  fully  copy,  every  one  will  be  more 
perfect  as  he  endeavours  to  imitate: — The  Breviary  tells  the 
Roman  Catholic,  that  when  their  patron  Saint  was  .a  slave, 
having  his  master's  cattle  under  his  care,  he  used  to  rise  before 
daylight,  under  the  snows  and  rains  of  winter,  to  begin  hisr 
usual  task  of  praying"  one  hundred  times  in  the  day,  and  again 
one  hundred  times  in  the  night.  When  he  was  made  a  Bishop, 
we  are  told  that  he  repeated  every  day  the  one  hundred  and 
fifty  Psalms  of  the  Psaltery,  with  a  collection  of  canticles  and 
hymns,  ard  two  hundred  collects  besides.  He  made  it  also  a 
daily  duty  to  kneel  three  hundred  times,  and  to  make  the  sign 
of  the  Cross  with  his  hand  eight  hundred  times  a  day.  In 
the  night  he  recited  one  hundred  Psalms,  and  knelt  two  hun- 
dred times, — passed  one  third  of  it  up  to  his  chin  in  cold  water, 
repeating  fifty  Psalms  more,  and  then  rested  for  two  or  three 
hours  on  a  stone  pavement. 


270  APPENDIX. 

Reader.  I  cannot  believe  it  possible  for  a  man  to  perform 
what  you  have  said,  unless  he  have  the  strength  and  velocity 
of  a  steam  engine.     That  account  must  be  false. 

White.  I  will  not  enter  into  the  question  of  its  probability ; 
ail  I  have  to  do  with,  is  the  principle  which  it  inculcates,  ami 
proposes  to  the  Roman  catholics.  External  ceremonies,  and  a 
course  of  self-murdering  practices,  are  proposea  by  the  church 
of  Rome,  in  nine  out  often  lives  of  her  Saints,  as  objects  of  imita- 
tion. In  the  same  spirit,  St.  Catherine  of  Siena  is  represented  as 
so  addicted  to  the  practice  of  fasting,  that  heaven,  to  indulge  her 
in  the  performance  of  that  pretended  virtue,  kept  her  by  miracle, 
without  food,  from  Ash- Wednesday  till  Whit-Sunday.  (So  the 
Breviary  proclaims  before  the  face  of  the  world.)  That  is,  94 
days,  from  the  fourth  of  March  to  the  seventh  of  June. 

Reader.  How  far  does  the  church  of  Rome  recommend  the 
infliction  of  pain,  as  penance  ? 

While.  To  an  excess  that  destroys  every  year  many  well- 
meaning  and  ardent  persons,  especially  young  women  of  that 
Communion.*  These  deluded  creatures  read  the  lives  of  Saints 
set  forth  by  their  church,  and  there  they  find  many  females  who 
are  said  to  have  arrived  at  great  perfection  by  living  like  St. 
Elizabeth  of  Portugal,  one  half  the  year  on  bread  and  water; 
besides  the  constant  use  of  scourging  their  bodies,  sleeping  on 
the  naked  ground,  wearing  bandages  with  points  that  run  into 
the  flesh,  plunging  into  freezing  water,  and  ten  thousand  other 
methods  of  gradually  destroying  life.  But  when  a  young, 
tender,  and  ardent  mind,  is  taught  that  God  is  pleased  by  volun- 
tary suffering,  and  reads  that  the  church  of  Rome  has  made 
Saints  of  those  who  have  died  by  penances,  every  thing  which 
falls  short  of  actual  self-murder,  will  assume  the  appearance  of 
moderation. 

The  church  of  Rome,  in  her  Breviary,  commends  Saint  The- 
resa, because  "  her  ardor  in  punishing  the  body  was  so  vehe- 
ment as  to  make  her  use  hair  shirts,  chains,  nettles,  scourges, 
and  even  roll  herself  among  thorns,  regardless  of  a  diseased 
constitution.11     These  are  the  words  of  the  Breviary:  from 


c  "  Sister  Mary  Magdalene  was  in  a  consumption.  She  had  entered  the  Convent,  nine 
months  before  in  perfect  health,  and  was  now  worn  oat  with  austerities."  She  died 
sqpn  after.     "  Six  Months  in  a  Convent,"  p.  105. 

So  many  were  the  victims  that  died  tmdfrthe  austerities  of  the  Monastic  Rules  in 
Kentucky,  that  the  friends  and  relation  of  these  self-murdering  devotees,  had  to  re- 
monstrate with  the  Superior  of  the  Order;  who.  at  length,  in  consequence  of  their 
repeated  solicitations  and  complaints,  relaxed  the  severity  of  the  discipline,— E&. 


APPENDIX.  271 

which  the  enthusiastic  Roman  catholic  properly  infers,  that  to 
disregard  a  diseased  constitution,  and  hasten  death,  is  a  virtue. 
That  such  is  the  effect  of  the  Popes'  lives  of  the  Saints,  is  clear 
from  what  the  Breviary  relates  of  another  female  Saint,  called 
Rose  of  Lima.  She,  it  is  said  in  the  Roman  catholic  Prayer- 
book,  t;  from  a  desire  to  imitate  St.  Catherine,"  wore,  day  and 
night,  three  folds  of  an  iron  chain  round  her  waist,  a  belt  set 
with  small  needles,  and  an  iron  crown  armed  inside  w7ith  points, 
all  next  the  skin.  She  made  to  herself  a  bed  of  the  unpolished 
trunks  of  trees,  and  filled  up  the  chinks  with  pieces  of  broken 
pottery.  The  Breviary  adds,  that  she  did  all  this  in  spite  of 
her  "tortures  from  sickness,"  and  was  therefore  frequently 
visited  by  Saints,  angels,  and  even  by  our  Saviour  from  heaven. 

Reader.  But,  do  Roman  catholics  really  believe  in  those 
visits  % 

White.  A  sincere  Roman  catholic  cannot  disbelieve  what  his 
own  church  so  constantly  teaches,  without  entertaining  strange 
suspicions  against  the  veracity  of  the  organ  and  ground  of  his 
faith.  Nothing  can  be  more  positively  asserted,  than  these 
supernatural  wonders  ;  nothing  more  frequently  repeated,  than 
the  thousands  of  miracles  contained  in  the  Breviary.  If,  there- 
fore, a  Roman  Catholic  believes  them  all,  or  the  greatest  part, 
he  must  be  credulous  like  a  child  ;  if  he  disbelieves  them  all, 
or  the  greatest'  part,  he  must  look  on  the  Popes  and  the  church 
of  Rome,  either  as  a  set  of  rogues,  or  downright  fools. 

Were  I  to  translate  the  stories  of  Saints  from  the  Breviary, 
you  would  imagine  I  was  amusing  you  with  tales  of  goblins 
and  fairies.  You  would  hear  of  three  different  Saints  who 
have  sailed  on  their  cloaks,  as  if  on  board  a  ship,  carrying 
sometimes  several  Monks  with  them.  In  that  manner  we  are 
assured  by  the  Pope,  that  Saint  Francis  de  Paula  crossed  the 
straits  of  Sicily;  Saint  Raymond  de  Pennafort,  from  Majorca 
to  Barcelona;  and  Saint  Hyacinth,  a  large  river  of  Poland, 
swollen  by  a  flood.  You  would  hear  of  a  Saint  Frances  of 
Rome,  who  would  stand  for  a  long  time  in  a  river  without  be- 
ing wet;  and  who  used  to  quench  her  thirst  with  grapes  pro- 
duced by  miracle,  in  the  heart  of  winter.  You  would  find  a 
Saint  Peter  of  Alcantara,  who  was  provided  with  a  roof  of 
snow,  under  which  he  might  pass  the  night,  and  who  made  his 
staff  grow  into  a  fig-tree! 

What  man  of  common  sense  would  remain  in  the  church  of 
England,  if  our  Proyer-book  had  it,  as  a  most  certain  fact,  that 


272  APPENDIX. 

Westminster  Abbey  had  been  built  at  Paris,  in  France,  and 
that  some  hundred  years  ago,  it  had  taken  a  flight  to  the  French 
coast,  opposite  to  Dover:  and  having  rested  a  few  years,  had, 
in  a  second  flight,  placed  itself  where  it  now  stands? 

Reader.     Has  the  Breviary  any  story  like  this? 

White.  Perfectly  like  it.  It  relates  that  the  house  in  which 
the  Virgin  Mary  lived  m  the  land  of  Judea,  was  carried  through 
the  air,  by  angels,  to  the  Coast  of  Daimatia,  and  from  thence 
to  Loretto.  in  the  Pope's  dominions,  wrhere  it  is  worth  millions 
to  the  Popish  Clergy;  such  is  the  number  of  Pilgrims  that  go 
to  visit  it,  and  the  large  and  valuable  presents  which  for  many 
centuries  have  been  sent  by  Roman  catholic  Princes  and  No- 
blemen to  ornamen^it. 

Reader.  There  is  so  much  falsehood  in  the  face  of  that 
story,  that  I  would  not  believe  anything  in  the  shape  of  a  Mir- 
acle from  the  same  channel. 

