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I 


•«>■ 


THE   TROUBLES   OF 
OUR   CATHOLIC   FOREFATHERS 

RELATED  BY  THEMSELVES. 


/ 


■A 


ROEHAMPTON  : 
PRINTED    BY    JAMES    STANLEY. 


•^9vm,m':m^'yfmmm3p?ni'- 


KGUJLLELMUS   'vAZESTCNUS    CANTUARIENSIS    \k\qrzssus 

HOC  TVR.OClN^u^A    .5"  Nov-  ISJS .^  17  ANNORJb'N^    CAKCE-T.!.  Tiw  r;DE 
iLLUiTRlS  .   OB^T  VA!.'_ic;r    ryi     ")   APR.    i  i,  I S" .  j=E.T.  />.?■. 


FATHER  WILLIAM  WESTON,  S.J. 


THE    TROUBLES    OF 
OUR    CATHOLIC    FOREFATHERS 

RELATED      BY     THEMSELVES. 


»>£COnl>  ^zm0. 


KOITED    BY 


JOHN       MORRIS, 

Priett  of  the  Society  of  Jesus. 


LONDON:    BURNS    AND    GATES. 
1875, 


PREFACE. 


To  Sir  Thomas  Duffus  Hardy,  Deputy  Keeper 
of  the  Public  Records,  to  the  Reverend  Father 
Purbrick,  Rector  of  Stonyhurst,  and  to  the 
Reverend  Father  O'Callajjhan,  Rector  of  the 
Enorlish  Colleofe  at  Rome,  I  am  indebted  for 
the  use  of  valuable  manuscripts  that  form  the 
staple  of  the  contents  of  this  volume.  It  is  a 
pleasant  duty  to  thank  them  in  this  place.  I 
have  to  offer  my  grateful  thanks  to  other  friends 
also  for  much  kind  assistance.  But  I  owe  an 
especial  debt  of  gratitude  for  their  patience  to  those 
who  have  entrusted  to  me  documents  for  which 
I  have  not  been  able  to  find  place  in  this  Second 
Series.  I  trust  to  their  forbearance,  till  in  the 
midst  of  conflicting  occupations  I  can  manage  to 
find  time  to  prepare  the  Third  Series  for  the  press. 

William  Weston  and  Anthony  Tyrrell  were 
thrown  about  the  same  time  into  the  midst  of 
the  labours  and  dangers  of  the  English  mission, 
when  the  persecution  under  Elizabeth  was  at  its 
hottest.  Their  conduct,  when  they  fell  into  the 
hands  of  the  persecutors,  presents  a  remarkable 
and    instructive    contrast.       The    more    important 


vi  Preface. 

and  more  interesting  portions  of  their  lives,  and 
especially  their  experience  of  imprisonment,  were 
written  by  themselves.  They  were  brought  into 
personal  contact  both  while  at  liberty  and  in 
prison  ;  and  their  narratives  thus  curiously  interlace 
the  one  with  the  other,  and  mutually  support  and 
illustrate  one  another.  This  is  the  more  satisfactory 
as  the  two  autobiographies  are  entirely  independent, 
and  it  is  only  by  a  happy  accident  that  they  now 
see  the  light  together.  The  original  manuscript 
of  the  one  is  preserved  at  Stonyhurst ;  while  the 
other,  which  was  prepared  for  the  press  by  the 
famous  Father  Robert  Persons,  is  in  the  Archives 
of  the  Venerable  English  College  at  Rome.  I 
hope  that  their  publication  may  be  found  to  be  a 
useful  contribution  to  the  materials  of  history. 

The  present  volume  is  considerably  larger  than 
its  predecessor,  and  I  have  therefore  been  more 
sparing  than  I  could  have  wished  in  the  use  of  State 
Papers,  especially  in  illustration  of  Father  Persons' 
narrative  of  Tyrrell's  Fall.  I  regret  that  when  I 
sent  the  Chapter  on  the  Bellamy  family  to  press, 
I  had  for  the  moment  forgotten  an  article  by 
Mr.  Simpson  in  the  Ra7?2blei%  by  the  help  of  which 
I  could  have  made  that  portion  of  my  book  more 
complete. 

My  object  throughout  is  to  let  our  ancestors 
speak  for  themselves.  For  this  reason  I  have 
always  preferred  to  give  a  document  in  full  rather 
than  to  state  its  substance  in  my  own  words.  Both 
Father  Weston's  autobiography  and  Father  Persons' 
narrative  are  complete.     The  book  would  perhaps 


Preface.  vii 

have  gained  in  some  respects,  if  I  had  curtailed 
them  ;  but  on  the  whole  I  have  considered  it  better 
to  give  them  in  their  integrity.  Besides,  Father 
Persons  has  already  used  the  pruning-knife  to 
Tyrrell's  prolix  story,  and  my  duty  has  been  to 
add  rather  than  to  take  away. 

There  is  but  one  further  remark  with  which 
I  need  detain  the  reader.  The  First  Series  was 
received  with  such  kindness  by  the  literary  journals, 
that  I  feel  tempted  to  break  through  the  etiquette 
which  seems  to  require  that  authors  and  editors 
should  receive  in  silence  the  criticisms  passed  upon 
them.  My  only  temptation  would  be  to  return 
thanks  for  much  unmerited  praise,  and  to  acquiesce 
in  the  justice  of  the  corrections  that  have  been 
suggested,  if  it  were  not  that  an  expression  in  a 
journal  of  the  highest  literary  ability  seems  to  call 
for  a  word  of  reply  in  self-defence  and  explanation. 
The  Pall  Mall  Gazette,  in  reviewing  the  former 
volume,  remarked  that  "the  Editor  must  be  desti- 
tute of  all  sense  of  humour,"  who  could  have 
published  the  story  of  the  crosses  that  appeared  on 
Mrs.  Tregian's  smock, ^  Now  I  am  fain  to  confess 
that  the  same  deficiency  has  accompanied  me  while 
compiling  the  present  volume.  The  old  writers, 
whose  words  I  print,  have  told  various  stories  that 
seem  to  me  extremely  droll ;  but  I  plead  guilty  to 
the  accusation  that  I  have  not  seen  the  fun  of 
omitting  them.  Besides,  if  I  had  possessed  the 
sense  of  humour  that  would  have  led  me  to  omit 
the  story  of  Mrs.  Tregian's  smock,  I   should  have 

^  Troubles,  First  Series,  p.  121. 


viii  Preface. 

been  bound  to  resist  it,  and  to  leave  unmutilated  a 

document  that  I  was  printing  entire.      I   have   not 

felt   myself  obliged   to   suppress   anecdotes  which, 

though  gravely  told  long  ago,  now  raise  a  smile  in 

the  perusal.     To  strike  out  such  stories   as  those 

of  the  devils  swimming  like  fishes  beneath  a  man's 

skin,   or    Mrs.    Bellamy's    wonderful    plant,    or   the 

Glastonbury  mouth  of  Purgatory,  or  the  poor  man 

whose   interior    fire    was    not    quenched    by   eight 

gallons   of  liquor,^  may  be  a    method  of   showing 

a  "sense  of  humour,"  but  it  would  be  a  poor  way 

of  bringing  back  the   records  of   a    bygone   time. 

Our  gratitude  to  our  Catholic  forefathers   for   the 

precious   inheritance  they  have   bequeathed    to  us, 

is  not  the  less  serious  and  deep  because  we   are 

now  and  then  amused  by  their  quaint  tales.     And 

certainly  we  do  not  regard  them  as  less  trustworthy 

witnesses     to     the    historical    events    they    relate, 

because   they  reflect  with  accuracy  the  feelings  of 

their  own  time, 

J,  M. 

St.  Beuno's  College,  St.  Asaph, 
May  %th,  1875. 

^  Infra,  pp.  lOl,  188,  192,  215. 


CONTENTS. 


I.  THE  LIFE  OF  FATHER  WILLIAM  WESTON,  SJ.     .        .  3 

Chapter    I. — Father  Weston's  Vocation S 

II. — The  English  Jesuit  Mission 12 

III. — Father  Weston's  landing  in  England          .         ...  27 

IV. — Father  Weston's  first  shelter 44 

v.— The  exUes  of  1585 66 

VI. — Father  Weston's  first  convert 82 

VII. — Possessions  and  exorcisms 96 

VIII.— Hard  times 108 

IX. — Missionary  life 119 

X.— Arrest 138 

XL — Government  information 152 

XII.— The  Babington  Plot 167 

XIIL— Life  in  the  Clink 190 

XIV. — Between  two  prisons 208 

XV.— Wisbech  Castle 221 

XVI. — College  life  in  prison 242 

XVII. —The  Tower,  Exile,  and  Death 264 

IL— THE  FALL  OF  ANTHONY  TYRRELL        .        .        .        .287 
Introduction 289 

The  true  and  wonderful  Story  of  the  lamentable  Fall 
OF  Anthony  Tyrrell,  Priest,  from  the  Catholic  Faith, 
written  by  his  own  hand,  before  which  is  prefixed  a 
Preface  showing  the  causes  of  publishing  the  same 
unto  the  World. 

The  Preface  to  the  Christian  Reader,  concerning  the  causes  of  publishing 

this  Confession  of  Anthony  Tyrrell    .        .        .        .310 

Chapter    I. — His  accusing  of  himself,  set  down  in  the  Preface  to  the 

Reader 320 


Contents. 


PACK 


Chapter  II. — Of  his  Apprehension  and  Behaviour  in  Prison,  before  his 

Fall,  with  his  Examinations  and  Answers  to  the  same     325 

J,       III. — Of  the  beginning   and  secret   occasion  of  his   Fall  and 

yielding    .........     333 

,,  IV. — Of  his  acquaintance  and  proceeding  with  Mr.  Ballard  the 
priest,  and  how  after  Ballard's  apprehension  the  devil 
tempted  him  to  fall 34° 

J  J  V. — Of  his  desperate  resolution  to  deny  his  religion  against  his 
ONvn  conscience,  and  of  his  accusing  innocent  men 
wrongfully  and  maliciously  :  and  of  Justice  Young  and 
the  Lord  Treasurer's  manner  of  proceeding  with  him 
in  these  affairs  .......     34^ 

,,  VI. — Of  a  Letter  written  unto  him  by  the  Treasurer,  and  of  his 
most  wicked  and  lying  answer  to  the  same,  containing 
the  grounds  of  many  men's  unjust  deaths  afterwards    .     355 

,,  VII. — How  the  Lord  Treasurer,  upon  sight  of  the  former  letter, 
sent  twenty-eight  new  interrogatories,  and  Tyrrell's 
answers  to  the  same •     3^^ 

,,  VIII. — What  course  he  held  after  the  giving  up  of  the  aforesaid 
accusations,  of  his  impious  writing  to  the  Queen,  and 
talk  with  the  Treasurer,  and  how  he  procured  to 
change  prison  from  the  Counter  to  the  Clink,  to  do 
more  hurt         ........     39^ 

,,  IX. — Of  his  dissimulation,  treachery,  and  spiery  in  the  Clink, 
and  Justice  Young  his  dispensation  for  the  same,  and 
what  persons  he  betrayed  there,  and  of  the  death  of 
Mr.  Ballard  and  his  fellows 402 

„  X. — How  he  brought  to  their  ends  three  other  godly  priests, 
named  Mr.  Lowe,  Adams,  and  Dibdale,  and  of  the 
matter  of  exorcisms  practised  in  Peckham  Place  .     41 1 

,,  XI. — How  he  goeth  forward  with  his  course  of  dissimulation 
and  spiery,  and  the  dispensation  given  him  for  the 
same  by  Justice  Young,  for  saying  Mass,  and  hearing 
confessions,  reconciling,  and  the  like,  is  confirmed  by 
the  Lord  Treasurer  and  the  Queen's  order  .         .     418 

,,  XII. — Of  three  letters  more  written  by  Young  to  Tyrrell,  with 
the  plot  of  his  delivery  out  of  prison  to  play  the  spy 
abroad 425 

,,  XIII. — He  settelh  forth  his  own  miserable  affliction  of  conscience 
whilst  he  lived  in  this  dissimulation,  and  showeth  how 
he  could  not  yet  brave  to  be  an  open  Protestant         .     433 

,,  XIV. — How  he  was  convinced  and  brought  to  repentance  by 
certain  Catholic  priests  of  his  acquaintance,  and  yet 
how  he  dissembled  again  afterwards  .         .         .  443 


Conte7its.  xi 


PAGE 


Chapter  XV. — His  sorrow  for  the  great  crimes  rehearsed,  with  a  declara- 
tion of  the  trae  causes  of  his  Fall,  and  of  the  wicked 
manner  of  proceeding  of  the  enemy  with  him  .         .     457 

„     XVI. — Of  divers  letters  that  after  his  repentance  he  wrote  as  well 

to  the  Queen  as  to  other  persons      .        .         .        .471 

„  XVII. — How  after  all  this  he  went  over  sea  and  returned,  and  fell 
again,  and  made  new  abjuration  publicly  at  Paul's 
Cross,  the  31st  January  the  next  year  following,  1588    487 


THE  LIFE  OF 
FATHER  WILLIAM  WESTON,  SJ, 


The  chief  sources  from  which  this  Life  has  been  drawn  are  manu- 
scripts in  the  possession  of  Stonyhurst  College.  One  of  them  is  the 
valuable  transcript  made  in  Rome  in  1689,  by  Father  Christopher 
Grene,  of  the  ^vritings  of  Father  Persons  that  had  not  been  printed. 
These  volumes  of  his  Collectanea  were  distinguished  by  Father 
Grene  by  the  letter  P.  Of  this  collection  much  use  has  been 
previously  made  by  Mr.  Simpson  in  his  Life  of  Father  Campion. 

Still  more  to  our  present  purpose  is  Father  Weston's  Auto- 
biography. The  original,  in  Father  Weston's  own  hand,  is  very 
neatly  written  on  large  quarto  pages.  Unfortunately  the  sizing  of 
the  paper  was  bad,  and  the  manuscript  fell  to  pieces.  It  has 
lately  been  carefully  inlaid  and  bound,  but  the  leaves  towards  the 
end  are  very  defective,  and  all  that  followed  page  76  is  now  lost. 
The  original  paging  is  very  peculiar,  the  alternate  folios  only 
being  numbered. 

The  missing  leaves  at  the  end  were  lost  before  the  manuscript 
was  brought  to  Stonyhurst,  for  a  copy  was  made  by  Father  John 
Laurenson,  who  was  librarian  of  the  College  when  in  August,  1794, 
it  was  transferred  from  Liege.  It  is  a  fortunate  circumstance  that 
he  did  so,  for  owing  to  the  progress  of  decay  many  leaves  have 
partially  perished  that  were  entirely  legible  in  his  time.  His  copy 
is  in  one  hundred  and  thirty-six  pages  small  quarto. 

His  copy  we  have  called  it ;  but  it  is  to  be  lamented  that  he 
took  unwarrantable  liberties  with  the  wording  in  his  transcription. 
He  treated  it  as  he  would  have  treated  a  bo/s  theme-book,  and 
corrected  the  latinity  to  his  own  taste.  Fortunately  a  careful 
comparison  with  the  original  assures  us  that  the  sense  is  not 
affected,  and  in  a  translation  the  alterations  are  not  perceptible. 

The  kindness  of  Father  Boero,  the  archivist  of  the  Gesu,  has 
fiimished  us  -with  another  unpublished  manuscript.     It  is  the  Life 
B  2 


4  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

of  Father  Weston,  written  in  Spanish,  and  apparently  the  author's 
autograph,  by  Father  de  Peralta,  Rector  of  the  Enghsh  College  at 
Seville.  It  was  written  in  the  year  of  Father  Weston's  death, 
1 615,  when  forty  years  had  elapsed  since  the  writer's  first 
acquaintance  with  the  subject  of  his  memoir.  The  title  is, 
Piintos  que  el  Fi  dc  Peralta  de  la  Cofnp^.  de  Jesus,  R'T  del  colegio 
ingles  de  Sevi'lla,  junto  de  personas  fidedinas  de  la  CotnJ)'^  y  seglares, 
cerca  de  la  s*'^  vida  del  P.  Guillenno  Weston  de  la  Comp]  de  Jesus, 
RT  del  coll",  ingles  de  Valid.,  que  murie  nel  propio  colegio  en  9  de 
Abril  dcste  ario  de  161^,  de  miichos  de  los  quales  es  testigo  de  vista  de 
cerca  de  40  alios,  a  esta  parte  cursando  con  el  estudio,  y  siendo  su 
superior  en  el  seminar io  de  Sei/f  mas  de  seis  aiios.  It  consists  of 
twelve  folios,  small  quarto  size,  and  it  is  divided  into  seven 
sections,  the  last  of  which  is  the  circular  in  Spanish  to  the 
members  of  the  Society,  written  on  occasion  of  Father  Weston's 
death,  by  Father  Thomas  Silvester,  then  Minister  of  the  College 
of  Valladolid.  A  Latin  copy  of  this  circular,  entitled  Elogium 
P.  Gulielmi  Westoni,  1615,  is  in  the  Archives  de  I'Etat  at  Brussels, 
with  other  papers  belonging  to  St.  Omers  College,  which  were 
seized  at  Bruges  when  the  Society  was  suppressed. 

In  addition  to  these  sources  of  information,  the  State  Papers 
in  the  Public  Record  Office  have  been  freely  quoted.  Their 
accessibility,  and  the  ability  and  care  with  which  the  Calendars 
have  been  compiled,  are  singular  advantages  that  we  enjoy  over 
former  students  of  history  in  its  less  trodden  paths. 


LIFE  OF  FATHER  WILLIAM  WESTON. 


CHAPTER  I. 

FATHER  WESTON'S  VOCATION. 

William  Weston  was  bom  at  Maidstone,  in  Kent,  in 
the  year  1550.  Of  his  family  nothing  is  known,  nor, 
though  he  was  a  contemporary  of  Father  Campion  at 
Oxford,  has  it  been  possible  to  ascertain  his  College-'  at 
that  University.  Campion  was  ten  years  his  senior,  but 
as  in  those  days  students  went  to  the  Universities  in  their 
boyhood,  Weston  may  have  been  some  years  at  Oxford 
before  Campion  left  it  in  1569.  They  are  said  to  have 
been  personally  acquainted  at  Oxford,  and  they  met  again 
later  in  a  place  of  learning  of  a  very  different  spirit. 
Weston  must,  when  a  very  young  man,  have  felt  the  neces- 
sity of  leaving  his  country  for  the  sake  of  his  religion,  for  as 
soon  as  he  had  taken  his  bachelor's  degree,  he  went  to 
Paris  to  continue  his  studies.  This  must  have  been  shortly 
after  Campion's  departure  from  Oxford,  Letters  from 
Dr.  Bristow  and  Dr.  Martin,  two  of  the  great  lights  of 
the  newly-founded  Seminary  of  Douay,  drew  him  from 
Paris  in  1572;  and  there  he  found,  amongst  one  hundred 
and  fifty  more  of  like  mind  and  purpose  with  himself, 
Edmund  Campion,  who  the  year  before  had   begun  his 

^  Mr.  Simpson,  in  his  Life  of  Campion,  p.  80,  says  that  he  was  at  All 
Souls.  His  assertion  would  be  sufficient  authority,  if  we  were  not  obliged  to 
place  against  it  the  assurance  of  the  Reverend  the  Warden  of  All  Souls,  that 
•'  the  name  of  William  Weston  does  not  occur  in  the  registers  of  the  College." 


6  Life  of  Father  William  IVeslon. 

study  of  theology.  They  were  not,  however,  long  together, 
for  in  the  autumn  of  1572,  Campion  set  out  for  Rome. 

Campion's  journey  was  made  on  foot  and  alone.  His 
object  in  going  to  Rome  was  to  offer  himself  to  St.  Francis 
Borgia  for  admission  into  the  Society.  He  tried  to  per- 
suade William  Weston  to  accompany  him  with  the  same 
intention,  but  the  time  was  not  yet  come  and  the  friends 
parted  ;  and  though  they  had  the  happiness  of  being  sons 
of  the  same  Society,  they  never  met  again.  The  impres- 
sion that  Father  Campion  made  on  the  mind  of  Father 
Weston  may  be  best  gathered  from  the  name  that  he 
chose  in  the  place  of  his  own  by  which  to  be  called  when 
sent  on  the  English  mission.  Edmund  Campion  had 
then  set  the  crown  to  his  apostolic  career  by  his  happy 
martyrdom,  and  Father  Weston,  out  of  veneration  for  him, 
took  the  name  of  Edmonds,  by  which  he  was  better  known 
in  England  than  by  his  own. 

This  was  not  the  only  instance  of  homage  of  this  sort 
to  Campion's  name.  In  those  times  it  was  necessary  for 
all  who  thought  of  coming  on  the  English  mission  to 
conceal  their  identity  as  far  as  possible  by  change  of 
name.  The  love  of  Father  Campion  must  have  been  strong 
to  induce  a  priest  to  take  a  name  that  was  so  likely  to 
draw  attention  to  him,  and  bring  him  into  trouble ;  yet 
this  was  what  was  done  by  the  martyred  priest,  whom  we 
honour  under  the  name  of  Edward  Campion.  His  true 
name  was  Edwards,^  and  he  said  on  his  examination,  as 
Lord  Keeper  Puckering  notes  against  him,"  that  "he 
wisheth  he  were  no  worse  a  traitor  than  Campion,  that 
was  executed  for  treason."  Edwards  was  of  "  White 
Hall,"  now  St.  John's,  Father  Campion's  College  at  Oxford. 
Others  also  adopted  the  surname,  as  Robert  Wigmore, 
who   died   in   the  Jesuit  Novitiate   at  Louvain,  in    1614^ 

^  British  Museum,  Ilarleian  MSS.  360,  fol.  25. 

^  Strype,    Annals,    vol.    iv.    p.    2555      P.R.O.   State   Papers,   Domestic^ 
Elizabeth,  vol.  cc.  n.  36. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston,  7 

and  Father  John  Pointz,  alias  Stephens,  who  was  known 
by  the  name  of  Campion  while  a  student  in  the  English 
College  at  Rome,  of  which  College  he  was  afterwards 
Rector. 

The  desire  of  entering  the  Society  induced  William 
Weston  to  leave  Douay  College  and  to  follow  Campion 
to  Rome.  And  he  travelled,  as  Campion  travelled,  on 
foot  He  went  "  on  pilgrimage,"  the  Douay  Journal  says  ; 
and  how  much  of  fatigue  and  hardship  was  involved  in 
the  term,  we  of  a  more  feeble  generation  are  not  likely 
ever  to  experience.  "He  went  four  hundred  leagues  on 
foot  to  ask  admission  into  the  Society,"  is  Father  de 
Peralta's  note  on  the  journey.  In  one  respect  Weston's 
was  an  easier  journey  than  Campion's,  for  he  had  a  com- 
panion, John  Lane,  an  Oxford  Master  of  Arts  and  Fellow 
of  Corpus,  who  like  himself  sought  admittance  into  the 
Society. 

Immediately  on  his  conversion  Lane  had  gone  from 
Oxford  to  Rome,  and  there  in  1574,  at  the  end  of 
September,  Persons  found  him,  when  desiring  to  have 
him  to  share  the  studies  he  proposed  to  pursue  at 
Padua.  ^  They  were  present  together  when  Pope 
Gregory  XIII.  opened  the  Porta  Sa?icta,  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  year  of  Jubilee,  1575,  and  then,  with  Luke 
Atslow,  they  went  to  Padua.  There,  Father  Persons 
says  in  his  fragmentary  Autobiography,  "  we  took  a  very 
commodious  house  of  our  own,  they  two  studying  law 
and  I  physic,  and  finding  ourselves  very  well  settled,  I 
bought  good  store  of  books  for  my  faculty,  as  also  pro- 
vision of  apparel."  The  arrangement  did  not  last  long. 
"  It  was  at  the  end  of  the  month  of  May,"  Father  Persons 
continues,  "when  I  left  Padua,  and  though  I  was  no  good 
goer  on  foot,  and  the  weather  very  hot,  yet  by  God's  help 
I  made  all  that  journey  without  any  riding."  Rome  was 
Persons'  destination ;  and  the  thought  in  his  mind,  which 

1  Stonyhurst  MSS.,  Father  Chr.  Grene's  Collectan.,  P.  fol,  225. 


8  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

had  broken  up  the  promising  plan  of  study  at  Padua,  was 
that  perhaps  he  was  called  by  God  to  the  religious  life 
in  the  Society  of  Jesus.  Persons  arrived  in  Rome  at  the 
end  of  May,  and  "  stayed  some  weeks  in  Rome  before  he 
resolved  to  offer  himself  to  the  Society,  which  finally  he 
entered  upon  St.  James'  day,"  July  25,  1585.  Weston  found 
him  in  the  Novitiate  of  St.  Andrew's,  on  the  Quirinal,  when 
he  reached  Rome  a  few  months  later.  "My  two  companions 
at  Padua,"  Father  Persons  adds,  "  Mr.  Lucas  Atslow  and 
John  Lane,  hearing  of  my  resolution,  they  made  the  like, 
but  Mr.  Atslow  died  soon  after  in  Padua,  and  Mr.  John 
Lane  came  and  entered  the  Society  in  Rome."  Lane, 
Avhen  left  at  Padua  by  Persons,  and  when  he  had  lost 
Atslow,  betook  himself  to  Douay,  but  only  to  leave  it 
again  in  company  with  William  Weston  on  his  pilgrimage 
to  Rome.  Weston  evidently  entered  the  Society  as  soon 
as  they  reached  Rome,  for  he  was  received  at  St.  Andrew's 
on  the  5th  of  November,  1575,  being  then  twenty-five 
years  of  age.  John  Lane  was  a  little  after  him,  being 
admitted  February  2,  1576.  According  to  Father  Grene, 
Lane  died  at  Alcala,  May  6,  1579. 

The  friendship  that  subsisted  between  the  great  Semi- 
nary of  Douay,  the  mother  of  the  English  secular  clergy, 
and  the  Society  of  Jesus,  was  very  close  and  most  edifying. 
When  Father  Weston  left  Douay  he  made  a  gift  to  the 
Seminary  of  all  that  he  possessed.^  On  the  other  side 
it  is  charming  to  see  how  his  old  friends  at  Douay  rejoiced 
in  his  vocation  to  the  happy  life  of  Religion.  "On  the 
5th  of  April,  1576,"  we  translate  from  the  Douay  Diary, 
"  four  of  ours  who  left  us  half  a  year  ago  on  a  pilgrimage 
to  Rome,  have  returned  to  us  again,  and  to  the  great  joy 
of  our  souls  they  have  told  us  that  Mr.  William  Weston 
and  Mr.  Lane,   honourable   men   of  great    promise   (who 

*  "  P.  Gul.  Westonus  cum  Duaco  discederet  ad  Societatem  ingrediendam 
bona  sua  omnia  Seminario  Duacensi  donavit."  Father  Garnet  to  the  General, 
June  II,  1597. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  9 

about  the  same  time  left  this  for  Rome  on  pilgrimage), 
have  there  entered  the  Society  of  Jesus."  And  in  the 
list  of  priests  ordained  and  sent  on  the  mission  there  is 
a  not  less  friendly  entry.  "  In  the  year  1575,  two  priests 
entered  the  Society  of  Jesus,  men  of  weight,  Mr.  Thomas 
Robinson,  of  Lincoln,  and  Mr.  Thomas  Marshall,  of  York  ; 
also  Mr.  WiUiam  Weston,  of  Canterbury,  not  yet  a  priest, 
but  learned  and  very  pious." 

St.  Francis  Borgia  had  died  before  Campion  reached 
Rome,  and  his  successor,  Everard  Mercurian,  was  the 
General  by  whom  the  English  were  received  into  the 
Society.  Campion,  who  had  entered  the  Society  in  June, 
1573,  as  soon  as  the  new  General  was  elected,  had 
finished  his  two  years'  noviceship  before  the  entrance 
into  the  Society  of  Weston  or  even  Persons,  and  when 
they  came  to  Rome  he  was  in  Austria.  Father  Weston 
was  not  destined  to  meet  him  again.  Oxford  asso- 
ciates, however,  not  a  few,  met  in  the  Novitiate  on 
the  Quirinal  Hill.  Besides  Persons  of  BalHol  and  Lane 
of  Corpus,  there  were  Henry  Garnet,  the  future  martyr, 
Giles  Wallop,  and  soon  after,  Thomas  Stephens,  from  the 
same  University.  Wallop,  or  as  his  name  was  Latinized, 
Gallop,  died  in  Rome  in  1579.  Stephens  went  as  a 
missionary  to  Goa,  and  there  died,  after  forty  years  of 
exile  and  apostolic  labour,  in  16 19,  in  his  seventieth  year. 
At  St.  Andrew's,  with  such  fellow-novices  as  Persons  and 
Garnet,  Weston  remained  for  some  months. 

In  the  course  of  1576  Father  Weston  went  to 
Spain.  Don  Alonzo  Perez  de  Guzman,  Duke  of  Medina 
Sidonia,  had  petitioned  the  General  for  an  English 
Father  to  hear  the  confessions  of  his  countrymen  at  the 
ports  of  Cadiz  and  St.  Lucar.  To  prepare  him  for  this 
charge,  William  Weston  was  sent  to  Montilla,  in  the 
Province  of  Andalusia,  to  finish  his  novitiate.  This  com- 
pleted, he  went  to  the.  College  of  Cordova  to  finish  his 
studies  in  theology,  which  had  been  broken  off  when  his 


lo  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

vocation  induced  him  to  leave  Douay  ;  and  at  Cordova 
he  remained  for  three  years.  He  had,  together  with  all 
the  students  then  at  Douay,  been  tonsured  and  promoted  to 
the  minor  orders  at  Brussels,  in  the  month  of  March,  1573. 

One  of  his  companions  during  his  theological  course 
was  Francis  de  Peralta,  who  was  afterwards  his  Superior 
for  six  years  in  the  College  of  Seville.  From  the  pen  of 
this  excellent  witness,  we  are  so  fortunate  as  to  have  an 
account  of  the  life  of  Father  Weston,  written  in  161 5,  the 
year  of  his  death. ^  "All  the  three  years  that  he  was  at 
Cordova,"  Father  de  Peralta  says,  "  he  was  a  living  picture 
of  all  virtues,  and  rare  was  the  example  which  he  gave  to 
all  by  his  holy  life.  When  his  time  was  not  spent  in 
attending  lectures  and  in  study,  he  devoted  himself  to 
continual  prayer,  recollection,  silence  and  mortification. 
His  delight  was  to  help  in  all  the  humblest  and  meanest 
offices  of  the  house,  such  as  carrying  water  and  taking 
part  with  the  lay-brothers  in  cleaning  the  rooms."  Mean- 
while he  made,  as  men  of  such  spirit  are  apt  to  do,  great 
progress  in  study,  and  Father  de  Peralta  especially  notes 
the  proficiency  that  he  had  brought  with  him  to  Cordova, 
not  only  in  Latin,  but  in  Greek  and  Hebrew. 

In  1579,  he  was  ordained  priest,  and  was  soon  after 
sent  to  Cadiz  and  to  St.  Lucar,  where  for  about  two 
years  he  showed  great  charity  in  the  exercise  of  the 
sacred  ministry,  both  to  the  English  and  Spaniards. 
Falling  ill,  however,  at  Cadiz,  he  was  sent  by  his 
superiors  to  Seville,  where  he  remained  for  a  little  more 
than  two  years.  He  became  a  great  favourite  with  the 
English  students  there,  many  of  whom  chose  him  for 
their  confessor.  He  never  knew  the  students  by  name, 
and  all  that  passed  between  them  was  Una  palabrita  de 
Dios — the  word  or  two  about  Almighty  God  that  on  such 
occasions  descends  into  the  heart.  "  Holy  Father  William," 

^  This  Life  was  used  by  Father  Henry  More  in  his  History  of  the  Province, 
but  Father  Nathaniel  Southwell  never  saw  it. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  1 1 

was  the  name  by  which  the  students  knew  him.  They 
also  saw  him  during  this  time  in  the  professor's  chair,  for 
he  had  to  teach  them  Greek.  The  reputation  of  his 
sanctity  was  as  high  amongst  his  fellow-rehgious.  He 
was  occasionally  appointed  to  hear  the  confessions  of  the 
Community,  and  there  were  many  who  availed  themselves 
of  the  opportunity  of  the  help  of  such  a  man  to  make 
general  confessions. 

