Now After That Six Years There Fully Expired Since Our First Coming
Into The Indies In Which Time We Had
Been imprisoned and served in the
said countries, as is before truly declared in the year of our Lord one
Thousand five hundred and seventy four, the Inquisition began to be
established in the Indies very much against the minds of many of the
Spaniards themselves, for never until this time since their first
conquering and planting in the Indies, were they subject to that bloody
and cruel Inquisition. The chief Inquisitor was named Don Pedro Moya
de Contreres, and John de Bouilla his companion, and John Sanchis the
Fischall, and Pedro de la Rios, the Secretary, they being come and
settled, and placed in a very fair house, near unto the White Friars,
considering with themselves that they must make an entrance and
beginning of that their most detestable Inquisition here in Mexico to
the terror of the whole country, thought it best to call us that were
Englishmen first in question, and so much the rather for that they had
perfect knowledge and intelligence, that many of us were become very
rich as hath been already declared, and therefore we were a very great
booty and prey to the Inquisitors, so that now again began our sorrows
afresh, for we were sent for, and sought out in all places of the
country, and proclamation made upon pain of losing of goods, and
excommunication that no man should hide or keep secret any Englishman
or any part of their goods. By means whereof we were all soon
apprehended in all places, and all our goods seized and taken for the
Inquisitors' use, and so from all parts of the country we were conveyed
and sent as prisoners to the city of Mexico, and there committed to
prison in sundry dark dungeons where we could not see but by
candlelight, and were never more than two together in one place so that
we saw not one another, neither could one of us tell what was become of
another. Thus we remained close imprisoned for the space of a year and
a half, and others for some less time, for they came to prison ever as
they were apprehended. During which time of our imprisonment at the
first beginning we were often called before the Inquisitors alone, and
there severely examined of our faith, and commanded to say the pater
noster, the Ave Maria, and the creed in Latin, which God knoweth a
great number of us could not say otherwise than in the English tongue.
And having the said Robert Sweeting who was our friend at Tescuco
always present with them for an interpreter he made report for us in
our own country speech we could say them perfectly, although not word
for word as they were in Latin. Then did they proceed to demand of us
upon our oaths what we did believe of the sacrament, and whether there
did remain any bread or wine after the words of consecration, yea or
no, and whether we did not believe that the Host of bread which the
priest did hold up over his head, and the wine that was in the chalice,
was the very true and perfect body and blood of our Saviour Christ, yea
or no, to which if we answered not yea, then was there no way but
death.
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