White.  Yet  there  are  Roman  catholics,  who,  rather  than 
give  way  to  the  Protestants,  will  endanger  the  credit  of  the 
whole  Gospel,  by  asserting  that  he  who  will  not  believe  in  the 
miracles  which  are  reported  on  the  authority  of  the  church  of 
Rome,  has  no  reason  to  receive  those  of  the  Gospel.  Were  we 
to  believe  the  Roman  catholic  Prayer-book,  there  is  scarcely  a 
Saint,  who  did  not  begin  to  work  miracles  from  its  birth:  nay, 
we  are  told  of  St.  Bridget,  that  she  saved  her  mother  from 
drowning,  being  as  yet  in  the  womb! 

The  bells  used  to  ring  of  their  own  accord  when  Saints  were 
born,  as  happened  with  St.  John  a  Deo,  St.  Peter  Celestinus, 
and  many  others ;  a  swarm  of  bees  built  a  honey-comb  in  the 
hands  of  St.  Ambrose,  St.  Peter  Nolascus,  St.  Isadore,  and  sev- 
eral other  Saintly  babes,  while  in  their  cradles.  Another  baby 
Saint  had  her  face  changed  into  a  Rose,  from  which  her  name 
was  given  her.  These  holy  children  often  speak  before  they 
are  five  months  old,  as  was  the  case  with  St.  Philip  Beniti,  who, 
at  that  age,  scolded  his  mother  for  not  giving  alms  to  some 
begging  Friars.  All  these  wonders,  and  ten  thousand  others, 
still  more  absurd,  are  asserted  in  the  Prayer-book  of  the  church 
©f  Rome. 

Reader.  I  cannot  help  thinking,  that  though  the  church  of 
Rome  is  not  the  best  school  for  Christian  instruction,  it  must 
afford  a  mine  of  amusement  to  its  followers.  Her  ceremonies, 
her  miracles,  her  relics,  must  afford  an  agreeable  variety  to 
those  who  have  never  doubted  her  creed. 


APPENDIX.  273 

White.  Ah,  my  friend  !  nothing  can  be  more  deceitful  than 
the  appearance  of  that  church.  There  is  more  misery  pro- 
duced by  her  laws  and  institutions,  than  I  can  possibly  describe, 
though  I  have  drunk  her  cup  of  bitterness  to  the  dregs.  In 
the  first  place,  a  sincere  mind,  which  is  made  to  depend  for  the 
hope  of  salvation,  on  any  thing  but  faith  and  unbounded  trust 
in  the  Saviour,  can  never  enjoy  that  Christian  peace,  u  which 
passeth  all  understanding.'11  I  have  known  some  of  the  most 
conscientious  Roman  catholics,  which  that  church  can  boast  of; 
my  own  mother  and  sisters  were  among  them.  I  have  been  a 
Confessor  not  a  few  years,  and  heard  the  true  state  of  mind  of 
the  most  religious  Nuns,  and  such  as  were  looked  upon  as  liv- 
ing Saints,  by  ali  the  inhabitants  of  my  town.  From  this  inti- 
mate knowledge  of  their  state,  I  do  assure  you,  that  they  are, 
for  the  greatest  part,  so  full  of  doubts  about  their  salvation,  as 
not  u infrequently  to  be  driven  to  madness.*  In  their  great 
anxiety  to  accumulate  merits,  (for  they  are  taught  that  their 
penances  and  religious  practices  are  deserving  of  reward  in 
heaven,)  they  involve  themselves  in  a  maze  of  external  per- 
formances. Then  comes  the  fear  of  sin,  in  the  very  things 
which  they  undertake  under  the  notion  of  pleasing  God ;  and, 
as  they  believe  their  works  are  to  be  weighed  and  valued 
in  strict  justice,  the  sincer'y  of  their  hearts  cannot  help  dis- 
covering, not  only  that  the}  are  nothing  worth,  but  that  sin  is 
often  mixed  with  their  performance.  In  this  state,  they  are 
never  impressed  with  the  idea,  that  "  the  blood  of  Christ  cleans- 
eth  from  all  sin11  whenever  the  sinner,  with  a  lively  faith,  re- 
ceives him  as  his  only  Saviour.  They  are  not  taught  that  good 
works  are  the  fruit  of  true  faith  ;  but  that  they  bear  a  true  share 
with  Christ  in  the  work  of  our  salvation.  They  are  thus  forced, 
by  their  doctrines,  to  look  to  themselves  for  the  hope  of  heaven; 
and  what  can  be  the  consequence,  but  the  most  agonizing  fear  ? 
With  the  view  of  heaven  and  hell  perpetually  before  their  eyes, 
and  a  strong  belief,  that  the  obtaining  of  the  one,  and  the  avoid- 
ing of  the  other,  depends  on  the  performance  of  a  multitude  of 
self-imposed  duties,  as  complicated,  and  more  difficult  than 
those  of  the  ceremonial  law  of  the  Jews;  what  can  be  the  result, 
but  distracting  anxiety?  In  his  progress  through  the  stormy 
sea  of  life,  the  Romanist  clings  with  one  hand  to  Christ  and  to 


*  This  I  confirm,  and  my  knowledge  of  the  fact  Is  derived  from  the  samo  source  e 
tbat  of  Joseph  Blanco  White ;  and  that  is,  from  Confession.— Ed. 


274  APPENDIX. 

the  Saints,  and  depends  on  the  strength  of  the  other  to  break 
the  waves.  He  locks,  (as  man  always  does,  in  cases  of  great 
danger.)  not  to  the  stronger,  but  to  the  weaker  ground  of  his 
dependance  for  safety.  Fear  constantly  predominates  in  his 
heart.  4,Mind  your  swimming  hand,"  say  his  Priests;  "ply 
it  stoutly,  or  Christ  will  allow  you  to  sink!!;  4i  Repent;  and 
believe  cm  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  ye  shall  be  saved:'  is  the 
language  of  the  Bible.  We  must  change  our  mind,  (for  that  is 
what  repentance  means,)  from  the  pursuit  of  righteousness, 
and  brino;  forth  fruit  meet  for  repentance,  placing  our  whole 
trust  in  Christ,  in  order  to  become  justified  with  God.  But  the 
Roman  catholic  believes,  that  his  good  works  are,  in  part,  at 
least,  the  ground  of  his  justification,  and  he  is  anxious  to  in- 
crease it.  by  the  performance  of  numerous  external  ordinances, 
and  especially  by  the  endurance  of  self-inflicted  misery,  ail 
which  fails  to  satisfy  the  conscience,  fails  to  compose  the  trou- 
bled heart  to  rest 


APPENDIX.  275 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  APOSTACY — -IMAGES. 

Our  Lord,  in  discoursing  with  his  disciples  of  the  sign  of 
his  coming,  and  of  the  end  of  the  world,  cautions  them,  that 
"  Many  false  prophets  shall  rise,  and  deceive  many.11  Matt. 
xxiv.  11.  By  prophets,  ministers  are  intended,  or  preachers. 
He  had  already  taught  them  how  they  might  know  them  "  by 
their  fruits,11  on  two  different  occasions,  Matt.  vii.  15;  and 
Matt.  xii.  33. 

The  blessed  Peter,  and  the  beloved  John  likewise,  forewarn 
us  of  the  same  thing.  "  There  shall  be  false  teachers  among 
you,  who  privily  shall  bring  in  damnable  heresies,  even  denying 
the  Lord  that  bought  them.11  2  Pet.  ii.  1.  "  This  is  that  spirit 
of  Antichrist,   whereof  ye  have  heard  that  it  should  come.11 

1  John  iv.  3. 

But  Paul  is  more  particular.  In  the  2d  Thess.  2d  chapter, 
he  speaks  of  the  "falling  away,11  which  shall  unfold  itself 
gradually,  and  come  forth  in  the  form  of  the  Man  of  Sin,  the 
Son  of  Perdition,  whom  the  Lord  shall  consume  with  the  spirit 
of  his  mouth,  and  destroy  with  the  brightness  of  his  coming. 
In  other  places  he  speaks  of  the  same  thing.    1  Tim.  iv.  1 ;  and 

2  Tim.  iii.  1. 

The  book  of  Revelation  exhibits  the  same  fact  in  the  delinea- 
tion of  Babylon  the  Great,  its  seat,  its  power,  its  character,  and 
its  fall.  And  the  learned  Roman  catholics  admit,  that  the 
Babylon  of  the  Revelation  is  Rome,  but  they  say  it  is  manifestly 
Pagan  Rome,  and  not  Christian  Rome,  that  is  intended  by  the 
prophecy.  (Eus.  His.  L.  2.  c.  14.  Bar.  An.  Vol.  1.  380.  Bel 
larmine.) 

It  is  essential  to  the  aposlacy  intended,  that  it  should  occur 
in  the  Church ;  for  it  is  impossible  to  "fall  aivay11  from  ground, 
on  which  the  falling  body  did  not  once  stand.  And,  moreover, 
Paul  says  expressly,  that  the  man  of  sin  shall  sit  in  the  temple, 
or  house  of  God,  2  Thess.  ii.  4 ;  and  that  the  house  of  God  is 
the  church.  1  Tim.  iii.  15.  So,  likewise,  it  is  essential  to  false 
prophets  and  teachers,  that  they  should  come  in  the  form  and 


276  APPENDIX. 

profession  of  Gospel  ministers.  "  By  their  fruits  ye  shall 
know  them.11 

The  fruits  of  the  Roman  prophets  and  teachers,  are  plainly- 
exhibited  in  these  papers;  but  lest  some  should  think  it  impos- 
sible that  sensible  and  learned  men,  professing  godliness,  and 
resting  their  eternal  hopes  on  the  Gospel  and  its  promises, 
should  worship  images  of  wood  and  stone,  and  fall  into  the 
snares  of  the  great  Adversary,  to  do  his  works  of  darkness,  as 
these  pages  show,  I  have  thought  good  to  examine  some  of 
the  doctrines  of  Rome  in  connexion  with  the  practices  of  those 
who  teach  them,  as  narrated  here;  among  which,  that  of  image 
worship,  or  idolatry,  is  one  of  the  most  conspicuous. 