"The  greater  part  of  the  time  that  he  lived  in  this 
College,"  Father  de  Peralta  continues,  "  one  would  see  him 
scouring  the  copper  and  helping  in  the  kitchen,  and  in 
the  humblest  offices  in  the  house,  without  ever  having  been 
asked  to  do  so.  He  usually  called  the  others  in  the 
morning."  Father  Campion  did  the  same,  while  Professor 
of  Rhetoric  at  Prague.  "At  that  time  I  was  Minister 
in  the  College,"  says  Father  de  Peralta,  "  and  it  happened 
to  me  sometimes  to  get  up  before  the  Community.  I 
then  found  Father  Weston  on  the  terrace  in  prayer,  on 
his  knees,  with  his  eyes  fixed  on  heaven,  waiting  for  it 
to  be  time  to  call  the  others. 

"Just  then  there  was  so  large  a  number  in  the  College, 
and  so  great  a  want  of  rooms,  that  the  Superior  was  the 
only  one  who  had  a  room  to  himself.  Father  Weston's 
chamber-fellow  was  Brother  Forivio  de  el  Palacio,  the 
Procurator  of  the  College,  which  office  he  filled  in  1585,  in 
the  house  where  I  was  then  Superior,  and  he  told  me  three 
things  of  Father  Weston.  The  first  was  that  almost  always 
on  entering  the  room,  he  found  him  on  his  knees.  The 
second,  that  frequently  he  found  him  in  some  posture 
taken  for  mortification,  and  Father  Diego  de  Cordova, 
who  was  Minister  all  the  while  that  Father  Weston 
studied  at  Cordova,  has  told  me  that  he  has  often 
observed  the  same.  The  third  thing  was  that  every 
night  he  would  discipline  himself  cruelly  at  midnight 
Father  Alvaro  Gongales,  who  was  a  professor  for  five- 
and-thirty  years,  at  one  time  shared  his  room,   and   he 


1 2  Life  of  Father  Willia77i  Westoti. 

told  mc  that  he  was  often  awakened  by  the  sound  of  his 
discipHne,  and  that  he  too,  on  entering  the  room,  generally- 
found  him  kneeling  ;  "  so  that,  to  use  the  beautiful  phrase 
that  Father  Henry  More  has  recorded  for  us,^  he  seemed 
studcndo  orare  et  orando  siudcrc — to  pray  by  study  and 
to  study  by  prayer.  We  thus  sec  how  he  came  to  deserve 
the  high  encomium  of  the  Douay  record,  that  he  was 
doctus  et  valde  pins.  In  the  College  at  Seville  Father 
Weston  remained  till  he  was  summoned  to  the  toils  and 
perils  of  the  English  mission  in  1584. 


CHAPTER   n. 

THE   ENGLISH   JESUIT   MISSION. 

The  first  impulse  to  the  Society  William  Weston  had 
received  while  still  at  Oxford.  Some  of  the  Annual  Letters 
from  the  Jesuit  missionaries  in  Japan  had  fallen  into  his 
hands,  and  he  was  greatly  attracted  by  the  narrative  of 
conversions  and  good  works  done  in  that  very  interesting 
mission.  Twenty  years  only  had  elapsed  since  the  death 
of  St.  Francis  Xavier,  and  his  work  in  that  fervent  young 
Christianity  was  carried  on  by  men  who  w^ere  worthy  to 
succeed  the  Apostle  of  the  East.  The  story  was  one  to 
stir  the  heart,  and  to  arouse  within  a  man  like  Weston  the 
desire  to  do  his  utmost  for  his  own  salvation  and  perfec- 
tion and  for  that  of  others.  When  duly  prepared  by  study 
and  prayer,  England  was  to  be  his  Japan.  It  was  a  mission 
in  which  souls  were  in  greater  need,  and  where  help  was 
then  brought  to  those  who  needed  it  at  far  greater  risk  to 
the  bringer.  The  blood  of  priests  was  shed  in  England 
sooner  than  in  Japan,  and  the  persecution  was  hardly  less 
fierce  and  persistent 

^  Historia  Prov.  Angl.  lib.  iv.  n.  1 6,  p.  142. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  1 3 

The  impression  made  on  such  a  mind  as  Weston's  by 
the  news  of  Father  Campion's  martyrdom  may  well  be 
imagined.  The  day  so  memorable  for  the  Society,  on 
which  its  English  protomartyr  suffered,  was  the  ist  of 
December,  1581.  This  was  about  the  time  when  Father 
Weston  went  to  Seville.  In  the  course  of  the  following 
year  many  heroes  suffered  for  their  faith,  and  the  number  of 
priests  thus  martyred  was  so  considerable  that  a  missionary 
going  to  England  must  have  seen  plainly  that  he  carried 
his  life  in  his  hand.  Cuthbert  Maine  had  led  the  way  in 
I577>  the  first  of  the  glorious  holocaust  of  Douay  priests. 
In  1578  one  priest  had  been  martyred,  John  Nelson  ;  and 
one  layman,  Thomas  Sherwood,  a  Douay  student.  Four 
priests  suffered  in  1581,  Campion's  year;  and  in  1582  no 
less  than  eleven.  As  Weston  was  at  Douay  with  the  first 
generation  of  students,  and  did  not  leave  the  College 
before  1575,  he  was  personally  acquainted  with  many  of 
those  of  whom  he  now  heard  these  great  tidings.  He 
was  certainly  the  college  companion  of  Thomas  Ford, 
Cuthbert  Maine,  John  Nelson,  John  Paine,  and  Robert 
Johnson,  who  were  martyred  before  he  set  foot  in  England, 
as  well  as  of  others,  like  Momford  Scott,  who  suffered 
later. 

At  that  time  there  was  not  a  single  Jesuit  at  liberty  in 
England  or  Scotland.  Father  James  Bosgrave  and  Father 
Thomas  Cottam  were  tried  with  Father  Campion.  Father 
Cottam  was  martyred  at  Tyburn  on  the  30th  of  May,  1582, 
in  his  thirty-third  year.  Father  Bosgrave  was  shut  up  in 
the  Tower,  and  there  he  remained  until  he  was  exiled  in 
June,  1585,  As  early  as  December,  1578,  Father  Mercurian 
had  received  Thomas  Pound  into  the  Society,  a  most 
zealous  and  generous  confessor,  who  spent  the  greater 
part  of  his  life  in  prison  for  the  Faith.  Amongst  other 
fruits  of  his  zeal.  Father  Cottam  owed  his  conversion  to 
him.  Pound  was  then  in  the  Tower  of  London,  with 
Stephen  Brinckley  and  William  Carter,  the  printers  and 


14  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

disseminators  of  Catholic  books.  ^  Later  on  he  was  to  be 
for  ten  years  and  more  the  companion  in  imprisonment 
of  Father  Weston. 

Before  the  apprehension  of  Father  Campion,  Father 
Persons  had  petitioned  for  a  reinforcement,  and  two  fathers 
were  deputed  by  the  new  General,  Claude  Aquaviva,  to 
cross  over  into  England  in  1581.  These  were  William 
Holt  and  Jaspar  Haywood.  Father  Holt,  after  a  time 
spent  in  England,  was  sent  into  Scotland.  On  his  arrival 
he  was  imprisoned,  and  narrowly  escaped  being  handed 
over  to  Queen  Elizabeth's  Ambassador.  In  1584  he 
was  set  free,  and  during  the  latter  period  of  his  stay  in 
Scotland  was  greatly  protected  by  the  young  King.  Father 
Haywood  arrived  in  England  just  as  Father  Persons  left 
it,  and  when  he  received  Father  Persons'  letter  from 
France  appointing  him  Superior  in  England  during  his 
absence,  he  was  the  only  one  of  the  Society  in  England 
then  at  liberty.  Besides  those  already  mentioned,  there 
was  only  Father  Thomas  Mettam,  who  was  received  into 
the  Society  in  May,  1579.  In  the  following  May  he  was 
imprisoned,  and  when  his  captivity  ended  by  death  after 
seventeen  years'  confessorship,  Father  Weston  was  his 
fellow-prisoner,  and  assisted  him  when  dying. 

When  Father  Campion  was  arrested  at  Mrs.  Yates' 
house  at  Lyford,  on  the  i6th  of  July,  1581,  Father  Persons 
was  not  far  off.  He  was  at  Henley  Park,  the  house  of 
Mr.  Francis  Browne,  the  brother  of  Anthony  Viscount 
Montague.  Campion's  arrest  was  not  the  only  blow  that  at 
this  time  fell  upon  Persons.  Within  a  month  after,^  Stonor 
Park  was  searched,  where  Stephen  Brinckley  and  all  the 
printers  were  taken,  who  shortly  before  had  been  engaged 
in  printing  Father  Campion's  famous  Ten  Reasons,  and 
with  Mr.  John  Stonor,  were  imprisoned  in  the  Tower.  In 
the  spring  of  the  same  year,  George  Gilbert  had  been  sent 

^  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  clix.  n.  36  :  March,  1583. 
2  Stonyhurst  MSS.,  /*.  fol,  229. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  1 5 

by  Father  Persons  out  of  England.  To  raise  some  money 
for  his  journey,  Gilbert  offered  to  sell  his  lands  in  Suffolk 
to  his  tenants.  "They  should  have  paid  it  unto  him  in 
Mr.  Higgens'  house,  the  scrivener,  in  London,"  but  the 
tenants  betrayed  him,  and  Sir  George  Carey,  the  Knight 
Marshal,  would  have  seized  him  if  Father  Persons  had  not 
feared  treachery,  and  prevented  his  going.  However,  his 
two  friends,  Mr.  Francis  Browne  and  Mr.  Charles  Basset, 
one  of  whom  was  Persons'  host,  were  imprisoned.  George 
Gilbert  escaped  safely  to  France,  and  stayed  in  Rouen  till 
he  was  joined  there  by  Father  Persons,  who  left  Henley 
for  Mr.  Shelley's  house  at  Michelgrove,  in  Sussex,  where 
he  made  up  his  mind  very  reluctantly  to  leave  England 
for  awhile.      He  was  never  able  to  return. 

One  other  Jesuit  there  was,  who  had  also  managed  to 
escape  from  England.  This  was  Ralph  Emerson,  the  lay- 
brother,  whom  Father  Campion  used  to  call  his  "little 
man."  He  parted  from  Father  Campion  the  day  before 
his  apprehension,  and  succeeded  in  making  his  way  safely 
to  Rouen,  which  place  served  as  a  very  convenient  rendez- 
vous. It  was  there  in  the  winter  of  1581  that  some  of 
Persons'  books  were  printed,  and  in  particular  the  famous 
Christian  Directory,  which  made  its  appearance  under  the 
name  of  the  Book  of  Resolution.  The  printer  first  em- 
ployed at  Rouen  was  George  Flinton,  who  devoted  himself 
for  some  years  to  the  production  of  English  books.  On 
his  death,  Stephen  Brinckley,  who  in  June,  1583,  had 
been  set  free  from  the  Tower,  and  had  afterwards  been 
to  Rome  with  Persons,  was  able  to  take  his  place  and 
resume  his  own  most  useful  work  as  an  English  Catholic 
printer. 

Father  Persons  was  hospitably  received  at  Rouen  by 
M.  Michel  de  Mons,  Archdeacon  of  Sens,  and  nephew  of 
the  Cardinal  Archbishop  of  Rouen.  From  his  house  he 
wrote  a  long  letter^  to  Father  General  Aquaviva,  dated 

^  More,  Hist,  Prov.  lib.  iv.  cap.  9,  p.  113. 


1 6  Life  of  Father  William  Westoii. 

September  26,  1581,  desiring  that  the  answer  might  be 
addressed  to  him  under  the  name  of  Roland  Cabel, 
merchant.  In  this  letter  he  told  the  General  that 
Father  Campion  had  been  tv/ice  tortured  and  had  had 
four  disputations  on  religion  in  the  Tower.  On  the 
day  he  was  writing  he  had  received  two  large  packets  of 
letters  from  England  by  his  servant,  and  he  had  sent  by 
another  many  letters  to  help  and  console  the  English 
Catholics.  He  was  anxious  to  return  to  England  as  soon 
as  possible,  for  though  the  two  Fathers  Haywood  and 
Holt  v/ere  doing  much  good,  they  were  working  at  a 
considerable  distance  from  London.  Other  letters  arrived 
while  he  w^as  writing  to  tell  him  that  his  presence  in 
England  was  particularly  desired  that  he  might  make 
some  provision  for  collecting  and  distributing  alms  in 
behalf  of  the  poor  prisoners  for  the  Faith.  However, 
Father  Jasper  had  been  in  London  the  week  before  with 
a  plentiful  alms  for  them. 

There  were  three  districts,  he  told  the  General,  that 
particularly  interested  him,  and  which  seemed  to  be  in 
great  need  of  priests.  The  first  was  Wales,  which  was 
not  hostile  to  the  Faith,  but  where  heresy  had  prevailed 
owing  to  the  ignorance  entailed  by  want  of  clergy.  He 
had  sent  several  priests  there,  under  the  protection  of  a 
nobleman,  probably  the  Earl  of  Powis.  The  second  was 
Cambridge.  There  was  a  priest  at  the  University  in  the 
guise  of  a  student,  and  in  a  few  months  seven  promising 
youths  had  been  sent  to  Rheims.  For  this  priest  help 
had  been  found  near  the  town,  perhaps  at  Sawston  Hall, 
the  seat  of  the  Huddlestones.  The  third  district  was  the 
north,  where  he  was  attracted  by  the  noble  and  generous 
disposition  of  the  Catholics  of  the  four  or  five  counties 
that  were  nearest  to  Scotland.  A  priest  named  William 
Watts,  or  Waytes,  whom  he  had  sent  into  those  counties, 
he  had  since  sent  into  Scotland,  and  he  inclosed  the  letter 
he  had  just  received  from  him. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  1 7 

In  consequence  of  the  receipt  of  this  letter,  from 
which  he  gathered  that  there  was  an  excellent  prospect 
of  doing  good  there,  the  active  and  zealous  soul  of 
Father  Persons  was  all  on  fire  with  the  wish  to  help 
Scotland,  and  England  through  Scotland.  A  French 
Jesuit,  Henry  Samelie,  had  been  sent  at  the  particular 
request  of  the  Queen  of  Scots  to  be  her  confessor  during 
her  imprisonment  under  the  custody  of  the  Earl  of  Shrews- 
bury. Mary  had  also  written  most  urgent  letters  to  the 
Duke  of  Guise  to  beg  him  to  intercede  with  the  Nuncio 
and  the  Provincial  of  the  Jesuits  that  some  Scotch  fathers 
might  be  sent  into  Scotland  without  delay.  To  Don 
Bernardine  de  Mendoza  she  wrote  that  Persons  was  at 
Rouen,  and  that  he  must  be  made  to  feel  that  it  was 
no  time  to  spend  in  writing  books  when  the  salvation 
of  kingdoms  was  at  stake.  Father  Persons  was  so  moved 
when  he  received  this  message  through  Dr.  Allen  that 
he  was  on  the  point  of  leaving  everything  and  starting 
for  Scotland. 

Just  at  this  time  two  Jesuit  fathers  arrived  who  had 
been  appointed  by  the  General  of  the  Society  to  pass 
over  into  Scotland.  These  were  William  Crichton  and 
Edmund  Hay.  By  way  of  experiment  Father  Crichton, 
the  younger  of  the  two,  was  sent  over  first,  and  Father 
Persons  gave  him  his  trusty  lay-brother  Ralph  Emerson 
for  his  companion.  By  April,  1582,  however,  they  were 
both  back  again  in  France,  and  "  brought  answer,"  Father 
Persons  says,  "from  the  Duke  of  Lennox,  then  governor 
of  Scotland  and  of  the  young  King,  to  the  full  contentment 
of  the  Duke  of  Guise." 

The  information  thus  brought  by  Father  Crichton,  in 
confirmation  of  the  report  made  by  Waytes  of  the  good 
dispositions  of  the  Duke  of  Lennox,  was  naturally  con- 
sidered to  be  of  the  greatest  importance.  A  conference 
was  held  at  Paris  at  which  were  present  the  Duke  of 
Guise,  the  Papal  Nuncio,  the  Archbishop  of  Glasgow, 
C 


1 8  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

who  was  Mary's  Ambassador  to  the  King  of  France,  and 
John  Baptist  Tassis,  the  Spanish  Ambassador;  while  the 
French  Provincial  of  the  Jesuits,  Father  Claude  Matthieu, 
and  Dr.  Allen,  President  of  the  Seminary  of  Rheims,  were 
summoned  to  be  present  at  it.  Charles  Paget  and  Thomas 
Morgan  were  not  present,  and  Father  Persons  attributes 
the  factious  course  they  subsequently  pursued  to  their 
mortification  at  this  exclusion,  which  was  at  the  desire  of 
the  Duke  of  Guise  and  the  Archbishop  of  Glasgow. 

The  message  of  the  Duke  of  Lennox  was  to  the  effect 
that  his  goodwill  was  useless  owing  to  his  want  of  money. 
The  first  thing  he  urged  was  that  funds  should  be  sent  to 
him  sufficient  to  maintain  a  body-guard  for  the  young 
King  of  Scots.  At  the  conference  it  was  resolved  that 
Father  Persons  should  go  to  the  King  of  Spain,  and 
Father  Crichton  to  the  Pope,  to  represent  the  urgent  and 
critical  state  of  affairs  in  Scotland,  and  their  bearing  on 
England.  They  left  Paris  accordingly  on  the  ist  of  May, 
1582.  Father  Crichton  carried  to  Rome  a  letter  from 
King  James.  He  wrote  to  Father  Thomas  Owen,  June  4, 
1605,  "Our  King  had  so  great  fear  of  the  number  of 
Catholics,  and  the  puissance  of  Pope  and  Spain,  that  he 
offered  liberty  of  conscience,  and  sent  me  to  Rome  to 
deal  for  the  Pope's  favour  and  making  of  a  Scottish 
Cardinal ;  as  I  did  show  the  King's  letters  to  Father 
Persons."  In  1584  the  General  sent  Fathers  William 
Crichton  and  James  Gordon  to  Scotland,  but  Father 
Gordon  alone  succeeded  in  effecting  a  landing.  Crichton 
was  taken  prisoner  at  sea,  and,  with  a  Scotch  priest  named 
Patrick  Adye,  was  lodged  in  the  Tower  of  London  on  the 
i6th  of  September,  1584. 

On  the   15th  of  June,   1582,  Father  Persons  reached 

Lisbon  "with  no  small  pains."     "This  summer,"  Father 

Persons    continues,^   "was    spent    in    Lisbon,    when    the 

Marquis  of  Santa  Crux  went  to  the  Terceras,  and  had  his 

1  Stonyhurst  MSS.,  P.  fol.  230. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  19 

victory  against  the  French  and  Pietro  Strozza.  And 
in  the  mean  space  the  Queen  of  England,  mistrusting  the 
Duke  of  Lennox  for  that  he  was  Catholicly  given,  caused 
him  to  be  taken  by  a  sleight  of  hunting  in  Scotland, 
and  the  King  to  be  taken  from  him,  himself  to  go 
to  France  by  England,  where  he  was  poisoned  as  is 
supposed,  for  that  he  died  as  soon  as  he  arrived  at  Paris, 
and  so  fell  all  that  attempt  to  the  ground  :  which  being 
heard  in  Lisbon  I  returned  with  Mr.  William  Tresham 
about  Michaelrnas,  and  coming  to  Bilboa,  I  fell  sick  very 
grievously,  and  so  stayed  all  that  winter  in  Biscay,  and 
the  next  spring  returned  into  France.  At  this  my  being 
with  the  King  of  Spain  I  obtained  twenty-four  thousand 
crowns  to  be  sent  to  the  King  of  Scots,  which  were  paid 
by  John  Baptist  Tassis  in  Paris.  I  caused  also  two 
thousand  ducats  of  yearly  pension  for  the  Seminary  at 
Rheims,  and  a  promise  for  Dr.  Allen  to  be  Cardinal, 
which  was  afterwards  fulfilled," 

Allen  was  alarmed  by  Persons'  long  absence,  and  on 
the  29th  of  December  he  wrote  to  Father  Agazzari  to  say 
that  not  having  heard  any  tidings  of  him  for  two  months, 
they  feared  that  he  had  died  on  the  journey.  His  illness 
was  very  serious,  and  his  life  was  probably  saved  by  the 
charity  of  Father  Gonzales,  the  Provincial  of  Castile,  who 
on  hearing  of  his  state  sent  a  man  to  bring  him  to  the 
College  of  the  Society  in  a  town  called  Onate,  where  he 
was  taken  care  of  till  he  recovered. 

In  Father  Persons'  absence,^  the  General  of  the  Society 
had  requested  Dr.  Allen  to  keep  up  a  correspondence  with 
the  fathers  who  were  in  England.  Just  before  the  return 
of  Father  Persons  to  Paris,  Allen  wrote  to  the  General, 
March  29,  1583,  that  he  had  two  or  three  times  inquired 
of  Father  Haywood  what  his  wishes  were  respecting  the 
despatch  of  other  Jesuits  into  England,  and  whether  he 
would  prefer  that  they  should  be  Englishmen  or  foreigners. 

1  Stonyhurst  MSS.,  P.  fol.  45. 
C   2 


20  Life  of  Father  William  Westo7i. 

George  Gilbert,  who  was  now  in  Rome,  pressed  Dr.  Allen 
most  earnestly  not  to  allow  any  delay  in  sending  these 
reinforcements  that  were  so  greatly  wanted. 

Dr.  Allen's  proposal^  to  the  General  was  that  as  Father 
Thomas  Darbyshire  and  Father  William  Good,  the  one 
then  at  Paris,  the  other  at  Rome,  were  now  incapable 
through  age  of  bearing  the  fatigues  of  the  English  mission, 
Father  William  Weston,  who  was  in  Spain,  and  Father 
John  Gibbons,  then  Rector  of  the  College  of  Treves,  should 
be  selected.  Father  Gibbons  answered  ^vith  great  sim- 
plicity and  honesty  both  to  the  General  and  Dr.  Allen 
that  he  hoped  that  he  should  give  no  disedification  by 
saying  that  he  had  not  the  spiritual  strength  for  such  an 
enterprize,  but  that  he  would  give  all  the  help  that  was 
in  his  power  towards  the  work  in  hand.  That  which  he 
performed  in  fulfilment  of  that  pledge  has  made  his 
debtors  all  students  of  the  history  of  his  time  and  all 
clients  of  the  English  martyrs,  for  we  owe  to  him  together 
with  John  Fenn,  the  martyr's  brother,  the  first  preparation 
of  an  invaluable  book  that  Dr.  Bridgwater  re-edited  with 
their  cooperation,  the  Cojicertatio  Ecclesice  AnglicancB.  It 
is  curious  that  some  letters  that  were  addressed  to  him 
while  engaged  in  this  work  and  were  waylaid  by  English 
spies,  may  now  be  found  in  the  British  Museum.^  In  them 
Dr.  Humphrey  Ely,  writes  to  him  from  Mussipont,  the 
20th  of  June  or  July,  1587,  "I  have  dealt  with  Father 
Rector  here,  who  hath  appointed  Mr.  Sutton  to  translate 
the  rest  of  the  martyrs,  and  I  have  set  him  on  work 
already.  Besides  those  [lives  of  martyrs]  by  you  named 
in  your  letter,  if  I  am  not  deceived,  I  sent  you  Mr.  William 
Hart's,  martyr's,  life,  fair  written  in  folio,  as  also  the  life 
of  Mr.  Emerford,  priest.  Of  Mr,  Hart's  I  am  sure,  as 
I  think,  for  I  cannot  find  it  amongst  my  papers  here. 
I  requested  you,  and  so  I  do  eftsoons,  to  send  me  by 
your  good  opportunity  the  copies  in  English  I  did  send 

^  Stonyhurst  MSS.,  P.  fol.  52,  =  Lansdcrwrie  MSS.  96,  n.  26. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  2 1 

you,  if  Mr.  Fenn  hath  returned  them,  because  I  mean 
one  day  to  see  them  extant  in  English,  and  I  have  no 
copies  so  fully  and  so  well  gathered  as  those  are  I  sent 
you."  The  life  of  Hart,  the  martyr,  is  given  at  length 
in  the  Concertatio}  but  there  are  but  a  few  lines  ^  of 
Emerford,  or  Hemerford,  as  he  is  more  frequently  called. 
When  Father  Persons  reached  Paris,  in  April,  1583, 
not  a  little  had  happened  in  England  to  cause  him  grave 
anxiety.  There  had  been  a  grave  scandal  caused  by  one 
who  had  been  long  in  the  Society,  and  had  filled  offices 
of  trust.  Father  Thomas  Langdale  entered  the  Society 
in  1562,  was  Penitentiary  in  Rome  and  Loretto,  and  when 
in  1578  the  Duke  of  Terranuova,  a  Sicilian,  was  sent  to 
Cologne  on  an  important  political  mission  he  asked  to 
have  Father  Langdale  as  his  confessor  and  theologian. 
In  1580  he  was  at  Milan,  when  Father  Campion  and 
Father  Persons  passed  through  on  their  way  to  England, 
and  though  he  showed  a  great  desire  to  accompany  them, 
there  was  nothing  to  create  an  unfavourable  impression 
of  him.  But  a  year  or  two  later,  having  received  orders 
to  return  to  Rome,  when  he  was  at  Genoa  on  his  way  a 
grave  temptation  seized  him  to  embark  for  England 
without  leave  of  his  superiors,  to  which  unhappily  he 
yielded.  Early  in  1583  he  arrived,  and  betook  himself 
to  the  Lord  Treasurer  and  others  of  the  Privy  Council, 
and  afterwards  to  the  Protestant  Bishop  of  Durham.  By 
them  he  was  received  with  extraordinary  favour,  and  they 
gave  out  that  a  learned  Jesuit  had  voluntarily  come  from 
Italy,  who  taught  that  it  was  lawful  for  Catholics  to 
frequent  Protestant  churches,  and  that  therefore  leave 
had  been  given  him  to  go  where  he  liked,  and  to  say 
Mass  when  he  pleased.  The  poor  man  who  thus  had 
practically  become  an  apostate  went  into  Yorkshire.  His 
sister,  Mrs.  Colburne,  he  persuaded  to  go  to  the  church 
and  to  receive  the  Protestant  Communion,  and  thus  one 
1  Fol.  104.  «  Fol.  156. 


22  Life  of  Father  Willia7n  Weston. 

who  "  had  ever  been  a  good  Catholic  gentlewoman,  after 
she  fell  in  these  two  points,  became  a  most  perverse 
Protestant  in  the  rest."  A  nephew  of  his,  as  Allen  wrote 
to  Aquaviva,^  showed  another  spirit.  "  I  wonder  I  do  not 
put  my  sword  into  you,  and  put  an  end  to  your  unworthy- 
life,  and  to  the  dishonour  you  bring  on  our  name  and 
blood.  If  you  do  not  care  to  honour  it  by  dying  as  you 
ought  to  do  for  the  Catholic  faith,  which  is  ours  and  all 
our  ancestors',  I  greatly  care  that  you  should  not  dishonour 
us  by  your  vile  trade  of  apostate  and  seducer." 

Thomas  Langdale  gave  out  that  he  was  a  "  Papal 
penitentiary,"  and  had  been  sent  by  the  Pope  to  visit  and 
reform  the  Jesuits  and  Seminarists,  and  then  go  back  to 
Rome.  Father  Haywood  sent  messengers  to  undeceive 
the  Catholics,  and  the  unhappy  man  wrote  to  ask  the 
father  not  to  injure  his  authority  here  or  abroad.  What 
became  of  him  is  not  known  ;  but  it  was  believed  that  he 
went  to  Germany,  and  soon  after  died. 

Another  trouble  for  Father  Persons,  on  his  return  from 
Spain,  but  one  involving  no  such  serious  scandal,  was  a 
misunderstanding  with  the  older  clergy,  especially  those  of 
Queen  Mary's  time,  into  which  Father  Haywood  had 
imprudently  fallen.  In  England  the  fasts  observed  by  the 
Catholics,  from  time  immemorial,  were  singularly  severe. 
The  Fridays  throughout  the  year,  excepting  in  Paschal 
time,  and  many  vigils  not  kept  in  Rome,  were  fasting  days  ; 
and  the  Saturdays,  the  Rogation  days,  and  St.  Mark's  day 
were  days  of  abstinence.  With  good  intentions,  we  may 
well  believe,  but  with  great  imprudence.  Father  Haywood 
set  himself  to  introduce  the  Roman  practice  in  this  matter 
into  England.  The  law  was  not  on  his  side,  for  the 
obligation  remained  for  two  centuries  after  this,  until  Pope 
Pius  VI.,  in  1777,  transferred  the  vigils  through  the  year 
to  the  Wednesdays  and  Fridays  in  Advent;  and  in  1781 
abrogated  the  Friday  fast.     The  abstinence  on  Saturdays, 

^  Eartoli,  Ingkilterra,  lib.  iv.  cap.  vi.  p.  261. 


Hife  of  Father  William  Weston.  23 

the  Rogations  and  St.  Mark,  Pius  VI.  left  in  force  as  "  a 
pious  custom  descending  from  ancient  times,"  but  Pius 
VIII.  dispensed  the  English  Catholics  from  its  observance 
in  1830.  It  is  to  be  supposed  that  Father  Haywood  based 
his  opinion  upon  the  substitution  of  the  Roman  for  the 
Salisbury  and  other  English  rites,  which  change  was  intro- 
duced by  the  Seminary  priests ;  but,  as  may  well  be 
imagined,  a  storm  was  raised  by  him  from  which  no  good 
was  to  be  expected. 

This  was  one  of  the  points  discussed  in  the  well-known 
consultation^  at  which  Fathers  Campion  and  Persons  met 
"  certain  of  the  graver  priests  then  remaining  in  London, 
whereof  two  were  Mr.  Edward  Mettam,  Bachelor  of 
Divinity,  and  Mr.  Blackwell,  Master  of  Art,  and  very 
learned,  besides  others  newly  come  from  beyond  the  sea." 
"  Divers  principal  laymen,  for  their  better  satisfaction," 
were  also  present.  On  the  point  of  fasting,  "  the  best 
resolution  seemed  to  be,  and  most  conformable  to  piety, 
reason,  and  union,  that  nothing  should  be  altered  in  matter 
of  the  fastings  from  the  old  customs ;  but  in  what  shire 
soever  of  England  (for  all  had  not  one  custom,  but  the 
Church  of  York  some,  and  Canterbury  and  London  others) 
the  Catholics  could  remember  that  the  Fridays  or  any 
other  days  or  vigils  were  fasted,  the  same  to  be  kept  and 
continued  now,  and  the  priests  always  to  be  the  first  and 
most  forward  to  put  it  in  execution  ;  but  when  such  know- 
ledge or  remembrance  could  not  be  had,  then  men  not  to 
be  bound  to  fast,  but  yet  commended  they  that  would ; 
and  this  was  so  much  as  then  seemed  necessary  to  be 
spoken  by  way  of  counsel  only,  and  not  of  commandment 
or  authority,  for  direction  of  priests,  for  keeping  of  unity, 
until  God  should  open  the  door  for  further  determination 
by  way  of  authority." 

Father  Haywood  sent  full  explanations  on  the  subject 
to  Father  Persons,  and  he  chose  for  his  messenger  an 
1  Stonyhurst  MSS.,  P.  fol.  128. 


