When the fires roared, they
crossed themselves calmly;--when the prisoners shrieked, they gave a
signal for silence;--when they dared to pray, they tore them from their
knees, and hinted the inutility of prayer at such a juncture, when they
might be sure that the flames they were deprecating would burn hotter in
a region from which there was neither escape or hope of departure. At
this moment, while standing amid the groupe of prisoners, my eyes were
struck by an extraordinary spectacle. Perhaps it is amid the moments of
despair, that imagination has most power, and they who have suffered,
can best describe and feel. In the burning light, the steeple of the
Dominican church was as visible as at noon-day. It was close to the
prison of the Inquisition. The night was intensely dark, but so strong
was the light of the conflagration, that I could see the spire blazing,
from the reflected lustre, like a meteor. The hands of the clock were as
visible as if a torch was held before them; and this calm and silent
progress of time, amid the tumultuous confusion of midnight
horrors,--this scene of the physical and mental world in an agony of
fruitless and incessant motion, might have suggested a profound and
singular image, had not my whole attention been rivetted to a human
figure placed on a pinnacle of the spire, and surveying the scene in
perfect tranquillity. It was a figure not to be mistaken--it was the
figure of him who had visited me in the cells of the Inquisition. The
hopes of my justification made me forget every thing. I called aloud on
the guard, and pointed out the figure, visible as it was in that strong
light to every eye. No one had time, however, to give a glance towards
it. At that very moment, the archway of the court opposite to us gave
way, and sunk in ruins at our feet, dashing, as it fell, an ocean of
flame against us. One wild shriek burst from every lip at that moment. Prisoners, guards, and Inquisitors, all shrunk together, mingled in one
groupe of terror. “The next instant, the flames being suppressed by the fall of such a
mass of stone, there arose such a blinding cloud of smoke and dust, that
it was impossible to distinguish the face or figure of those who were
next you. The confusion was increased by the contrast of this sudden
darkness, to the intolerable light that had been drying up our sight for
the last hour, and by the cries of those who, being near the arch, lay
maimed and writhing under its fragments. Amid shrieks, and darkness, and
flames, a space lay open before me. The thought, the motion, were
simultaneous--no one saw--no one pursued;--and hours before my absence
could be discovered, or an inquiry be made after me, I had struggled
safe and secret through the ruins, and was in the streets of Madrid. “To those who have escaped present and extreme peril, all other peril
seems trifling. The wretch who has swum from a wreck cares not on what
shore he is cast; and though Madrid was in fact only a wider prison of
the Inquisition to me, in knowing that I was no longer in the hands of
the officials, I felt a delirious and indefinite consciousness of
safety. Had I reflected for a moment, I must have known, that my
peculiar dress and _bare feet_ must betray me wherever I went. The
conjuncture, however, was very favourable to me--the streets were
totally deserted;--every inhabitant who was not in bed, or bed-rid, was
in the churches, deprecating the wrath of heaven, and praying for the
extinction of the flames. “I ran on, I know not where, till I could run no longer. The pure air,
which I had been so long unaccustomed to breathe, acted like the most
torturing spicula on my throat and lungs as I flew along, and utterly
deprived me of the power of respiration, which at first it appeared to
restore. I saw a building near me, whose large doors were open. I rushed
in--it was a church. I fell on the pavement panting. It was the aisle
into which I had burst--it was separated from the chancel by large
grated railings. Within I could see the priests at the altar, by the
lamps recently and rarely lighted, and a few trembling devotees on their
knees, in the body of the chancel. There was a strong contrast between
the glare of the lamps within the chancel, and the faint light that
trembled through the windows of the aisle, scarcely showing me the
monuments, on one of which I leaned to rest my throbbing temples for a
moment. I could not rest--I dared not--and rising, I cast an involuntary
glance on the inscription which the monument bore. The light appeared to
increase maliciously, to aid my powers of vision. I read, “Orate pro
anima.” I at last came to the name--“Juan di Monçada.” I flew from the
spot as if pursued by demons--my brother’s early grave had been my
resting place. END OF VOLUME SECOND. Transcriber’s Note:

    The following is a list of corrections made to the original. The first line is the original line, the second the corrected one. escaped damnation to all eternity. I tried to pacify him, to assure him
  escaped damnation to all eternity.” I tried to pacify him, to assure him

  I have never felt any fear so horrible. “I walked up and down, I repeated
  I have never felt any fear so horrible. I walked up and down, I repeated

  It was noon before I could work myself up to execute this resolution. I
  “It was noon before I could work myself up to execute this resolution. I

  God
  God. my late tremendous visitation, as he called it. Satan hath desired to
  my late tremendous visitation, as he called it. “Satan hath desired to

  have you, he said, because you have put yourself within his power, by
  have you,” he said, “because you have put yourself within his power, by

  The Superior all this time walked impatiently up and down his
  “The Superior all this time walked impatiently up and down his

  natural malignity of wretchedness, “If they tremble, I may exult. When
  natural malignity of wretchedness, “If they tremble, I may exult.” When

  Bishop paused. An appeal to his fealings would have been vain, but this
  Bishop paused. An appeal to his feelings would have been vain, but this

  the assistance of the lamp in my ce , and went to watch again at the
  the assistance of the lamp in my cell, and went to watch again at the

  they cut their parents hearts or their throats. I have cut _one_
  they cut their parents’ hearts or their throats. I have cut _one_

  criminals should undergo what they called extraorordinary penance; that
  criminals should undergo what they called extraordinary penance; that

  were issued to every Alcaide to be had.--The king of Spain himself,