Idolatry  in  the  church  is  the  most  barefaced  apostacy.  Ro- 
mans themselves  admit  it.  How,  therefore,  do  they  pretend  to 
be  the  true  church,  and  yet  bow  down  before,  and  lift  up  their 
eyes  and  their  voice  unto,  a  graven  image'?  Charity  forbids 
that  we  should  believe  them  guilty  of  it,  so  long  as  the  evidence 
in  the  case  does  not  compel  our  belief;  and  having  been  so 
long  time  one,  who  accounted  this  charge  of  idolatry  against 
the  Romans  to  be  the  offspring  more  of  bitter  prejudice,  and 
settled  hatred,  than  of  immutable  truth,  I  am  willing  to  meet 
the  reader  with  abundance  of  facts,  to  enable  him  to  judge  for 
himself  of  the  apostacy  of  Rome  from  the  Christian  faith  in  the 
matter  of  worshiping  idols. 

No  evidence  of  the  use  of  images  in  the  churches,  or  in  con- 
nexion with  Christian  worship,  is  found  earlier  than  the  time 
of  Constantine.  Paul  openly  rebuked  the  Athenians  for  think- 
ing that  u  the  Godhead  is  like  unlo  gold,  or  silver,  or  stone, 
graven  by  art,  or  man's  device  :"  Acts  xvii.  29  ;  and  the  silver- 
smith who  made  shrines  at  Ephesus,  caused  no  small  excite- 
ment against  the  Apostle,  because  he  brought  contempt  upon 
images,  not  excepting  that  of  the  Great  Diana,  "  whom  Asia, 
and  all  the  world  worshipeth"  Acts  xix.  27. 

The  Apostle  does  not  charge  the  Athenians  with  the  folly  of 
thinking  the  gold,  or  silver,  or  graven  image,  was  God  ;  but 
in  the  likeness  of  God :  nor  do  Demetrius  and  the  craftsmen 
say,  that  all  Asia  and  the  world  worshiped  the  image,  but  Diana, 
whom  the  image  represented.  Yet  the  Romans  think  it  no 
sin  to  reverence  and  kneel  before  the  images,  because  they 
know  that  the  silver  Crucifix  is  not  the  Christ,  and  the  painted 
and  carved  wood,  or  graven  stone,  is  not  the  Virgin  Mary; 
and  because  they  only  paid  their  adorations  to  the  heavenly  in- 


APPENDIX.  277 

habitant,  through  the  visible  representation  on  canvass,  wood, 
and  stone. 

The  Athenians  and  the  Ephesians  could  have  equally  well 
defended  their  worship  from  the  attacks  of  the  Apostle  by  the 
same  argument  now  in  common  use  among  Roman  catholics. 
The  worshipers  of  Juggernaut  now,  and  of  Dagon  in  the  times 
of  Samuel,  could  equally  well  explain  the  difference  between 
the  God  they  worshiped,  and  the  image,  before  which  they 
worshiped  him. 

The  ancient  Romans  were  devout  in  this  way.  The  Scipios, 
the  Ciceros,  and  the  Fabii  of  old  Rome,  feared  the  heathen 
gods,  and  the  retributions  of  the  world  of  spirits :  these  gods, 
however,  were  in  heavem,  were  spirits  of  the  air,  and  not  the 
images,  before  which  they  worshiped  the  gods.  The  Greeks 
undoubtedly  worshiped  the  supposed  heavenly  inhabitants,  and 
feared  the  thunder-bearing  Jupiter*;  but  they  paid  their  vows, 
like  the  modern  Romans,  before  images  of  gold,  silver,  or  stone, 
graven  by  art,  or  man's  device,  in  the  likeness  of  the  godhead 
which  they  adored. 

It  appears  throughout  this  Narrative,  (as  it  is,  also,  well 
known  to  all  travellers  in  Popish  countries,)  that  the  Roman 
catholics  have  their  images,  and  do  worship  before  them ;  and 
they  call  the  wood  or  stone  by  the  name  of  the  person  it  is 
meant  to  represent,  as  if  that  person  were  present  in  the  place 
of  the  picture,  or  graven  or  molten  image.  Such  a  habit  have 
they,  and  have  those  who  learn  of  them,  that  they  speak  of  the 
image  of  Peter,  as  Peter;  and  of  the  image  of  Mary,  as  the 
'  virgin  herself;  insomuch  that  in  this  very  Narrative,  one  of  the 
corrections  to  be  made,  was,  the  insertion  of  the  "  image  of" 
before  the  name  of  the  image:  as  for  example,  the  Narrative 
read  according  to  the  language  of  Roman  catholics,  "  candles 
burning  under  our  Saviour  and  the  Virgin  Mary;"  which,  as 
afterward  corrected  by  her,  reads,  candles  burning  under  the 
image  representing  our  Saviour  and  the  Virgin  Mary.  So 
u they  carried  our  Saviour  and  the  Virgin  Mary;" — that  is, 
they  carried  canvass,  wood,  or  stone,  representing  the  Lord  of 
glory  and  the  blessed  Virgin.  But  Roman  catholics  uniformly 
call  the  images  St.  Mary,  St.  Paul,  St.  Michael,  our  Sa- 
viour, &c.  (fee.  It  is  almost  incredible  that  such  a  thing  exists  in 
the  present  enlightened  age  of  the  world,  and  among  professors 
©f  the  Christian  religion;  but  they  are  common  in  the  Roman 
church,  and  are  universal  in  Roman  countries.  They  may  be 
24 


278  APPENDIX 

traced  to  their  source,  in  the  church,  about  the  time  of  the  uio* 
cletian  persecution,  and  the  triumph  of  Constantine  which 
closely  followed  it. 

It  strikes  the  reader  of  the  Bible  with  wonder,  that  Israel 
should  have  enticed  Aaron  to  make  for  them  a  calf  to  worship, 
even  while  Moses  in  the  mount  received  the  Tables  of  the 
Law,  written  with  the  finger  of  God;  and  that  Solomon  should 
have  turned  from  the  temple  which  he  had  built,  and  from  Je- 
hovah, whom  he  had  invoked  in  the  dedication,  and  whose 
glory,  by  a  divine  manifestation,  filled  the  house,  to  worship 
"  Ashtoreth,  the  goddess  of  the  Zidonians"  and  "  Milcom,  the 
abomination  of  the  Ammonites"  and  "Chemosh  of  Moab,  and 
MolechP  1  Kings,  xi.  5 — 8,  It  fills  the  mind  with  astonish- 
ment, that  while  the  Jews  experienced  so  much  of  the  divine 
favor,  they  should  have  apostatized  from  God,  and  have  made 
to  themselves  images  j  that  they  should  not  have  considered 
nor  understood  enough  to  say  of  the  wood  :  "  /  have  burned 
part  of  it  in  the  fire,  yea,  also  I  have  baked  bread  upon  the  coals 
thereof  I  have  roasted  flesh,  and  eaten  it ;  and  shall  I  make 
the  residue  thereof  an  abomination?  Shall  I  fall  down  to  the 
stock  of  a  tree.''1  Isa.  xliv.  19.  They  were  given  into  the  hand? 
of  ancient  Babylon  for  their  idolatry;  and  it  may  be  for  the 
same  reason  that  the  church  of  the  Gentiles  has  been  given 
into  the  hands  of  modern  Babylon.  It  is  amazing,  but  not 
more  strange,  that  the  modern  church  "should  fall  into  idolatry, 
than  that  the  ancient  church  should  apostatize.  The  sin  of 
idolatry  was  the  ruin  of  Jerusalem,  and  the  same  sin  has  long 
overhung  the  church  of  Rome  with  threatening  clouds  of 
swift  destruction. 

The  introduction  of  images  into  the  sanctuary  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  is  so  contradictory  to  the  plain  terms  of  Holy 
Writ,  and  yet  so  common,  that  one  can  hardly  believe  the  cus- 
toms of  the  Roman  catholic  church.  They  deny  the  worship  of 
images,  bat  their  actions  give  a  flat  denial  to  their  words.  To 
explain  this  state  of  things,  we  look  earnestly  into  the  origin 
and  history  of  the  practice  of  image  w  or  ship  in  the  church. 