24  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

excellent  priest  named  John   Curry.      His  letter  arrived 
when  Father  Persons  was  in  Spain,  and  Curry,  leaving  his 
business  with  Father  Darbyshire  at  Paris,  entered  straight- 
way into  the  Jesuit  Novitiate.     When  Persons  returned  he 
thought  it  best  that  Father  Curry,  though  but  a  novice, 
should  return  to  England,  as  the  respect  borne  to  him  by 
all  Catholics  there  was  calculated  to  make  him  a  good 
peacemaker.     This  father  did  good  service  on  the  English 
mission  for  many  years.     He  may  be  said  to  have  been 
the  friend  of  martyrs.     He  had  helped  Campion  to  dis- 
tribute his  books. ^     He  was  "chamber-fellow  to  Sherwin 
that  was  executed,"^  so  says  Thomas  Dodwell,  a  spy,  in 
1584.     "And  after  the  departure  of  the  said  Patenson," 
William  Holmes,  another  informer,  says,  in  1594,  and  here 
he  is  speaking  of  William   Patenson,  the  martyr,  "there 
came  another  priest  unto  the  said  lady  [Sir  John  Arundell's 
widow  at  Chideock],  named  John  Curry,  who  remained 
there  until  the  death  of  [John]  Sherwood  [a  priest],  who 
died  in   Lent  last  was  twelve  months,  and   as   he   doth 
understand,  was  buried  in  the  chapel  of  Chideock  House. 
After  whose  death  the  said    Cornelius    [another   martyr] 
and    Curry  remained  together   in    the   same   house   until 
Michaelmas   last    [1593],  and  then  the  said   Curry  went 
away  into  London."^     In  the  year  following  another  spy 
called   Benjamin   Beard,  who,  it  is   to  be  feared,  was  a 
Tichborne,  reported  to  Sir  John  Puckering :    "  Likewise  I 
understand  of  one  John  Curry,  who  useth  about  Hogsdon 
in  London,  and  is  a  Seminary,  and  a  consort   of  John 
Cornelius  lately  taken,  both  bred  and  born  in  a  town  called 
Bodmin,  in  Cornwall."*    "  In  England  there  are  four  Jesuits 
at  liberty,  Southwell,  Garnet  [both  martyrs],   Curry,  and 
another:"    this  is  the  report  of  an  apostate  priest,  John 


1  Stonyhurst  MSS.,  P.  fol.  157. 

2  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  cl.wiii.  n.  34. 

3  Ibid.  vol.  ccxlviii.  n.  75. 
*  Ibid.  vol.  ccxlviii.  n.  II8. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  25 

Cecil,  alias  Snowden.^  "  Did  he  ever  know  Father  Curry, 
alias  Castell,  Jasper  Haywood,  or  Edmonds,  all  three 
Jesuits  ?"  This  question  was  put  to  John  Harrison,  and 
he  was  "  charged  that  he  was  in  company  with  Curry, 
Haywood,  and  Edmonds,  Jesuits,  as  well  the  year  before 
as  after  the  Queen's  Majesty  was  at  Cowdray  [Viscount 
Montague's  house]  and  heard  Mass  of  them  or  some  of 
them."^  Robert  Gray,  another  priest  under  examination, 
gives  us  Father  Curry's  personal  appearance.  "  Sir  George 
[Browne]  brought  this  examinate  to  one  Mr,  Dennis'  house 
at  Todham,  half  a  mile  from  Cowdray,  and  there  Sir 
George  brought  this  examinate  up  to  a  chamber,  where 
they  found  a  man  sitting  in  his  cloak,  of  about  forty  years 
old,  long,  slender-faced,  black  hair  of  head,  and  a  little 
black  beard,  whom  since  he  heard  was  Father  Curry  the 
Jesuit."^  To  the  notes  of  his  enemies  we  are  indebted  for 
some  knowledge  of  one  of  Father  Weston's  companions  on 
the  mission,  of  whom,  if  it  had  not  been  for  this,  we  should 
only  have  known  what  Father  Gerard  tells  us  in  a  yet 
unpublished  portion  of  his  Autobiography,  that  he  died  in 
London  in  the  house  kept  by  Mrs.  Anne  Line,  who  was 
afterwards  martyred,  "and  there  he  lies  buried  in  some 
secret  corner ;  for  those  priests  who  live  secretly  on  the 
mission,  we  are  obliged  also  to  bury  secretly  when  they 
die." 

That  Father  Haywood  should  by  indiscretion  have 
caused  a  division  among  the  Catholics,  was  not  the 
only  trouble  awaiting  Father  Persons  at  Paris  on  his 
return  from  Spain.  Much  harm  was  being  done  by 
the  course  pursued  by  the  two  chief  confidants  of 
the  Queen  of  Scots,  Charles,  Lord  Paget' s  brother,  and 
Thomas  Morgan.  "  When  I  returned  to  Paris,"  he  says, 
"  I  found  Mr.  Paget  and  Morgan  wholly  aversed ;  but 
Dr.  Allen  and  I  sought  all  means  to  regain  them  again. 

^  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  ccxxxviii.  n.  i6i. 
*  Ibid.  vol.  cclvi.  n.  71.  '  Ibid.  vol.  ccxlv.  n.  138. 


26  Life  of  Father  Willia7n  Weston, 

I  went  first  to  Rouen,  where  Mr.  Paget  lay,  and  made 
peace  with  him  ;  and  after  went  to  Paris,  and  called 
Dr.  Allen  thither  from  Rheims  to  do  the  same.  We 
went  and  lay  in  the  same  lodging  to  perform  the  matter 
better,  but  all  would  not  serve.  After  this  we  imparted 
all  our  affairs  with  them,  and  upon  a  new  agreement 
Mr.  Paget  was  sent  into  England,  and  I  went  to  Rome 
and  Mr.  Brinckley  with  me,  whence  returning  again  in  a 
few  weeks  I  found  Mr.  Paget  come  from  England."^ 

The  date  of  Father  Persons'  return  from  Rome  we  are 
able  to  time  pretty  accurately,  for  George  Gilbert  fell 
into  his  last  illness  before  Father  Persons  left  Rome,  and 
after  his  return  to  Paris,  October  28,  1583,  he  wrote  to 
Father  Agazzari  hoping  that  Gilbert  was  recovered  and 
on  his  way  thither,  where  his  presence  was  greatly  needed  ; 
and  while  he  was  writing,  Agazzari's  letter  reached  him, 
giving  him  the  news  of  the  death  of  that  true  and 
devoted  friend.  George  Gilbert  died  in  the  English 
College  at  Rome,  after  having  taken  the  vows  of  a 
Jesuit  on  his  death-bed,  October*  6,  1583.  It  was  at  his 
expense  that  the  deaths  of  the  English  martyrs  were 
painted  on  the  walls  of  the  old  church  of  St.  Thomas 
of  Canterbury,  attached  to  the  College.  In  his  illness 
he  invoked  Sherwin,  Briant,  and  Campion,  and  he  died 
with  the  little  cross  in  his  hand  that  Briant  had  made 
to  be  his  last  comfort.^  "  Blessed  be  Jesus  Christ  and 
the  Father  of  all  mercies  for  this  blow  also,"  Father 
Persons  wrote  at  the  news  of  the  death  of  this  noble- 
hearted  friend,  "  though  it  is  the  greatest  that  ever  my 
soul  has  felt  at  the  death  of  any  creature  soever."^ 

1  Stonyhurst  MSS.,  P.  fol.  230. 

^  Brother  Foley's  Jesuits  in  Conflict,  p.  201. 

3  Stonyhurst  MSS.,  P.  fol.  351. 


27 


CHAPTER   III. 

FATHER  WESTON'S  LANDING  IN  ENGLAND. 

There  are  curious  errors  and  contradictions  in  the 
various  narratives  respecting  the  date  of  Father  Weston's 
coming  to  Paris  and  departure  for  England.  In  the  notes 
of  these  events  that  Father  Persons  made  many  years 
afterwards  his  memory  has  failed  him,  for  he  says^  that 
when  he  returned  from  Rome  to  Paris,  which  was  in 
October,  1583,  he  there  found  Father  Weston,  who  after 
a  few  days'  conference  with  him  on  the  affairs  of  the 
mission,  went  over  into  England.  Father  Henry  More 
at  first ^  follows  Persons  in  this  error,  but  immediately 
afterwards^  he  transfers  Father  Weston's  landing  to  1582, 
misled  by  Father  de  Peralta,  whose  manuscript,  written 
more  than  thirty  years  afterwards,  gives  that  date. 

Later  on  in  the  notes*  Father  Persons  gives  the  exact 
date  of  Weston's  embarcation  as  September  12,  1584. 
This  is  shown  to  be  correct  by  the  letters  of  the  period. 
It  will  be  enough  to  quote  in  this  place  an  intercepted 
letter  of  Father  Darbyshire,  written  from  Paris,  August 
13,  1584,  to  a  Jesuit  at  Avignon.  The  letter  a  few  days 
after  its  date  was  in  Lord  Burghley's  hands,  and  a  copy 
in  Walsingham's  before  the  month  was  out  in  which  it 
was  written,  and  now  it  is  in  the  British  Museum.^  "  We 
have  here  now  and  have  had  for  some  months.  Father 
Robert  Persons,  of  whom,  I  suppose,  you  have  often 
heard — Campion's    companion.      There    is   also    another, 

1  Stonyhurst  MSS.,  P.  fol.  53. 

"^  P.  141.  ^  P.  142.  *  Stonyhurst  MSS.,  P.  fol.  74. 

5  Harleian  MSS.  228,  fol.  154. 


28  Life  of  Father  Willi mit  Weston. 

Father  Weston,  who  not  long  ago  came  here  from 
Spain.  We  are  now  nine  English  in  this  province ; 
praise  be  to  Christ." 

We  have  therefore  to  carry  on  the  history  of  the 
English  Jesuit  mission  a  little  further,  till  we  can  intro- 
duce Father  Weston  into  it.  Two  matters  worthy  of 
mention  have  been  passed  over,  the  establishment  of  the 
little  College  at  Eu,  and  the  admission  of  Father  John 
Hart  into  the  Society.  The  first  was  a  useful  under- 
taking while  it  lasted,  which,  however,  was  not  long. 
Up  to  that  time  boys  who  had  come  over  young,  and 
therefore  had  to  be  taught  Latin,  had  been  sent  to  Pont- 
a-Musson  to  be  prepared  for  Rheims.  This  was  an 
expensive  journey,  and  Father  Persons,  finding  that  the 
Duke  of  Guise  had  built  a  new  College  at  Eu  for  the 
Fathers  of  the  Society,  begged  to  have  the  old  one  as  a 
college  for  the  English  lads.  The  Duke  gave  the  use  of 
the  building,  and  an  income  of  lOO/.  a  year  for  its  main- 
tenance. A  secular  priest  named  Mann,  alias  Chambers, 
who  died  at  Douay  soon  after  the  closing  of  the  College, 
was  made  Rector.  However,  at  the  death  of  the  Duke 
in  1589,  it  was  given  up. 

The  admission  of  Father  John  Hart  into  the  Society, 
which  belongs  to  the  beginning  of  1583,  is  an  instructive 
history.  His  is  one  of  the  cases  in  which  the  opening 
of  the  State  Papers  has  betrayed  to  us  a  weakness  that  was 
unknown  to  the  Catholics  of  his  own  time.  An  Oxford- 
shire man  by  birth,  and  Master  of  Arts  at  Oxford,  he  went 
over  to  Douay  in  1571,  was  made  Bachelor  of  Divinity  in 
that  University  in  1577,  and  priest  in  the  following  year. 
He  was  apprehended  at  Dover  as  he  landed  in  June,  1580, 
"and  sent  prisoner  to  the  Court,"  as  Father  Persons  relates.^ 
"And  for  that  he  was  a  very  comely  young  gentleman, 
and  his  father  and  friends  well  known,  and  his  talents 
greatly  liked  by  Sir  Francis  Walsingham,  the  Secretary, 
^  Stonyhurst  MSS.,  P.  fol.  132. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  29 

that  had  the  examination  of  him,  they  would  fain  have 
gotten  or  perverted  him  by  sweet  means ;  and  so  after 
commendations  of  his  person  and  protestation  of  goodwill 
by  Sir  Francis,  as  Mr.  Hart  himself  told  me  afterward  the 
whole  story  in  France  and  Italy,  he  gave  him  leave  to  go 
to  Oxford  for  three  months,  upon  condition  that  he  should 
confer  with  one  John  Reynolds,  a  minister  of  Corpus 
Christi  College,  about  controversies  of  religion,  which 
Mr.  Hart  accepted,  both  for  that  he  desired  by  that  oc- 
casion to  see  his  friends  and  to  settle  better  his  temporal 
affairs  whatsoever  should  happen,  as  also  for  that  though 
he  were  young,  yet  feared  he  little  whatsoever  John 
Reynolds  or  any  other  could  say  in  defence  of  heresy 
against  the  Catholic  religion.  Wherefore  after  the  end 
of  these  three  months,  he  presented  himself  to  Sir  Francis 
Walsingham  again,  as  resolute  in  his  religion  as  before, 
and  somewhat  more  by  the  weakness  he  had  perceived  in 
his  conferences,  though  in  so  bad  a  cause  he  was  one  of 
the  best  the  other  side  had.  Sir  Francis  would  gladly 
have  taken  more  time  of  conference,  but  in  the  end  seeing 
little  or  no  hope  to  pervert  him,  he  sent  him  to  the  prison 
of  the  Marshalsea,  as  for  religion  only,  and  so  he  remained 
there  until  it  was  resolved  by  the  Council  to  make  all 
priests'  cases  treason,  and  then  he  was  sent  to  the  Tower 
and  used  most  barbarously  and  arraigned  and  condemned 
among  the  rest,  and  divers  times  to  have  been  executed 
but  that  by  reason  of  his  good  friends  he  was  still  re- 
prieved, until  at  last  in  the  year  [1585]  he  was  cast  into 
banishment  with  divers  other  priests,  who  going  to  Italy 
entered  into  the  Society  of  Jesus,  as  he  had  greatly  desired 
and  vowed  in  time  of  his  imprisonment,  and  after  was  sent 
by  his  Superior  into  Polony,  where  he  died  most  godly, 
as  ever  he  had  lived  ;  and  this  much  of  this  notable 
confessor,  Mr.  John  Hart." 

To  have  accepted  a  temporal  advantage  on  condition 
of  conference  with  a  Protestant  minister,  was  to  do  what 


30  Life  of  Father  William  Westo7t. 

the  martyrs  would  not  have  held  to  be  lawful.  Father 
Persons  probably  regarded  the  offer  only  as  a  challenge 
to  controversy.  For  such  a  disputation  with  Sir  George 
Carey,  the  Knight  Marshal,  Hart  offered  himself  together 
with  Sherwin  and  Bosgrave,  when  prisoner  in  the  Marshal- 
sea.  He  was  transferred  to  the  Tower  with  Father  Bosgrave, 
on  the  29th  of  December,  1580,  as  we  learn  from  Rishton's 
Diary,  the  next  entry  in  which  is  that  "  John  Hart,  after 
five  days  with  no  bed  but  the  ground,  was  taken  to  the 
rack."  Through  that  year  he  persevered  with  constancy, 
and  on  the  day  after  Father  Campion's  condemnation, 
he  was  tried  with  several  who  were  martyred,  and  like 
them  he  had  sentence  pronounced  against  him.  In  the 
records  of  the  Queen's  Bench  the  warrants^  are  to  be  seen 
ordering  the  Lieutenant  of  the  Tower  to  deliver  up 
Campion,  Sherwin,  Bryant,  and  Hart,  to  the  sheriffs  for 
execution  on  the  ist  of  December,  and  requiring  the 
Sheriffs  of  the  City  of  London  to  receive  them  and  see 
their  sentence  carried  out  at  Tyburn.  "  Father  Campion 
was  alone  on  one  hurdle,  and  the  other  two  together  on 
the  other,"  Bishop  Challoner  says  in  one  place,  and  in 
another,  "  On  the  day  designed  for  execution,  he  was  by 
a  reprieve  taken  off  the  sledge  and  returned  to  prison." 
Why  he  did  not  occupy  the  place  on  the  hurdle  by 
Campion's  side,  the  Catholics  of  his  time  never  knew. 
The  sad  secret  is  betrayed  to  us  by  the  letter  that  he 
wrote  to  Walsingham,^  which  bears  date  the  very  day 
which  might  have  brought  the  crown  of  martyrdom  to 
him  as  to  Campion,  Sherwin,  and  Bryant  It  is  a  vile 
letter,  in  which,  having  professed  "  conformity  "  with  most 
solemn  attestations,  he  now  proposes  that  he  shall  be  sent 
over  to  Dr.  Allen,  who  would  keep  nothing  secret  from 
him,  after  "  suffering  for  the  cause  which  liketh  him  so  well, 
when  as  he  shall  now  understand  of  my  stoutness,  that  it 

^  P.R.O.,  Controlment  Rolls,  Michaelmas  Term,  24  Elizabeth,  rot.  24. 
-  P.  R.  O. ,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  cl.  n.  80. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  31 

hath  been  such  as  to  abide  a  whole  year  and  more  close 
imprisonment,  and  that  in  the  Tower,  the  only  name 
whereof  is  very  terrible  abroad  ;  yea,  and  yet  much  more, 
to  have  been  at  the  rack  (though  I  endured  nothing  therein, 
but  that  is  unknown  to  him),  to  have  been  indicted, 
arraigned,  and  condemned  for  the  same,  as  both  he  and  his 
fellows  (I  know  it)  are  fully  persuaded,  and  now  presently 
do  stand  at  her  Majesty's  mercy  for  my  life,  without  any 
speeches,  as  I  suppose,  yet  openly  known,  otherwise  than 
to  your  Honour  and  a  few  others  who  are  secret  enough 
for  that  matter,  that  I  am  so  minded  as  I  have  professed 
to  your  Honours  to  reform  my  life  according  to  her 
Majesty's  godly  and  virtuous  proceedings,"  which  would 
"  better  serve  for  the  setting  forth  of  that  true  cause  indeed 
which  your  Honour,  under  her  Majesty,  doth  so  mightily 
defend :  I  mean  the  religion  this  day  professed  in  this 
noble  realm  of  England  ;  for  as  for  my  bare  yielding  and 
reforming  of  myself,  which  I  have  promised  to  your 
Honour  unfeignedly,  though  it  may  do  some  good  there- 
unto by  giving  others  of  my  profession  example  to  do  the 
like,  yet  that  thing  is  not  of  such  importance  as  this  which 
hitherto  I  have  spoken  of,  and  which  is  more  than  may  be 
done  by  many  others  with  as  great  profit  as  by  me." 

No  doubt  it  was  what  he  protested  it  was  not,  "  to  the 
intent  that  he  would  put  the  neck  out  of  the  collar  again," 
and  once  safe  at  Rheims,  repent  as  best  he  might  of  his 
apostacy ;  but  who  that  knows  his  own  weakness  can 
throw  the  first  stone  at  one  who  yielded  to  save  his  life  ? 
It  makes  the  heart  sick  to  read  such  words  on  such  a  day  ; 
and  it  is  a  relief  to  see  that  six  weeks  afterwards  the 
confessor,  though  his  was  not  a  martyr's  spirit,  was  himself 
again.  Luke  Kirby,  the  martyr,  in  his  letter  from  the 
Tower,  given  by  Dr.  Challoner,  says,  "  Mr.  Hart  hath  had 
many  and  great  conflicts  with  his  adversaries.  This 
morning,  the  loth  of  January  [1582],  he  was  committed 
to  the  dungeon,  where  he  now  remaineth ;  God  comfort 


32  Life  of  Father  William  Westo7i. 

him.  He  takcth  it  very  quietly  and  patiently.  The  cause 
was  for  that  he  would  not  yield  to  Mr.  Reynolds,  of 
Oxford,  in  any  one  point,  but  still  remained  constant, 
the  same  man  he  was  before  and  ever."  And  Rishton 
enters  in  his  Diary  for  January  li,  1582,  "John  Hart, 
priest,  because  after  his  condemnation  he  would  not  yield 
in  anything  to  the  heretics,  was  put  into  the  pit  for  nine 
days."  It  is  hard  to  see  what  they  could  have  asked  that 
he  would  not  have  done  on  that  ist  of  December;  but 
he  must  have  repented  at  once,  for  something  was  required 
of  him  to  which  he  would  not  yield  when  he  was  consigned 
for  nine  days  to  that  awful  oubliette  underground.  Nichols, 
the  apostate,  was  at  once  set  at  liberty  when  he  undertook 
to  preach  against  the  Pope,  and  Hart  would  have  been  also 
set  free,  or  at  any  rate  would  not  have  been  punished,  if  he 
had  not  repented  of  his  fall.  The  interpretation  of  the 
change  in  Hart  is  probably  to  be  found  in  the  fact,  told 
by  Allen  to  Agazzari  in  a  letter,^  dated  the  7th  of  February, 
1582,  that  his  mother  had  been  to  visit  him  in  the  Tower, 
and  that  she,  "  a  gentlewoman  of  a  noble  spirit,  spoke  to 
him  in  such  lofty  terms  of  martyrdom,  that  if  she  found 
him  hot  with  the  desire  of  it,  she  left  him  on  fire ;  and 
the  report  of  this  great  deed  on  her  part,  and  its  merited 
promise,  was  wide-spread  among  the  Catholics." 

On  the  anniversary  of  the  day  when  he  should  have 
died,  his  name  reappears  in  Rishton's  Diary,  December  i, 

1582.  "John  Hart,  priest,  under  sentence  of  death,  was 
punished  by  twenty  days  in  irons,  for  not  yielding  to  one 
Reynolds  a  minister."     And  six  months   later,  June  19, 

1583,  "The  same  John  Hart  for  the  same  offence  was  put 
into  the  pit  for  four-and-forty  days." 

There  is  no  need  that  we  should  doubt  his  sincerity 
when  he  wrote,-  November  15,  1582,  to  Dr.  Allen,  that  he 
knew  how  welcome   his   letter  would  be  because  it  was 

^  Bartoli,  Inghilterra,  lib.  iv.  cap.  xi.  p.  293. 
"  Stonyhurst  MSS.,  P.  fol.  39. 


Life  of  Father  William  Westoji.  33 

written  from  prison.  Some  sad  things  had  happened  which 
he  would  leave  others  to  tell :  he  would  relate  only  good 
news.  Pitts  and  Haydock  were  little  men  with  great 
courage.  Pound,  Brinckley,  and  Roscarrock  were  laymen 
who,  he  was  ashamed  to  say,  had  shown  themselves  braver 
than  many  priests.  Jetter  and  Carter  had  been  nearly 
killed  on  the  rack,  but  nothing  could  be  drawn  from  them 
but  the  Name  of  Jesus ;  Jetter  especially  at  such  a  time 
had  shown  his  sense  of  the  sweetness  of  that  Name. 
"  Of  myself  I  dare  to  make  no  profession,  but  this  one 
thing  only  will  I  say,  Thomson,  Bosgrave,  Colleton,  Slack, 
Rowsham,  Godsalf,  Orton,  Barnes,  Briscoe,  all  of  us  by 
the  grace  of  Christ  are  in  the  Faith,  and  there  is  not  one 
of  us  who  is  not  resolved  to  hold  the  Faith  and  fight 
against  heresy,  though  it  were  necessary  to  shed  his  blood 
for  his  rehgion." 

In  March,  1583,  Allen  wrote  to  Agazzari  that  he  had 
received   many  letters  from  the  prisoners,  but  that  they 
could  not  be  published  without  questions  being  raised  how 
they   had    been   sent  :    however,  he  forwarded   one   from 
"  Hart,  that  constant  confessor,  who  desires  to  enter  your 
Society."     Immediately  afterwards,  while  still  carrying  on 
the  correspondence  of  the  Society  during  the  absence  of 
Persons  in  Spain,  Dr.  Allen  acknowledges  the  receipt  from 
Father  General  of  the  admission  of  John  Hart  into  the 
Society,  and  promises  to  send  it  to  him  because  he  knew 
that  it  would  give  him  the  greatest  consolation.     Thus  we 
see  that  Rishton  was  correct  when  he  says  that  amongst 
the  twenty-one  exiles  sent  from  the  Tower  on  the  21st 
of    January,    1585,    three    were    Jesuit    Fathers,    Jasper 
Haywood,   James    Bosgrave,   and   John    Hart.     And    on 
the  other  hand  that  More  is  wrong  in  saying  that  Hart 
entered  at  Verdun,  and  that  Persons'  memory  failed  him 
when  he  said  that  he  became  a  Jesuit  in  Italy,  two  years 
after  the  date  of  his  actual  admission.     When  banished 
in  1585  he  went  first   to  Verdun,  then  to  Rome,  and  he 
D 


34  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

died  at  Jarislau,  in  Poland,  on  the  19th  of  July  in  the 
following  year.  The  doubt  whether  it  was  in  1586  or 
in  1594  is  set  at  rest  by  the  Douay  Diary,  which  enters 
the  news  of  his  death  as  received  in  September,  1586. 
Father  More  reports  that  seven  years  after  his  death 
his  body  was  found  to  be  incorrupt,  and  was  translated 
to  a  more  honourable  resting-place.  None  can  doubt  that 
the  Lord  who  retained  in  His  Apostleship  the  chiefest 
of  the  Apostles  by  whom  He  was  denied,  pardoned  this 
fall,  and  that,  though  the  palm  of  martyrdom  was  forfeited, 
yet  sufferings  and  exile  have  received  their  reward. 

It  will  have  been  seen  that  Father  Haywood  was  in 
the  Tower  of  London  with  Father  Hart.  His  apprehension 
happened  thus.  On  Father  Persons'  return  from  Rome 
in  October,  1583,  he  brought  back  with  him  a  letter 
from  Father  Aquaviva,  the  General,  to  Father  Haywood, 
requesting  him  to  come  over  to  France  to  confer  with 
his  Superior,  on  account,  no  doubt,  of  the  want  of  dis- 
cretion shown  by  him  with  regard  to  the  English  fasting 
days.  Father  Persons,  when  he  sent  him  the  letter,  named 
Rouen  for  their  place  of  meeting.  Father  Jaspar  started 
immediately  on  receipt  of  these  instructions,  and  the  ship 
in  which  he  sailed  "vvas  in  sight  of  the  French  coast,  and 
almost  of  port,  when  it  was  driven  back  by  a  foul  wind, 
and  the  father  fell  into  the  hands  of  his  enemies.  In 
the  first  instance  he  was  committed  to  the  Clink,  but 
was  soon  transferred  to  the  Tower.  A  certificate  from 
the  keeper  of  the  Chnk  to  the  lords  of  the  Council,^ 
dated  March  21,  1584,  contains  this  entry:  "Jaspar 
Haywood,  a  Jesuit,  committed  by  your  Honours  the  9th 
day  of  December  last,  and  committed  from  her  Majesty's 
Bench  at  Westminster  to  the  Tower."  By  his  apprehension 
no  Jesuit  in  England  was  left  at  liberty  at  the  beginning  of 
1584,  he  and  Father  Bosgrave  being  in  the  Tower,  Father 
Mettam  and  Brother  Pound  in  Wisbech  Castle. 

^  P.R.O.,  Domdsiic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  clxix.  n.  23. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  35 

Failing  thus  of  his  intended  conference  with-  Father 
Haywood,  Father  Persons  returned  from  Rouen  to  Paris, 
where  Dr.  Allen  came  from  Rheims  to  meet  him.  Their 
object  was  to  see  whether  it  might  not  be  possible  to 
save  Lord  Paget  and  Sir  Charles  Arundell,  who  had  just 
crossed  the  Channel,  from  the  course  followed  by  Charles 
Paget  and  Morgan.  Unfortunately  they  failed,  and  Father 
Persons  speaks  in  his  notes^  of  the  suspicions  raised  by 
their  intimacy  with  the  English  Ambassador ;  suspicions 
which,  as  far  as  Sir  Charles  Arundell  was  concerned,  are 
fully  borne  out  by  the  correspondence  of  the  English 
Ambassador  at  Paris,  Sir  Edward  Stafford,  preserved 
among  the  State  Papers.^ 

Before  the  return  of  Father  Persons  from  Rome,  the 
Duke  of  Parma,  by  direction  of  the  King  of  Spain,  sent 
for  him  to  come  to-  him  in  Flanders,  that  he  might  confer 
with  him  on  the  position  of  the  English  Catholics  in  the 
Low  Countries.  The  winter  of  1583  was  accordingly 
spent  by  him  at  Tournai,  in  company  with  the  Duke 
and  with  Father  Oliverius  Manareus,  the  Visitor  of  that 
Province. 

"About  Corpus  Christi  day,"  says  Father  Persons,^ 
"I  returned  from  Flanders  to  France,  and  in  the  way 
passing  from  Ghent  to  Oudenarde,  Mr.  Owen  and  I  were 
in  great  peril  to  be  taken  by  the  English  soldiers  of 
Mechlin,  if  we  had  not  escaped  by  flight,  as  I  did  before 
on  my  journey  from  Lou  vain  to  Beveren,  where  all  our 
carts  and  convoy  were  taken,  and  I  escaped  by  the  benefit 
of  a  good  horse. 

"The  rest  then  of  this  summer  I  remained  at  Paris, 
and  Mons.  Duke  of  Alencon  being  dead,  there  was  much 
parleying  between  the  princes  for  making  their  league 
that  brake   forth  the   next  spring   after :    whereupon   I, 

1  Stonyhurst  MSS.,  P.  foL  57. 

2  The  Letter-Boohs  of  Sir  Amias  Poulet,  p.  381. 

3  Stonyhurst  MSS.,  P.  fol.  231. 

D   2 


36  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

buying  myself  divers  sorts  of  good  books,  returned  to 
live  for  the  next  winter  at  Rouen,  in  a  void  house 
given  to  the  Society  in  a  garden,  where  were  with  me 
Mr.  Stephen  Brinckley,  a  virtuous  gentleman  that  trans- 
lated Loarte's  book  under  the  name  of  James  Sanker, 
and  Mr.  Flinton,  an  honest  merchant,  who  both  of  them 
did  help  me  to  set  forth  my  second  edition  of  the  Book 
of  Resolution  much  augmented." 

When  Persons  was  in  Rome  he  had  arranged  with 
Father  Claude  Aquaviva  that  Weston  was  to  go  to 
England.  The  summons  reached  him  early  in  1584.  The 
journey  across  Spain  and  France  from  Seville  to  Paris  is 
hardly  an  easy  one  now-a-days ;  it  was  difficult  enough 
then.  Father  Weston  was  going  to  a  country  where  diffi- 
culties abounded.  A  spirit  of  mortification  alone  could 
make  light  of  them,  and  that  spirit  of  mortification  he  lost 
no  opportunity  of  strengthening  by  practice.  He  was 
provided  by  his  superiors  with  a  horse  and  money  for  his 
journey.  The  horse  he  sold,  and  all  the  money  of  which 
he  became  master  was  distributed  to  the  poor.  New 
clothes  were  placed  in  his  room,  but  he  left  them  behind 
him  and  there  they  were  found  after  he  was  gone.  He 
would  travel  on  foot,  and,  like  the  first  fathers  of  the 
Society  in  their  journeys,  beg  his  way.  The  practice  of 
holy  poverty  in  its  hardest  form  was  the  completion  of 
his  preparation  for  the  mission.  His  first  duty  was  to  see 
Father  Persons,  and  then  to  go  to  England. 

Father  Weston  had  evidently  reached  Paris,  and 
w^as  with  Persons  when  the  latter  wrote,  under  the  date 
July  23,  1584,  to  beg  the  General  not  to  be  moved  by 
the  dissuasions  of  the  French  Provincial,  Father  Claude 
Matthieu,  whose  tender  heart  was  touched  by  the  adversi- 
ties suffered  by  the  Catholics  in  England,  and  who  thought 
that  it  would  be  better  for  a  time  to  send  over  neither 
missionaries  nor  books.  Persons,  fearing  lest  this  timid 
and  suicidal  policy  should  prevail,  urged  on  the  General 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  37 

that  he  should  send  other  fathers  on  the  English  mission. 
"Now^  more  than  ever  is  our  time  to  go  forward,  seeing 
that  God  helps  us  so  manifestly  in  our  battles ;  so  I 
pray  your  Paternity  for  the  love  of  God  quickly  to  send 
Father  Henry  [Garnet]  from  Rome,  for  the  more  I  think 
of  it  the  more  satisfied  I  am  of  his  fitness.  And  this 
Father  William  [Weston],  if  I  am  not  greatly  deceived, 
your  Paternity  may.  trust  that  he  will  prove  excellently 
well  adapted  for  this  work,  for  he  is  a  thoroughly  trust- 
worthy man  for  all  virtue,  prudence,  and  edification  ;  and 
by  being  here,  what  with  reading  some  books  and  by 
hearing  conversations  on  the  matters  over  there,  he  has 
become  beyond  belief  on  fire  about  it." 

