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whatever country we were, respect ought At the age of twenty-six years, he was, to be paid to the religion of that country: by his master, sent to Lisbon, to act as facthat such knowledge to him was essential, tor. Here he applied himself to the study who, as a merchant, was obliged to visit of the Portuguese language, executed his various countries, and conform to the re-business with assiduity and fidelity, and ligious and civil ceremonies of all."

behaved with the most engaging affability to all persons with whom he had the least concern. He conversed privately with a few, whom he knew to be zealous protes{tants; and, at the same time, cautiously avoided giving the least offence to any who were Roman catholics; he had not, however, hitherto, gone into any of the popish

This defence, however, availed him nothing they proceeded to torture him, in order to gain information. Failing in this, they condemned him for invincible obstinacy, and at the next auto-da-fé he was burnt. When the flames first touched him, he bore the torments with such exemplary patience, and appeared with so smiling a counten-churches. ance, that one of the priests, enraged at his serenity, said, with great malice and absur-king of Portugal's son and the infanta of dity: "The reason why he does not seem to feel, is to me very evident; the devil has already got his soul, and his body is of course deprived of the usual sensations." (See engraving.)

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A marriage being concluded between the

Spain, upon the wedding-day the bridegroom, bride, and the whole court, went to the cathedral church, attended by multi{tudes of all ranks of people, and the among rest William Gardener, who stayed during the whole ceremony, and was greatly shocked at the superstitions he saw.

The erroneous worship which he had seen ran strongly in his mind; he was miserable, to behold a whole country sunk into such idolatry, when the truth of the gospel might be so easily obtained. He, therefore, took the inconsiderate, though laudable design, into his head, of making a reform in Portugal, or perishing in the attempt; and determined to sacrifice his prudence to his zeal, though he became a martyr upon the occasion.

To this end he settled all his worldly affairs, paid his debts, closed his books, and consigned over his merchandise. On the ensuing Sunday he went again to the cathedral church, with a New Testament in his hand, and placed himself near the altar.

The king and the court soon appeared, and a cardinal began mass at that part of the ceremony in which the people adore the wafer, Gardener could hold out no longer, but springing toward the cardinal, he snatched the host from him, and trampled

WILLIAM GARDENER was born at Bristol, received a tolerable education, and was, at a proper age, placed under the care of ait under his feet. merchant, named Paget.

This action amazed the whole congrega

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tion, and one person drawing a dagger, wounded Gardener in the shoulder, and would, by repeating the blow, have finished him, had not the king called to him to desist.

Gardener being carried before the king, the monarch asked him what countryman he was to which he replied: "I am an Englishman by birth, a protestant by religion, and a merchant by occupation. What I have done is not out of contempt to your person, God forbid it should, but out of an honest indignation, to see the ridiculous superstitions and gross idolatries practised here."

The king, thinking that he had been stimulated by some other person to act as he had done, demanded who was his abettor, to which he replied: "My own conscience alone. I would not hazard what I have done for any man living, but I owe that and all other services to God."

tortured to make them confess if they knew anything of the matter; in particular, a person who resided in the same house with Gardener was treated with unparalleled barbarity to make him confess something which might throw a light upon the affair.

Gardener himself was then tormented in the most excruciating manner; but in the midst of all his torments he gloried in the deed. Being ordered for death, a large fire was kindled near a gibbet. Gardener was drawn up to the gibbet by pulleys, and then let down near the fire, but not so close as to touch it; for they burnt or rather roasted him by slow degrees. Yet he bore his sufferings patiently, and resigned his soul to the Lord cheerfully.

It is observable that some of the sparks were blown from the fire (which consumed Gardener) toward the haven, burnt one of the king's ships-of-war, and did other considerable damage. The Englishmen Gardener was sent to prison, and a gene-who were taken up on this occasion were, ral order issued to apprehend all English-soon after Gardener's death, all discharged, men in Lisbon. This order was in a great except the person that resided in the same measure put into execution (some few es-house with him, who was detained two caping) and many innocent persons were years before he could procure his liberty.

THE PERSECUTIONS IN ITALY.

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1. By the immediate order of the pope. 2. Through the power of the inquisition. 3. At the instigation of particular orders of the clergy.