Neither  the  Apostles,  nor  any  writers  of  the  Church  after 
them,  make  mention  of  images  in  the  churches,  until  the  4th 
century.  Minutius  Felix,  about  the  year  211,  published  a 
dialogue  of  a  Christian  and  Pagan,  disputing  about  the  relative 
value  of  their  different  modes  of  faith  and  worship.  The  Pagan 
demands  of  the  Christians ;  M  cur  nullas  aras  habent  templa  nulla 


APPENDIX, 


279 


nulla  ntfta  simulacra?"  (Why  they  have  no  altars,  no  temples, 
no  celebrated  statues?)  That  which  to  the  Pagan  was  a  re- 
proach, was  glory  to  the  Christian ;  but  it  is  not  the  glory  ot 
modern  Rome  :  she  has  altars,  and  temples,  and  statues  enough, 
to  satisfy  any  Pagan  of  ancient  or  modern  times.  See  Baro- 
nius1 Annals,  vol.  2.  p.  238.  * 

This  Baronius  is  the  Annalist  of  Rome,  and  without  hesita- 
tion his  statements  are  received  by  the  Roman  catholics,  as 
those  of  Robertson  are  by  Scotchmen.  The  first  color  of  an. 
image  in  the  church  that  he  takes  notice  of,  is  a  picture  of  a 
man  carrying  a  sheep  on  his  back,  representing  on  the  glass 
communion  cup,  the  Shepherd's  recovery  of  his  hundredth 
sheep,  lost  in  the  mountains.  {Seethe  parable,  Luke  xv.)  This 
is  mentioned  by  Tertuliian,  De  Pud.  cap.  x.  Bar.  vol.  2.  p. 
349.  Of  these  cups,  "  numbers  were  found  in  the  ancient 
cemetery  of  Priscilk,  Via  Salaria,  Rome,  opened  in  1578."  ' 
Bar.  1.  529. 

Supposing  the  fact  were,  as  Baronius  states ;  the  figure  on  a 
consecrated  cup  used  in  the  Sacrament,  is  a  very  different  thing 
from  an  image  set  out  by  itself;  and  the  use  of  the  cup  is  legit- 
imate, whatever  image  may  be  on  it ;  while  worshiping  be- 
fore an  image  is  forbidden,  whatever  its  form  may  be.  But  the 
story  is  improbable. 

The  next  mention  of  the  introduction  of  images  made  by  the 
historian  of  the  Roman  church,  is  in  connexion  with  the  name 
of  Gregory  Thaumaturgus,  St.  Gregory,  the  miroxle  ivorker, 
who  lived  in  the  middle  of  the  third  century.  Gregory  was  a 
Bishop  of  Great  Armenia,  in  Asia.  During  the  7th  or  Decian 
persecution,  A.  D.  250,  he  saved  his  life  by  flight.  On  his  re- 
turn after  the  persecution,  he  instituted  games  and  festivals  in 
honor  of  the  recent  martyrs,  and  in  imitation  of  the  Pagan 
games,  at  the  tomb  of  the  celebrated  dead.  Virgil's  descrip- 
tion of  the  games  at  the  tomb  of  Anchises  is  of  this  sort. 
Gregory  Nyssen,  who  lived  within  a  hundred  years  of  Gregory 
Thaumaturgus,  celebrated  the  memory  of  the  great  man  in  an 
oration,  from  which  Baronius  furnishes  the  following  extract. 
Bar.  Vol  L  p.  372. 

"He  returned  again  to  the  city;  and  passing  through,  and 
searching  all  the  country  around,  he  instituted  a  supplement,  and 
as  it  were,  a  corollary  of  love  to  the  Holy  IVity,  (additameritum, 
et  quasi  corollarium  studii,  erga  riumen  divinum  instituebat,) 
everywhere  requiring  the  people  to  assemble  in  the  naineof  those 


280  APPENDIX. 

who  had  struggled  for  the  faith;  (during  the  late  persecution,) 
and  to  celebrate  festal  days,  and  solemn  rites,  (to  their  memory;) 
and  when  different  men  in  different  places,  had  brought  forth 
the  bodies  of  the  martyrs,  the  assembled  throngs  rejoiced  on  the 
anniversary,  keeping  holydays  in  honor  of  the  martyrs.  And 
when  he  had  observed  how  the  simple  and  illiterate  multitude 
persisted  in  the  mistaken  respect  for  images,  in  order  that  he 
might  by  all  means  perfect  in*  them  what  is  most  excellent ; 
to  wit,  that,  forsaking  vain  superstitions,  they  should  turn  unto 
God,  he  permitted  them,  in  honor  of  the  holy  martyrs,  to  make 
merry,  solace  themselves,  and  riot  with  joy:  (permisit  eis,  ut  in 
memoriam  sanctorum  martyrum,  sese  exhilirarent  et  oblecta- 
rent,  atque  in  laetitiam  effunderetur.)* 

Euthimius,  in  Panopol.  Pars.  3.  Tit.  2.Q.  quoted  by  Baronius^ 
says :  This  Gregory  Thaumaturgus,  first  of  all,  ordered  the 
wooden  Crosses  placed  by  him  in  certain  places,  to  be  wor- 
shiped, (adorari;)  and  that  the  people  should  flee  to  them,  as 
to  a  sacred  refuge.  The  Saintly  acts  recorded  of  the  same 
Gregory,  say :  "  With  lighted  lamps  and  candles,  he  removed 
the  bodies  of  the  martyrs,  and  placed  each  one  of  them  honora- 
bly by  itself;  and  he  ordered  the  sign  of  the  Lord's  passion,  the 
Cross  of  Christ,  to  be  worshiped  in  each  of  these  places."  And 
again :  "  The  martyr  here  also  set  up  the  Cross,  and  bade  the 
multitude  assiduously  engaged  there,  and  flocking  to  that  place 
with  prompt  and  ready  desire  of  heart,  to  offer  worship  by  the 
adoration  of  the  Cross."  Bar.  Vol.  3.  p.  67.  A.  D.  311.  Sec.  23. 

-This  Euthimius  lived  in  the  12th  century;  (Lempriere ;) 
and  the  acts  of  Gregory  are  a  forgery ;  yet  these  are  the  au- 
thority of  Baronius  for  the  first  worship  of  the  Cross.  In  forg- 
ing a  story,  the  great  object  of  desire  is,  to  support  the  point  at 
issue  by  a  probable  statement  of  pretended  facts ;  and  the  forger 
of  this  story  would  not  have  laid  the  scene  of  the  first  worship 
of  the  Cross  in  Armenia,  if  he  could  have  mustered  courage, 
to  lay  it  in  Jerusalem,  or  Rome ;  and  he  would  not  have  dated 
it  A.  D.  311,  had  he  dared  to  have  insulted  the  memory  of  the 

•  Nyssen  does  not  say  that  Thaumaturgus  gaTO  way  to  this  prejudice  "of  the  simple 
and  illiterate  multitude,"  so  far  as  to  allow  them  holy  images  as  well  as  holy  days,  and 
feasts  and  games,  in  honor  of  the  martyrs,  although  his  words  imply  as  much.  And 
here  is  the  first  introduction  into  practice,  of  the  doctrine  of  intention.  The  doctrine 
itself  was  not  generally  taught,  until  the  order  of  Jesuits  arose  ;  but  Thaumaturgus 
acted  upon  it.  The  worship  of  heathen  images,  and  the  keeping  of  heathen  feasts  in 
honor  of  the  dead,  were  plainly  unchristian  acts ;  but  Thaumaturgus  altered  the  inters 
tion  of  the  mind,  so  as  to  worship,  images  of  the  saints*  an4  to  keep  the  feasts  of  t&> 
martyrs  in  the  church,  without  the  sin  of  idolatry, 


APPENDIX.  281 

Apostles  and  Christians  of  the  first  three  centuries,  with  charg- 
ing this  idolatry  of  the  Cross  upon  them.  Neither  the  impu- 
dence of  Euthimius,  nor  of  the  forger  of  the  Acts  of  the  Martyrs, 
attained  a  sufficient  height,  to  pretend  a  case  of  the  worship  of 
the  Cross,  which  the  historian  of  the  Roman  church  has 
deigned  to  notice,  until  the  4th  century. 

In  introducing  his  quotation  respecting  Gregory  Thauma- 
turgus  from  Gregory  Nyssen,  the  Roman  catholic  historian 
exclaims;  "  Sed  quid  V- — But  why? — Is  it  not  lawful,  to  trans- 
fer to  pious  uses,  the  things  after  their  being  consecrated  by  a 
Holy  Rite,  which  things  are  impiously  used  among  the  pagans 
in  superstitious  worship,  in  order  that  Christ  may  be  honored  of 
all,  even  by  a  high  contempt  of  the  devil,  in  the  very  way  he  de- 
lights to  be  worshiped?" — Oh,  what  a  wonder,  that  the  learned 
historian  of  the  Roman  church,  who  himself  received  on  one  oc- 
casion, thirty-one  votes  out  of  the  seventy  for  Pope,  should  think, 
by  the  devil's  delights,  to  honour  the  Saints  and  their  King ! 

