he Fifth of Germany and King of Spain, his sister Queen Mary of Hungary
acting as Regent for him. He continued: "Protestant principles have
made great progress, even though the fatal Inquisition flourishes in the
country more actively than heretofore. The Emperor has just drawn up a
new set of instructions for the guidance of the Inquisitors. These men
are empowered to inquire, proceed against, and chastise all they call
heretics, or persons suspected even of heresy, and their protectors. It
is dreadful to think of the power placed in their hands. Already
thousands of the inhabitants of the Netherlands have been burned, or
drowned, or hung, or killed on the rack; those who can taking to flight,
till many parts are well-nigh depopulated. Nothing can be more dreadful
than the system of torture employed. The accused person is carried off
to prison, often without knowing the crime he is accused of, or his
accusers. He is tortured to make him confess. The torture takes place
at midnight in some gloomy dungeon, dimly-lighted by torches. The
victim, whether man, woman, or tender virgin, is stripped naked, and
stretched upon a wooden bench. Water, weights, fires, pulleys, screws,
all the apparatus by which the sinews can be strained without cracking,
the bones bruised without breaking, and the body racked without giving
up the ghost, is now put into operation. If the victim, to escape
further torture, confesses, he is at once carried off to execution; if
not, he is restored to prison to recover somewhat from the effects of
the torture, when he is again brought back to suffer, in the hopes of
extorting a confession. However, I have already spun out my letter to
too great a length, and I must bring it to a conclusion. Your lordships
will see how differently situated the Netherlands are at the present
time to our happy England, under the rule of our gentle sovereign, King
Edward."

Master Clough having added some further remarks, closed the letter, and
sealed it carefully with the signet ring of his employer, the Worshipful
Master Thomas Gresham (the device on which was a grasshopper).

Thomas Gresham at that time held the honourable post of Royal agent at
Antwerp. The letter being carefully done up with other papers in a silk
covering, Richard Clough took it out of the room, and delivered it into
the hands of a special messenger who was to convey it to England. He
soon returned, saying that a lady earnestly craved