They  were  together  in  Paris  a  little  more  than  three 
months.  This  is  the  time  of  which  Father  Darbyshire 
says  that  there  were  nine  English  Jesuits  in  the  French 
province,  but  we  are  not  acquainted  with  the  names  of 
more  than  four  or  five.  Brother  Ralph  Emerson  was 
sent  down  to  Dieppe  to  make  preparations  for  their 
passage,  and  on  the  20th  of  August  Persons  wrote  to 
Aquaviva,^  "  Ralph  is  just  returned  from  the  sea,  where 
he  has  done  wonders.  He  has  planned  two  new  ways  of 
passage,  by  which  he  has  sent  in  four  priests  and  eight 
hundred  and  ten  books,  but  it  has  cost  us  dearly.  Father 
Weston  in  another  twenty  days  will  be  at  the  sea  with 
Ralph."  Father  Persons  parted  from  them  in  Paris  on  the 
1 2th  of  September,  and  immediately  after  their  departure  he 
wrote  several  letters.  One  was  to  the  General,  a  long  letter,^ 
in  which  he  says  that  it  is  becoming  exceedingly  difficult 
to  obtain  the  funds  to  carry  on  the  mission,  for  that  now 
there  were  not  less  than  three  hundred  Seminary  priests 
in  England,  there  were  at  least  two  hundred  persons 
to  be  maintained  at  Rheims  in  the  College,  and  nearly  as 
many  more  who  were  not  in  the  College,  gentlemen  for 

1  Stonyhurst  MSS.,  P.  fol.  73.  «  /^^-^^^  p,  fol,  461. 

»  Ibid.,  P.  fol.  494. 


38  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

the  most  part  who  were  stripped  of  their  possessions  and 
sent  into  exile,  and  that  the  CathoHcs  in  England  who 
had  hitherto  helped  them,  were  themselves  greatly  im- 
poverished by  the  system  of  fines,  and  had  a  grave  and 
increasing  burden  in  the  maintenance  of  the  poor  prisoners 
who  were  suffering  extremely  from  want.  Of  the  Society, 
he  says  that  Father  Holt  is  the  only  one  at  liberty, 
and  he  in  Scotland  ;  but  that  he  has  the  greatest 
hopes  from  the  two  fathers  and  the  brother  who  had  just 
gone  over.  The  second  father  here  spoken  of  must  be 
John  Curry. 

On  the  13th  he  tells  Agazzari  that  he  was  obliged  to 
start  immediately  for  Rouen,  and  sends  his  salutations  to 
Fathers  Good,  Enghiam,  and  Southwell.-^  Two  days  after 
he  wrote  again  to  the  same,^  expressing  his  regret  at 
the  news  that  had  reached  him  of  Father  Enghiam's 
death,  which  took  place  at  Eu  on  his  way  to  England. 
Richard  Enghiam  had  been  "a  boy  of  her  Majesty's 
chapel,"^  several  of  the  choristers  of  which  had  become 
Catholics. 

Father  Persons  proposes  that  Father  Thomas  Marshall, 
who  had  taught  philosophy  for  nine  years  at  Douay,  should 
be  made  confessor  of  the  English  College,  as  he  showed 
greater  fitness  for  that  position  than  for  the  work  of  the 
mission,  and  that  would  set  free  Father  William  Good  for 
England.  "  Your  Reverence  must  treat  with  our  Father 
General  to  send  either  Father  Good  or  Father  Henry 
[Garnet],  who,  I  hear,  cannot  go  on  with  his  lectures  for 
want  of  health.  I  should  be  content  with  Father  Simon 
Hunt  or  Father  Southwell  if  his  Paternity  should  think  fit 
to  send  them."  Garnet  and  Southwell  left  Rome  together 
for  the  English  mission  about  eighteen  months  after  this. 
Father  Christopher  Grene  concludes*  that  Father  Southwell 

1  Stonyhurst  MSS.,  P.  fol.  452.  2  /^/^^  p  f^j^  ^^g^ 

"  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  cxlvi.  n.  18. 

^  Stonyhurst  MSS.,  P.  fol.  303. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston,  39 

was  newly  ordained  priest  about  the  time  when  Persons 
wrote  these  letters,  for  before  July,  1584,  he  always 
speaks  of  him  as  his  "  dearest  brother  Robert,"  but 
after  that  date  he  is  always  "  Father  Robert." 

By  the  30th  of  this  same  month  of  September  Persons 
was  at  Rouen,  driven  from  Paris,  as  he  wrote  to  Agazzari,^ 
by  the  plague  breaking  out  in  the  house  nei^t  to  him  there. 
He  says  that  Charles  Basset  was  with  him,  and  that  Father 
William  and  Ralph  had  embarked  twelve  days  before.  In 
two  months'  time  he  had  to  bear  the  loss  of  Charles  Basset, 
who  died  at  Rheims  in  November.  He  was  a  great  grand- 
son of  Sir  Thomas  More,^  an  intimate  friend  of  George 
Gilbert,  and  his  rival  in  making  generous  sacrifices  for 
religion.  He  left  his  money  to  Douay  College,  which 
was  then  removed  for  a  time  to  Rheims.^  In  the  letter 
in  which  Persons  mentions  his  death  to  Agazzari,  he 
also  says,  "  Yesterday  I  had  a  letter  from  your  Father 
Oliver  Holiwell  [a  secular  priest  from  the  English  College 
at  Rome],  who  is  doing  much  good  ;  and  all  write  in 
the  highest  terms  of  Father  Weston  and  of  Ralph,  supra 
inodumr 

We  may  now  let  Father  Weston  tell  his  own  story  in 
his  Autobiography,  It  was  written,  we  must  remember, 
between  twenty  and  thirty  years  after  the  time  at  which  its 
narrative  commences,  and  having  been  written  by  command 
of  the  General,  it  has  something  of  a  confidential  character. 
The  lapse  of  centuries  has  made  that  which  he  has  written 
public  property ;  but  the  time  and  circumstances  under 
which  it  was  written  are  not  to  be  forgotten  during  its 
perusal.  Its  beginning  in  a  single  line  disposes  of  the 
painful  journey  on  foot  from  Seville  to  Paris, 

"  Being  summoned  by  an  order  from  our  Father  General 
to  set  out  to  labour  in  the  harvest  of  souls  in  England,  I 
left  Seville  and  travelled  to   Paris.     There  I  tarried  for 

1  Stonyhurst  MSS.,  P.  fol,  478.  =>  Ibid.,  P.  fol.  17, 

^  Ibid.,  P.  fol.  38. 


40  Life  of  Father  Willia7n  Weston. 

some  days,  and  conversed  with  Father  Persons.  Then, 
with  Ralph  Emerson,  who  had  been  appointed  me  as  my 
companion,  I  went  to  Rouen,  and  on  to  the  harbour  of 
Dieppe,  where  I  embarked,  and,  having  a  fair  wind,  arrived 
within  sight  of  England  in  the  middle  of  the  day.  On  the 
open  coast,  between  two  ports,  we  were  set  ashore  ;  myself, 
that  is  to  say,  and  Henry  Hubert,  whose  house  had  been 
plundered  shortly  before  by  the  heretics,  he  himself 
escaping  to  France  to  wait  until  their  fury  might  be 
appeased.  We  two,  in  company  with  his  servant,  arrived 
by  the  shortest  cuts  at  the  house  of  a  friend,  the  familiar 
acquaintance  of  the  above-mentioned  Henry.  Ralph, 
meanwhile,  remained  in  the  ship  with  the  baggage ;  for  we 
had  agreed  that  in  the  dead  of  the  night  we  would  send 
him  a  horse  for  the  conveyance  of  our  goods,  and  likewise 
of  the  books,  of  which  he  had  brought  over  no  small 
number  for  distribution  in  England.  This  we  accomplished 
with  all  speed  ;  everything  so  far  prospered,  and  when  he 
joined  us  all  his  treasures  were  safe  and  uninjured. 

"  On  the  next  day,  however,  arrangements  being  made 
for  sailing  by  the  river,  Ralph  intrusted  his  cargo  of  books 
to  a  light  boat,  and  went  to  Norwich,  for  from  thence  it  is 
the  custom  that  goods  and  merchandize  should  be  conveyed 
by  the  public  riders  and  carriers  from  the  neighbouring 
places  to  London.  As  for  ourselves,  we  took  horse,  pro- 
ceeded by  gentle  stages,  and  arrived  first  in  London. 
After  we  had  entered  the  city  by  an  open  and  much- 
frequented  street,  a  person  met  us,  who  addressed  Henry 
openly  and  simply  by  his  name,  at  which  we  became  not  a 
little  uneasy,  seeing  that  he  had  striven  with  all  possible 
precautions  to  prevent  his  return  out  of  France  from  being 
known.  Nevertheless,  we  entered  an  hostelry  and  dined 
there ;  then,  departing  without  loss  of  time,  we  turned 
towards  a  distant  quarter  of  the  city,  and  waited  with 
anxiety  for  Ralph's  arrival.  As  I  was  myself,  however, 
entirely  unknown,  I  took  courage  and  often  went  out  to 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  41 

the  spot  where  the  carmen  from  Norwich  were  wont  to 
assemble,  looking  and  waiting  for  my  friend  Ralph,  whom, 
with  all  joy,  I  met  at  length  in  the  middle  of  the  road. 

"  I  questioned  him  about  the  condition  of  our.  affairs, 
and  he  told  me  that  all  was  right,  but  that  the  baggage  was 
still  detained  in  the  inn,  and  that  it  was  not  possible  for  it 
to  be  removed  without  the  host's  consent  and  permission. 
Here  we  could  not  make  up  our  minds  as  to  what  course 
we  ought  to  pursue.  It  would  be  too  painful  and  cowardly 
to  abandon  the  books  ;  and  yet  to  claim  and  redeem  them 
seemed  full  of  peril.  On  both  sides  the  difficulty  was 
great ;  he  judged  it  best,  however,  to  surmount  all  fear, 
and  not  to  relinquish  lightly  what  had  been  intrusted  to 
his  fidelity.  He  was  confident,  also,  that  in  a  case  of 
extremity  friends  would  aid  him  to  carry  out  his  purpose. 
Committing  his  business,  therefore,  first  to  God,  he  returned 
with  courage  to  the  inn,  where  he  was  immediately  arrested 
and  brought  before  a  magistrate.  Having  already  searched 
the  packages,  they  examined  Ralph  concerning  the  books, 
and  thrust  him  into  a  dark  and  narrow  prison.  There  they 
kept  him  for  a  year  and  more,  and  so  strictly  that  with  all 
our  inquiries  we  were  unable  to  find  out  what  had  become 
of  him  or  where  they  had  concealed  him.  We  thought 
that  he  must  have  been  transferred  to  the  Tower  of 
London,  whereas  the  prison  in  which  they  really  placed 
him  was  the  one  called  the  Poultry." 

In  the  Counter  in  the  Poultry  poor  Brother  Ralph  was 
accordingly  cooped  up.  After  more  than  a  year  and  a 
half,  when  the  keepers  of  the  London  prisons  were  called 
upon  by  the  Privy  Council  to  make  a  return  of  the  Jesuits 
or  recusants  in  their  custody,  the  Counter  contained  no 
other  Catholic  but  Ralph.  "  May  it  please  your  Honours 
to  understand  that  we  have  no  more  in  our  custody  but 
one  Ralph  Emerson,  for  bringing  over  certain  books 
touching  some  of  the  honourable  Council,  who  was  com- 
mitted the  26th  of  September,  anno  1584,  by  Sir  Edward 


42  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

Osborne,  then  Lord  Mayor  of  London,  examined  before 
him,  Mr.  Topdiffe,  Justice  Young,  the  Master  of  St. 
Catharine's,  and  others  at  sundry  times.  We  have  no 
recusants  or  Jesuits  but  only  the  aforenamed  Ralph 
Emerson,  whose  examination  rcmaineth  in  the  hands  of 
the  said  Justices  or  town  clerk.  Your  Honours'  most  humble, 
— Robert  Gyttyns,  keeper."  Endorsed,  "  14th  June, 
1586.  The  keeper  of  the  Counter  in  the  Poultry."^  And 
Popham  signed  a  report,  September  25,  1586,  that  he  had 
"examined  Ralph  Emerson,  committed  by  the  lords  for 
bringing  in  books  from  beyond  the  seas,  and  was  servant 
to  Persons  or  Campion."^ 

It  is  plain  enough  what  the  books  were  that  cost  Little 
Ralph  so  dear.  Two  of  Dr.  Allen's  books  were  just  pub- 
lished ;  the  D210  Edicta  of  Elizabeth,  that  is,  her  two 
proclamations  against  the  Seminaries  and  Jesuits,  published 
at  Treves  in  1583,  evidently  under  the  editorship  of  Father 
Gibbons  ;  and  Allen's  Apologia  and  Admonition  to  the 
Afflicted  Catholics.  This,  and  Father  Persons'  recent 
books,  and  perhaps  Father  Gibbons'  Concertatio,  may  have 
constituted  the  staple  of  Ralph's  confiscated  cargo,  together 
with  the  Rheims  New  Testament,  which  had  not  long  been 
published ;  and  the  newest  book  of  all.  Dr.  Allen's  Modest 
Defence  of  the  English  Catholics  that  suffer  for  their  faith 
both  at  home  and  abroad.  This  was  the  book  "  touching 
some  of  the  honourable  Council,"  for  it  was  an  answer  to 
Lord  Treasurer  Burghley's  Execution  of  fiistice  in  Eng- 
land. Allen's  book  was  so  obnoxious  to  Elizabeth's 
Ministers  that  Thomas  Alfield,  one  of  the  Douay  priests, 
was  indicted,  not  for  his  priesthood,  but  for  disseminating 
this  book,  from  which  long  extracts  are  given  in  the 
indictment.^  Alfield  was  hanged  as  a  felon  for  this  offence 
on  the  5th  of  July,  1585.  Emerson  was  treated  with  com- 
parative leniency,  his  life  being  spared  ;  though  the  first 

^  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  cxc.  n.  32.  "  Ibid.  vol.  cxciii.  11.  66. 

^  Lansdowne  JlfSS.  33,  n.  58  ;  Str}'pe's  Annals,  vol.  iii.  pt.  i.  p.  449. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  43 

three  years  of  his  long  imprisonment  were  spent  in  one  of 
the  most  miserable  prisons  in  London. 

When  he  had  been  in  prison  nine  years  he  was  exa- 
mined by  the  Ecclesiastical  Commissioners,-^  and  Lord 
Keeper  Puckering's  note  of  the  examination  is  printed,  in 
a  curtailed  form,  by  Strype.  "April  17,  1593,  Ralph 
Emerson,  of  the  bishopric  of  Durham,  scholar,  of  the  age 
of  forty-two  years  or  thereabouts,  examined  before  Sir 
Owen  Hopton,  Mr.  Dr.  Goodman,  Dean  of  Westminster, 
Mr.  Dale,  Mr.  Fuller,  and  Mr.  Young,  who  refuseth  to  be 
sworn,  but  saith  first  that  he  hath  been  in  prison  these  nine 
years,  viz.,  three  years  and  a  quarter  in  the  Counter  in  the 
Poultry,  and  the  rest  of  that  time  hath  been  in  the  Clink ; 
committed  by  Mr.  Young  for  bringing  over  of  books  called 
My  Lord  of  Leicester"  s  books,  as  he  saith;  and  hath  been 
examined  before  Sir  Francis  Walsingham  and  before 
Mr.  Young,  and  before  others  divers  times,  and  was  never 
indicted  to  his  knowledge.  Item,  he  confesseth  he  is  a  lay 
Jesuit ;  took  that  degree  at  Rome  fourteen  years  since, 
and  was  some  time  Campion's  boy.  And  saith  that  when 
he  took  that  order  he  did  vow  chastity,  poverty,  and 
obedience  to  the  Superior  of  their  house ;  and  if  he  sent 
him  to  the  Turk  he  must  go.  Item,  being  urged  to  take 
the  oath  of  allegiance  to  her  Majesty,  refuseth  the  same, 
and  saith  he  may  not  take  any  oath.  Item,  he  saith  he 
hath  neither  lands,  goods,  nor  other  living,  but  will  not  set 
down  by  whom  he  is  maintained  and  now  relieved.  Item, 
he  refuseth  to  be  reformed  and  to  come  to  church,  affirming 
that  he  will  live  and  die  in  his  faith.  Item,  being  demanded 
whether  if  the  Pope  shall  send  an  army  into  this  realm 
to  establish  that  which  he  calleth  the  Catholic  Romish 
religion,  he  would  in  the  like  case  fight  for  the  Queen's 
Majesty  on  her  side  against  the  said  army,  or  on  the 
army's  side,  saith  that  he  will  never  fight  against  her 
Majesty,  nor  against  the  religion  which  he  professeth." 

^  Harleian  MSS.  6998,  fol.  65  ;  Strype's  Annals,  vol.  iv.  p.  258; 


44  Life  of  FatJier  William  Weston. 

There  we  must  leave  Little  Ralph,  confident  in  his 
constancy  through  his  continuous  imprisonment  for  the 
twenty  years  remaining  of  Elizabeth's  reign.  He  was 
taken  on  the  26th  of  September,  and  on  the  9th  of  October 
an  informer,  one  Ralph  Miller,  a  tailor,  gave  the  following 
description  of  him,^  not  knowing  that  he  was  already  in 
durance.  "  There  is  a  little  fellow  called  Ralph,  who  is  in 
England  for  Father  Persons,  is  a  great  dealer  for  all  the 
Papists.  He  is  a  very  slender,  brown  little  fellow,  of  whom 
Harrington  [the  martyr]  can  tell  more  certainly."  Thus 
Ralph  Emerson's  coming  over  served  but  to  add  one  more 
to  the  number  of  the  members  of  the  Society  whose  zeal 
and  patience  were  to  be  exercised  within  prison  walls. 
That  this  was  far  from  a  barren  field  to  cultivate.  Father 
Gerard's  narrative^  helps  to  show.  In  the  Clink  Ralph 
was  next-door  neighbour  to  Father  Gerard,  and  afterwards 
we  shall  meet  him  ag-ain  with  Father  Weston  at  Wisbech. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

FATHER   WESTON'S   FIRST   SHELTER. 

"Such  was  Ralph's  misadventure,"  Father  Weston  con- 
tinues, "  at  the  time  of  our  first  entrance  into  England. 
We,  however,  in  the  meantime  did  not  cease  our  prayers  to 
God  while  we  remained  in  the  inn,  imploring  that  good 
success  might  attend  him.  But  when  we  perceived  that  he 
delayed  to  appear,  and  when  we  saw  nothing  of  him  either 
on  that  day  or  the  following,  we  suspected  what  must  have 
occurred,  and,  in  despair  of  Ralph's  coming,  began  to 
consult  what  we  were  ourselves  to  do. 

"  The  difficulties  that  surrounded  us  were  by  no  means 

^  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  clxxiii.  n.  64. 
^  Condition  of  Catholics,  p.  Ixx. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  45 

light ;  for  as  he  was  to  have  acted  as  our  guide,  and  have 
introduced  us  into  the  houses  of  our  friends  and  of  other 
Catholics,  we  could  not  easily  determine  what  was  at 
present  to  be  done.  I  had  received  from  Father  Persons 
certain  introductions  and  tokens  of  friendship  addressed  to 
a  gentlewoman  of  the  name  of  Be[llamy],  of  whom  further 
mention  will  be  made.  She  had  been  the  hostess  of  Father 
Persons,  and  as  her  house  was  spacious  and  she  herself 
was  wealthy,  and,  being  a  zealous  Catholic,  full  of  goodwill 
towards  the  father,  under  her  roof  he  had  done  much 
work,  as  I  heard,  and  written  much. 

"  Now  the  house  of  this  lady  was  three  leagues  or  more 
beyond  London ;  to  it,  therefore,  we  went,  requesting  to 
speak  with  her.  As  soon  as  she  appeared  I  delivered  my 
tokens,  secretly,  however,  as  was  necessary  in  such  circum- 
stances. She  declared,  nevertheless,  that  my  words  were 
perfectly  strange  to  her,  as  she  had  never  seen  Father 
Persons  or  known  him  in  any  way ;  much  less  was  it 
possible  that  any  such  messages  should  pass  between  them. 
Seeing,  then,  that  I  must  make  no  delay,  I  departed 
quickly,  thinking  that  it  was  of  no  use  to  press  the  matter 
further.  I  imagined  myself  to  be  walking  upon  unsafe 
ground,  and  feared  lest  I  had  made  some  mistake  either  in 
the  house  or  the  person,  or  that  circumstances  themselves 
might  have  changed,  as  is  frequently  the  case  in  such  a 
disturbed  state  of  the  kingdom.  Henry  and  I,  therefore, 
called  for  our  horses  and  withdrew,  but  by  a  different  road 
from  the  one  by  which  we  had  arrived.  We  were  afraid 
lest,  if  by  chance  we  had  come  to  the  house  of  an  enemy, 
messengers  might  be  despatched  who  would  either  search 
or  arrest  us  as  enemies  to  the  State. 

"  Our  anxiety  was  not  altogether  without  foundation  ; 
for,  as  it  was  afterwards  reported  to  us,  she  had  given 
refuge  to  three  or  four  Catholic  priests,  who  lay  hidden  in 
her  house,  and  to  another  person,  a  layman,  and  impostor, 
who  passed  himself    off    as    a    Catholic,    and   made    an 


46  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

iniquitous  pretence  of  religion.  This  man,  as  soon  as  we 
were  gone,  followed  us  in  order  to  find  out  what  manner  of 
men  we  were  ;  but  as  we  changed  our  route,  and  he  himself 
pursued  the  public  highway,  he  was  deceived  in  his  expec- 
tations. Later  on  he  assumed  his  real  character  as  a  traitor 
and  notorious  persecutor,  and  brought  affliction  upon  many- 
persons  and  confusion  into  families ;  not  long,  however, 
with  impunity,  for  he  paid  the  just  penalty  of  his  crimes 
under  the  sword  of  an  enemy  with  whom  he  was  engaged 
in  a  quarrel,  and  died  a  miserable  death." 

The  house  to  which  Father  Weston  had  gone  was  the 
manor-house  of  Woxindon,  or  Uxendon,  at  Harrow-on- 
the-Hill,  which  manor  was  granted  by  Richard  II.  to 
Thomas  Godelac,  or  Goodlack,  an  ancestor  of  the  Bel- 
lamys.^ Thomasine  Goodlack,  his  daughter  and  heiress, 
married  Sir  John  Boys,  and  their  great  grandson,  Thomas 
Boys  of  Harrow,  married  Joan,  the  sister  and  heiress  of 
John  Nix,  Bishop  of  Norwich  in  Heniy  VII.'s  time.  They 
had  two  daughters,  Mabel  and  Plesaunce,  of  whom  the 
elder  married  Richard  Bellamy  of  Hedley,  Middlesex, 
bringing  to  her  husband  the  manor  of  Uxendon,  and  the 
right  to  quarter  the  arms  of  Boys,  Goodlack,  and  Nix.^ 
Their  son  William  married  Catharine,  the  daughter  of 
Richard  Page  of  Harrow,  and  at  the  time  of  Father 
Weston's  visit  William  was  dead,  and  Uxendon  was  in  the 
possession  of  his  eldest  son,  Richard  Bellamy,  and  his  wife 
Catharine,  the  daughter  of  William  Forster  of  Cobdock,  in 
Suffolk.  This  was  the  devoted  household  which  for  many 
years  was  the  most  famous  refuge  for  priests  in  the  south 
of  England.  An  incessant  and  unequal  warfare  was  carried 
on  with  the  pursuivants,  who  looked,  in  the  first  instance, 
when  in  search  of  a  "  seminary,"  to  the  Bellamys.  In  a 
note   of  "houses  that  are  to  be  searched,"^  August  21, 

^  Lyson's  Environs  of  London,  vol.  ii.  p.  563. 

2  Harl.-ian  MSS.  1551,  fjl.  5. 

'  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  cxcii.  n.  48. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weslon.  47 

1586,  the  first  on  the  list  is  "Mrs.  Bellamy's  house:  one 
house  she  hath  called  Okington  [Uxendon]  at  Harrow-of- 
the-Hill,  the  other  house  in  Kentish  Town  by  Pankeridge." 

When  Father  Weston  arrived,  the  widowed  mother  of 
Richard  Bellamy  was  yet  alive.  We  hear  something  of 
her  in  the  "  offer"  of  a  subsidy^  which  she  was  obliged  to 
make,  in  common  with  all  the  recusants  of  the  kingdom, 
to  arm  her  Majesty  against  the  Spaniards.  "  Catharine 
Bellamy,  widow,  saith  that  she  is  very  aged  and  sickly, 
and  is  indebted  above  60/.,  and  that  all  her  living  was 
never  above  60/.  a  year,  being  her  jointure,  and  that  she  is 
charged  with  the  keeping  of  divers  of  her  children,  and 
therefore  to  get  her  debts  paid,  and  to  be  discharged  of 
her  labour  and  travail  about  the  husbandry  of  her  living, 
which  resteth  chiefly  upon  tillage,  she  about  one  year  past 
hath  devised  all  her  lands  and  tenements  unto  her  son, 
Thomas  Bellamy,  reserving  to  herself  30/.  rent.  And 
further  she  saith  that  she  did  lately  pay  for  the  furnishing 
of  an  horse  25/.,  and  yet  she  is  willing  to  offer  to  her 
Majesty  10/.  yearly,  and  more  would  do  if  she  were  able, 
— K.  B.,  14th  March,  1585." 

Her  brother,  William  Page,  makes  an  "  offer  "  likewise, 
into  which  an  error  must  have  crept  as  to  the  value  of  his 
"living."^  "28°  die  Martii,  1585.  William  Page  of  Harrow, 
in  the  county  of  Middlesex,  gentleman,  saith  that  his  living 
is  not  above  10/.  a  year,  yet  nevertheless  he  will  give  10/. 
yearly, — Will.  Page." 

It  is  probable  that  all  the  Page  family  were  not 
Catholics,  for  in  the  Letters  Patent  in  the  14th  year  of 
Elizabeth's  reign  (157 1-2),  incorporating  the  school  that 
John  Lyon  had  just  founded,  which  has  made  the  name  of 
Harrow  famous,  the  first  Governors  of  the  school  were 
Sir  Gilbert  Gerard,  the  Attorney-General,  John  Page  of 
Wembley,  and  Thomas  Page  of  Sudbury  Court.   Wembley 

^  P.R.O.,  Dcmestic,  Elizabeth,  voL  clxxxvii.  n.  48  xiii. 
»  Idid.  n.  48  xi. 


48  Life  of  Father  Willia7ii  Westo7i. 

was  a  manor  that  once  belonged  to  the  Priory  of  Kilburn, 
and  this  John  Page  Hved  to  see  seventy-five  children  and 
grandchildren,  and  died  in  1623.  A  manuscript  history  of 
Harrow  in  the  British  Museum,^  written  at  the  beginning 
of  this  century,  says  that  "  Wembley  belongs  to  Richard 
Page,  Esq.  It  was  conveyed  to  his  ancestor  in  1543,  and 
furnishes  almost  the  only  instance  in  Middlesex  of  a  family 
now  existing,  resident  proprietors  for  two  centuries  and 
a  half  Woxendon,  or  Uxendon,  is  also  the  property  of 
Richard  Page,  Esq.,"  to  whose  family  it  passed  from  the 
Bellamys,  early  in  the  last  century. 

Father  Francis  Page,  S.J.,  who  was  martyred  in  1602, 
was  a  member  of  this  family,  and  brought  up  a  Protestant. 
He  was  converted  by  Father  Gerard,  and  has  left  as 
a  record  of  his  imprisonment  in  the  Tower  of  London, 
as  narrated  by  that  father,-  an  inscription  on  the  walls 
of  the  Beauchamp  Tower,  "  Dieii  est  inon  espcrance, — 
F.  Page."  William  Page,  whose  "  offer  "  has  just  been 
given,  was  a  Catholic  ;  and  he  is  the  "  Uncle  Page,  a 
close  prisoner  by  Mr.  Topcliffe's  commandment,"  of  whom 
Richard  Bellamy  speaks.  This  was  not  his  only  im- 
prisonment. A  note  in  the  State  Papers  says  :  "  Counter 
in  Wood  Street.  W^illiam  Page  committed  by  the  lords 
[of  the  Privy  Council],  discharged  by  Mr.  Young,  8th 
October  [i586]."3 

This  was  an  arrest  on  occasion  of  the  Babington  Plot. 
His  sister,  Catharine  Bellamy,  the  widow,  was  arrested  at 
the  same  time.  "  Mrs.  Catharine  Bellamy  was  committed 
to  the  Fleet  on  Saturday,  the  14th  of  August,  1586."^  She 
was  soon  removed  to  the  Tower  of  London,^  and  her  name 
appears  in  a  list  of  prisoners  in  the  Tower,  September  25, 
1586,  signed  by  Chief  Justice  Popham,  where  she  is 
bracketed  with  Sir  Thomas  Gerard. 

^  Harleian  MSB.  22 1 1.  ^  Condition  of  Catholics,  p.  ex. 

^  P.  R.  O. ,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  cxv.  n.  34. 

*  Ibid.  vol.  cxcii.  n.  49.  ^  Ibid.  vol.  cxcv.  n.  34. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  49 

"  Sir  Thomas  Gerard,  knight  "i  both  indicted  of  high 
Catharine  Bellam)'-,  widow      j  treason." 

It  was  resolved  by  the  Privy  Council  that  the  aged  and 
sickly  widow  should  not  be  spared.  "  The  lords'  resolu- 
tion upon  prisoners,  November  30,  1586,"  says,  "Catharine 
Bellamy,  indicted  for  harbouring  of  traitors  and  seminaries, 
to  be  proceeded  against  in  course  of  law."^  And  more 
significant  still,  the  original  notes^  in  Sir  Francis  Walsing- 
ham's  hand,  order  "  Kat  Bellami  To  be  arrayned  and  con- 
dempned."  In  those  days  a  Secretary  of  State  could  take 
for  granted  that  condemnation  of  a  Papist  would  follow 
arraignment  The  good  widow  died  a  martyr's  death  in 
the  Tower  of  London,  the  hardships  of  which  rendered  a 
public  execution  unnecessary.  Her  youngest  son,  Jeremy, 
was  executed  with  Ballard  and  Babington,  September  21, 
1586  ;  and  he  found  general  sympathy,  for  his  sole  offence 
was  that  he  had  relieved  Barnwell  and  Dunne,  who  had 
hidden  themselves  in  a  wood  near  Harrow.  Another  of 
her  sons  (probably  Bartholomew)  shared  her  imprisonment 
in  the  Tower,  and  gained  with  her  the  martyr's  crown,  for 
he  died  under  torture  in  that  cruel  place. 

She  had  in  all  six  children  :  Richard,  the  eldest,  to 
whom  we  return  presently ;  Thomas,  whose  name  occurs 
in  her  "offer"  (who  settled  at  Studley,  in  Buckingham- 
shire, and  married  Catharine,  heiress  of  John  Symonds  of 
South  Mimms) ;  Bartholomew,  Robert,  and  Jeremy ;  and 
one  daughter,  Dorothy,  the  wife  of  Anthony  Frankyshe  of 
Water  Stothard,  Bucks,  who  died  in  1574,  and  whose  tomb, 
Lysons  tells  us,  was  in  the  nave  of  Harrow  Church. 

Robert's  sufferings  for  religion  are  shown  by  an  entry 
in  a  list^  of  prisoners  in  Newgate,  June  13,  1586,  when  he 
had  been  confined  eighteen  months  in  that  prison.  "Robert 
Bellamy,  late  of  Harrow-upon-the-Hill,  in  the  county  of 
Middlesex,  gentleman,  was  committed  unto  Newgate  the 

'  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  cxcv.  n.  32.         ^  Ibid.  vol.  cxcv.  n.  30. 
^  Ibid.  vol.  cxc.  n.  29. 

E 


50  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

30th  day  of  January,  1585,  by  Mr.  Young  and  other  of 
the  commissioners  for  the  Romish  rehgion  ;  and  at  the 
sessions  holden  the  i8th  day  of  April,  1586,  was  convicted 
for  the  hearing  of  Mass,  and  had  judgment  accordingly." 
His  name  appears  as  prisoner  in  the  Clink,  in  a  Hst  dated 
December  7,  1586,  where  he  is  called  "  Robert  Bellamy  of 
London,  yeoman,  committed  by  Mr.  Young  the  30th  of 
Jime,  1585."^  "Jan."  and  "June"  are  easily  mistaken  for 
one  another,  so  that  the  month  of  his  arrest  is  doubtful. 
The  penalty  for  hearing  Mass,  by  the  23rd  Eliz.,  cap.  r, 
was  one  hundred  marks  {^61.  i^s.  ^d.)  and  one  year's 
imprisonment.  But  hearing  Mass  was  adjudged^  to  be 
"procuring  or  maintaining  a  minister  "  to  say  a  service 
other  than  that  of  the  Common  Prayer-Book,  and  the 
penalty,  by  the  Act  of  Uniformity,^  was  "  for  the  first 
offence  a  hundred  marks,  or  if  that  be  not  paid  in  six 
weeks,  six  months'  imprisonment ;  for  the  second  offence, 
four  hundred  marks,  or  that  not  paid  in  six  weeks,  one 
years  imprisonment ;  for  the  third  offence,  forfeiture  of 
goods  and  chattels,  and  imprisonment  for  life." 