Theodoretus,  an  Asiatic  Bishop,  who  died  about  A.  D.  460, 
(Lempriere,)  is  the  next  witness  introduced  by  Baronius,  to 
prove  the  contiguity  and  fitness  of  image  worship.  In  his 
Evang.  Vent.  Lib.  8.  de  Mart.  Theodoretus  treats  of  the  Pagan 
holydays,  piously  and  devoutly  transferred  to  the  service  of 
the  Roman  catholic  church,  in  honor  of  the  martyrs,  and  says: 
"The  materials  of  the  overthrown  Pagan  temples,  being  re- 
built in  temples  and  altars  of  the  martyrs,  are  consecrated  (to 
the  use  of  the  Church.)  The  Lord  brought  his  own  dead 
Saints  into  the  temples,  in  place  of  your  gods,  and  these,  indeed, 
empty  and  stript  of  glory  he  sent  away.  And  this  honor  he 
gave  his  martyrs:  instead  of  feasts  of  Pan,  of  Jupiter,  and  of 
Bacchus,  that  is,  solemnities  in  honor  of  Jove  and  of  father 
Bacchus,  solemn  rites  are  to  be*" performed  with  a  feast,  in  honor 
of  Peter,  Paul,  Thomas,  Sergius,  Marcellus,  Leontius,  An- 
toninus, Mauritius,  and  other  holy  martyrs.  Instead  of  the 
ancient  pomp,  low  obscenity,  and  immodesty,  chaste,  pure,  and 
temperate  feasts  are  held,  not  stained  with  wine,  nor  corrupt 
with  wantonness;  not  filled  with  laughte  ding  with 

cheerful  songs,  and   solemn  with  hearing  sacred  dis 
Bar.  vol  \.p.  588",  and  vol.  1,   p.   37&     This  Theodoretus 
was  once  deposed  from  his  Bishopric,!  u1  \vheth<  r  for  teaching 
idolatry,  does  not  appear.     Me  i  ittd  proba- 

ble in  his  statement,  that  the  Saint  if  hoh  iver-e 

modestly  substituted  in   place  of  tb< 
24* 


282  APPENDIX. 

some  extent,  at  least,  in  Asia,  so  early  as  the  4th  century.  It 
is  a  very  natural  account  of  the  origin  of  the  monstrous  prac- 
tice of  image  worship  in  the  Roman  church,  and  since  it  is 
furnished  by  the  learned  and  most  renowned  of  the  historians 
in  that  church,  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  Roman  catholics  will 
take  heed  to  it. 

Baronius  reasons  upon  the  statement  of  Theodoretus  in  this 
manner.  So  Paul  seems  by  very  extraordinary  prudence,  to 
transfer  the  altar  at  Athens,  dedicated  to  the  unknown  god,  to 
the  service  of  the  true  God.  Again,  he  did  not  forbid  to  eat 
meat  offered  to  idols,  unless  a  weak  brother  should  be  offended 
at  it ;  "  but  the  superstitious  worship  of  idols  having  been  a 
long  time  wholly  extinct,  and  when  all  occasion  of  offence  seems 
to  have  at  the  same  time  ceased,  why  is  it  not  lawful  to  use  any 
of  them,  especially  when,  not  by  private  habit,  but  by  the  com- 
mon custom  of  the  whole  Church,  some  customs  common  with 
Pagans  are  in  use,  (in  the  Church.")  He  then  enumerates 
the  dresses  of  the  Roman  Priests,  and  a  number-  of  customs, 
common  to  the  ancient  and  to  the  modern  Romans,  to  Pagan 
and  to  Christian  Rome.  Bar.  vol.  1.  p.  373.  So  he  admits 
and  justifies  idolatry,  or  image  worship. 

Eusebius,  the  historian  of  the  era  of  Constantine,  is  also 
quoted  in  defence  of  the  use  of  images  in  the  church.  The 
quotation  is  an  account  of  the  images  of  our  Lord,  and  of  the 
woman  who  was  healed  of  her  issue  of  blood,  by  the  touching 
of  the  hem  of  his  garment ;  and  exhibits  a  painful  specimen  of 
the  credulity  and  idolatry  of  the  4th  century.  Eusebius  was  a 
celebrated  Bishop,  as  well  as  historian.  He  says,  he  himself 
saw  the  images,  (or  statues  as  he  calls  them,)  at  Cesarea 
Philippi ;  that  they  were  made  of  brass,  and  represented  the 
woman  supplicating,  and  the  Lord  extending  his  hand  towards 
her.  "  At  his  feet,"  says  Eusebius,  (meaning  the  feet  of  the 
image  representing  the  Lord,)  "grows  a  certain  foreign  and 
unusual  herb,  which,  when  it  has  grown  high  enough  to  touch 
the  hem  of  his  brazen  garment,  has  the  virtue  and  medical 
power  of  healing  every  kind  of  disease.  This  statue,  they  say. 
is  a  likeness  of  Jesus,  which  remains  to  our  times,  and  journey- 
ing to  that  city,  we  saw  it  with  our  own  eyes.  Nor  is  it  won- 
derful that  those  gentiles,  who  were  blessed  by  the  Saviour, 
when  he  dwelt  among  men,  did  make  images  of  him,  seeing  that 
we  esteem  the  pictures  of  Peter  and  Paul,  the  Apostles,  and 
e&en  of  Christ   himself  expressed  and  preserved   in  paint- 


APPENDIX,  283 

ings,  with  a  variety  of  colors :  and  that,  moreover,  as  is  very 
likely,  because  our  ancestors,  approaching  as  nearly  as  possible 
to  the  imitation  of  heathen  customs,  used  in  this  manner  to 
place  before  them  in  honor,  those  who  had  been,  as  it  were,  their 
deliverers, — that  is,  those  ivho  had  brought  them  any  salvation 
or  relief P     Bar.  An.  A.  D.  31.  Sec.  75. 

This  is  very  plain.  Eusebius  saw  these  images;  and  he 
and  other  Bishops  esteemed  the  pictures  of  Christ  and  his 
Apostles ;  and  this  custom  of  esteeming  the  pictures  was 
adopted  by  their  ancestors  from  a  natural  propensity,  to  come 
as  near  as  possible  to  the  heathen  customs.  The  urgent  reason 
he  does  not  name,  but  doubtless  it  was  to  save  themselves  in 
times  of  severe  persecution,  by  showing  to  the  persecutors,  that 
though  they  bowed  not  to  images  and  statues  of  the  heathen 
gods,  they  kept  and  reverenced  the  pictures  of  the  Lord  and 
his  Saints.  No  ingenuity  can  devise  a  more  natural  way  than 
this,  for  the  gradual  introduction  of  image  worship  into  the 
bosom  of  the  church,  through  her  pastors  and  Bishops,  who 
were  the  first  to  be  smitten  in  persecution,  and  also  the  first  to  be- 
tray their  flocks  by  the  introduction  of  Pagan  customs  into  the 
spiritual  worship  of  the  Christian  Church. 

But  observe,  as  evidence  of  the  credulity  of  that  age,  that  this 
eminent  Bishop  believed  the  story  of  the  divine  herb,  and  its 
miraculous  powers  of  healing;  and  observe,  as  evidence  of  the 
ignorance  of  the  age,  that  this  Bishop  and  learned  historian  knew 
so  little  of  the  Gospel,  that  he  does  not  mark,  nor  does  Baronius, 
the  discrepance  between  the  pretended  images  of  the  healing, 
and  the  fact  of  the  healing.  The  woman  with  the  issue  of 
blood  was  healed,  not  by  the  Lord  extending  his  hand  to  her 
supplication;  but  by  extending  her  hand  in  faith,  to  touch  the 
hem  of  his  garment.  Again,  she  was  not  a  gentile,  which  the 
account  of  Eusebius  implies,  but  a  Jewess,  asthe  Scripture  im- 
plies ;  and  her  healing  took  place,  not  at,  or  near  Cesarea 
Philippi,  but  near  Capernaum.  The  Syrophenician  woman 
was  a  gentile,  and  the  healing  which  she  sought  was  much 
nearer  to  Cesarea  Philippi,  in  a  genlile  land  ;  but  then  that 
healing  was  not  performed  on  the  woman,  nor  was  it  of  an 
issue  of  blood  ;  it  was  for  her  daughter  that  she  obtained  the 
Lord's  mercy,  and  because  the  daughter  was  vexed  with  a 
devil.  The  whole  story,  therefore,  sets  out  in  the  plainest  man- 
ner, the  credulity,  and  ignorance,  and  strange  tendency  to  idola- 
try, of  the  great  Bishop  Eusebius;  all  which  the  Roman  histo* 


284  APPENDIX. 

rian  swallows  without  hesitation,  and  with  a  high  relish.  He 
makes  much  of  the  images  of  brass,  seen  by  Eusebius,  and  of 
the  pictures  of  the  Lord  and  his  Apostles,  referring  to  them 
triumphantly  ia  proof  of  the  contiguity  of  image  worship.  1 
hope  the  reader  will  not  think  lightly  of  this  Baronius,  for  he 
is  the  most  eminent  historian  of  the  Roman  religion,  and  his 
statements  and  opinions  are  of  the  greatest  weight  among  all 
Roman  Catholics. 

Rut  of  this  Eusebius,  one  of  the  members  of  the  Tyrian 
Synod,  Potamon  the  Great,  Bishop  of  Heraclea  in  Egypt, 
said  some  hard  things  to  his  face.  Bishop  Eusebius  presided 
in  the  Synod.  Potamon  was  a  member,  and  addressed  the 
president  thus :  "  Do  tell  me,  were  not  you  and  I  in  prison  to- 
gether during  the  persecution?  I,  indeed,  lost  an  eye  for 
maintaining  the  truth;  but  you  seem  to  have  escaped  without 
any  corporal  injury  ;  nor  have  you  any  testimonial  to  show  of 
your  fidelity;  but  living,  you  stand  without  the  loss  of  a  mem- 
ber. How  did  you  escape  from  prison,  unless  you  promised 
the  persecutors,  that  you  would  do  that  which  is  base  ?  Euse- 
bius rose  in  anger,  and  dismissed  the  assembly."  (Epiphanius, 
quoted  by  Bar.  vol.  2.  p.  762.) 

