William Lithgow
WILLIAM LITHGOW
William Lithgow was an Englishman born about 1580. Being fond of travel, he was on his way to Alexandria, Egypt, when he was suddenly attacked by nine men, who threw a black cloak over his head and dragged him to the governor’s house in Malaga, Spain. There he was accused of being an English spy. Nothing Lithgow could say would convince the local authorities that he was only a tourist passing through the city, so it was decided to torture him until he made his confession. Lithgow was tortured on the rack and then asked if he acknowledged the pope’s supremacy, to which he answered, “You almost murdered me for pretended treason without any grounds. Now you intend to make me a martyr for my religion?”
“You have been arrested as a spy and accused of treachery,” his inquisitor replied. “Perhaps you are not a spy, but we have found by your books and writings that you surely are a heretic and therefore deserve even worse punishment than you have received.”
They gave Lithgow eight days to consider whether he would convert or not. During this time the inquisitor and others argued frequently with him to no avail. At last, finding their arguments had no effect and that their threats of torment couldn’t shake him, they left Lithgow alone. The eight days were soon over. Lithgow was asked one more time to convert and save his life. “I fear neither death nor fire,” he replied. “I am prepared for both, so do your worst!”
That night Lithgow was sentenced to eleven different tortures, and if he did not die from them, he was to be taken to Granada and burned after Easter. The first part of the sentence was carried out with cold-blooded cruelty, but it pleased God to give the poor victim strength of body and mind, and he survived. Then Lithgow waited with resignation for the day that would end his torments.
All of this had been carried out in the strictest of secrecy, since Lithgow was an English subject and not a citizen of Spain; but a servant boy happened to hear the city’s mayor discuss Lithgow’s case at dinner one night, and he secretly told the story to an English merchant in town named Mr. Wild. Wild told the story to other English merchants living in the town and to the English ambassador at Madrid, Sir Walter Aston, who quickly appealed to the king and council of Spain, obtained an order for Lithgow’s immediate release, and put him on board an English warship visiting the city. Two months later, Lithgow arrived safely at Deptford, England, although his left arm remained useless to him for the rest of his life.