Robert  was  arrested  very  shortly  after  Fiather  Weston's 
visit,  and  was  kept  in  Newgate  fifteen  months  before  trial. 
It  is  interesting  to  learn  that  the  Mass  for  hearing  which 
he  was  punished,  was  said  by  one  of  the  martyrs.  William 
Thompson,  called  Blackburn,  from  the  place  of  his  birth, 
suffered  at  Tyburn  on  the  20th  April,  1586.  The  martyr 
was  taken  prisoner  with  Robert  Bellamy,  and  tried  at  the 
same  sessions.  This  and  other  particulars  respecting  the 
adventures  and  sufferings  of  Robert  during  the  next  seven 
years,  we  learn  from  his  examination'^  in  the  Marshalsea  in 
April,  1593. 

"Robert  Bellamy  of  Harrow-at-Hill,  gentleman,  of 
fifty-two  years,  examined,  saith  that  he  hath  been  in  prison 

^  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  cxv.  n.  51. 

^  Dyer's  Reports,  203.  ^  i  Eliz.  cap.  ii. 

■*  Strype's  Annals,  vol.  iv.  p.  259. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  51 

six  years.  First,  being  taken  with  Blackburn,  a  Seminary- 
priest,  in  his  house  at  Mass,  with  divers  others.  Committed 
to  Newgate.  Indicted  for  hearing  of  Mass,  according  to 
the  statute.  Did  afterwards  break  prison,  with  others,  and 
fled  into  Scotland,  and  from  thence  into  Germany ;  and 
there  taken  by  Duke  Casimir,  and  by  him  sent  into 
England.  Then  committed  by  Sir  Francis  Walsingham. 
By  the  means  of  Robert  Robinson, who  had  twenty  marks  ^ 
for  his  labour,  being  a  suitor  to  the  Privy  Council,  was  by 
their  Honours  set  at  liberty.  Afterwards  committed  again 
by  Mr.  Young  and  other  commissioners,  about  twelve 
months  since,  or  somewhat  more.  Then  in  Easter  set  at 
liberty  again,  upon  bonds  taken  with  sureties  that  he 
should  appear  at  the  next  sessions ;  in  the  meantime, 
should  resort  to  the  Dean  of  Westminster  for  conference. 
And  again,  being  committed  by  Mr.  Young  for  being  in 
the  court  as  a  man  suspected.  But  will  not  yet  come 
to  church. 

"Being  demanded,  if  any  army  shall  come  into  this 
realm  by  the  Catholic  Romish  authority,  sent  from  the 
Pope  to  establish  the  Catholic  Romish  religion  (as  he 
calleth  it)  within  this  realm,  whether  in  the  like  case  he 
would  fight  for  the  Queen's  Majesty  against  such  an  army, 
or  against  the  Queen's  Majesty  and  her  forces  on  the  said 
army's  side,  saith  he  will  fight  for  the  Queen's  Majesty 
against  any  such  army,  and  this  he  affirmeth  upon  his 
oath.  Saith  he  hath  not  been  at  church  these  fifteen 
years  ;  but  yet  is  not  indicted  for  recusancy." 

We  now  turn  to  the  eldest  brother,  Richard  Bellamy, 
and  his  wife  Catharine.  They  had  five  children.  Frith  and 
Thomas,  Audrey,  Mary,  and  Anne,  and  from  the  last  of 
these  came  the  affliction  that  cost  them  more  sorrow  than 
all  the  persecution  they  underwent.  The  story  is  well 
known  how  this  poor  girl,  when  a  helpless  prisoner,  was' 
despoiled  of  her  virtue  and,  driven  to  despair,  married  her 
^  The  mark  was  13J.  4^. 
E  2 


52 


Life  of  Father  Willia7ii  Weston. 


gaoler,  and  became  in  his  hands  an  instrument  for  the 
destruction  of  her  father's  house,  and  of  the  priests  who 
risked  their  Hves  for  her  soul.  She  betrayed  Father 
Robert  Southwell,  and  appeared  as  a  witness  against  him 
at  his  trial.  ^  It  is  of  her  that  her  father  speaks  in  the  con- 
clusion of  the  following  paper. 

It  was  in  opposition  to  some  petition  on  the  part  of 
the  Bellamys  that  Topcliffe  wrote  the  "  exceptions  "  which 
they  have  attempted  to  answer.  The  following  is  what 
they  presented  to  Lord  Keeper  Puckering^ — 


"  Mr.  Topcliffe :  his  Exceptions  to 
this  Petition. 


"  It  is  especially  known 
to  the  Queen's  Majesty  that 
Bellamy's  houses  be  within 
six  miles  of  four  or  five  of 
her  ordinary  houses  and 
courts. 

"  I.  This  Richard  Bel- 
lamy and  his  wife  be  to  be 
charged  never  to  have  lived 
in  obedience  to  her  Majesty's 
laws  but  in  disobedience  and 
infamously,  for  he  and  his 
wife  have  received,  relieved, 
and  harboured  in  their  house 
15  or  i6  Jesuits  and  Semi- 
nary priests  sithence  the 
statute  of  27"^°.  Elizabeth 
Reginae  [1584-5],  boarded 
them  a  long  while,  all  being 
of  the  most  traitorous  sort  of 
practisers. 


"A  true  Answer  to  Mr.  Top- 
cliffe's  Exceptions  against 
Richard  Bellamy  and  his 
'wife. 

"  If  the  said  Bellamy's 
house  were  within  so  few 
poles  as  they  are  miles  which 
is  8  or  9  at  the  least,  he 
trusteth  in  God  he  should 
never  be  dangerous  or  hurt- 
ful unto  her  Majesty.  His 
obedience  and  loyalty  is  and 
hath  been  such,  and  so  for 
ever  shall  continue  to  her 
Majesty. 

"  To  the  first  he  saith  he 
never  before  or  sithence  the 
statute  did  relieve  nor  board 
any  knowing  them  to  be 
priests  or  traitorous  practi- 
sers of  their  company. 


^  Condition  of  Catholics,  p.  ccxiv. ,  ccxviii. 
'  Harleian  MSS.  6998,  fol.  23. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 


53 


"  2.  Both  he  and  his 
wife  received  and  harboured 
Doctor  Bristow  that  writ  the 
"Motives,"  a  most  traitorous 
book  and  slanderous  against 
the  Queen's  Majesty,  and 
kept  him  there  being  brought 
thither  sick,  and  he  and  his 
wife  called  Bristow  the  Priest 
there  Cousin  Spring  to  keep 
him  unknown,  and  he  died 
in  their  house,  and  [they] 
caused  him  to  be  buried  in 
Harrow  Church  by  another 
Seminary  priest  called  Hall 
alias  Birkett  who  continued 
there. 

"  3.  This  Hall  alias  Bir- 
kett did  continue  much  with 
Richard  Bellamy  and  his 
wife  in  their  house,  and  that 
priest  did  travel  over  sea 
from  thence  in  company  with 
Robert  Barnes,  another  trait- 
orous dissuaded  guest  of 
theirs,  to  Doctor  Allen.  They 
departed  one  St.  Gregory's 
day  and  returned  upon  St. 
George's  day,  both  lousy  with 
lying  on  shipboard,  with  a 
pair  of  black  stony  beads 
from  Dr.  Allen  the  arch- 
traitor,  and  this  Hall  alias 
Birkett  was  boarded  in  Bel- 
lamy's house  and  Barnes 
paid  for  his  board. 


"  2.  He  denieth  that  ever 
he  received  Doctor  Bristow, 
but  one  Springe  which  was 
a  kinsman  unto  his  wife,  who 
being  sick  at  London  came 
down  for  the  help  of  his 
health  and  died  within  12 
hours  or  thereabouts  imme- 
diately after  his  coming,  and 
was  buried  by  the  Curate  at 
Harrow  and  not  by  any 
Seminary  priest,  whatsoever 
Mr.  Topcliffe  reporteth. 


"  3.  To  the  third  he  saith 
that  it  is  not  true  that  the 
said  Hall  alias  Birkett  did 
continue  much  in  the  house 
of  the  said  Richard  Bellamy, 
neither  was  he  ever  boarded 
there. 


54 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 


"4.  Wingfildca/Ar^Davics 
alias  Cooke  a  Seminary 
priest  boarded  and  was  har- 
boured in  their  house  a 
loni;  time  when  Hall  used 
thither. 

"  5.  Howlforde  alias  Ac- 
ton another  Seminary  priest 
was  harboured  there  when 
he  fled  from  the  Sheriff's 
men  of  Cheshire  out  of  the 
Strand,  by  the  same  token 
that  the  maiden  in  Bellamy's 
house  did  pick  thorns  out  of 
his  legs  gotten  with  running 
thither  through  hedges  in 
the  night,  and  this  Howlforde 
alias  Acton  used  to  play  at 
Tables  with  Richard  Bellamy 
aforesaid. 

"6.  And  Howlforde  and 
Wingfilde  were  sent  to  Bab- 
ington  and  Barnewell  the 
traitors  into  the  wood  from 
Bellamy's  house  when  Bab- 
ington's  treason  was  in  hand. 

"  7.  Barrowes  alias  Wal- 
grave  a  Seminary  priest  was 
received  and  harboured  there, 
and  treated  of  marriage  for 
one  of  his  brothers. 

"8.  Southwell  a//^.r  Cotton 
did  use  thither  divers  time's 
before  that  time  he  was 
taken,  and    preached   there 


"4.  One  Wingfilde  a 
schoolmaster  did  sometimes 
come  to  his  house,  but  he 
knew  him  not  to  be  a  priest. 


"  5.  He  knoweth  not 
Howlforde  alias  Acton  nor 
of  any  such,  nor  never  heard 
of  any  such  man. 


"  6.  The  said  Bellamy  at 
the  apprehension  of  Babing- 
ton  and  Barnewell  was  called 
before  Sir  Edward  Harbert 
knight,  Mr.  Barnes  and  Mr. 
Paine,  and  found  clear  con- 
cerning this  Article. 

"  7.  There  never  came  to 
his  house  any  called  Bar- 
rowes or  Walgrave  being  a 
priest  to  his  knowledge. 

"  8.  Sowthewell  did  never 
before  his  apprehension 
come  to  his  house,  and  that 
day  he  was  from  home  and 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 


55 


that  a  Papist  might  lawfully 
forswear  himself  before  an 
heretical  ruler,  Queen  or 
Magistrate.  And  so  do 
both  Bellamy  and  his  wife, 
being  asked  the  truth  of 
these  priests  &c.  as  that 
Davies  \alias\  Wingfield  was 
not  there  at  Bellamy's  house 
at  that  time  [when]  South- 
[well  was]  there,  whereby 
Wingfilde  escaped  from  be- 
ing taken. 

"  9.  Horrible  and  most 
traitorousbooks  both  printed 
and  written  were  found  by 
me  in  that  house  by  multi- 
tudes, besides  many  dis- 
persed ;  so  as  their  houses 
were  like  stationers'  shops. 


"  10.  And  they  have  con- 
cealed Francis  Southewell's 
two  fairest  horses  to  the 
great     hinderment    of    the 


three  days  before.  And  the 
said  Sowthewell  was  taken 
within  12  hours  after  his 
coming  (as  he  hath  heard 
say),  and  thus  Winckefilde 
the  schoolmaster  was  there 
that  day  but  stayed  not  one 
hour,  and  further  saith  that 
his  daughters  told  him  that 
Mr.  Toplifife  said  unto  them 
that  the  same  Wincke[filde] 
did  betray  Sowthewell. 

"  9.  The  books  which  he 
fo[und]  in  [the  house]  were 
there  left  by  his  mother  un- 
known to  him.  Other  books 
he   found    in  further 

saith  if  any  of  them  had 
been  trai[to]rous  books,  it 
had  been  fit  for  [Mr.  To]p- 
liffe  to  have  received  them 
before  some  other  justice  by 
some  special  note  under 
[both]  their  hands  the  better 
to  charge  his  house  withal, 
for  otherwise  he  may  say 
what  books  soever  he  found 
in  any  other  place  he  found 
them  there,  and  especially 
now  being  almost  three  years 
since. 

"  10.  He  never  concealed 
any  of  Sowthewell's  horses, 
but  if  Sowthewell  had  had 
any  horse  there,  his  house 


56  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

service  of  the  Ouccn's  IMa-  is  a  manor,  and  might  well 
jcsty  and  of  the  State.  have  seized  them. 

"II.    Besides  they  have  "ii.  His  daughter   Au- 

married  their  daughter  Au-  dryc  was  not  married  by 
drye  at  one  of  their  three  his  consent,  neither  knew 
houses  by  a  Seminary  priest  he  thereof  in  half  a  year 
to  a  Papist  of  late  to  show  after,  which  was  to  him 
their  obedience.  a   great  grief,  for  that   she 

might  at  that  time  if  she 
had  been  ruled  by  him  have 
had  a  husband  which  was 
heir  to  a  thousand  marks  by 
the  year. 
"And  further  for  proof  of  the  truth  of  these  ans\v'ers 
the  petitioner  humbly  craveth  the  examinations  of  him- 
self taken  before  the  late  Bishop  of  London,  Mr.  Wrothe, 
Mr.  Barnes,  Mr.  Hawlie,  Mr.  Young  and  others,  as  also  the 
examinations  of  his  wife,  his  two  daughters,  and  his  uncle 
Page,  now  close  prisoners  by  Mr.  Topliffe's  command- 
ment, wath  the  examination  of  one  John  Shepherde  and 
one  Humfrcy  Heigood,  who  were  examined  by  Mr.  Top- 
cliffe  and  others  and  threatened,  imprisoned,  and  fair 
promised  to  confess  against  his  said  wife  and  himself  what 
they  would,  to  be  brought  forth,  that  thereby  your  Honours 
in  charity  and  in  your  grave  considerations  may  the 
freelier  deliver  her,  her  two  daughters  and  his  uncle  Page, 
out  of  this  miserable  estate  of  imprisonment,  either  upon 
bond  or  otherwise,  to  be  forthcoming  at  all  times  to  make 
their  purgation,  if  your  Honours  so  please,  by  very  pregnant 
circumstances,  that  Mr.Topcliffe's  drift  in  these  accusations 
is  rather  to  benefit  one  Jones,  some  time  his  servant  and 
after  servant  unto  the  keeper  of  the  Gatehouse,  who  got 
with  child  while  she  was  a  prisoner  a  daughter  of  this 
petitioner  committed  thither  about  three  years  since  and 
more,  and  after  married  her,  for  whom  he  now  seeketh  a 
far  greater  portion  than  either  this  petitioner's  ability  may 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  57 

well  afford  or  his  daughter's  duty  towards  him  deserveth 
or  her  advancement  requireth,  which  he  thinketh  were 
rather  fit  to  be  punished  than  in  any  sort  favoured." 

The  accusations  brought  by  Topcliffe  against  Richard 
Bellamy  are  exceedingly  interesting  and  accurate.  No 
wonder,  when  the  child  turned  Queen's  evidence  against 
her  father. 

It  is  true  that  Dr.  Richard  Bristow,  one  of  the  first 
founders  of  Douay  College,  died  in  his  house.  He  was  the 
author  of  the  Motives  (Antwerp,  1574)  and  many  other 
works.  Dodd  says,  that  "  according  to  the  character  given 
of  him  in  the  College  records,  he  might  rival  Allen  in 
prudence,  Stapleton  in  acuteness,  Campion  in  eloquence, 
Wright  in  theology,  and  Martin  in  languages."  He  came 
over  to  England  in  a  consumption  brought  on  by  his 
labours,  setting  out  from  Rheims  for  Spa  on  the  13th  of 
May  ;  but  receiving  no  benefit,  he  returned  to  the  College 
on  the  26th  of  July.  He  is  affectionately  mentioned  in 
the  College  diary  as  venerabilis  vir  et  magister  noster.  He 
left  for  England  on  the  23rd  of  September,  and  died  at 
Uxendon  on  the  I4th^  of  October,  1581. 

George  Birket,  the  priest  next  mentioned  in  Topcliffe's 
accusations,  was  a  man  of  considerable  eminence,  as  may 
be  gathered  from  the  fact  that  in  1608  he  was  chosen 
archpriest,  and  continued  in  that  office  till  his  death  in 
1614.  Bartoli  gives  ^  a  beautiful  letter  written  by  him 
just  before  Father  Weston's  coming  over,  addressed  to 
Father  Agazzari,  August  13,  1584,  imploring  the  General 
"  in  the  name  of  all  the  priests  and  of  all  the  Catholics 
of  our  nation "  to  send  some  members  of  the  Society  to 
take  the  place  and  carry  on  the  work  of  Campion  and 
Persons. 

The  "Robert  Barnes,  another  traitor,"  that  Topcliffe 

^  Dodd  (vol.  ii.  p.  60)  erroneously  says  the  i8th. 
*  Inghilterra,  lib,  iv.  cap.  Tiii.  p.  278 ;  Stonyhurst  MSS.,  P.  fol.  74, 


58  Life  of  Father  Williajn  Weslon. 

unites  with  Birkct,  Avas  the  brave  layman,  who  Avas  sen- 
tenced with  Mrs.  Jane  Wiseman  to  the  peine  forte  et  dure 
in  July,  1598,  for  refusing  to  plead  when  arraigned  with 
Father  Jones,  alias  Buckley,  the  Franciscan  martyr. 
Barnes  was  an  excellent  Catholic,  whose  name  often 
appears  in  the  records  of  the  persecution. 

Next  to  him  Topclifife  mentions  Davies  and  Holford, 
two  priests  and  the  latter  a  martyr,  and  Topcliffe  tells 
of  Mr.  Holford  the  same  story  which  Bishop  Challoner 
gives  on  the  authority  of  this  very  Mr.  Davies.  As  the 
passage  in  question  relates  to  Mr.  Bellamy's  house,  which 
Mr.  Davies  does  not  name,  but  which  Topclifife  enables  us 
to  identify,  it  may  be  well  to  insert  it  here  for  comparison. 

Mr.  Davies  had  been  the  means  of  Mr.  Holford's 
conversion.  "  Meeting  v/ith  him  again  some  four  years 
after,"  Mr.  Holford  having  meanwhile  been  ordained 
priest  at  Rheims,  "  I  acquainted  him  where  I  lay  myself," 
says  Mr.  Davies,  meaning  Mr.  Bellamy's,  we  may  be  sure ; 
"where,  to  his  welcome  at  his  first  coming,  the  house 
was  searched  upon  All  Souls'  day,  when  Mr.  Bavin 
[Bavant]  was  making  a  sermon.  The  pursuivants  were 
Newall  and  Worsley ;  but  we  all  three  escaped."  As 
Thomas  Holford  was  ordained  April  7,  1583,  his  con- 
version will  have  been  1579,  and  this  adventure  in  1584, 
about  the  time  of  Father  Weston's  arrival. 

"After  that,"  continues  Mr.  Davies,  "he  fell  into  a 
second  danger,  in  the  time  of  the  search  for  Babington 
and  his  company  [July,  1586],  of  which  tragedy  Sir  Francis 
Walsingham  v/as  the  chief  actor  and  contriver,  as  I 
gathered  by  Mr.  Babington  himself,  who  was  with  me 
the  night  before  he  was  apprehended  :  for  after  he, 
Mr.  Holford,  had  escaped  two  or  three  watches,  he  came 
to  me  [at  Uxendon]  ;  and  the  next  day  the  house  where 
I  remained  was  searched,  but  we  both  escaped  by  a  secret 
place  which  was  made  at  the  foot  of  the  stairs,  where  we 
lay,  going  into  a  hay-barn. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  59 

"Which  troubles  being  passed,  Mr.  Holford  the  next 
year  after  went  into  his  own  country,  which  was  Cheshire, 
hoping  to  gain  some  of  his  friends  there  into  the  Cathohc 
Church :  but  there  he  was  apprehended,  and  imprisoned 
in  the  Castle  of  West  Chester  \i.e.  Chester],  and  from 
thence  was  sent  with  two  pursuivants  (as  I  take  it)  to 
London :  who  lodging  in  Holborn,  at  the  sign  of  the 
Bell  or  the  Exchequer  (I  do  not  well  remember  whether), 
the  good  man  rising  about  five  in  the  morning,  pulled 
on  his  yellow  stocking  upon  one  of  his  legs,  and  had 
his  white  boot  hose  on  the  other,  and  walked  up  and 
down  the  chamber.  One  of  his  keepers  looked  up  (for 
they  had  drank  hard  the  night  before,  and  watched  late), 
and  seeing  him  there,  fell  to  sleep  again ;  which  he 
perceiving  went  down  into  the  hall.  The  tapster  met  him 
and  asked  him,  '  What  lack  you,  gentleman } '  But  the 
tapster  being  gone,  Mr.  Holford  went  out,  and  so  down 
Holborn  to  the  Conduit,  where  a  Catholic  gentleman 
meeting  him  (but  not  knowing  him)  thought  he  was  a 
madman.  Then  he  turned  into  the  little  lane  into  Gray's 
Inn  Field.  What  ways  he  went  afterwards  I  know  not ; 
but  betwixt  ten  and  eleven  of  the  clock  at  night,  he  came 
to  me  where  I  lay  [at  Mr.  Bellamy's]  about  eight  miles 
from  London.  He  had  eaten  nothing  of  all  that  day ; 
his  feet  were  galled  with  gravel  stones,  and  his  legs  all 
scratched  with  briars  and  thorns  (for  he  dared  not  to  keep 
the  highway),  so  that  the  blood  flowed  in  some  places. 
The  gentleman  and  mistress  of  the  house  caused  a  bath 
with  sweet  herbs  to  be  made,  and  their  two  daughters 
washed  and  bathed  his  legs  and  feet ;  after  which  he 
went  to  bed."  This  will  have  been  in  1587.  If  Audrey 
Bellamy  was  married  then,  Anne  will  have  been  one  of 
these  two  daughters,  and  this  accounts  for  the  accuracy 
of  Topclifife's  knowledge.  She  has,  however,  attributed 
her  charity  to  "  the  maiden." 

"After  this  escape,"  adds  Mr.  Davies,  and  a  few  words 


6o  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

more  suffice  to  tell  all  that  wc  know  of  Thomas  Holford's 
martyrdom,  "  he  avoided  London  for  a  time,  but  the  next 
year,  1 588,  he  came  to  London  to  buy  him  a  suit  of  apparel. 
At  which  time,  going  to  Mr.  Swithin  Wells'  house,  near 
St.  Andrew's  Church,  in  Holborn,  to  serve  God  [to  say 
Mass]  Hodgkins,  the  pursuivant,  espying  him  as  he  came 
forth,  dogged  him  into  his  tailor's  house,  and  there  appre- 
hended him.  He  was  executed  on  the  28th  of  August, 
at  Clcrkcnwcll." 

As  for  Mr.  Davies  himself,  he  was  taken  but  not 
known  to  be  a  priest,  and  was  released  on  bail,  to  the 
great  chagrin,  as  we  shall  see,  of  the  pursuivants  who 
took  him.  Berden,  a  spy,  reported^  to  Sir  Francis  Wal- 
singham,  "Davies,  alias  Winckfield,  late  prisoner  in  the 
Counter  in  Wood  Street.  This  companion  was  shifted 
out  for  a  layman  by  the  name  of  Davies.  He  was  the 
principal  person  that  received  Campion,  Parsons,  and 
Edmonds,  and  conducted  them  through  England,  and 
the  corrupter  of  William  Fytton  and  his  mother-in-law 
and  all  their  family,  with  divers  others." 

There  is  one  more  who  is  mentioned  by  Topclifife  in  the 
paper  on  which  we  are  commenting,  and  that  is  the  vene- 
rated name  of  Robert  Southwell.  The  indictment  of  the 
poet  and  martyr  says,  that  "  not  having  the  fear  of  God 
before  his  eyes  and  slighting  the  laws  and  statutes  of  this 
realm  of  England,  without  any  regard  to  the  penalty  therein 
contained,  on  the  20th  day  of  June,  the  thirty-fourth  year 
of  our  Lady  the  Queen,  at  Uxendon,  in  the  county  of 
Middlesex,  traitorously  and  as  a  false  traitor  to  our  said 
Lady  the  Queen,  was  and  remained,  contrary  to  the  form 
of  the  statute  in  such  case  set  forth  and  provided,  and 
contrary  to  the  peace  of  our  said  Lady  the  Queen,  her 
crown  and  dignity."  This  gives  us  the  exact  date  ^  of 
Father  Southwell's  apprehension,  Tuesday,  June  20,  1592. 

^  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  cxcv.  n.  72. 
'  Oliver  erroneously  says  Sunday,  the  5th  of  July. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  6 1 

TopcHfife,  by  a  lie  common  in  those  times,  told 
the  Bellamys  that  Father  Southwell  was  betrayed  by 
Mr.  Davies  the  priest :  in  his  letter,  however,  to  Queen 
Elizabeth  the  day  after  his  arrest,  he  said  that  Nicholas, 
the  underkeeper  of  the  Gatehouse,  was  the  man  that  caused 
him  to  take  him.  This  Nicholas  Jones  was  the  husband 
of  Anne  Bellamy. 

This  is  the  letter^  that  Topclifife  wrote  to  Elizabeth. 
"  I  have  him  here  within  my  strong  chamber  in  West- 
minster churchyard.  I  have  made  him  assured  for  starting 
or  hurting  of  himself  by  putting  upon  his  arms  a  pair  of 
[irons] ;  and  so  to  keep  him  either  from  view  or  conference 
with  any  but  Nicholas,  the  underkeeper  of  the  Gatehouse, 
and  my  boy ;  Nicholas  being  the  man  that  caused  me  to 
take  him.  I  send  an  examination  of  him  faithfully  taken, 
and  of  him  foully  and  suspiciously  answered,  and  for  what.-* 
Knowing  the  nature  and  doings  of  the  man  may  it  please 
your  Majesty  to  see  my  simple  opinion,  constrained  in 
duty  to  utter  it.  Upon  this  present  taking  of  him,  it  is 
good  forthwith  to  enforce  him  to  answer  truly  and  directly, 
and  so  to  prove  his  answers  true  in  haste,  to  the  end  that 
such  as  be  deeply  concerned  in  his  treachery  may  not  have 
time  to  start,  or  make  shift  to  use  any  means  in  common 
prisons ;  either  to  stand  upon  or  against  the  wall  (which 
above  all  things  exceedeth,  and  hurteth  not)  will  give 
warning.  But  if  your  Highness'  pleasure  be  to  know 
anything  in  his  heart,  to  stand  against  the  wall,  his  feet 
standing  upon  the  ground,  and  his  hands  but  as  high  as  he 
can  reach  against  the  wall  (like  a  trick  at  Trenshemarm) 
will  enforce  him  to  tell  all ;  and  the  truth  proved  by  the 
sequel.  (i)  The  answer  of  him  to  the  question  of  the 
Countess  of  Arundel.  And  (2)  that  of  Father  Persons 
deciphereth  him.  It  may  please  your  Majesty  to  consider 
I  never  did  take  so  weighty  a  man,  if  he  be  rightly  con- 
sidered. .  .  .  And  so  humbly  submitting  myself  to   your 

^  Strype's  Annals,  vol.  iv.  p.  185. 


62  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

Majesty's  direction  in  this  or  in  any  service  with  any 
hazard,  I  cease  until  I  have  your  pleasure.  Here  at 
Westminster  with  my  charge  and  ghostly  father,  this 
Monday  the  22nd  [21st]  of  June,  1592.  Your  Majesty's 
faithful  servant,— Rvc.  TorcLYFF."  And  her  Majesty's 
pleasure  was  that  Richard  Topcliffe  should  work  his 
wicked  will  on  Robert  Southwell.  Ten  times  was  he 
tortured  by  being  hanged  by  the  hands  against  the  wall ; 
a  torture  so  severe  that  Father  Southwell  said  he  would 
sooner  have  died  ten  times.  And  then  after  this  he 
endured  two  months'  imprisonment  in  the  Gatehouse, 
before  he  was  committed  to  the  Tower,  under  the  custody 
of  Nicholas  Jones  and  his  wife,  Anne  Bellamy. 

By  betraying  the  hiding-places  at  Uxendon,  Anne 
knew  that  she  was  bringing  her  father  and  mother  under 
the  capital  law  for  felony.  She  was  probably  assured  that 
their  lives  would  be  spared,  and  that  every  effort  would 
be  made  to  bring  them  into  conformity.  The  sort  of 
influence  that  was  brought  to  bear  upon  them  the  follow- 
ing letters  instructively  show. 

They  were  arrested  in  virtue  of  an  order,  which  we 
take  from  the  Introduction  to  the  Reverend  Alexander 
Grosart's  noble  edition  of  Southwell's  Poems. ^  "That 
Mr.  Justice  Young,  or  some  other  like  commissioner,  do 
apprehend  Richard  Bellamy  of  Oxendon,  in  the  parish 
of  Harrow-on-the-Hill,  and  his  wife,  and  the  two  sons 
and  their  two  daughters,  in  whose  house  Father  Southwell, 
alias  Mr.  Cotton,  was  taken  by  Mr.  Toplay  [Topcliffe]  a 
commissioner,  and  where  a  number  of  other  priests  have 
been  received  and  harboured,  as  well  Avhen  Southwell  hath 
been  there,  as  when  Mr.  Barnes  alias  Stranudge  alias  Hynd 
alias  Wingfield,  hath  been  a  sojourner  in  Bellamy's  house. 
And  they  to  be  committed  to  several  prisons :  Bellamy 
and  his  wife  to  the  Gatehouse,  and  their  two  daughters 
to  the   Clink,  and  their  two  sons  to  St.  Catharine's,  and 

1  r.  ixv. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  63 

to  be  examined  straitly  for  the  weighty  service  of  the 
Queen's  Majesty." 

That  that  order  was  written  by  TopdifFe  himself  is 
plain  enough.  The  Bellamys  were  arrested  while  he 
was  out  of  town,  and  not  disposed  of  as  he  had  arranged, 
so  he  wrote  thus,^  ungrammatically  as  usual,  to  Lord 
Keeper  Puckering : 

"  It  may  please  your  lordship,  at  my  return  out  of  the 
country  this  night,  I  did  hear  of  Mrs.  Bellamy's  two 
daughters  committed  to  the  Gatehouse,  but  the  old  hen 
that  hatched  those  chickens  (the  worst  that  ever  was)  is 
as  yet  at  a  lodging.  Let  her  be  sent  to  the  prison  there 
at  the  Gatehouse,  and  severed  from  her  daughters,  and 
her  son  Thomas  Bellamy  committed  to  St.  Catharine's, 
and  you  shall  hear  proof  cause  enough,  and  see  it  work 
a  strange  example  thereabouts.  But  Mr.  Young  nor  any 
other  commissioner  must  know  that  I  do  know  thereof, 
or  am  a  doer  in  this  device :  Nor  by  will  other  than  his 
lordship  that  was  with  you  when  you  did  conclude  what 
should  be  done  at  Greenwich  last.  Let  them  feel  a  day 
or  so  imprisonment,  and  then  your  lordship  shall  see  me 
play  the  part  of  a  true  man  with  charity,  in  the  end  to 
the  honour  of  the  State.  And  so  in  haste  at  midnight 
this  Friday.  Your  lordship's  at  commandment, — Ryc. 
TOPCLYFFE.  To  the  right  honourable  my  sin[gular  good] 
lord.  Sir  John  Puckering,  Lord  Keeper  of  the  Great  Seal 
of  England." 

Whether  "this  Friday"  was  the  23rd  or  the  30th,  of 
that  June  is  not  certain ;  probably  the  latter,  and  in  that 
case  on  that  day,  Mrs.  Bellamy  got  the  following  letter^ 
from  her  "  true  man  with  charity."  In  it  he  hypocritically 
takes  some  expressions  of  obedience  to  the  Queen  as 
intended  for  faithfulness  to  her  religion. 