Baronius,  and  every  other  historian  admits,  it  is  not  easy  to 
show  that  images  were  used  in  the  Church,  before  the  reign  of 
Constantine ;  and  the  reasons  which  he  assigns,  are,  that  the 
Emperor  Diocletian,  who  preceded  Constantine,  ordered  them 
all  to  be  destroyed  ! 

Much  has  been  said  and  written  of  the  10th,  and  last  perse- 
cution of  the  Christians  by  Diocletian,  and  of  all  the  persecu- 
tions by  the  Roman  Emperors ;  but  who  has,  at  any  time, 
heard  before,  that  the  Pagan  and  persecuting  emperors  ever 
destroyed  images  ?  They  worshiped  images,  and  they  loved 
those,  who,  like  them,  worshiped  images,  and  they  destroyed 
only  the  Christians,  who,  of  all  men,  alone,  refused  to  bow  to 
an  idol,  made  of  wood  or  stone.  Diocletian  never  persecuted 
idolaters,  nor  destroyed  images.  No  Pagan  en  record,  ever 
persecuted  another  for  image  worship,  or  destroyed  the  images 
of  others.  Pagans  reverence  each  other's  gods.  Conquering 
nations,  especially  Rome,  adopted  the  gods  of  the  subject  na- 
tions ;  and  Rome  set  up  an  image  to  the  name  of  Jesus,  among 
her  host  of  deities  in  the  Senate  Chamber.  It  is  wholly  new 
under  the  sun,  that  the  idolators  of  Rome,  or  of  any  other  coun- 
try, have  destroyed  the  images  of  the  gods  of  other  people ;  and 


APPENDIX.  285 

that  the  persecution  of  Diocletian  was  poured  out  upon  the 
images  of  the  church,  utterly  to  destroy  them,  is  a  Jesuit's  fic- 
tion, contrary  to  the  plain  testimony  of  all  ancient  history. 

It  is  asserted,  however,  by  Baronius,  and  admitted,  that  Con- 
stantine  made  many  silver  images  of  the  Lord,  and  of  his  Apos- 
tles, of  John  Baptist,  and  the  Angels,  and  a  multitude  of  others. 
Writers  of  every  age  and  name,  may  be  quoted  to  prove  the 
Emperor  Constantine' s  use  of  images  in  Christian  worship : 
and  this  most  publicly,  and  often.  He  came  to  the  throne  a 
Pagan,  he  was  crowned  with  Pagan  rites  by  Pagans,  he  mar- 
ried a  Pagan,  the  daughter  of  the  persecuting  Emperor,  Maxi- 
milian, and  he  lived  surrounded  by  Pagans,  administering  the 
government  of  Rome  by  a  Pagan  senate,  and  he  died,  and  was 
buried  with  the  usual  apotheosis*  or  deification,  of  a  Pagan 
emperor  of  Rome.  His  own  statues  were  everywhere  wor- 
shiped by  the  loyal  Pagans,  and  equal  honors  were  paid  by  him 
to  statues  representing  the  king  of  kings.  He  tolerated 
Christianity;  but  the  medals,  and  adulatory  poems  and  history 
of  those  times,  show,  that  Constantine  also  "worshiped  the  heathen 
gods,  attributed  publicly  his  prosperity  to  their  favor,  and  gave 
them,  by  name,  the  honor.     See  Baronius,  A.  D.  307.  14. 

This  is  a  new  light,  in  which  to  view  the  first  Christian  em- 
peror ;  and  it  shall  be  the  work  of  a  few  moments  to  show 
clearly,  it  is  the  true  light. 

Baronius  had  access  to  authorities  on  this  point,  probably 
equal  to  those  possessed  by  any  other  historian.  He  had  a 
strong  predilection  to  prove  and  maintain  the  Christianity  of 
Constantine,  and  any  thing  which  he  admits,  may  be  readily 
taken,  to  prove  the  emperor's  idolatry. 

*  The  apotheosis  was  done  thus  for  the  emperors  of  Rome.  Being  dead,  the  body 
was  laid  in  the  tomb,  like  that  of  a  common  mortal,  and  the  whole  city  went  into 
mourning.  A  Statue  or  imago  of  the  deceased,  however,  was  laid,  as  if  sick,  on  a 
couch  in  the  palace.  The  Senate  sat  on  the  left  in  black,  and  the  ladies,  in  white, 
on  the  right  hand  of  the  sick  image,  mourning  all  the  day  for  seven  days;  during 
which  physicians  came  daily,  and,  on  examination,  pronounced  the  image  getting  worse. 
In  the  end  of  the  days,  it  was  dead,  and  nobles  bore  it  on  their  shoulders  to  the  old 
Forum,  where  their  sons  on  one  side,  and  their  daughters  on  the  other,  sang  elegies 
in  memory  of  the  deceased. 

Thence  they  removed  the  image  to  the  Campus  Martins,  where  a  square  mass  of  tim- 
ber was  laid  up  for  the  occasion,  like  ahut,  filled  with  combustibles,  and  overspread  with 
gold-cloth,  and  paintings.  Beneath  this  frame  is  another,  and  within  thai  another,  to 
the  last  and  Ihe  loast,  in  which  the  image  was  placed  on  its  much,  and  covered  with 
every  sort  of  aromatic,  until  all  the  compartments  were  filled.  Then  they  rode  in  a 
circle  around  the  pile,  The  successor  to  the  empire  first  applied  a  torch  to  the  pile, 
pr  frame  ;  others  imitated  him.  The  flames  seize  the  combnstiblfts,  and  burst  out; 
at  the  same  time  an  eagle  is  let  loose  from  an  inner  window,  which  is  though!  to  bear 
the  dead  emperor's  soul  to  heaven,  to  a  seat  among  the  gods,  Prom  thai  time  he  was 
worshiped  as  a  pod,  and  had  sacrifices,  altars,  temples,  and  priests,  decreed  to  his 
service  by  the  {senate  of  Rome.    Bar.  An.  vol.  2.  p.  941, 


£56  APPENDIX. 

I:  is  r. ::  :.e:essary  to  say  that  in  proving  his  idolatry,  his 
dill  .ristianity  must  fall  to  the  ground  with  those  of 

Rome, 

Reader. — "Ikrt  :  you  think  to  show,  at  this  late  day,  that 
Constantine  the  Grer.:  biiaban 

I  answer,  that  I  will  show  indisputably  what  he  was.  and 
then  you  ma  ether  hr  Christian  or  not.     Pro- 

bably the  emperor  will  appear  to  hare  been  a  politician  firs! 
and  a  Christian,  when  that  did  not  interfere  with  his  royal 
swav.  and  the  stability       bis  throne. 

me  to  the  throne  of  his  father  Constan- 
rhe  emp  ed  by  four  emperors.     Maximinian, 

btei  famine  married,  had  A 

aius  had  Illyrieem     M  s  had  It:;.  Urica,  and 

Constantine  had  the  West  aim  and  Britain.     At 

that  time  they  were  all  Pagans:  and,  except  Constantine,  they . 
were  also  persecutors.     In  ,  Constantine.  by  agree- 

ment with   Liemius,  marched   against    Maxentius,  and  sud- 
denly overthrew  him  in  battle.     Hr  ::::ributed  L  s  to  a 
m,  in  which  he  f                  s  in  "the  heavens  with  this  motto : 
"  /  :    .  :; 

en  told  with  as  many  variatio:  mpany 

the  air  of  a  fashionable  strain  of  n  He  adopted  what  is 

called  a  Cross  for  his  banner ;  and  his  soldiers  fought  ut 

like  the  favored  of  heaven :  but  his  banner  came  no  nearer  to  a 

an  the  emperor  did  to  Christian:  form  is 

found  impressed  on  many  coins  of  I  rding  to  Baronius. 

Constantine:  s  name  appears  with  it  only  in  this  form.     And 

at  not  the  likeness  of  that  on  which  the  Son 

Mi     -        issi  ely  laid  down  his  life  at  the  word  of  a  Roman 

governor. 

The  conqueror  gave  a  decided  advantage  to  the  persecuted 
Christians  of  Italy  and  Africa.  But  Rome  and  her  Senate 
were  pagan.  So  were  the  other  emperors.  Constantine  could 
not,  if  he  would,  prevent  the  usual  demonstrations  of  heathem 

ined  in  those  demonstrations.      He 
particularly  attentive  to  the  feelings  and  prejudices  of  the 
He  triumphed  in  the  usual  heathen  form  of  the  Ro 
man  emperors.     The  arch  that  was  erected  to  celebrate  his 
vict:  decorated  with  the  usual  emblems  of  Paganism. 

