Page:Early English adventurers in the East (1917).djvu/227

 This concluded "the Saboth Day's work," but the next morning the inquisitors were at their dreadful operations again. Beomont was one of the first to suffer. He was "triced up and drenched with water till his inwards were ready to crack." Like the rest he could not withstand the terrible argument employed. "He answered affirmatively to all the Fiscal's interrogatories."

As soon as the examination of all the prisoners was complete Towerson was called in "deeply protesting his innocence." Coulson was brought to confront him and there was a painful moment of silence. At length on being told that he would be taken to the torture again if he did not speak Coulson "coldly re-affirmed" his confession. Griggs and Fardo were next ushered in. A dramatic scene followed. Towerson "seriously charged them as they should answer at the dreadful day of Judgment they should speak nothing but the truth. Both of them instantly fell down on their knees, praying him for God's sake to forgive them and saying further openly before them all that whatsoever they had confessed was false and spoken only to avoid torment." Upon this the fiscal threatened them again with the torture, with the inevitable result that the poor fellows "affirmed their former confessions to be true."

When Coulson was required to sign his confession he asked the fiscal "upon whose head he thought the sinne would be, whether upon his that was constrained to confess what was false or upon the constrainers?" The fiscal after a little pause upon this question went to the governor then in another room and anon returning told Coulson he must subscribe, at which he did yet withal make this protest:—

"'Well,' quoth he, 'you make me accuse myself and