"  Mrs.  Bellamy,  it  may  be  that  I  did  leave  you  in  fear 

^  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  ccxliii.  n.  26. 
2  Harleian  MSS.  6998,  fol.  21. 


64  Life  of  Father  William  Westoti. 

the  otlicr  night  for  the  cause  that  fell  out  in  your  house, 
better  known  to  yourself  than  to  any  of  us  that  were  there. 
But  because  I  myself  found  you  carried  a  duty  and 
reverence  to  the  name  of  my  Sovereign  Queen  and  yours, 
and  showed  the  fruit  of  obedience  you  know  wherein,  I 
presumed  to  adventure  to  show  you  more  favour  than  like 
offenders  unto  you  have  had  showed  in  like  cause.  And 
your  sons  and  your  household  for  your  sake,  for  I  know 
her  Majesty's  pleasure  is,  and  so  hath  always  been  my 
disposition,  to  make  a  difference  of  offenders  and  offences, 
and  between  those  that  owe  duty  and  perform  duty  to 
her  Majesty  and  such  as  show  malice  unto  her  in  \vord  and 
deed.  This  day  I  have  made  her  privy  of  your  faithful 
doings,  which  traitorous  Papists  will  say  is  faithless.  You 
seeming  to  bear  by  this  your  doing  a  good  heart  smitted 
with  a  little  scrupulousness  her  Majesty  is  disposed  to  take 
better  than  you  have  deserved  and  I  trust  will  be  your 
gracious  lady  at  my  humble  suit  which  you  .shall  not  want 
without  bribe  and  with  a  good  conscience  of  my  part. 
And  therefore  take  no  care  for  yourself,  and  for  your 
husband  so  as  he  come  to  me  to  say  somewhat  to  him  for 
his  good,  your  children  are  like  to  receive  more  favour  so 
as  from  henceforth  they  continue  dutiful  in  heart  and  show. 
And  although  your  daughter  Anne  have  again  fallen  in 
some  folly  there  is  no  time  past  but  she  win  favour.  And 
knowing  so  much  of  her  Majesty's  mercy  towards  you  as 
I  would  wish  you  to  deserve  more  and  more  and  no  way 
to  give  cause  to  her  Majesty  to  cool  her  mercy.  And  so  I 
end  at  my  lodging  in  Westminster  churchyard  the  30th 
day  of  June,  1592."  The  signature  is  cut  off.  The  letter 
would  hardly  be  in  its  present  place  among  Sir  John 
Puckering's  papers,  if  Mrs.  Bellamy  had  not  sent  it  to  the 
Lord  Keeper  by  way  of  complaint  against  Topcliffe. 

Two  years  elapse  before  we  hear  of  the  Bellamys 
again.  Richard,  who  had  been  what  our  fathers  called 
"  a  schismatic,"  that  is  one  who  knew  the  Catholic  religion 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  65 

to  be  true  and  who  went  to  the  Protestant  church,  though 
he  knew  it  to  be  a  sin,  in  order  thus  to  obtain  some  cessa- 
tion of  the  persecution,  had  gone  into  Belgium.  There 
Father  Henry  More  says  he  saw  him  in  exile  and  poverty, 
ampla  dejectum  fortima,  extorrem,  et  reliqitam  exigico  quod 
siiperesse  potuit  trahentem  vitam?-  Catharine  his  wife,  and 
his  two  sons  at  length  "conformed,"  but  the  two  daugh- 
ters Audrey  Wilford,  now  a  widow,  and  Mary,  held  out 
bravely  to  the  last.  Here  are  their  examinations,^  taken 
in  1594,  and  it  makes  one's  heart  ache  to  read  them. 

"The  examination  of  Katherine  Bellamy,  wife  of 
Richard  Bellamy  of  Harrow  Hill,  taken  before  me  Richard 
Young  the  i8th  day  of  July,  1594. 

"  The  said  examinate  saith  that  she  doth  go  to  church, 
and  doth  hear  divine  service  and  sermons,  but  she  saith 
that  she  hath  not  received  the  Communion. 

'^  Item,  she  saith  that  she  hath  two  sons,  one  Frith 
and  the  other  Thomas,  and  they  do  go  to  church  every 
Sunday. 

''Item,  she  saith  that  she  hath  two  daughters,  one 
called  Awdrey,  the  other  Mary,  and  they  be  in  house  with 
her,  but  they  do  not  go  to  church. 

"  Item,  she  saith  that  Mr.  William  Page  her  uncle  doth 
lodge  at  her  house  and  doth  not  go  to  church. 

"  Thomas  Bellamy,  of  the  age  of  twenty -two  or  twenty- 
three  years,  examined  saith  that  he  goeth  to  church  and 
heareth  divine  service  and  sermons  also.  And  although  he 
did  not  receive  the  Communion  the  last  Easter,  yet  now 
he  is  willing.  He  saith  also  that  Mr.  William  Page  lieth 
at  his  father's,  but  goeth  not  to  church. 

"Awdry  Wilford,  widow,  examined  saith  that  she 
remaineth  with  her  mother  Mrs.  Bellamy,  and  being  asked 

^  Hist.  Prov.  lib.  v.  n.  25,  p.  192. 
-  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  ccxlix.  n.  31. 


66  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

whether  she  goeth  to  church,  answereth  No,  and  saith 
that  her  conscience  will  not  give  her  to  go  to  church,  and 
(so  far  as  she  can  remember)  she  was  never  at  church  in 
all  her  life-time,  and  refuseth  also  now  to  go,  or  to  have 
conference. 

"  Mary  Bellamy,  of  the  age  of  twenty-seven  years, 
examined  saith  that  she  hath  dwelt  always  with  her 
mother  and  hath  not  been  at  church  these  fourteen  years. 
And  being  asked  why,  saith  that  her  conscience  will  not 
suffer  her,  neither  will  she  now  go  to  church,  or  yet  admit 
any  conference." 


CHAPTER   V. 

THE  EXILES   OF    1 585. 

"We  meanwhile  returned  to  London,"  Father  Weston, 
that  is,  and  his  companion  Henry  Hubert,  "  there  to  devise 
new  plans  for  our  future  proceedings.  Mr.  Henry  had 
received  news  while  still  in  France,  that  his  wife  whom 
he  had  left  with  child  had  retired  from  her  own  home,  and 
was  living  secretly  in  the  house  of  a  Catholic  until  the 
birth  of  her  child,  in  order  to  avoid  the  danger  of  its  falling 
into  the  hands  of  heretics  and  receiving  baptism  according 
to  their  rite.^  We  thought  it  good  to  make  an  attempt, 
for  we  were  not  certain  of  her  being  concealed  there,  so  I 
went  to  the  house,  for  Mr.  Henry  did  not  dare  to  be  seen 
in  public,  as  every  place  and  house  seemed  dangerous  to 

^  When  the  persecution  was  more  systematically  directed  in  King  James' 
time  to  the  robbery  of  Catholics,  the  penalty  incurred  by  every  Popish  recusant 
who  did  not  cause  his  child  to  be  baptized  by  a  lawful  minister  of  the  Church 
of  England,  in  open  church,  within  one  month  after  it  was  born,  was  the 
forfeiture  of  loo/.,  of  which  one  third  was  to  go  to  the  King,  one  third  to  the 
prosecutor,  and  the  remainder  to  the  poor  of  the  parish.     3  Jac.  I.  cap.  5. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  67 

him.  I  made  inquiries  whether  his  wife  were  dwelling 
there.  The  people  of  the  house  denied  to  me  that  she 
either  was  there  or  ever  had  been,  for  they  feared  that  I 
might  be  an  enemy  or  a  spy.  When  I  had  been  often 
repulsed,  and  had  nevertheless  from  certain  indications 
become  pretty  sure  that  this  was  her  retreat,  I  assumed  a 
bolder  air  and  said  that  it  was  impossible  that  she  was 
not  within,  adding  words  which  implied  how  sorely  I  was 
annoyed  at  the  fact  of  being  repelled  so  many  times. 
Nevertheless,  they  sent  me  away.  As  I  was  withdrawing, 
however,  a  girl  followed  me  and  inquired  whether  I  had 
ever  seen  or  known  the  woman  for  whom  I  was  inquiring. 
I  said  that  I  had  not,  but  that  I  had  certain  tokens  from 
her  husband  which  she  would  not  be  sorry  to  see  and 
recognize.  She  asked  me  therefore  to  return,  and  leading 
me  in,  she  pointed  the  woman  out  to  me.  I  immediately 
showed  her  a  jewelled  ornament  of  her  husband's,  a  most 
certain  token,  the  recognition  of  which  brought  me  into 
the  greatest  favour,  both  with  herself  and  the  whole  family. 
Every  mark  and  office  of  charity  was  joyfully  lavished 
upon  me.  In  reply  to  their  many  inquiries,  I  told  them 
all  I  knew  concerning  Mr.  Henry  and  where  he  was 
staying.  I  then  went  out  and  brought  him  back  with 
me,  and  we  passed  that  day  in  happiness. 

"  On  the  morrow  there  arrived  a  priest,  with  whom  I 
talked  for  awhile  about  matters  of  business  and  the  state 
of  affairs.  Then,  having  said  Mass,  we  took  our  leave 
Mr.  Henry  remaining  behind  there  in  company  with  his 
wife.  The  priest  conducted  me  to  the  same  lady  who 
at  first  had  denied  that  she  knew  Father  Persons.  She 
received  me  most  kindly  and  explained  the  reason  of 
her  mistrust ;  in  fact,  she  had  imagined  that  we  belonged 
to  that  race  of  men  whom  they  call  pursuivants.  I 
sojourned  there  for  a  few  days,  during  which  we  had 
frequent  visits  from  Catholic  priests.  From  this  house 
I  made  a  beginning  of  those  matters  which   belong  to 

F  2 


68  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

our  duty  and  our  office,  and  I  became  presently  known 
to  many  persons. 

"Father  Haywood  during  those  days  lay  detained  in 
captivity  within  the  Tower  of  London,  and  besides  the 
other  inconveniences  of  his  prison  he  was  afflicted  with 
divers  infirmities.  On  account  of  his  age  and  ill  health 
he  was  permitted  to  receive  visits  from  his  sister,  who 
was  able  to  bestow  upon  him  some  care  and  nursing. 
Through  her  help,  therefore,  as  she  was  a  Catholic,  I 
transacted  some  business  with  him  by  means  of  letters, 
and  received  letters  from  him  in  return.  The  opening 
of  Parliament  was  now  at  hand,  that  very  Parliament  in 
which  were  decreed  those  dreadful  and  ruthless  laws 
against  Catholics  in  general,  and  against  their  clergy 
in  particular ;  at  which  time  such  priests  as  were  still 
detained  in  prison  were  driven  into  exile.  One  of  these 
was  Father  Haywood,  whom  I  was  most  intensely  anxious 
to  see  and  converse  with  before  his  departure.  The 
matter  being  in  consequence  discussed  with  his  sister, 
and  understanding  from  her  that  it  was  possible  to  bring 
it  to  pass  without  extreme  danger,  as  freer  leave  of 
having  intercourse  with  his  friends  would  be  granted  to 
him  in  consideration  of  his  removal,  I  entered  with  her 
into  the  Tower,  not  without  great  terror,  as  I  perceived 
the  dreary  spaces,  the  gates  and  iron  bolts  past  which 
I  was  led  by  my  guide,  and  which  inclosed  me  round. 
When  I  came  to  where  the  Father  was  confined,  we 
saluted  each  other  and  then  discoursed,  as  was  natural, 
concerning  what  we  each  knew  respecting  affairs. 

"  Amongst  other  things  he  told  me  that  in  spite  of  all 
my  endeavours  to  keep  my  arrival  in  England  a  secret, 
it  had  yet  been  previously  known  to  himself;  he  had 
heard  it  from  the  Earl  of  Northumberland,  as  also  about 
Ralph,  my  companion ;  and  it  was  impossible  that  infor- 
mation should  not  have  reached  the  ears  of  the  Queen's 
Council.      This   Earl  was   at  that  time   held    fast  in  the 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  69 

Tower,  and  shortly  afterwards  [July,  1585]  he  was  atro- 
ciously murdered  in  his  chamber  in  the  dead  of  the 
night  by  some  villains  who  discharged  into  his  breast 
the  contents  of  a  musket,  charged  with  two  bullets ;  at 
least  so  public  report  expressed  it. 

"At  length,  when  my  conference  with  Father  Haywood 
was  finished,  and  we  had  spent  almost  the  whole  day 
together,  having  embraced  him  and  said  a  last  farewell, 
I  returned  by  the  same  labyrinth  by  which  I  had  entered, 
and  as  soon  as  I  found  myself  outside  safe  and  sound, 
it  seemed  as  though  I  was  restored  to  the  light  of  day. 
After  some  weeks  he  was  placed  in  the  same  vessel  with 
many  other  priests,  and  thrust  away  into  exile,  leaving 
us,  his  country,  his  parents  and  friends  behind  him.  Then 
I  found  myself  alone  in  England,  deprived  both  of  my 
father  and  of  Ralph,  my  brother." 

Among  these  exiles  was  Edward  Rishton,  a  priest  who 
had  been  condemned  with  Campion,  and  who  was  one  of 
Father  Haywood's  fellow-prisoners  in  the  Tower.  To  him 
we  are  indebted,  not  only  for  his  very  valuable  diary  of 
events  during  his  imprisonment  there,  but  also  for  the 
supplement,  or  third  book,  that  he  added  to  Sanders' 
History  of  the  English  Schism. 

The  diary  in  the  Tower  ends  with  this  record,  under 
date  of  January  21,  158I:  "Jaspar  Haywood,  James 
Bosgrave,  and  John  Hart,  priests  of  the  Society  of  Jesus  ; 
Christopher  Thompson,  Arthur  Pitts,  Robert  Nutter, 
Thomas  Stevenson,  Richard  Slack,  Thomas  Barnes, 
Thomas  Worthington,  and  ten  other  priests,  with  one 
layman  (in  all  we  were  one-and-twenty),  when  expecting 
nothing  of  the  sort,  were  by  the  Queen's  command  put  on 
board  a  ship,  and  against  our  will  put  ashore  on  the 
coast  of  Normandy,  and  not  long  after\vards  fifty  [one] 
others  followed  us  into  exile,  and  we  were  all  expressly 
threatened  with  pain  of  death  if  we  ever  returned  to  our 
country." 


70  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

Rishton's  account  of  this  deportation,  given  in  his 
edition  of  Sanders,  is  much  more  full,  and  in  it  Father 
Jaspar  Haywood  plays  the  most  prominent  part.  He  had 
been,  when  a  boy,  in  Elizabeth's  service,  and  it  was  thought 
that  he  might  be  withdrawn  from  his  fellow-prisoners  at 
the  time  of  their  trial,  in  such  a  manner  as  to  leave  the 
impression  on  the  minds  of  Catholics  that  he  had  yielded. 
Accordingly,  Avhen  they  were  on  their  trial  at  West- 
minster, he  was  taken  away  so  that  they  should  not 
know  what  had  become  of  him.  Imprisoned  first  in  the 
Clink  on  the  Qtli  of  December,  1583,  he  was  taken 
from  the  Queen's  Bench  at  Westminster  to  the  Tower 
on  the  6th  of  February,  1584;  while  his  companions, 
George  Haydock,  John  Munden,  John  Nutter,  James 
Fenn,  and  Thomas  Hemerford,  all  priests,  were  con- 
demned and  martyred. 

While  in  the  Tower  Elizabeth's  Ministers  did  their  best, 
by  promises,  to  induce  him  to  desert  his  religion,  even 
going  so  far,  as  he  told  Rishton,  as  to  offer  him  a  bishopric 
He  had  not  been  a  full  year  in  the  Tower  of  London  when 
he  was  shipped  off  to  France.  A  few  only  of  the  multi- 
tudes of  Catholic  prisoners  were  selected  for  this  excep- 
tional punishment,  as  they  regarded  it.  The  prisons  were 
full.  In  the  Marshalsea  alone  there  were  thirty  priests ; 
and  in  the  course  of  the  year  no  less  than  seventy-two 
were  sent  into  exile,  of  whom  many  were  aged  priests  from 
the  gaols  of  York  and  Hull.  The  gaolers  of  the  London 
prisons  were  furnished  with  lists  of  the  names  of  those  who 
were  chosen  for  banishment,  in  order  that  the  prisoners 
might  provide  themselves  with  requisites  for  their  journey. 
This,  however,  was  not  an  easy  thing  for  close  prisoners 
to  do. 

When  the  day  came  at  last,  after  various  delays,  the 
twenty  priests,  who,  with  Henry  Orton,  constituted  the 
first  ship-load,  met  from  their  various  prisons  on  the  Tower 
wharf     Instead  of  regarding  their  liberation  from  prison 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  71 

as  a  favour,  Father  Jaspar  Haywood  made  a  protest  in  the 
name  of  all,  that  they  were  innocent  men  who  were  being 
punished  with  exile,  and  that,  so  far  from  consenting  to 
leave  the  Catholics,  whom  they  were  bound  to  serve,  they 
would  gladly  give  their  lives  for  them.  They  valued  their 
country,  he  said,  and  their  countrymen's  souls  above  their 
lives.  Their  protest  was  not  listened  to,  nor  their  demand 
to  see  the  Queen's  warrant  for  their  expulsion  ;  and  the 
ship  left  amid  the  salutations  of  many  friends  who  had 
been  allowed  to  see  them  start. 

They  were  bound  for  Boulogne,  and  when  they  had 
been  two  days  at  sea,  they  made  a  fresh  request  to  be 
allowed  to  see  the  warrant  for  their  transportation.  The 
indignation  of  the  priests  was  great  when  they  found  that 
it  recited  that  by  their  own  and  others'  confessions  they 
had  been  found  guilty  of  seditions  and  conspiracies  against 
the  Queen  and  the  State,  and  that  the  sentence  of  death 
was  commuted,  by  her  Majesty's  clemency,  to  exile.  So 
far  from  this  being  true,  many  of  them  had  not  been  put 
upon  their  trial,  and  one  of  them,  John  Collington,  had 
even  been  acquitted  when  tried  with  Father  Campion. 
Haywood  was  spokesman  again,  but  of  course  the  officers 
answered  that  they  had  nothing  to  do  but  to  obey  orders. 
These  protests  were  necessary,  lest  it  should  be  thought 
that  they  were  of  their  own  accord  withdrawing  from 
the  field  of  duty  and  of  danger,  which  would  have  been 
accounted  disgraceful  by  themselves  and  by  the  Catholics 
on  both  sides  of  the  Channel.  On  the  3rd  of  March 
fourteen  of  this  first  ship-load  reached  the  College  at 
Rheims,  and  they  were  joined  by  ten  other  exiled  priests 
in  the  course  of  the  year.  By  degrees  they  found  their 
way  back  again  into  England  ;  for  in  what  respect  were 
they,  with  their  special  threat  of  death,  in  a  worse  position 
than  all  priests  whose  priesthood  was  treason  .-*  That  they 
sincerely  meant  what  they  said,  when  they  promised  soon 
to  return  to  England,  to  reassure  the  Catholics  who  feared 


72  Life  of  Father  William  Wcsiou. 

that  they  had  purchased  exile  by  concessions,  is  shown 
by  the  fact  that,  among  the  twenty-four  to  whom  the 
College  at  Rheims  gave  shelter,  there  were  William 
Hartley,  William  Dean,  Robert  Nutter,  Stephen  Row- 
sham,  John  Adams,  Thomas  Pilchard,  Nicholas  Garlick, 
Edmund  Sykes,  and  John  Hcwet,  who  were  all  subse- 
quently martyred. 

Jaspar  Haywood,  who  had  been  seventeen  years 
Professor  of  Theology  at  Dillingen,  and  was  famous 
for  his  knowledge  of  Hebrew,  was  so  highly  esteemed 
there  that  to  obtain  him  for  the  English  mission  it  was 
necessary  for  Pope  Gregory  XHI.  to  address  a  Briefs  to 
the  Duke  of  Bavaria,  requesting  that  he  might  be  spared 
for  the  important  work  for  which  he  was  wanted.  Bartoli 
says  that  in  spite  of  his  previous  reputation,  and  of  his 
acknowledged  piety  and  his  sufferings  for  religion,  a 
character  for  an  obstinate  adherence  to  his  own  opinion 
rendered  it  impossible  for  him  to  be  employed  in  any 
capacity  but  that  of  a  simple  opcrarius.  This  judgment 
seems  unduly  severe,  for  we  have  nothing  to  support  it 
but  his  indiscretion  in  the  question  of  the  English  fasting 
days  ;  and  there  is  nothing  that  requires  explanation  in 
the  fact  that  a  professor  should  not  have  been  again 
employed  in  teaching,  when  his  studies  had  been  for 
some  time  interrupted  by  the  very  different  duties  of 
missionary  life.  He  went  first  to  Dole  in  France,  then, 
after  four  }cars,  to  Rome,  and  lastly  to  Naples,  where  he 
died  a  most  pious  death  on  the  9th  of  January,  1598, 
sixty-three  years  of  age. 

James  Bosgravc,  his  companion  in  imprisonment  and 
exile,  was  received  into  the  Society  at  Rome  in  1564,  and 
ordained  priest  at  Olmutz  in  1572.  He  spent  twelve  years, 
before  and  after  his  ordination,  teaching  Rhetoric,  Philo- 
sophy, Mathematics,  Greek,  and  Hebrew,  and  in   1580  he 

^  It  is  given  by  Father  More  {Ilist.  Prov.  lib.  iv.  n.  ii.  p.  132),  and  is 
dated  May  26,  1581, 


Life  of  Father  Williaju  Weston.  73 

returned  to  England,  where  he  was  taken  prisoner  as  soon 
as  he  landed,  and  was  sent  first  to  the  Marshalsea  and  then 
to  the  Tower.  ^  He  was  tried  with  Father  Campion,  and 
sentence  of  death  was  pronounced  against  him.  There  is 
a  curious  paper  in  the  Public  Record  Office,^  dated  July, 
1580,  giving  the  points  on  which  it  was  considered  he 
might  be  arraigned. 

"James  Bosgrave  chargeable:  being  at  Rome  and 
going  in  the  company  of  Dr.  Harding  thither. 

"  Saying  that  her  Majesty  is  Queen  of  England  and 
head  of  this  Church,  because  she  is  the  beginner  of  the 
religion  which  we  now  hold. 

"  Saying  that  our  bishops  be  not  lawful  bishops  because 
they  are  not  consecrated  by  the  Pope,  neither  they  allow- 
able ministers  that  are  made  by  our  bishops. 

"  Saying  there  be  in  London  twelve  Catholics  well 
known  to  the  Catholics  beyond  the  sea,  who  have  sent  for 
four  doctors  to  come  over  to  them  from  Rome,  which 
arrived  in  London  in  August  last  past. 

"  Saying  that  his  own  coming  is  looked  for  of  many  in 
London  ;  that  he  can  bring  one  to  service  in  London  where 
there  shall  be  four  hundred  Catholics. 

"  Saying  that  her  Majesty  would  not  live  [for]  ever, 
and  that  there  is  hope  all  things  will  here  be  brought  into 
an  unity  when  the  crown  of  England  shall  be  subject  to 
Scotland. 

"  Saying  the  Catholics  in  England  are  able  to  cast  out 
all  the  Protestants  in  this  realm,  but  that  they  lack  only 
a  head. 

"  With  having  a  letter  sent  unto  him  from  Owen  at 
Rome,  telling  him  it  was  not  yet  time  for  him  to  go  into 
England,  [it]  being  impossible  to  do  good  there  till  God 
send  better  days. 

"  Having  a  testimonial  from  one  Peres,   master  of  a 

^  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  cxlix.  n.  83;  vol.  clix.  n.  36. 
'  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  cxl.  n.  43. 


74  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

College   of  Jesuits,   signifying   that   he   is   a   Jesuit,   and 
without  impediment  to  say  Mass  everywhere." 

Father  Persons  gives  an  account  of  the  error  committed 
by  Father  Bosgrave,  and  of  the  humility  with  which  he 
corrected  it,  in  the  notes  that  he  wrote  in  1594  for  the  Life 
of  Father  Campion. ^  "A  few  days  after  this  [Father 
Cottam's  apprehension  in  June,  1580],  there  was  taken  also 
one  Mr.  James  Bosgrave,  a  priest  of  the  Society  of  Jesus, 
of  a  very  worshipful  house  and  parentage  in  England,  who, 
having  departed  out  of  England  when  he  was  but  very 
young,  and  afterwards,  making  him  a  religious  man,  had 
lived  many  years  in  Germany  and  Poland,  though  he  were 
very  well  learned  for  his  years,  yet  knew  he  not  the  perfect 
state  of  matter  in  England  especially  touching  religion ; 
and  therefore  returning  into  England  on  the  sudden  for 
recovery  of  his  health,  and  being  taken  at  his  first  landing 
before  he  could  have  conference  with  any  Catholics,  was 
brought  before  the  Bishop  of  London,  and  being  asked 
whence  he  came,  he  said,  '  From  Germany  and  Poland,' 
which  liked  them  not  evil ;  and  being  asked  what  he  had 
done  there,  he  said  he  had  travelled  countries,  which  also 
they  took  well,  as  being  a  thing  much  used  by  English 
gentlemen  at  this  day.  But  after  this  they  came  to  matter 
of  religion,  wherein  he  professed  himself  a  Catholic ; 
whereto  they  replied  that  so  were  they  too,  but  the 
question  was  whether  he  would  go  to  church  or  no. 
Whereunto  he  said  that  he  knew  no  cause  to  the  contrary, 
whereat  they  were  wonderfully  glad,  for  that  they  saw  he 
was  learned,  and  hoped  by  this  means  to  have  him  to 
oppose  himself  against  the  rest  of  his  religion  in  this  point, 
which  imported  them  as  they  thought  very  much,  and 
therefore  they  praised  him  highly  for  his  discretion  and 
conformity,  and  made  extreme  much  of  him,  giving  him 
liberty  to  go  where  he  would,  and  presently  published 
about  London  that  one  of  the  learnedest  men  of  all  the 

1  Stonyhurst  MSS.,  P.  fol.  133. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  75 

Jesuits  had  yielded  unto  them  in  this  point  of  going  to  the 
church,  and  that  all  the  rest  of  them  that  held  the  contrary- 
were  nothing  to  him  for  wit  or  learning. 

"When  this  rumour  came  abroad,  it  grieved  the 
Catholics  exceedingly,  and  so  much  the  more,  for  that 
when  it  came  to  be  known  to  them,  Father  Campion  and 
Father  Persons  were  both  departed  from  London,  so  as 
none  of  his  Order  being  there  to  deal  with  the  said  Bosgrave 
and  to  instruct  him  of  the  state  of  England  and  [of  the] 
error  [he  had]  committed,  they  doubted  it  might  proceed 
further,  and  come  to  great  scandal  in  the  end,  and  so  much 
the  more,  for  that  the  heretics  gave  out,  according  to  their 
fashion,  that  he  would  wholly  be  theirs  in  all  points  of 
doctrine  very  shortly ;  for  which  cause  also  the  Catholics 
durst  not  greatly  trust  him  at  the  beginning,  but  when  he 
offered  himself  to  their  companies  or  came  to  their  houses, 
they  shunned  him  ;  which  when  he  perceived  and  yet  knew 
not  the  cause,  he  was  wonderfully  afflicted  and  knew  not 
what  to  do  nor  whither  to  go,  for  he  had  been  so  long  out 
of  England  as  he  had  no  acquaintance  left  whose  house  he 
knew  in  London. 

"  But  at  length  God's  providence  was  that  he  met  with 
a  certain  near  kinsman  of  his  own,  who  being  a  Catholic 
told  him  of  the  opinion  men  had  of  him,  and  of  the  offence 
taken  at  his  speech  and  proceeding  with  the  Bishop  of 
London,  whereat  the  good  [Father]  was  much  amazed,  and 
said  that  he  meant  no  further  in  saying  that  he  would  go 
to  their  churches,  than  if  in  Rome  or  Germany  he  should 
offer  to  go  to  the  Jews'  synagogue,  or  in  Constantinople 
to  see  the  Turks'  mosques,  to  hear  their  folly  and  refute 
the  same  ;  and  that  in  Germany  and  Poland,  where  he  had 
spent  the  most  part  of  his  time,  he  never  heard  such  scruple 
made  thereof,  but  that  any  learned  men  might  go  to  a 
church  or  meeting  of  Calvinists,  Lutherans,  Trinitarians, 
Anabaptists  (for  of  all  these  four  sects  there  are  churches 
there),  and  hear  their  folly  and  blasphemy,  the  rather  and 


76  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

better  to  detest  and  refute  it.  And  the  like  he  meant 
when  he  promised  the  Bishop  of  London  to  go  to  his 
church. 

"  To  this  his  CathoHc  kinsman  replied  that  the  state  of 
things  was  different  in  England  from  Germany  concerning 
this  point,  for  that  in  England  the  question  was  not 
whether  one  or  two  learned  men  or  more,  for  such  a  cause 
of  curiosity  or  to  know  more  of  their  doings  and  sayings 
to  refute  them,  may  repair  for  once  or  twice  or  the  like  to 
an  heretical  church  ;  but  whether  a  learned  man  may  bind 
himself  to  go  thither  ordinarily,  thereby  to  acknowledge 
that  religion  to  be  good,  and  to  give  example  to  other 
simpler  men  and  women  to  go  also,  which  have  not 
learning  nor  intention  to  refute  that  which  they  shall  hear, 
but  perhaps  believe  it.  Besides  that,  in  England  this  act 
is  commanded  and  enacted  by  public  authority  of  the 
magistrates  as  an  act  of  religion,  which  is  far  different 
from  a  private  act  of  any  particular  man  in  a  corner ;  and 
if  the  like  act  were  required  in  Germany  at  Catholics' 
hands  by  a  public  heretical  magistrate,  commanding  them 
to  repair  to  their  churches,  no  doubt  but  if  they  do  obey, 
it  is  a  great  sin  to  them  as  well  as  in  England. 

"  And  finally  he  said  that  this  particular  point  of 
sincere  confessing  the  Catholic  faith  by  utter  refusing  to 
come  to  heretical  churches  was  now  in  trial  in  England, 
and  many  numbers  of  Catholics  did  suffer  imprisonment 
and  persecution  for  the  same,  and  all  the  priests  generally, 
and  also  the  other  fathers  of  his  Order ;  and  all  learned 
zealous  Catholics  were  of  one  opinion  in  this  behalf,  and 
therefore  for  him  that  was  also  a  religious  man,  and  so 
learned,  to  swerve  from  the  rest  must  need  be  a  very  great 
scandal.  And  besides  he  told  him  also  how  offensively 
the  heretics,  upon  this  little  yielding  of  his,  had  sown 
suspicions  abroad  that  he  would  be  of  their  religion  in  all 
points  :  wherewith  he  was  exceedingly  moved,  and  grieved 
at  their  malice,  and  said   that  by  God's  grace  he  would 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  yj 

soon  take  away  their  imaginations  in  that  behalf,  as  also 
give  the  Catholics  satisfaction  of  his  true  meaning  in  that 
cause,  for  which  he  was  as  ready  to  die  as  any  other  ;  and 
thereupon  resolved  presently  to  write  one  letter  to  the  said 
Catholics,  excusing  and  giving  reasons  of  that  which  he 
had  done,i  and  another  to  the  Bishop  of  London  and  other 
Protestants,  to  call  back  again  whatever  he  had  promised 
about  going  to  their  churches,  and  to  offer  himself  to 
prison  or  whatsoever  punishment  besides,  for  defence  of  the 
contrary  doctrine  of  the  Catholics.  And  so  he  did,  and 
was  sent  prisoner  to  the  Marshalsea,  among  other  priests 
before  named,  and  some  months  after  to  the  Tower ;  and 
thence  brought  forth,  indicted  of  treason  and  condemned 
to  death  without  any  other  new  crime  whatsoever  but 
that  which  you  have  heard.  He  was  not  executed,  but 
reprieved,  and  sent  afterward  into  banishment  among 
many  other,  and  so  he  returned  to  his  religion  again  in 
Polonia."  Father  More  says  that  he  was  professed  of  the 
three  vows  at  Caliss  in  1604,  and  died  there  in  1623,  over 
seventy  years  of  age. 

