.

About two o'clock in the morning, he heard the noise of a coach in the
street, and some time after heard the opening of the prison doors, not
having had any sleep for two nights; hunger, pain, and melancholy
reflections having prevented him from taking any repose.

Soon after the prison doors were opened, the nine sergeants, who had
first seized him, entered the place where he lay, and without uttering a
word, conducted him in his irons through the house into the street,
where a coach waited, and into which they laid him at the bottom on his
back, not being able to sit. Two of the sergeants rode with him, and the
rest walked by the coach side, but all observed the most profound
silence. They drove him to a vinepress house, about a league from the
town, to which place a rack had been privately conveyed before; and here
they shut him up for that night.

At day-break the next morning, arrived the governor and the alcade, into
whose presence Mr. Lithgow was immediately brought to undergo another
examination. The prisoner desired he might have an interpreter, which
was allowed to strangers by the laws of that country, but this was
refused, nor would they permit him to appeal to Madrid, the superior
court of judicature. After a long examination, which lasted from morning
till night, there appeared in all his answers so exact a conformity with
what he had before said, that they declared he had learned them by
heart, there not being the least prevarication. They, however, pressed
him again to make a full discovery; that is, to accuse himself of crimes
never committed, the governor adding, "You are still in my power; I can
set you free if you comply, if not, I must deliver you to the alcade."
Mr. Lithgow still persisting in his innocence, the governor ordered the
notary to draw up a warrant for delivering him to the alcade to be
tortured.

In consequence of this he was conducted by the sergeants to the end of a
stone gallery, where the rack was placed. The encarouador or
executioner, immediately struck off his irons, which put him to very
great pains, the bolts being so close riveted, that the sledge hammer
tore away half an inch of his heel, in forcing off the bolt; the anguish
of which, together with his weak condition, (not having the least
sustenance for three days) occasioned him to groan bitterly; upon which
the merciless alcade said, "Villain, traitor, this is but the earnest of
what you shall endure."

When his