The  Senate  erected  a  statue  to  the  god  "paulo  ante  Italia 
senium  et  corona,  a  short  time  before  ike  glory  and  defence 


APPENDIX,  287 

of  Italy"  Baronius  says  this  was  an  image  of  our  Saviour; 
"  Romce  non  ignotam  effigiem,  an  image  not  unknown  at  Rome, 
which  image  the  emperor  Alexander  had  set  up  among  his 
household  gods.  [He  reigned  at  Rome,  A.  D.  235.]  Nor 
could  the  Senate,  on  that  account,  appear  to  depart  from  the 
customary  worship,  by  erecting  a  statue  to  Christ,  seeing  that 
Alexander  had  not  departed  from  it,  when  he  placed  this 
image  among  the  other  images  of  the  gods,  in  the  place  where 
he  daily  went  for  prayer."  Bar.  A.  D.  312.  Sec.  69.  Alex- 
ander Severus  had  statues  of  Abraham  and  of  Christ  in  the  gal- 
lery of  his  gods.     Milmari  s  Hist,  of  Jeivs,  B.  19. 

These  things  belong  not  to  the  character  of  an  humble 
Christian;  nor  to  Christianity.  The  emperor,  at  this  time, 
made  no  profession  cf  Christianity.  He  was  a  Pagan,  who 
yet  favored  Christians,  and  doubtless  respected  their  faith.  He 
was  Pordifex  Maximus,  or  Pagan  high-priest  of  Rome,  and 
exercised  the  powers  appertaining  to  that  office,  in  which  office 
he  was  followed  by  his  Christian  successors  on  the  imperial 
throne,  for  more  than  fifty  years,  until  Gratian  was  crowned. 
Gratian  first  refused  this  heathen  title  and  pagan  office.  But 
the  authority  of  the  Pontifex  Maximus  was  important  in  the 
government  of  the  Pagan  Senate  and  city  of  Rome,  for  by  it 
the  emperor  could  prohibit  the.  voting  of  the  people  in  the 
elections,  if  he  found  the  results  likely  to  displease  him :  by  it 
he  could  at  any  moment  interrupt  the  proceedings  of  the  Sen- 
ate, could  stop  the  execution  of  their  decrees,  could  force  the 
consuls  to  resign,  and  could  make  a  war  depend  on  his  single 
will. 

Indeed,  this  pontifical  power  of  the  Roman  emperor  is  the 
parent  stock  into  which  the  Papal  power  was  ingrafted ;  and 
the  Bishop  of  Rome  has  taken  for  his  model,  the  Pontifex  Max- 
imus of  Pagan  Rome. 

Political  considerations  might  seem  to  justify  Constantine  in 
continuing  this  office,  and  to  justify  his  successors  after  him ; 
but  it  is  manifest  that  the  union  of  this  Pagan  office,  and  its 
necessary  duties,  with  the  profession  of  Christianity  in  the  per- 
son of  the  emperors,  for  sixty  years,  must  have  opened  the 
flood-gates  of  Pagan  superstition  into  the  bosom  of  the  church. 
And  this  was  by  no  means  the  only  gate  by  which  those  su- 
perstitions were  commended  to  the  courtiers,  and  dependants 
of  the  emperors,  at  whose  will  and  pleasure  all  the  officers  of 
the  empire  held  their  honors. 


288  APPENDIX. 

After  subduing  Maxentius,  Constantine,  A.  D.  313,  settled 
the  government  of  Rome,  and  met  Licinius  in  conference  at 
Medislanum,  and  gave  that  Pagan  his  sister  in  marriage.  They 
issued  a  joint  decree,  restoring  to  Christians  liberty  of  con- 
science, and  the  restoration  of  the  property  of  which  they  had 
been  robbed.  They  also  induced  Maximinus  in  the  East,  to 
suspend  the  persecution  which  had  commenced  under  Diocle- 
tian, and  to  allow  Christians,  in  his  dominions,  to  live  in  peace. 

The  first  act  of  Constantine' s  life,  in  which  he  ventured  to 
offend  Paganism  in  favor  of  Christianity,  appears  to  have  been 
his  neglect,  A.  D.  313,  of  the  public  games  got  up  with  great 
brilliancy  in  honor  of  the  emperor  and  of  the  gods.  To  the 
great  disappointment  of  the  Romans,  Constantine  refused  to 
attend. 

Maximinus  was  a  proud  heathen.  He  claimed  to  be,  and, 
in  some  respects,  he  was,  the  greatest  of  the  three  emperors. 
His  pride  and  indolence  together,  betrayed  him  into  a  wrar  with 
his  neighbor  Licinius,  who  beat  him,  and  ruled  over  the  East 
in  his  stead. 

Licinius  soon  grew  wearied  of  Christians  in  his  prosperity ; 
for  he  also  had  vices  wThich  they  reproved.  A  mutual  jealousy 
sprang  up  between  him  and  Constantine,  which  was  aggra- 
vated by  their  different  religions.  Constantine  identified  his 
interests  with  Christianity ;  and  Licinius,  his  with  Paganism. 
At  length  they  armed,  and  fought  with  all  their  hosts  and 
strength,  in  the  name  of  their  gods,  for  universal  empire.  Be- 
fore joining  battle,  Licinius  called  his  officers  around  him,  in 
a  grove,  lighted  with  wax  candles,  and  filled  with  images  of 
the  heathen  gods,  and  there  he  put  the  question  of  their  being 
the  true  gods,  on  the  result  of  the  battle  and  of  the  war,  as  that 
result  might  be  determined  by  the  courage  of  his  army,  and 
the  favor  of  his  gods ;  and  he  proclaimed  to  them,  that  if  Con- 
stantine should  be  victorious,  the  new  and  strange  godv  whom 
Constantine  worshiped,  must  be  acknowledged  to  be  supreme. 
They  engaged.  After  contending  all  day,  Licinius  withdrew 
from  the  field.  Constantine  followed  him  into  Thrace.  They 
fought  as  before,  Constantine  having  the  advantage  with  great 
cost.  By  his  own  account,  he  owed  the  victory  to  the  banner 
of  his  Cross,  which  inspired  his  soldiers  with  such  courage, 
that  wherever  it  came,  they  prevailed :  and  he,  observing  this, 
sent  the  banner  to  the  place  where  the  battle  was  the  sorest, 
having  fifty  chosen  men,  whose  sole  care  it  was  to  defend  the 


APPENDIX.  289 

manner.  Once  the  standard-bearer  was  slain,  and  a  great  cry- 
arose,  as  if  the  ark  was  in  danger,  and  the  Pagan  triumphed : 
and  the  Adversary  did  triumph,  while  Christians  learned  to 
shed  human  blood  in  behalf  of  the  Prince  of  Peace  and  his 
Cross. 

The  emperors  made  peace,  Licinius  yielding  Illirium,  and 
retaining  the  remainder  of  his  dominions,  and  his  veneration 
for  the  heathen  gods. 

The  next  year  saw  the  contest  renewed,  and  Licinius  de- 
feated both  by  sea  and  land,  receiving  his  life  from  the  clem- 
ency of  Constantine ;  and  yet  strangled  by  his  own  hand,  or 
another's,  shortly  after. 

Now  possessed  of  universal  empire,  nothing  withstood  the 
will  of  Constantine  but  the  ministers  of  the  church,  and  chief 
of  these,  the  Bishop  of  Rome.  Sozomenus,  an  historian  of  that 
age,  says :  "  Having  subdued  the  whole  empire,  Constantine 
no  longer  concealed  his  natural  temper,  but  indulging  his  pas- 
sion, he  did  all  things  at  will.  He  used  the  sacred  rites  of  his 
ancestors,  not  so  much  in  honor,  as  of  necessity." 

Sozomenus  was  a  Pagan,  and  the  rites  which  he  calls  sa- 
cred, were  the  pagan  rites.  These  Constantine  restored  a  year 
or  two  after  the  fall  of  Licinius,  so  far  as  to  reinstate  the  public 
soothsayers,  in  order  to  please  the  Romans,  who  dearly  loved 
their  Pagan  ceremonies,  and  confided  in  the  gods  of  images. 
Bar.  An.  A.  D.  320.  Sec.  23.  This  favor  toward  the  heathen 
discouraged  the  Christians,  and  subjected  them  to  the  taunts  of 
the  Pagans,  who  wished  to  make  them  join  in  the  performance 
of  the  public  sacrifices.  The  Bishop  of  Rome,  Silvester,  fled 
for  his  life,  and  concealed  himself  from  the  wrath  of  the  emperor, 
which  he  had  excited  by  opposition  to  Constantine' s  edicts  in 
favor  of  the  heathen  worship. 

The  emperor,  having  offended  the  Pagans  by  his  preference 
of  Christians,  and  the  Christians,  by  his  temporizing  with  sin, 
and  expelling  the  Bishop,  next  fell  out  with  the  heir  of  his 
throne,  Crispus,  his  eldest  son,  and  then  with  his  wife,  Fausta, 
both  of  whom  he  put  to  death,  on  slight  grounds.  By  this 
time  he  was  ready  to  recall  the  Bishop,  and  leave  Rome. 
Rome  could  not  endure  two  Cesars,  one  of  the  church,  and  one 
of  the  state.  Constantine  withdrew,  and  built  the  city  of  Con- 
stantinople. Here  he  ruled  the  empire  without  the  restraints 
of  the  Roman  Bishop ;  and  the  Roman  Bishop  ruled  in  the 
church  with  constantly  increasing  authority. 
25 


290  APPENDIX. 

From  this  time  the  power  of  the  Roman  empire  wanes,  and 
the  power  of  the  Roman  church  waxes  strong ;  but  so  slow 
was  the  revolution  of  power,  that  it  was  three  hundred  years 
yet  before  the  Roman  Bishop  shook  off  the  authority  of  the 
emperor,  and  before  he,  who  withheld  the  Man  of  Sin  in  Paul's 
time,  was  taken  quite  away.  (2  Thess.  ii.  6  and  7.) 