There  was  an  interference  in  Father  Bosgrave's  behalf 
that  must  hav&  surprised  and  angered  Elizabeth.  It  was 
a  letter  from  the  King  of  Poland,  Stephen  Battori, 
addressed  to  Elizabeth.  As  Father  Bosgrave  was  not 
exiled  for  two  years  after  the  date  of  the  letter,  it  can 
hardly  be  said  to  have  produced  any  effect  in  his  favour. 
Translated  from  the  Latin  given  by  More,^  it  runs  thus, 
and  it  is  a  curiosity  in  its  way. 

"  Stephen  by  the  Grace  of  God  King  of  Poland,  Grand 
Duke  of  Lithuania,  to  the  most  Serene  Princess  the  Lady 
Elizabeth,  by  the  same  Grace  of  God  Queen  of  England. 


^  This  letter,  entitled  "The  Satisfaction  of  Mr.  James  Bosgrave,  the  godly 
confessor  of  Christ,  concerning  his  going  to  the  church  of  the  Protestants  at 
his  first  coming  into  England,"  according  to  Dr.  Oliver,  occupies  five  pages 
of  a  small  8vo  volume,  published  at  Rheims  in  1583. 

^  Hist.  Prov.  lib.  iv.  n.  12,  p.  136. 


78  Life  of  Father  Willia77i  Weston. 

"  There  has  been  for  some  time  detained  in  prison  in 
your  Majesty's  kingdom  a  man  whose  piety  and  learning 
is  in  many  men's  mouths,  James  Bosgrave,  Theologian  of 
tlie  Society  of  Jesus  and  Professor  in  our  University  of 
Vilna,  and  that  as  we  hear  for  no  cause  but  the  strenuous 
profession  of  the  Catholic  Roman  religion,  which  he 
imbibed  with  his  mother's  milk.  We  do  not  doubt  that 
your  Highness  will  perceive  that  it  is  important  that  a  man 
remarkable  for  his  piety  and  learning  should  not  be  so 
long  absent  from  his  University.  The  injury  that  his 
absence  has  caused  to  literature  we  plainly  see,  and  this  is 
our  motive  for  earnestly  asking  your  Majesty  as  a  favour 
to  ourselves  to  set  free  and  send  back  to  us  this  theologian, 
in  order  that,  restored  to  his  former  position,  he  may  con- 
tinue to  teach  piety  and  letters,  to  the  great  future  benefit 
and  adornment  of  Church  and  State.  We  do  not  doubt 
that  your  Highness  for  your  goodwill  to  us  will  give  this 
man  up  to  us,  and  will  not  allow  that  while  your  subjects 
are  free  to  profess  any  religion  whatever  in  our  kingdom, 
our  religion  should  be  a  capital  offence  in  yours ;  and  we 
hope  that  in  a  short  time  the  royal  clemency  and  goodness 
of  your  Majesty  will  set  all  the  Catholics  free,  and  do  at 
once  a  most  humane  act  and  one  that  will  be  most 
gratifying  to  us.  And  so  we  bid  you  a  happy  farewell. 
Given  at  Niepolomice  this  29th  of  January,  1583,  the 
seventh  year  of  our  reign." 

When  Fathers  Haywood,  Bosgrave,  and  Hart  had  been 
sent  away,  there  yet  remained  a  Jesuit  in  the  Tower, 
Father  William  Crichton,  who  had  been  taken  at  sea  on 
his  way  to  Scotland,  and  was  committed  to  prison  on  the 
i6th  of  September,  1584,  according  to  Rishton's  Diary. 
A  ridiculous  story  was  put  in  circulation,  that  a  letter  torn 
up  by  him  and  thrown  away,  had  been  blown  on  board 
ship  again,  pieced,  and  read.  When  the  Privy  Council 
decided   on   transporting   the   others,  a  note^  was   made, 

^  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  ckxviii.  n.  74. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  79 

May  27,  1585,  respecting  Father  Crichton  and  the  Scotch 
priest  who  was  imprisoned  with  him.  "  WiUiam  Crichton 
to  be  continued  for  a  season  in  the  Tower.  .  .  .  Patrick 
Adye,  taken  in  Crichton's  company,  a  Scot  and  a  priest, 
and  chaplain  to  the  Bishop  of  Ross ;  fit  to  be  banished." 
One  of  Walsingham's  "Secret  Advertisements,"^  dated 
April  6,  1585,  tells  this  singular  story.  "Sithence  my  last 
certificate  I  had  some  conference  with  one  Gervase  Pierre- 
pont,  late  prisoner  in  the  Tower,  concerning  Crichton,  the 
Scottish  Jesuit  there,  viz.,  whether  he  had  any  means  to 
confer  with  his  friends  or  to  convey  any  letters  unto  them 
sithence  his  committing  to  the  Tower.  He  answered  me 
that  when  Crichton  was  first  committed,  he  was  lodged 
in  Martin  Tower,  right  over  the  lodging  of  Nicholas 
Roscarrock,  which  said  Nicholas  did  oftentimes  by  some 
device  open  two  doors  which  were  between  their  lodgings, 
and  so  they  conferred  at  pleasure,  and  also  the  said 
Pierrepont  said  unto  me  that  such  letters  as  Crichton  did 
write,  were  by  the  said  Nicholas  conveyed  out  of  his 
chamber  window,  which  was  near  the  ground,  to  a  little 
maiden  which  was  sent  often  to  him  from  Orton  which 
was  late  banished,  and  so  by  him  farther  conveyed  out  of 
the  Tower,  but  to  whom  or  what  place  he  seemed  ignorant; 
only  some  of  them  were  conveyed  to  the  Lord  Gray  that 
not  long  sithence  was  Ambassador  from  Scotland  during 
his  abode  here  in  England.  But  I  cannot  learn  that 
Crichton  hath  had  any  means  to  confer  or  to  convey 
sithence  Orton  his  banishment,  and  I  understand  that  he 
is  removed  from  his  old  lodging,  and  from  his  keeper  also. 
Yet  nevertheless  I  will  do  my  best  endeavour  to  learn 
farther  of  the  matter.  It  seemeth  that  Pierrepont  was 
lodged  where  Crichton  was,  in  Martin  Tower,  and  that 
he  had  the  same  means  to  confer  with  Roscarrock  as 
Crichton  had.  My  acquaintance  is  yet  but  new  with 
Pierrepont." 

^  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  clxxviiL  n.  ii. 


8o  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

The  Martin  Tower  was  at  the  inner  corner  of  the 
bastion  wall  towards  East  Smithfield,  but  between  it  and 
the  outer  world  there  was  "the  Mount"  and  the  broad 
moat.  The  "little  maiden"  who  came  to  Roscarrock's 
window  was  therefore  within  the  precincts  of  the  Tower 
of  London.  Henry  Orton,  one  of  those  condemned  with 
Father  Campion,  was  the  only  layman  that  was  banished 
with  Father  Haywood  and  the  other  priests  in  1585. 

It  is  probable  from  the  note,  which  says  that  Father 
Crichton  was  "to  be  continued  for  a  season  in  the  Tower," 
that  it  was  then  intended  that  he  should  soon  follow  the 
others  into  banishment.  He  seems,  however,  to  have  been 
kept  in  durance  for  more  than  another  year.  A  paper^ 
dated  November  30,  1586,  called  "The  lords'  resolution 
upon  the  prisoners,"  has  a  singular  entry  respecting  this 
Father.  "Crichton:  the  matter  he  is  charged  withal 
sufficiently  known."  And  Father  Crichton's  name  is  the 
first  in  a  list  of  prisoners  against  which  there  is  written  : 
"  Her  Majesty's  pleasure  to  be  known  touching  these 
persons." 

His  liberation,  though  not  immediate,  is  attributed  to 
one  of  Parry's  confessions,  in  which  it  was  said  that,  when 
consulted  whether  it  was  lawful  to  kill  the  Queen,  Father 
Crichton  had  answered  distinctly  and  strongly  that  it  was 
not  lawful.  After  an  examination  on  the  subject,  Father 
Crichton  wrote  a  letter  to  Walsingham,  which  was  pub- 
lished by  Elizabeth's  orders.  Bartoli^  translates  it  from 
Holinshed,  to  whose  Chronicle  we  have  had  recourse 
for  the  letter.  Crichton  afterwards  told  Father  Louis 
Richeome,  a  French  Jesuit,  that  Elizabeth  had  said  that 
it  could  not  be  true  that  all  the  Jesuits  were  in  con- 
spiracy against  her  life,  if  this  Jesuit  had,  when  in  France, 
declared  that  it  was  unlawful  to  kill  her,  and  had  done 
his  best  to  dissuade  an  intended  assassin. 

^  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  cxcv.  n.  32. 
-  Iiighiltt'rra,  lib.  iv.  cap.  x.  p.  291. 


\ 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  8i 

"  Right  honourable  Sir, — When  your  honour  demanded 
me  if  Master  Parry  did  ask  me  if  it  were  leason  [  ?  lawful] 
to  kill  the  Queen,  in  deed  and  verity,  then  I  had  no 
remembrance  at  all  thereof.  But  since,  thinking  on  the 
matter,  I  have  called  to  mind  the  whole  fashion  of  his 
dealing  with  me,  and  some  of  his  arguments  :  for  he  dealt 
very  craftily  with  me,  I  dare  not  say  maliciously.  For  I 
did  in  nowise  think  of  any  such  design  of  his,  or  of  any 
other,  and  did  answer  him  simply  after  my  conscience  and 
knowledge  to  the  verity  of  the  question.  For  after  that  I 
had  answered  him  twice  before,  Quod  omnino  non  liceret; 
he  returned  late  at  even  by  reason  I  was  to  depart  early 
in  the  next  morning  towards  Chambery  in  Savoy,  where 
I  did  remain,  and  being  returned  out  of  the  close  within 
one  of  the  classes  of  the  College  he  proponed  to  me  of  new 
the  matter,  with  his  reasons  and  arguments. 

"  First  he  alleged  the  utility  of  the  deed  for  delivering 
of  so  many  Catholics  out  of  misery,  and  restitution  of  the 
Catholic  religion.  I  answered,  that  the  Scripture  answereth 
thereto,  saying  :  Non  stint  facienda  mala,  lit  vcniant  bona. 
So  that  for  no  good,  how  great  that  ever  it  be,  may  be 
wrought  any  evil,  how  little  that  ever  it  be.  He  replied 
that  it  was  not  evil  to  take  away  so  great  evil,  and  induce 
so  great  good.  I  answered,  that  all  good  is  not  to  be 
done,  but  that  only,  qnod  bene  et  legitime  fieri  potest. 
And,  therefore,  dixi  Deiim  vtagis  amare  adverbia,  qiiain 
nomina.  Quia  in  actionibiis  magis  ei placent  bene  et  legitime, 
qiiam  bonnm.  Ita  ut  milium  bomim  liceat  facere,  nisi  bene 
et  legitime  fieri  possit.  Qncd  in  hoc  casii  fieri  non  potest. 
Yet,  said  he,  that  several  learned  men  were  of  the  opinion  : 
Qtiod  non\J\  liceret.  I  answered,  that  these  men  perhaps 
were  of  the  opinion,  that  for  the  safety  of  many  in  soul  and 
body,  they  would  permit  a  particular  to  his  danger,  and  to 
the  occult  judgment  of  God  :  or  perhaps  said  so,  moved 
rather  by  some  compassion  and  commiseration  of  the 
miserable  estate  of  the  Catholics,  not  for  any  such  doctrine 
G 


82  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

that  they  did  find  in  their  books.  For  it  is  certain,  that 
such  a  tliin^j  is  not  Hcit  to  a  particular,  without  special 
revelation  divine,  which  cxceedeth  our  learning  and 
doctrine.  And  so  he  departed  from  me.  Out  of  the 
prison  in  the  Tower,  the  20th  of  February  [158 J]. 
"  Your  honour's  poor  servitor  in  Christ  Jesus, 

"W.  CreitchtON,  Prisoner."  1 


CHAPTER  VI. 

FATHER   WESTON'S   FIRST   CONVERT. 

"  I  WAS  invited  to  the  houses  of  several  Catholics,  and  had 
frequent  opportunities  of  preaching  and  hearing  confes- 
sions :  saying  Mass  I  had  never  been  obliged  to  leave 
off.  Whilst  I  was  occupied  with  these  functions,  and 
admitted  myself  with  more  freedom  and  boldness  into  the 
society  of  Catholics,  it  happened,  either  through  the  perfidy 
of  some  pretended  Catholics,  as  is  wont  to  be  the  case,  or 
else  by  the  levity  of  others  who  talk  of  everything  and 
know  not  how  to  keep  a  secret,  that  it  became  known  that, 
upon  one  particular  day,  I  was  going  to  be  present  and 
preach  in  the  house  of  a  certain  Catholic.  This  I  certainly 
did,  in  presence  of  a  sufficiently  numerous  congregation, 
considering  the  disturbed  state  of  the  Church.  When  the 
whole  had  been  accomplished  according  to  our  desires, 
and  I  was  going  forth  out  of  the  door,  I  beheld  a  man 
walking  up  and  down  in  front  of  the  entrance,  as  though 
he  were  waiting  for  something.  However,  I  passed  him 
by.  When  I  was  safe  away,  it  was  told  me  the  next  day 
by  a  Catholic  gentleman  whose  house  had  been  searched 
by  the  heretics  on  the  following  night,  that  strict  inquiries 

'  Ilolinshed's  Chronicles,  London,  1587,  vol.  iii.  fol.  13SS. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  83 

had  been  made  of  him  respecting  me  ;  and  that  when,  on 
the  preceding  day,  I  had  been  present  in  such  and  such  a 
house,  notice  had  been  taken  by  some  one  who  desired  to 
apprehend  me,  but  that,  from  a  cause  unknown,  I  had 
suddenly  disappeared  from  his  sight,  and  so,  through  God's 
goodness,  I  was  enabled  to  escape  the  danger. 

"  About  this  same  time  I  formed  an  intimate  acquaint- 
ance with  a  most  zealous  Catholic  who  was  in  the  service 
of  the  Earl  of  A[rundel]  ;  and  since,  besides  the  special 
faithfulness  which  he  displayed  to  the  Earl,  he  had  the  art 
of  managing  with  prudence  and  dexterity  any  affair  that 
was  intrusted  to  him,  that  nobleman  explained  to  him, 
together  with  other  private  matters  commended  to  his 
honour  and  care,  that  he  was  filled  with  desire  of  changing 
his  life  and  manners,  that  he  was  weary  of  heresy,  was 
anxious  to  become  a  Catholic,  and  requested  him  to  look 
out  for  a  priest  such  as  he  judged  most  suitable  for  the 
furtherance  of  his  designs.  All  this  the  good  man  commu- 
nicated to  me,  and  place  and  time  were  appointed  for  the 
carrying  out  of  the  Earl's  desire.  The  affair  was  transacted 
quietly  in  the  darkness  of  the  night,  so  that  no  one  might 
see  me  either  going  out  or  coming  in  accompanied  by  the 
Earl,  or  talking  with  him  for  long  together  in  a  quiet  and 
separate  place ;  more  particularly  because  a  suspicion  was 
entertained  by  certain  members  of  his  family,  who  observed 
him  closely,  that  some  such  idea  was  floating  in  his  mind. 
On  the  second  or  third  day,  however,  I  was  sent  for  again, 
and  in  a  chosen  place,  in  presence  of  himself  and  one  or 
two  of  his  nearest  relations,  not  more,  I  celebrated  Mass 
and  gave  him  Holy  Communion." 

The  Catholic  in  the  service  of  the  Earl  of  Arundel  who 
brought  Father  Weston  to  him  to  receive  him  into  the 
Church,  may  have  been  either  Mr.  Richard  Bayly,  who 
did  a  similar  good  service  to  the  Countess,  or  Mr.  John 
Momford,  his  secretary,  who  was  apprehended  on  his 
way  to  Flanders,  and  committed  to  the  Gatehouse.  Both 
G  2 


84  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

these  good  men  were  suspected  of  being  priests.  It  is 
more  likely  that  it  was  Mr.  Bayly  that  introduced  Father 
Weston  to  the  Earl,  as  apparently  Mr.  Momford  was  in 
prison  at  the  time,  subjected  to  examinations  which  were 
intended  to  compromise  the  Earl. 

"  By  reason  of  those  troubles,"  says  the  Jesuit 
Father  who  Avrotc  the  beautiful  lives  of  the  Earl  and 
Countess  of  Arundel  which  were  published  by  the  late 
Duke  of  Norfolk,^  "the  Earl  had  deferred  his  reconcilia- 
tion to  the  Church  of  God  which  he  very  earnestly 
desired,  but  could  not  put  in  execution  for  want  of 
means  and  opportunity.  So  soon,  therefore,  as  they  were 
a  little  overpassed,  he  used  such  diligence  therein,  that 
he  procured  a  meeting  with  Father  William  Weston,  a 
very  virtuous  and  religious  priest  of  the  Society  of 
Jesus,  well  known  in  England  by  the  name  of  Father 
Edmonds,  and  much  esteemed  in  it  and  other  countries 
for  his  constant  suffering  of  seventeen  years'  imprison- 
ment in  the  Tower  of  London,  Wisbech,  and  other 
places,  for  the  profession  of  the  Catholic  religion. 

"  By  this  good  man  was  the  Earl  reconciled  in  the 
year  1584,  and  by  his  means  received  such  comfort  to 
his  soul  as  he  never  had  felt  before  in  all  his  life,  and 
such  good  directions  for  the  amending  and  ordering  of 
his  life,  as  afterwards  did  greatly  help  and  further  him 
therein.  For,  ever  after  that  time  he  lived  in  such  manner 
as  that  he  seemed  to  be  changed  into  another  man,  having 
great  care  and  vigilance  ov^er  all  his  actions,  and  addicting 
himself  much  to  piety  and  devotion.  For  which  purpose 
forthwith  he  procured  to  have  a  priest  ever  with  him  in 
his  own  house,  by  whom  he  might  frequently  receive  the 
Holy  Sacrament,  and  daily  have  the  comfort  to  be  present 
at  the   celebration    of  the    Holy  Sacrifice,  whereto   with 

^  The  Lives  of  Philip  Hcnvard,  Earl  of  Aruttdel,  and  of  Anne  Daeres, 
his  wife.  Edited  from  the  original  MSS.  by  the  Duke  of  Norfolk,  E.M.  1857, 
p.  26. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  85 

great  humility  and  reverence  he  himself  in  person  many- 
times  would  serve." 

In  this  passage  the  Earl's  conversion  is  placed  in 
1584,  the  year  of  Father  Weston's  entry  into  England. 
The  indictment  of  the  Earl  charges  him  with  having 
been  "  treasonably  reconciled  "  on  the  30th  of  September, 
26°  Elizabeth,  that  is,  1584,  at  the  Charter-house.  If 
this  date  is  correct.  Father  Weston  must  have  been 
taken  to  the  Earl  within  a  few  days  of  his  landing, 
for  he  left  France  on  the  12th  of  September.  But 
the  indictment  speaks  of  Allen  and  others  conspiring  at 
Rome  on  the  26th  of  May,  and  at  Rheims  on  the  31st 
of  May,  in  the  same  year.  This  being  impossible,  these 
are  but  fancy  dates,  and  so  perhaps  the  date  of  the 
Earl's  reconciliation  is  imaginary  also.  The  indictment 
was  content  also  with  a  legal  fiction,  in  saying  that  "  one 
William  Weston,  otherwise  Edmonds,  being  a  seditious 
and  traitorous  Jesuit,  and  Edward  Bridges,  otherwise 
Gratley,  being  a  seditious  and  traitorous  Seminary  man 
and  priest,  did  June  i,  26°  Elizabeth  [1584],  arrive  in 
the  kingdom  of  England  from  parts  beyond  the  seas." 
It  was  most  probable  that  the  indictment  is  right  in 
naming  the  Charterhouse,  as  the  place  where  the  Earl 
was  reconciled  by  Father  Weston,  for  it  was  his  London 
dwelling-house.  It  was  bought  by  the  Duke,  his  father, 
in  1565,  and  as  it  was  sold  in  161 1  by  the  Earl's  brother, 
Thomas  Howard,  then  Earl  of  Suffolk,  it  must  have  been 
a  part  of  the  lands  for  the  grant  of  which  he  disgracefully 
"  made  means  unto  the  Queen  immediately  upon  his 
[brother's]  attainder."  ^ 

The  priest  who  became  the  Earl's  chaplain  was  Edward 
Gratley,  and  that  the  greatest  confidence  was  reposed  in 
him  is  shown  by  the  note  that  the  Earl  wrote  from 
shipboard,  in  which ^  he  requested  "his  sister  the  Lady 
Margaret  Sackville  that  she  should  speak  to  Mr.  Bridges, 

^  Life  of  the  Earl  of  Arundel,  p.  72.  ^  Ibid.  p.  54. 


86  Life  of  Father  Williaju  Westo7t. 

alias  Gratlcy,  a  priest,  to  give  one  hundred  pounds  to  the 
bearer,  by  the  token  that  was  betwixt  them  that  '  black  is 
white. ' "  Gratley,  who  was  one  of  the  first  students  of 
the  EngUsh  College  at  Rome,  had  begun  well,  and  in 
a  letter  to  Father  Agazzari  of  the  3rd  of  February,  1582, 
Father  Persons  praises  him  highly.^  Ediiardus  Gratleiis 
alumnus  vcster  .  .  .  est  mihi  valdc  nccessarius  ct  optime 
se  gcrit. 

Gratley's  perx^ersion  was  due  to  his  acquaintance  with 
Gilbert  Gifford,  who  had  been  his  fellow-student  at  the 
English  College.  That  he  was  in  communication  with 
Gifford  while  he  was  the  Earl's  chaplain,  and  that  this 
was  the  cause  of  the  Earl's  ruin,  is  too  plain ;  but  we 
do  not  know  \vhether  he  was  yet  aware  of  the  treachery 
of  Gifford,  in  which  he  afterwards  became  an  accomplice. 
Sir  Christopher  Hatton  told^  the  Earl  of  Arundel  after 
his  first  examination  on  May  Day,  1585,  "If  he  loved 
his  life  not  to  conceal  any  of  those  things  which  were 
already  known,  as  that  he  and  his  brother  the  Lord 
William  had  sent  to  Dr.  Allen ;  that  they  had  attempted 
to  go  over ;  that  they  had  heard  from,  and  offered  to 
be  directed  by  him  ;  that  Mr.  Bridges  the  priest  was  the 
messenger  who  was  commanded  by  Dr.  Allen  to  deliver 
the  message  unto  them  both  jointly,  and  came  unto  them 
by  the  name  of  Gratley,  with  divers  other  circumstances 
which  were  all  most  true.  For  Mr.  Bridges  had  out  of 
confidence  told  all  these  things  to  one  Mr.  Gilbert  Gifford, 
a  priest,  who  then  lived  at  Paris,  in  France,  and  after 
was  discovered  to  be  a  spy,  who  gave  intelligence  of 
these  and  all  other  things  he  could  come  to  know  unto 
some  of  the  Council." 

The  use  that  was  made  of  this  against  the  Earl  may 
be  gathered    from  one  of  the  clauses  in  his  indictment.^ 

>  Stonyhurst  MSS.,  P.  fol.  26. 
'  Life  of  the  Earl  of  Arundel,  p.  57. 

»  Translated  and  abridged  from  the  Baga  de  sccrdis  in  the  Fourth  Report 
of  Deputy  Keeper  of  Public  Records,  p.  280. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  Sy 

"That  the  Earl  of  Arundel,  4th  October,  26°  Elizabeth 
[1584],  treasonably  compassed  to  depose  and  slay  the 
Queen,  &c.,  and  that  he  did  afterwards,  to  wit,  20th 
November,  27°  Elizabeth  [1584],^  at  the  Charterhouse 
adhere  to  and  confederate  himself  with  Allen,  attainted 
as  before  mentioned,  and  on  the  said  20th  of  November, 
27°  Elizabeth,  at  the  Charterhouse,  admitted  to  Bridges, 
who  had  communicated  with  him,  the  Earl  of  Arundel, 
on  the  part  of  Allen  concerning  the  said  treasons,  that 
he,  the  Earl  of  Arundel,  would  be  at  the  direction  of 
Allen,  and  would  do  whatsoever  he,  Allen,  should  direct 
for  the  promotion  of  the  Catholic  cause,  meaning  thereby 
the  restoration  of  the  Roman  religion  in  England  and  the 
following  invasion." 

It  is  difficult  to  imagine  how  Gratley  can  have  given 
such  information  without  knowing  that  he  was  treacherously 
ruining  the  Earl.  It  is  certain  that  in  May,  1586,^  he 
was  in  communication,  under  the  name  of  Foxley,  with 
Walsingham,  either  directly  or  indirectly.  He  wrote  a 
book  against  the  Jesuits  which  Gifford  offered  to  Walsing- 
ham ;  "a  mad  book,"  even  Phelippes  called  it,^  which, 
nevertheless,  Walsingham  sent  to  Paris  for  publication. 
In  consequence  of  it  Gratley,  who  had  been  previously 
received  into  Cardinal  Allen's  household,  before  his  mis- 
doings were  known,  was  imprisoned  for  five  years  in  the 
Holy  Ofiice  at  Rome.  To  have  fallen  into  such  hands 
was  the  first  and  greatest  misfortune  of  the  Earl  of 
Arundel. 

The  perplexity  felt  by  the  Earl  when  bound  to  attend 
the  Queen  on  state  occasions,  that  he  might  escape  notice 
while  absenting  himself  from  Protestant  service,  which  is 
the  subject  next  mentioned  by  Father  Weston,  he  himself 
mentions  in  the  letter  that  he  wrote  to  the  Queen  when  he 

^  Elizabeth's  regnal  years  begin  on  the  17th  of  November. 
^  Letter- Books  of  Sir  Amias  Poulet,  pp.  189,  385. 
5  Ibid.  p.  2x9. 


SS  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

attempted  to  leave  England.  He  says,^  "  Being  resolved 
rather  to  endure  any  punishment  than  willingly  to  decline 
from  the  beginning  I  had  begun,  I  did  bind  myself  wholly 
as  near  as  I  could  to  continue  in  the  same  without  any  act 
which  was  repugnant  to  my  faith  and  profession.  And  by 
means  hereof  was  compelled  to  do  many  things  which 
might  procure  peril  to  myself  and  be  an  occasion  of  mislike 
unto  your  Majesty :  for  the  first  day  of  this  Parliament 
when  your  Majesty  with  all  your  nobility  was  hearing  of 
a  sermon  in  the  Cathedral  Church  of  Westminster  above 
in  the  chancel,  I  was  driven  to  walk  by  myself  below  in 
one  of  the  aisles.  And  one  day  this  last  Lent  when  your 
Majesty  was  hearing  another  sermon  in  the  Chapel  at 
Greenwich,  I  was  forced  to  stay  all  that  while  in  the 
Presence  Chamber.  To  be  short,  when  your  Majesty  went 
upon  any  Sunday  or  holy  day  to  your  great  closet,  I  was 
forced  to  stay  either  in  the  Privy  Chamber,  and  not  to 
wait  upon  you  at  all,  or  else  presently  to  depart  as  soon 
as  I  had  brought  you  to  the  Chapel." 

The  first  of  these  occasions  is  related  by  Father 
Weston.  "  Already  the  above-mentioned  Parliament  had 
been  summoned,  and  had  begun  to  hold  its  session  in 
London,  as,  I  think,  in  the  early  part  of  the  year  1585,  at 
which  it  was  necessary  for  the  Earl  to  be  present,  both  on 
account  of  the  high  position  which  he  held  in  the  State, 
as  likewise  because  of  his  ofiice  about  the  Queen's  person* 
seeing  that  he  was  one  of  the  chief  noblemen  of  the 
kingdom.  Cruel  perplexities  now  assailed  him.  He  saw- 
that  he  would  immediately  be  not  only  suspected  by  all, 
but  known  to  be  a  Catholic,  if  he  were  to  abstain  from  the 
profane  ceremonies  of  the  heretics,  which  were  celebrated 
each  day  before  the  beginning  of  Parliament.  He  turned 
over  in  his  mind  every  possible  plan  or  pretext  of  evasion. 
Should  he  feign  sickness }  Should  he  be  engrossed  in 
some  other  occupation  }    Should  he  hide  himself }    Should 

1  Life,  p.  42. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  89 

he  fly  away  ?  He  could  find  no  feasible  plan,  none  which 
was  not  beset  with  great  and  imminent  perils.  The  day 
drew  on  ;  the  peers  of  the  realm  assembled  :  all  men  and 
all  things  were  in  a  state  of  readiness  such  as  is  requisite 
for  the  pomp  of  a  royal  procession.  Among  the  rest 
appeared  the  Earl  of  A[rundel]  to  fulfil  his  rightful  function 
in  attendance  upon  the  Queen,  trembling,  however,  for  the 
result  of  the  design  which  God  had  suggested  to  his  mind. 

"  They  proceeded  to  the  Parliament  House,  each  one 
intent  upon  his  order  and  office.  The  Earl's  place  was 
close  to  the  person  of  the  Queen,  as  he  was  one  of  her 
train-bearers.  Having  entered  the  House  of  Parliament, 
all  of  them.  Queen  and  nobles,  took  their  appointed 
places,  a  signal  was  given  for  the  profane  ceremonies  ; 
the  Earl  hurried  away  from  their  celebration,  pretending 
that  he  was  overwhelmed  with  the  crowd  and  suffocated 
with  the  heat,  and  so  ingeniously  had  he  arranged 
appearances  to  look  like  the  truth,  trying  to  look  flushed, 
and  unbuttoning  his  dress  and  seeming  to  enjoy  the 
fresh  air  while  the  service  was  going  on,  that  for  some 
days  his  secret  escaped  notice. 

"  His  religion,  however,  could  not  be  long  kept  hidden. 
When  I  heard  all  these  things  from  his  own  lips,  and  he 
at  the  same  time  explained  to  me  that  he  was  perpetually 
nurturing  in  his  mind  a  plan  of  escape  into  France,  I  did 
my  best  to  dissuade  him  from  it,  both  because  I  thought 
that  he  would  thereby  endanger  his  person  and  his  estate, 
and  also  because  I  doubted  whether  his  enemies  would  go 
so  far  against  him  as  to  inflict  imprisonment  or  death  if 
they  had  nothing  to  allege  in  his  disfavour  beyond  the 
name  and  cause  of  religion  ;  which  idea  was  strengthened 
by  the  visible  cases  of  other  illustrious  men ;  and  further 
still,  because  his  presence  and  public  profession  of  faith 
would  be  such  an  encouragement  to  all  Catholics  for 
their  improvement,  inciting  them  to  follow  bravely  so 
excellent  and  illustrious  an    example.      He  then  replied 


90  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

to  mc  that  his  plan  had  been  recommended  to  him  by 
Dr.  Allen,  who  was  then  President  of  the  Seminary  at 
Rheims,  and  that  he  had  consulted  him  by  letter,  and 
was  determined  to  follow  his  counsel.  I  did  not  wish 
to  oppose  any  longer  the  opinion  of  so  wise  and  expe- 
rienced a  person,  and  left  the  Earl  therefore  to  pursue 
his  own  course.  He  hastened  to  carry  out  his  intention 
as  rapidly  as  possible,  not  judging  it  safe  to  indulge  in 
delays.  He  fell  in  with  a  man  who  engaged  to  under- 
take the  management  of  the  whole  affair  and  to  carry 
it  out  faithfully.  The  time  was  appointed,  the  ship  was 
prepared,  the  harbour  designated ;  everything  requisite 
for  the  voyage  was  embarked  and  in  order.  They 
weighed  anchor,  and  with  a  prosperous  breeze  sought 
the  open  sea.  They  deemed  themselves  already  secure 
and  beyond  the  reach  of  danger,  when  suddenly  they 
fell  into  the  path  of  a  hostile  ship  that  had  been  at  a 
distance  insidiously  obsei-ving  their  departure  (for  so  it 
had  been  agreed  upon  that  the  Earl  should  be  seized 
in  the  act  of  flight  and  not  in  the  harbour),  and  he  was 
brought  back  a  prisoner.  How  the  Earl's  escape  became 
known  to  the  heretics  was  never  by  him  clearly  ascer- 
tained ;  suspicion  fell,  however,  upon  one  of  the  persons 
who  was  in  the  ship  with  him." 