4. By the bigotry of the Italian princes.

"A pleasant country, in whose fertile plains
Sweet verdure smiles, and endless plenty reigns;
But reigns in vain, while bigotry's control,
With tyrant power enchains the human soul;
And superstition lords it o'er the mind,
Deludes the sense, or keeps the reason blind.
The haughty pope, with triple honors crowned,
In error's clouds diffuses darkness round;
And pampered priests without remorse deceive,
While bigot minds implicitly believe ;
Credit whatever their wily teachers say,
And, by command, think, act, speak, fast, or pray,
But priests, to no austerities confined,
Mind not the rules by which they others bind;
They leave to vassal laymen worldly cares,
Sharp penance, meager abstinence, and prayers;
In open air for venal sins to lie,

To dress in sackcloth, or the scourge to ply.

Let pining anchorets in grottoes starve,
Who from the liberties of nature swerve;
Who, curbed by moderation, sparing eat,
And by false zeal deceived, abstain from meat.
Italian priests their appetites will please,
And live in luxury and pampered ease;
But if their power enormous you'd control,
A fury rises in the bigot soul;
Malicious rage strains superstition's throat,
And blood for heresy is all the note.

Use every instrument they loud exclaim,
To darken truth, and render reason tame.
Let the inquisition rage, fresh cruelties

Make the dire engines groan with tortured cries;
Let Campo Flori every day be strewed
With mangled carcases, and clotted blood;
Repeat again Lombardian slaughter o'er.
And Piedmont valleys drown with floating gore.
Swifter than murdering angels, when they fly
On errands of avenging deity;

Fiercer than storms let loose, with eager haste
Lay cities, countries, realms, whole nature waste;
Sack, ravish, massacre, destroy, burn, slay,
Act what you will, so popery makes its way.'
Such are the thoughts that fill each popish mind,
And such the enmity they bear mankind."-

THE FIRST PERSECUTIONS UNDER THE PAPACY IN ITALY.

N the twelfth century the first
persecutions under the papacy
began in Italy, at the time that
Adrian, an Englishman, was
pope, being occasioned by the
following circumstances:-

A learned man, and an excellent orator of Brixia, named ARNOLD, came to Rome, and boldly preached against the corruptions and innovations which had crept into the church. His discourses were so clear, consistent, and breathed forth such a pure spirit of piety, that the senators, and many of the people, highly approved of, and admired his doctrines.

This so greatly enraged Adrian, that he commanded Arnold instantly to leave the city, as a heretic. Arnold, however, did not comply, for the senators and some of the principal people took his part, and resisted the authority of the pope.

Frederic Barbarossa arriving at the imperial dignity, requested that the pope would crown him with his own hand. This Adrian complied with, and at the same time asked a favor of the emperor, which was, to put Arnold into his hands. The emperor very readily delivered up the unfortunate preacher, who soon fell a martyr to Adrian's vengeance, being hanged, and his body burnt to ashes, at Apulia. The same fate attended several of his old friends and companions.

ENCENAS, a Spaniard, was sent to Rome, to be brought up in the Roman catholic faith; but having conversed with some of the reformed, and read several treatises which they had put into his hands, he became a protestant. This, at length, being known, one of his own relations informed against him, when he was burnt by order of the pope, and a conclave of cardinals. The brother of Encenas had been taken up about the same time, for having a New Testament, in the Spanish language, in his possession; but before the time appointed for his execution, he found means to escape out of prison, and returned to

Adrian now laid the city of Rome under an interdict, which caused the whole body of clergy to interpose; and, at length, persuaded the senators and people to give up the point, and suffer Arnold to be banished. This being agreed to, he received his sen-Germany. tence of exile, and retired to Germany, where he continued to preach against the pope, and to expose the gross errors of the church of Rome.

FANINUS, a learned layman, by reading controversial books, became of the reformed religion. An information being exhibited against him to the pope, he was apprehendAdrian, on this account thirsted for hised, and cast into prison. His wife, children, blood, and made several attempts to get him into his hands; but Arnold, for a long time, avoided every snare laid for him. At length,

relations, and friends, visited him in his confinement, and so far wrought upon his mind, that he renounced his faith, and ob

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