sition; so everybody gives the report concerning the family in question, with great caution, to the best of their know'ledge and memory.

When the commissaries have taken the necessary informations, with witneses of a good name, they examine the parish book, and take a copy of the ancestors' names, the year and day of their marriage, and the year, day and place of their baptism. The commissaries then return to the inquisitors with all the examinations, witnesses, proofs, and convictions of the purity and ancient christianity of the proponants' families for four generations; and, being again examined by the three inquisitors, if they find them real and faithful, then they send the same commissaries to enquire into the character, life and conversations of the postulant, or demanding person; but in this point the commissaries pass by many personal failings, so when the report is given to the

inquisitors, they send for the postulant, and examine him concerning matters of faith, the holy scripture, the knowledge of the ancient fathers of the church, moral cases, all which is but mere formality, for the generality of the holy inquisitors themselves do not take much pains in the study of those things, and therefore the postulant is not afraid of their nice questions, nor very solicitous how to resolve them.

When the examination is over, they order the secretary to draw the patent of the grant of the holy cross to such an one, in regard to his family's old purity of blood and christianity, and to his personal parts and religious conversations, certifying in the patent, That for four generations past, none of his father's or mother's relations were at all suspected in points concerning the holy catholic Roman faith, or mixt with jew ish or heretical blood.

H

con.

The day following, the postulant appears before the assembly of qualificators in the hall of the Inquisition, and the first inquisitor celebrates the mass, assisted by two qualificators as deacon and subdeaOne of the oldest brothers preacheth a sermon on the occasion, and when the mass is over, they make a sort of procession in the same hall, and afterit, the inquisitor gives the book of the gospel to the postulant, and makes him swear the usual oath; which done, the postulant, on his knees, receiveth the cross or medal from the hands of the inquisitor, who, with a black ribbon, puts it on the postulant's neck, and begins to sing Te Deum, and the collect of thanks, which is the end of the ceremonies. Then all the assistant qualificators congratulate the new brother, and all go up to the inquisitors' apartment to drink chocolate, and after that, every one to his own dwelling place.

The new qualificator dineth with the inquisitors that day; and, after dinner the secretary brings in a bill of all the fees and expenses of the informations, which he must clear before he leaves the Inquisition. Most commonly the whole amounts to 400 pistoles, including the 200 he gave in the beginning; but sometimes it comes to 1000 pistoles, to those whose ancestors were out of the kingdom, for then the commissaries expend a great deal moré : and if it happen that they find the least spot of judaism or heresy in some relation of the family, the commissaries do not proceed any further in the examinations, but come back to the Inquisition immediately, and then the postulant is never sent for by the inquisitors, who keep the 200 pistoles for pious uses as they pretend, but in fact to defray some part of their debaucheries.

FAMILIARS

are always laymen, but of good sense and education. These wear the same cross, and, for granting of it, the inquisitors make the same informations and proofs as they make for qualificators. The honor and privileges are the same; for they are not subject but to the tribunal of the Inquisition. Their business is not the same, for they are only employed in gathering together, and enquiring after all books against the catholic faith, and to watch the actions of suspected persons. They insinuate themselves into all companies, and they will even speak against the Inquisition, and against religion, to try whether people are of that sentiment: in short, they are spies of the inquisitors. They do not pay so much as the qualificators for the honor of the cross, but they are obliged to take a turn now and then into