and parade which was unfit for the situation of the Inquisitor General, was mounted on a grey horse, wearing a saddle of massive silver with white and green furniture conformable to his livery. He was clothed in a suit of black silk embroidered in silver, with diamond buttons, cockade, and insignia, and attended by eighteen livery servants. The whole of the procession was closed with the state sedan-chair and coach belonging to the Inquisitor General, together with other coaches in which were his chaplains and pages. "This triumphant procession," says Olmo, " was performed with wonderful silence; and though all the houses, squares, and streets, were crowded by an immense concourse of people drawn together from a motive of pious curiosity, scarcely one voice was heard louder than another."* Vide Plate VIII.

The stage had been erected on the side of the large square, facing the east, being one hundred and ninety feet in length, one hundred in breadth, and thirteen in height, forming a parallelogram with a surface of nineteen thousand square feet. The ascent to the stage was by two spacious flights of

steps, placed in front at the two extremities. On the two sides, and facing each other, were constructed two flights of seats, of a length equal to the width of the stage,-the upper ones being nearly on a level with the second story of the houses of the square. The royal family occupied the centre angle of the theatre, and saw the whole ceremony from a balcony of one of the principal houses; and the attendants belonging to the palace, together with the ambassadors of foreign powers, were seated in the contiguous ones. On the flight of seats situated to the right of the king the constituted authorities took their places; viz. the corporation of Madrid with several grandees and titled characters; the councils; and, on the highest part, the Inquisitor General on a throne. The raised seats on the left were appropriated to the prisoners, who occupied the highest in proportion as their crimes were most grievous. In Mexico this part of the stage was usually semi-circular, so as to form a more showy appearance, and rising in the form of a cupola or half-moon. On

This appears from the account given of the auto of 1596, by Fray Juan de Torquemada, in his Monarquia Indiana, lib. xix. cap. xxix.-The same was also practised

the plane of the stage, a small distance from the centre, near the seats occupied by the tribunal and facing that of the king, an altar had been constructed with a pulpit on the Gospel side, leaving room for two inclosed areas which were formed by balustrades placed one before the other. In that nearest his majesty the royal guard was posted; and in the furthest one, ranging aside the altar, were seated the families of the inquisitors; and those who could not find room there were accommodated on other benches placed under the breast-work, which ran from one stair-case to the other, and crowned the whole front of the theatre.

In the open space, ranging in the centre, a raised platform was constructed, and on it two bars, latticed round in the form of tribunes, where the prisoners remained standing whilst the recorders seated at two desks read their sentences to them. The whole was covered with a large awning to break the force of the sun, thus forming in the square a theatre sufficiently large for the convenience of such an immense concourse of people; who, in addition to the stage, occuin the auto celebrated in 1649. Vide Diario de México of 6th April, 1807.

pied all the balconies of the four fronts of the buildings, as well as the remaining part of the square. Such was the exterior form of the theatre, which was besides adorned with rich carpets and hangings of crimson damask. Vide Plate IX.

In the cavities or hollow parts under the raised seats several apartments were fitted up as prisons, and courts in which the culprits might be heard; and also as rooms intended for the use of the preacher and officiating priest, in case any thing might happen to him during so long a ceremony. Places were likewise prepared as offices and refectory; where refreshments were provided for the inquisitors, as well as the other guests who might wish to partake of them.

"This grand piece of machinery," says our historian, "was finished on Friday the 28th of June, having only been commenced on the preceding 23d." "It appeared," adds he," that God moved the hearts of the workmen, so as to overcome the great difficulties which occurred in the execution; a circumstance strongly indicated by sixteen master-builders, with their workmen, tools, and materials, coming in unsolicited to offer their services to the overseer of the works;