The  occasion  of  his  removal  from  the  government  of  Rome 
was  the  publication  of  his  edict  against  images,  and  image  wor- 
ship. ,  The  emperor  saw  that  the  church  had  fallen  into  idola- 
try, and  with  an  earnest  desire  to  correct  the  evil,  he  ordered 
the  idols  everywhere  to  be  destroyed.  The  Bishop  of  Rome 
rebelled,  on  the  ground,  that  the  worship  of  images  was  a  mat- 
ter of  church  jurisdiction  with  which  the  emperor  had  no  right 
to  intermeddle;  and,  that  custom  and  convenience,  warranted 
their  use  in  the  churches,  so  that  it  was  a  sacrilege  worthy  of 
endless  death,  to  enter  the  churches  and  destroy  the  images. 
The  Bishop,  therefore,  hugged  the  idols,  excommunicated  the 
emperor,  gradually  shook  off  the  }^oke  of  the  empire,  from  A.  D. 
725,  to  750;  and,  by  the  year  of  our  Lord  800,  he  is  said  to 
have  put  that  triple  crown  on  his  own  head,  which  he  still 
wears  to  the  end;  a  crown  significant  of  the  three  domains  of 
earth,  which  had  fallen  under  his  sway;  and  also  of  the  sway 
he  wields  in  and  over  the  realms  of  heaven,  earth,  and  hell; '.to 
bind  and  loose,  to  open  and  shut,  to  curse  and  to  bless  whomso- 
ever he  will,  for  time  and  eternity. 

"  The  church  of  Rome  has  so  closely  copied  the  idolatrous 
superstitions  of  the  Pagans,  that  all  persons,  not  blinded  by 
fanatic  zeal  for  Rome,  are  struck  with  the  great  similarity. 
Their  lighted  candles,  their  frankincense,  their  images  that 
came  down  from  heaven,  some  of  their  ceremonies  of  the  Mass, 
and  many  forms  of  their  private  worship,  are  just  the  same,  as 
formed  a  part  of  the  service  done  formerly  to  the  idols  of  the 
heathen.  Even  the  Pagan  manner  of  acknowledging  the  pre- 
tended miracles  by  hanging  up  in  the  temples  little  figures  of 
wax,  or  pictures  representing  the  part  of  the  body,  which  is 
supposed  to  have  been  supernaturally  healed,  or  the  accident 
from  which  the  person  escaped,  is  constantly  practised  wher- 
ever the  Priests  of  Rome  direct  their  flock,  without  fearing  a 
laugh  from  their  Protestant  neighbors."     J.  B.  White. 

There  is  not  a  disease,  not  an  evil,  for  which  the  Pope  has 
not  a  labeled  Saint,  and  his  image ;  not  a  country  of  Christen- 
dom, nor  an  art,  nor  a  eallin g"  in  life,  that  has  not  its  patroa 


APPENDIX.  291 

Saint.  Instead  of  the  ancient  deities,  Jupiter,  Apollo,  Mars, 
Venus,  Diana,  and  others,  Rome  now  furnishes  statues  of  the 
Virgin  Mary,  Peter,  Paul,  John,  and  others.  Instead  of  the 
old  household  deities,  the  Roman  catholic  worships  his  guar- 
dian angel,  and  the  Saint  whose  name  he  bears.  And  instead 
of  the  old  local  divinities,  the  Pope  furnishes  new  ones,  to  pre- 
side over  every  department  of  nature's  works/  and  to  protect 
every  part  of  the  earth  and  of  its  inhabitants,  St.  Anthony,  the 
Abbot,  secures  from  fire ;  St.  Anthony  pf  Padua  secures  from 
water;  St.  Barbara,  from  the  lightning;  St.  Bias,  defends  the 
throat;  St.  Lucia,  the  eyes;  St.  Polonia,  the  teeth;  and,  the 
Virgin  Mary,  they  worship  above  all. 

Her  images  are  the  most  common.  To  her  the  prayer  daily 
ascends.  As  the  reader  has  seen  it  in  this  Narrative,  so  it 
will  be  found  in  all  Roman  countries;  the  sheet-anchor  of  a 
Roman's  hope  is  grounded  on  the  favor  and  protection  of  the 
Virgin. 

Every  day  of  the  year  has  its  Saint,  with  his  image,  and  al- 
tar ;  and  the  Council  of  Trent  command  their  images  to  be  had, 
and  retained,  especially  in  the  churches,  and  due  honor  and 
veneration  rendered  to  them.  The  honor  with  which  they  are 
regarded,  is  referred  to  the  Saints  who  are  represented  by  them; 
"  so  that  we  adore  Christ,  and  venerate  the  Saints,  whose  like- 
nesses these  images  bear  when  we  Jtiss  them ;  and  uncover  our 
/i'eads,  and  prostrate  ourselves,  before  them.''1  [Council  of 
Trent,  Sess.  25.) 

; "  What  forbids,"  exclaims  the  historian  of  the  Roman  church, 
"  what  forbids  the  conversion  of  the  profane  rites  to  a  sacred 
use,  now  they  are  sanctified  by  the  word  of  God  1  Were  not 
the  holy  vessels  of  the  altar,  by  divine  command,  cast  of  Egyp- 
tian gold  and  silver  ?  That  many  Pagan  superstitions  have 
been  properly  converted  to  Christian  worship,  by  the  example 
of  many,  and  by  the  authority  of  the  Fathers,  has  been  demon- 
strated.— Who  can  justly  complain,  because  the  things  formerly 
offered  to  idols,  are  now  offered  to  the  martyrs'  (images?) 
What  wonder,  I  say,  if  the  most  holy  Bishops  have  converted 
to  the  worship  of  the  true  God,  the  customs,  formed  by  the  Pa- 
gans, from  which  it  seems  impossible  to  separate  them,  although 
they  have  become  Christians.'1     Baronius,  Vol.  1.  p.  599. 

This  reasoning  shows  Romanism  in  the  light  of  Boodhisra 
in  Ceylon;  (Seethe  Missionary  Herald,  Sept.  1833;)  and  the 
historian  of  Rome^  might  truly  say :  "  When  Messiah  came,  no 


292  APPENDIX. 

place  would  receive  him.  Potent  as  his  worship  became,  and 
deeply  rooted  as  his  system  has  grown  up,  his  Roman  followers 
found  idolatry  too  strong  for  them  to  overcome.  They,  there- 
fore, craftily  intwined  it  with  their  own  rites,  and  admitted 
images,  angels,  and  Saints,  to  a  part  of  the  worship  due  to  God 
alone;  and,  however  the  Messiah  may  be  the  object  of  venera- 
tion to  a  numerous  and  powerful  Priesthood,  it  admits  of  a 
reasonable  doubt,  whether  the  great  majority  of  Romans  are 
not  still  the  devoted  followers  of  idolatry,  image  worship,  and 
demonolatryP  They  have  disregarded  the  command  :  "  Thou 
shalt  not  make  unto  thee  any  graven  image,  or  the  likeness  of 
any  thi?ig  in  heaven,  earth,  or  sea ;  thou  shall  not  bow  down  to 
them,  nor  worship  them  ;"  but  by  the  example  of  many,  and  the 
authority  of  the  Fathers,  they  have  made  the  command  of  no 
effect.  They  have  not  regarded  the  fate  of  idolatrous  Samaria  ; 
nor  have  they  feared  to  multiply  images,  and  altars,  and  Priests, 
at  a  rate  that  would  have  overwhelmed  the  worshipers  of  Baal 
with  shame ;  but  firm  on  the  rock  Peter,  and  covered  with  the 
shield  of  conceited  infallibility,  they  have  fulfilled  the  Scriptures; 
and  have  brought  the  time  near,  which  they  have  ripened  the 
world  foivwhen  the  earth  shall  be  visited  with  those  judgments 
which  accompany  the  coming  of  the  £on  of  man,  in  his  king- 
dom, to  destroy  Antichrist,  and  bring  in  everlasting  righteousness. 
Then  will  that  reign  come,  for  which  we  pray:  M  thy  king- 
dom come ,«"  then  will  be  fulfilled  to  Peter  that  word  :  "  I  will 
give  unto  thee  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven,"  (Matt.  xvi. 
19  ;)  then  will  Paul  receive  the  "  crown  of  righteousness,  which 
the  Lord,  the  righteous  judge,  shall  give  me  at  that  day ;  and 
not  to  me  only,  but  unto  all  them  also  that  love  his  appearing," 
(2  Tim.  iv.  8  ;)  and  then  shall  the  twelve  Apostles  know,  and  un- 
derstand this  word  :  "  Verily,  I  say  unto  you,  (that  ye  which 
have  followed  me  in  the  regeneration,)  when  the  Son  of  man  shall 
sit  in  the  throne  of  his  glory,  ye  also  shall  sit  upon  twelve  thrones^ 
judging  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel"     (Matt.  xix.  28.) 


THE  END. 


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