There  was  a  priest  on  board  the  ship  in  the  Earl's 
company,  who  was  apprehended  with  him,  and  afterwards 
became  one  of  Father  Weston's  fellow-prisoners  at 
Wisbech.  He  is  mentioned  thus  in  a  report^  that  was 
made  to  the  Government  about  them  :  "  Jonas  Meredith, 
alias  Farmer,  a  Seminary  priest,  was  first  taken  in  a  ship 
with  the  Earl  of  Arundel,  attempting  to  fly  the  realm,  and 
is  a  great  persuader  to  papistry," 

The  two  servants  whom  the  Earl  took  with  him  on 
board  the  ship  were  named  Bray  and  Burlace.  William 
Bray  cannot  have  betrayed  him.      He  was  known  after- 

^  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth^  vol.  cxcix.  n.  91. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  9 1 

wards  to  the  English  Government  as  "  a  common 
conveyor  of  priests  and  recusants,  and  of  naughty- 
books  over  the  seas,  and  was  taken  carrying  the  Earl 
of  Arundel  over  seas."^  He  seems  to  have  taken  up 
this  as  a  profession,  and  a  trusty  and  skilful  man  would 
find  it  a  lucrative  occupation,  for  there  were  always 
passengers  for  France  or  Flanders,  who  would  be  glad  to 
pay  handsomely  for  a  good  .pilot.  He  was  naturally  much 
looked  after  by  the  pursuivants.  With  regard,  however, 
to  the  other  man,  amongst  the  charges  made  against 
the  Earl  in  the  Star  Chamber^  v/as  "  a  certain  writing 
of  his  servant  Burlace,  who  was  one  of  those  who  was  to 
have  gone  with  him,  wherein  something  was  contained 
about  his  being  to  be  made  Duke  of  Norfolk :  to 
which  he  protested  that  Burlace  never  acquainted  him 
with  any  such  thing,  and  that  he  never  so  much  as 
heard  thereof  until  the  present  time  wherein  they  alleged 
it  against  him."  So  Burlace  seems  to  have  given  some 
evidence  against  his  master. 

"The  Earl  strictly  guarded  was  brought  to  London 
and  thrust  into  the  Tower  [April  25,  1585].  A  short 
time  afterwards  sentence  was  pronounced  against  him, 
and  his  property  confiscated  ;^  and  when  during  many 
years  he  had  suffered  with  constancy  the  hardships  of 
a  most  painful  imprisonment,  debarred  from  the  sight 
and  conversation  of  all  who  were  dearest  to  him,  having 
nourished  his  mind  every  day  with  holy  meditations  and 
pious  readings,  full  of  the  faith  which  he  so  bravely  con- 
fessed, he  rendered  up  his  blessed  soul  to  his  Creator 
in  peace  on  Sunday,  October  19,  1595,  in  the  eleventh 
year  of  his  imprisonment." 

^  Lansdorwue  MSS.  58,  fol.  13. 

*  Life,  p.  63. 

'  The  Earl  was  condemned,  in  1585,  in  the  Star  Chamber  to  a  fine  of 
10,000/.  and  imprisonment  at  the  Queen's  pleasure.  The  date  of  his  arraign- 
ment for  high  treason  in  the  Queen's  Bench  at  Westminster,  and  of  the 
sentence  for  his  execution  at  Tyburn,  was  April  1 4,  1589. 


92  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

His  biographer  tells  us ^  that  "he  had  a  great  desire 
to  have  the  assistance  of  Father  Weston  at  his  death,  by 
whose  means  he  was  first  reconciled  to  the  Church,  but 
it  would  by  no  means  be  permitted  that  either  he  or  any 
other  priest  should  come  to  him." 

Respecting  a  suspicion  which  has  found  record  on 
the  Earl's  coffin-plate,-  Father  Weston  says  :  "  Some 
imagined  that  he  was  carried  off  by  poison.  For  my 
own  part  I  inquired  of  a  Catholic  who  in  his  boy- 
hood had  served  him  in  the  Tower,  but  I  was  never 
able  to  discover  anything  certain.  When  dying  he 
bequeathed  to  me  the  breviary  which  he  had  used. 
Our  Father  Garnet  wished  to  retain  this  book  in  his 
own  keeping,  as  a  precious  relic  for  those  who  will 
come  after  us.  He  did  not  venture  to  intrust  it  to  my 
custody,  because,  as  he  said,  my  things  might  at  any 
moment  be  taken  from  me  by  violence,  and  it  was  not 
fit  to  expose  to  such  jeopardy  a  treasure  that  in  his 
estimation  was  more  to  be  valued  than  gold. 

"  The  following  also  I  ought  to  have  mentioned 
amongst  the  praises  of  this  soldier  of  Christ.  In  the 
midst  of  his  most  grievous  tribulations  an  offer  of  libera- 
tion from  prison  was  sent  to  him  on  the  part  of  the 
Queen,  on  condition  that  he  would  hold  a  disputation 
on  the  subject  of  religion  with  the  so-called  Archbishop 
of  Canterbury.  This  he  refused  to  accede  to,  choosing 
rather  to  be  afflicted  with  the  people  of  God  than  to 
enjoy  the  brief  delights  of  temporal  liberty,  esteeming 
the  persecutions  greater  riches  than  the  unjust  and 
false  pleasures  of  worldly  prosperity." 

In  the  Earl's  biography^  we  have  the  expression 
respecting  conference  with  a  Protestant  minister,  that 
"he  thought  it  lawful  in  regard,  as  he  signified  to  Father 

*  Life,  p.  114. 

^  Non  absque  veneni  suspicioiie  in  Domino  obdormivit."     Ibid.  p.  123. 

=*  Ibid.  p.  151. 


Life  of  Father  William  Westoji.  93 

Southwell,  he  remembered  that  Father  Weston  had  once 
told  him  he  might  admit  of  a  minister  ofifered  or  urged 
upon  him,  so  that  he  had  a  priest  allowed  who  could 
answer  and  detect  his  untruths ;  adding  withal  that  per- 
adventure  such  a  disputation  might  by  the  grace  of  God 
work  some  unexpected  good  towards  some  who  were  most 
forward  to  procure  it,  if  they  were  not  too  far  given  over." 

The  good  Earl  was  probably  thinking  of  the  memor- 
able disputation  to  which  he  owed  his  own  conversion, 
for^  "  by  the  providence  of  God  it  so  happened  that  he  was 
present  at  the  disputation  which  was  made  in  the  Tower 
of  London  in  the  year  1581,  concerning  divers  points  of 
religion  betwixt  Father  Edmund  Campion  of  the  Society, 
Mr.  Sherwin  and  some  other  priests  of  the  one  part, 
Charke,  Fulke,  Whitaker  and  some  Protestant  ministers 
of  the  other :  for  by  that  he  saw  and  heard  there  he  easily 
perceived  on  which  side  the  truth  and  true  religion  was." 

Before  we  part  from  Father  Weston's  first  convert, 
who  lived  in  his  prison  like  a  saint  and  died  like  a  martyr, 
it  will  not  be  out  of  place  to  remark  that  by  a  slip  of 
the  memory  in  after  years,  Father  Persons  asserted  that 
the  Earls  of  Arundel  and  Northumberland  were  received 
into  the  Church  by  Father  Jaspar  Haywood.  "  I  am 
astounded  at  the  take  of  fishes,"  wrote  Father  Jaspar, 
and  Persons  wishes  to  explain  the  saying.  "And  what 
can  I  say,"  the  good  Father  subjoins,  "but.  Depart  from 
me  for  I  am  a  sinner.-*"  But  the  letter^  in  which  this  occurs 
is  dated  April  16,  1583,  and  the  Earl  of  Arundel  was  not 
reconciled  before  September,  1584,  when  Father  Haywood 
was  in  the  Tower. 

That  it  was  Father  Weston  who  fulfilled  this  happy 
office  in  his  behalf,  his  biographer  frequently  asserts.  For 
instance,^  "The  like  grateful  mind  and  great  affection 
he  also  ever  bore  and  always  showed  unto  Father  William 
Weston,  by  whom  he  was  first  reconciled,  and  for  his  sake 

^  Life,  p.  19.         2  stonyhurst  MSS.,  F.  fol.  45.        ^  Life,  p.  136. 


94  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

unto  the  whole  Society,  for  thus  he  writ  in  a  letter  to  one 
of  them.  '  I  call  God  to  witness  I  have  and  do  principally 
in  my  heart  most  affect,  reverence,  and  honour  your 
vocation  above  others,  for  that  I  have  seen,  heard,  and 
read ;  as  also  in  respect  that  from  one  of  that  calling  I 
received  the  greatest  good  which  ever  I  tasted. 

Not  only  is  the  Earl's  breviary  lost,  which  would  have 
been  prized  as  an  inestimable  relic,  but  also  the  manu- 
scripts on  which  he  occupied  himself  in  prison.  "One 
book  of  Lanspergius  containing  an  epistle  of  Jesus 
Christ  to  the  faithful  soul  he  translated  out  of  Latin 
into  English,  and  caused  it  to  be  printed  for  the  further- 
ance of  devotion."  It  appeared  after  his  death  bearing 
the  imprint  of  London,  1598,  and  again  St.  Omers,  1610. 
This  was  probably  intrusted  to  Father  John  Gerard's 
editorship,  as  the  translation  is  generally  attributed  to 
him. 

But  more  valuable  than  any  translation  would  be  the 
"  three  treatises  of  the  excellency  and  utility  of  virtue, 
which  never  came  to  light  by  reason  he  was  forced  to 
send  them  away  upon  fear  of  a  search,  before  they  were 
fully  perfected  and  polished."^  They  were  sent  to  Father 
Weston,  and  Father  Garnet  rightly  estimated  the  risks 
that  anything  ran  that  was  in  his  charge.  In  the  humility 
of  the  saintly  author,  "those  treatises  which  he  compiled 
in  the  praise  of  virtue  were  judged  by  him  to  contain 
great  faults  and  gross  errors,  in  which  respect  he  willed 
his  secretary,  Mr.  Keeper,  to  deliver  them  to  Father 
Weston  to  be  corrected.  '  I  pray  you,'  says  he,  '  if  it 
please  God  to  call  me,  make  this  humble  petition  for  me 
to  that  blessed  Father  to  whose  will  you  shall  commit 
that  work,  that  as  charity  covereth  many  faults,  so  my 
charitable  intent  therein  to  do  good  to  all,  and  not  wil- 
lingly offend  any,  may  obtain  a  pardon  for  all  my  gross 
faults  and  absurd  errors." - 

^  Life,  p.  106.  -  Ibid.  p.  138. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  95 

These  writings  would  have  been  precious  relics,  but 
we  must  be  content  to  fofego  them  as  we  have  to  be 
satisfied  with  the  scanty  remains  that  have  descended 
to  us  of  the  history  of  the  great  Catholics  of  those  days ; 
but  amid  the  sad  privation  of  the  relics  of  the  bodies  of 
our  martyrs,  we  may  well  rejoice  when  we  remember  that 
we  possess  the  relics  of  this  brave  confessor  and  martyr  for 
his  faith,  Philip  Howard.  The  bones  of  the  Earl  are  in  an 
iron  chest  in  the  vault  of  Fitzalan  Chapel  at  Arundel. 
Each  bone  is  wrapped  up  in  silk.  Canon  Tierney  on  one 
occasion  opened  the  chest,  and  took  out  one  of  the  bones 
which  he  gave  to  the  late  Duke  of  Norfolk.  It  is  pre- 
served by  the  Duchess  in  a  gold  reliquary. 

"  A  glorious  confessor,  yea  a  martyr,"  Cornelius  a 
Lapide  says  of  him,  naturally  associating  Philip,  Earl 
of  Arundel,  with  the  words  of  St.  Paul,  "For  you  had 
compassion  on  them  that  were  in  bands,  and  took  with 
joy  the  being  stripped  of  your  own  goods,  knowing  that 
you  have  a  better  and  a  lasting  substance."  That  "we 
all  ought  to  esteem  him  "  as  a  martyr  for  the  Catholic 
faith,  "  and  may  with  just  reason  commend  ourselves  to 
his  holy  prayers  and  intercession,"  is  his  biographer's 
conclusion,  who  adds  that  such  "  is  the  general  persuasion 
of  all  learned  Catholic  men,  both  of  our  own  and  other 
nations." 


96 


CHAPTER   VII. 

POSSESSIONS  AND   EXORCISMS. 

"When  Parliament  closed,  the  Act  against  all  priests 
was  immediately  promulgated,  ordering  them  to  quit 
the  kingdom  within  forty  days  under  pain  of  death. 
Some  obeyed,  thinking  it  wise  to  yield  to  the  fury  of 
the  time,  but  the  greater  number  remained  to  strengthen 
the  courage  of  Catholics,  lest  in  a  season  of  such  important 
changes  they  might  be  stricken  with  too  great  terror,  and 
if  deprived  of  the  sacraments  and  pious  exhortations 
might  lose  heart ;  also  lest  the  sudden  flight  of  all  the 
clergy  should  seem  to  arise  out  of  fear  and  slothfulness 
rather  than  a  sound  deliberation.  They  did  not  wish 
that  the  heretics  should  be  too  much  pleased  at  such 
a  favourable  beginning  of  their  designs,  if  at  the  first 
onset  of  war  they  should  put  to  flight  all  the  leaders  of 
Christ's  army,  and  as  if  the  victory  were  half  attained, 
find  themselves  in  a  position  to  wreak  their  vengeance 
upon  others.  They  were,  in  fact,  exceedingly  annoyed 
at  the  small  number  of  those  who  gave  way  ;  for  the  vast 
majority  determined  to  stand  with  intrepidity  and  await 
the  issue  of  so  sacred  a  conflict. 

"  For  my  part,  I  thought  that  I  ought  to  withdraw 
for  awhile  into  a  solitary  place,  there  to  observe  the 
course  of  events,  and  the  shape  after  which  they  were 
about  to  fashion  themselves.  I  should  in  this  manner 
gain  experience  as  to  the  mind  and  disposition  of 
Catholics,  as  to  whether  they  would  retain  their  wonted 
constancy  of  faith,  whether  they  would  seek  out  priests, 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston,  97 

petition  for  them,  and  keep  them  ;  or  whether  they  would 
repel  them,  or  at  all  events  be  quite  willing  to  be  aban- 
doned by  them  in  such  great  perils  ;  and  I  deemed  it  to 
be  far  more  to  the  purpose  that  I  should  be  enticed  and 
summoned  to  them  rather  than  that,  by  putting  myself 
forward,  I  should  cause  them  for  my  sake  to  risk  the  loss 
of  their  lives  and  property. 

"When,  however,  I  was  turning  these  things  over  in 
my  mind,  a  Catholic  gentleman  requested  me  to  take  up 
my  abode  in  his  house,  a  large,  solitary,  and  commodious 
mansion  which  he  possessed  at  the  distance  of  three 
leagues  from  London.  I  did  not  refuse  an  offer  which 
tallied  so  well  and  conveniently  with  my  own  intentions. 
Taking  therefore  a  companion  for  my  journey,  we  mounted 
our  horses  in  the  evening  after  dark  to  avoid  being  seen. 
We  travelled  in  safety,  and  passed  that  night  well  ;  and  I 
began  to  congratulate  myself  upon  the  convenience  of 
the  place  and  the  goodness  of  our  host.  In  the  morning, 
however,  when  I  had  prepared  myself  for  the  celebration 
of  Mass  (for  the  chamber  was  fair  and  particularly  suited 
for  the  purpose),  everything  being  arranged  commodiously 
in  respect  to  time  and  place,  and  I  was  in  the  chapel  about 
to  put  on  the  sacred  vestments,  there  came  a  messenger 
from  London  warning  me  to  depart  instantly  from  thence, 
for  it  was  already  known  at  Court  that  Father  Cornelius 
and  I  had  arrived.  It  was  indeed  true  that  both  of  us  had 
been  invited,  although  he  had  not  yet  reached  the  house. 
What  was  there  for  me  to  do  "i  Necessity  and  danger 
drove  me  away  ;  but  whither  I  could  go  in  safety  was 
not  very  apparent.  Spies  were  continually  on  the  alert, 
to  watch  the  roads  and  distinguish  the  passers-by.  For 
awhile  I  walked  in  the  garden  adjoining  the  house,  pre- 
pared for  flight,  until  one  and  another  came  up  to  me 
to  repeat  and  confirm  the  news  that  the  searchers  would 
presently  be  at  hand  to  besiege  the  house  and  explore  it 
thoroughly.  I  made  no  further  delay,  but  removed  from 
H 


98  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

the  house  in  company  with  a  person  who  undertook  to 
show  me  the  way  towards  a  lonely  and  dilapidated 
building.  There  I  remained  the  entire  day,  looking 
out  often  through  the  holes  and  crevices,  so  that  if  the 
pursuivants  should  be  visible  in  the  distance  I  might  fly 
into  the  neighbouring  wood  and  hide  under  cover  of  the 
trees.  In  the  evening  a  horse  was  brought  to  me,  and  I 
made  my  escape." 

Father  Weston  now  comes  in  his  narration  to  a  topic, 
in  which  it  is  particularly  necessary  to  bear  in  mind  the 
feelings  of  his  time.  The  idea  of  possession  by  the  devil 
the  nineteenth  century  thinks  itself  justified  in  regarding 
as  superstitious  and  absurd.  How  far  this  is  consistent  on 
the  part  of  those  who  profess  to  believe  in  the  New 
Testament  it  is  for  them  to  consider.  If  they  should  be 
inclined  to  scoff  at  the  accounts  of  possessions  and  exor- 
cisms as  related  in  Catholic  books,  they  would  do  well  to 
read  again  the  Gospel  narratives  of  possessions  and  exor- 
cisms, such  as  the  account  of  the  demoniacs  among  the 
tombs,  whose  legions  of  devils  our  Blessed  Lord  permitted, 
on  their  own  petition,  to  enter  into  the  herd  of  swine  and 
to  remember  that  the  power  of  casting  out  devils  was  exer- 
cised by  the  Apostles  and  bequeathed  by  our  Lord  to 
"them  that  beheve."^ 

All  that  Catholics  say  about  it  is  that  diabolical 
possessions  are  still  possible  and  that  the  power  of  exor- 
cism is  left  with  the  Church.  Indeed,  one  of  the  minor 
orders  relates  exclusively  to  this  power.  But  Catholics 
are  not  bound  to  believe  that  in  this  or  that  particular 
case  there  was  real  possession  or  exorcism.  In  any  case 
there  may  be  conscious  or  unconscious  deception.  And 
as  to  the  one  particular  case  mentioned  by  Father  Weston, 
of  devils  moving  about  under  a  person's  skin  like  fishes 
swimming,  we  may  be  greatly  inclined  with  Burghley  to 
laugh  at  it  as  absurd.  It  is  at  all  events  without  example. 
^  St.  MaU.  viii.  28,  31  ;  St.  Luke  ix,  i ;  x.  17 ;  St.  Mark  xvL  X7. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  99 

But  that  we  should  not  draw  the  line  where  they  drew  it, 
will  not  justify  us  in  ridiculing  the  priests  of  that  time 
who  sincerely  believed  in  the  reality  of  the  possessions 
that  were  then  so  much  spoken  about,  much  less  in 
regarding  them  as  impostors. 

Most  of  the  priests  who  were  known  as  exorcists  were 
afterwards  martyred.  "  Father  Cornelius,  called  by  the 
Protestants  a  conjurer  and  enchanter,  is  in  safety  and 
doth  much  good  by  his  singular  gift  in  preaching."  Sa 
says  an  intercepted  letter^  signed  "Robert,"  probably 
written  by  Father  Southwell  to  Father  Agazzari.  A  spy 
writing^  to  Walsingham  calls  Garlick  "the  demonite." 
Bishop  Yepez  relates^  exorcisms  by  Dibdale  and  Nelson. 
Adams  and  Lowe  were  both  exorcists.  And  all  these 
gave  their  lives  for  their  religion.  They  might  have  been 
deceived  certainly,  but  these  are  not  the  men  to  be 
deceivers.  If  there  was  imposture  it  was  most  likely 
suggested  by  reality,  and  no  end  would  be  gained  by  an 
attempt  on  our  part  to  judge  of  details. 

The  effect  produced  at  the  time  was  very  great. 
Anthony  Tyrrell,  an  apostate  priest,  of  whom  we  shall  hear 
much  in  the  sequel,  said  when  examined  on  the  subject 
in  1602,  "  I  cannot  in  my  conscience  esteem  the  number 
fewer,  that  in  the  compass  of  half  a  year  were  by  that 
means  reconciled  to  the  Church  of  Rome,  than  five- 
hundred  persons :  some  have  said  three  or  four  thou- 
sand." 

Tyrrell  mentions  in  the  following  terms  the  account  of 
the  exorcisms  which  Father  Weston  says  that  he  wrote. 
"There  was  also  a  treatise  framed  to  prove,  first,  that 
in  former  times  divers  had  been  possessed.  Secondly, 
that  Christ  hath  left  to  His  Church  certain  remedies  for 
the  dispossessing  of  such  parties.     Thirdly,  that  in  the. 

^  P.R.O.,  Domestk,  Elizabdh,  vol.  ccxv.  n.  iig. 
^  P.R.O.,  Mary  Queen  of  Scots,  vol.  xix.  n.  103. 
^  Persecucion  de  Inglaterra,  p.  97. 

H   2 


loo  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

castins  out  of  devils  there  hath  been  great  use  of  applica- 
tion to  the  demoniacs  of  holy  relics.  ...  If  I  be  not 
deceived  Ma[ster]  Edmonds,  alias  Weston,  was  the  author 
of  this  book." 

The  mention  of  the  relics  of  the  English  martyrs  is 
curious  and  interesting.  "  We  omitted  not,"  says  Tyrrell, 
"  the  relics  and  bones  of  Ma.  Campion,  Ma.  Sherwin, 
Ma.  Brian,  and  Ma.  Cottam,  to  have  some  little  testimony 
by  implication  from  the  devil  to  prove  them  holy  martyrs." 

The  chief  houses  where  these  exorcisings  took  place 
were  Sir  George  Peckham's,  at  Denham,  near  Uxbridge, 
and  the  old  Lord  Vaux's  at  Hackney.  Father  Weston 
in  the  Autobiography  speaks  of  the  subject  as  follows 
"  In  those  days  there  were  many  persons,  even  Catholics, 
tormented  with  an  evil  spirit,  who  caused  terrible  molesta- 
tion to  the  people  Avith  whom  they  dwelt,  whom  it  was 
difficult,  nevertheless,  to  relieve  by  exorcisms,  because 
of  the  loud  and  vehement  shriekings,  vociferations  and 
howlings  which  they  are  accustomed  to  raise  during  such 
ceremonies.  Notwithstanding  this,  the  deliverance  of 
those  who  laboured  under  so  grievous  an  affliction,  and 
compassion  towards  those  who  had  such  persons  in  their 
houses,  seemed  to  demand  that  something  should  be  tried, 
and  that  the  care  of  them  should  not  be  neglected, 
seeing  that  God  might  be  pleased  to  assist  the  sufferers 
and  grant  them  the  desired  relief.  This  indeed  He  did 
clearly  ;  for  out  of  many  persons  the  devils  were  cast, 
not  without  the  manifest  interference  of  heaven  and  to  the 
incredible  admiration  of  those  who  looked  on.  Persons 
were  cured  and  set  free  from  those  monsters  when  I  was 
myself  present  and  beheld  that  which  passed.  At  the 
time  when  the  matter  was  fresh  I  wrote  in  letters  many 
details  concerning  it  which  I  could  not  now  remember, 
neither  would  they  perhaps  belong  exactly  to  my  present 
undertaking  ;  still  a  izw  words  upon  the  subject  will  not 
be  out  of  place. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  loi 

"  In  the  service  of  the  elder  Cecil  there  was  a  young 
Catholic  gentleman  who  had  been  a  witness  of  these 
exorcisms,  for  it  was  in  the  house  of  a  relation  of  his 
that  many  were  used,  and  upon  divers  persons.  When, 
therefore,  the  matter  became  notorious,  and  the  rumour 
of  it  reached  as  far  as  the  Court  and  the  ears  of  the 
Queen's  Councillors,  Cecil  conversed  upon  the  subject 
with  the  above-mentioned  young  man,  and  in  talking 
of  these  possessed  persons  and  the  exorcisms  he  raised 
various  questions,  and  desired  the  youth  to  report  to  him 
clearly  as  to  the  truth  of  what  was  in  every  one's  mouth 
respecting  the  possessed,  and  whether  the  narrations  con- 
cerning them  were  realities  that  deserved  to  be  believed. 
The  young  man  having  received  permission  from  his  lord 
(whom  he  knew  to  be  a  persecutor  of  the  Faith  and  of  all 
good  men),  related  to  him  what  he  had  seen  and  heard, 
which  amounted  to  something  so  marvellous  that  it  could 
hardly  be  described.  Cecil  laughed  at  everything  as  being 
probably  a  fraud  and  a  series  of  impositions  devised  by 
priests  to  deceive.  Then  the  young  man  swore  a  solemn 
oath  to  the  truth  of  his  assertions.  'Apart  from  other 
awful  things,'  he  said,  'you  could  see  the  devils  gliding 
about  and  moving  under  the  skin  in  immense  numbers, 
in  visible  form,  like  fishes  swimming.'  '  Go  along  with 
you,'  said  Cecil,  '  great  knave  that  you  are,  never  see  me 
again,  or  come  near  my  house  any  more.'  Knowing  that 
he  was  wrong,  vexed  by  the  evidence  of  the  thing,  and 
still  more  by  his  own  conscience,  he  could  not  endure  to 
learn  any  further,  for  he  was  afraid,  I  think,  lest  such  a 
striking  testimony  of  the  truth  should  compel  him  to 
open  his  eyes  and  assent  to  it,  or  lest  it  should  increase 
the  remorse  of  his  conscience  that  was  uneasy. 

"  Here  likewise  it  may  not  be  unsuitable  to  narrate 
that  some  pursuivants,  with  warrants  to  search,  came  to 
that  very  house  where  the  demoniacs  were,  with  an  inten- 
tion of   discovering  what   might  be   going  on,  and   who 


I02 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 


were  present,  so  that  they  might  arrest  any  priests  or 
suspected  persons  whom  they  might  find.  They  chose  the 
time  that  seemed  most  hkely  for  the  celebration  of  Mass 
and  exorcisms.  They  knocked  a  long  time  at  the  door, 
for  that  house  was  a  large  one,  and  surrounded  with  a 
lofty  wall,  otherwise  they  w^ould  have  rushed  in  at  any 
visible  entrance  and  have  taken  all  unawares.  On  being 
required  to  show  their  authority,  they  produced  the 
warrants  with  which  they  were  furnished,  and  named  the 
magistrates  by  whom  they  had  been  sent,  and  at  last  were 
admitted  into  the  house.  Just  within  the  threshold  they 
met  with  one  of  the  victims  of  possession.  It  was  a  girl, 
and  as  soon  as  she  saw  them  she  looked  and  ground  her 
teeth  and  declared  that  one  of  them  (a  man  whom  she 
named)  had  a  thousand  devils  hanging  on  the  buttons  of 
his  dress.  At  this  the  pursuivants  were  so  scared  that 
they  forgot  all  the  furious  temper  with  which  they  had 
come.  In  their  excessive  fright  they  seemed  half  dead 
and  became  perfectly  gentle.  They  not  only  showed  no 
violence,  but  did  not  so  much  as  touch  a  thing  in  the 
whole  house,  either  because  they  had  no  will  to  do  so,  or 
because  they  durst  not.  They  did  not  search  any  corner 
or  room,  but  went  only  where  they  were  taken.  However, 
when  they  went  away  they  asked  the  lady  of  the 
house  to  give  security  for  her  appearance  within  a  certain 
time  before  the  Privy  Council.  There  were,  nevertheless, 
various  priests  at  the  time  in  that  house,  and  some  of 
them  actually  saying  Mass  when  they  came.  Everything 
was  finished  before  the  rogues  were  admitted  into  the 
house,  and  the  priests  had  concealed  themselves  in  the 
different  hiding-places. 

"  This  also  I  am  inclined  to  mention.  After  the  lapse 
of  nearly  a  year,  when  I  had  been  taken  and  had  fallen 
into  the  power  of  the  heretics,  a  secret  examiner  was  sent, 
who  came  to  mc  into  the  prison  to  take  information.  Being 
an  inquisitive  man,  he  inquired  with  much  minuteness  about 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  103 

those  events,  but  turned  them  all  into  ridicule,  saying  that 
he  had  seen  the  same  kind  of  things  performed  by  the 
tricks  of  juggling  for  the  astonishment  of  the  simple.  In 
order  to  put  down  his  insolence,  I  informed  him  of  some  of 
the  events  that  were  then  passing,  and  I  said  that  I  wished 
that  the  Queen  herself  had  been  present,  or  some  of  her 
Councillors,  to  view  those  spectacles,  or  else  that  they 
could  have  taken  place  in  public.  I  had  no  doubt  but  that 
many  persons  on  witnessing  and  recognizing  the  power 
and  majesty  of  the  keys  of  the  Church  when  used  against 
those  furies  and  monsters,  and  easily  discerning  the  dif- 
ference of  power  between  the  two  religions,  would  yield 
the  palm  of  victory  to  the  Catholic  faith.  He  then  swore 
with  a  great  oath  that  he  would  not  by  any  means  have 
liked  to  have  been  present  at  scenes  so  terrific :  so  little 
strength  is  there  in  an  evil  conscience  v/hen  it  is  in  the 
smallest  degree  touched  by  the  weapon  of  God's  Majesty, 
or  by  the  root  of  things  which  are  divine." 

Under  date  June  28,  1602,  Father  Anthony  Rivers 
wrote ^  to  Father  Persons  in  these  terms.  "His  lordship 
[Richard  Bancroft,  then  Bishop  of  London,  afterwards 
Archbishop  of  Canterbury]  is  in  hand  with  a  piece  of 
work  touching  the  incontinency  of  priests,  for  which 
purpose  he  hath  called  unto  him  Tyrrell,  and  some  such 
lost  companions  as  Mainy,  and  two  or  three  women  that 
were  exorcised  heretofore  for  being  possessed,  by  some 
priests,  and  being  now  heretics,  according  to  their  con- 
fessions, compileth  a  book,  which  haply  shortly  you  may 
see.  Albeit  Tyrrell  hath  refused  to  swear  to  the  truth 
of  such  things  as  he  hath  confessed,  which  hath  not  a 
little  troubled  Mr.  Bancroft,  for  that  he  meaneth  nothing 
shall  be  said  in  his  book  but  that  which  is  avouched  by 
the  oath  of  others." 

However  Tyrrell  did  swear  to  his  confessions,  and  in 
due    time    Samuel    Harsnet,    Bancroft's    chaplain,    after- 

^  Old  Chapter  MSS.,  Rivers'  Letters^, 


T04  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

wards  Bishop  of  Chichester  and  Archbishop  of  York,  pub- 
lished a  book  called  "A  declaration  of  egregious  Popish 
Impostures,  to  withdraw  the  hearts  of  her  Majesty's  subjects 
from  their  allegiance  and  from  the  truth  of  Christian 
Religion  professed  in  England,  under  the  pretence  of 
casting  out  devils.  Practised  [by]  Edmonds  alias  Weston, 
a  Jesuit,  and  divers  Romish  Priests,  his  wicked  associates. 
Whereunto  arc  annexed  the  Copies  of  the  Confessions  and 
Examinations  of  the  parties  themselves,  which  were  pre- 
tended to  be  possessed  and  dispossessed,  taken  upon  oath 
before  her  Majesty's  Commissioners  for  causes  Ecclesi- 
astical. At  London :  Printed  by  James  Roberts,  dwelling 
in  Barbican,  1603."^ 

The  book  is  a  vile  book,  full  of  the  foulest  insinuations. 
It  is  built  upon  the  examinations  of  Sarah  Williams,  taken 
in  1602,  Friswood,  alias  Frances  Williams,  taken  in  1598 
and  "augmented"  in  1602,  Anne  Smith,  alias  Atkinson,  in 
1598,  Richard  Mainy,  gentleman,  "written  by  himself" 
upon  oath,  June  6,  1602,  and  Anthony  Tyrrell,  clerk, 
"written  with  his  own  hand,"  also  upon  oath,  June  15, 
1602,  from  which  some  extracts  have  been  already 
given. 

This  Friswood  Williams  is  the  wicked  woman  called 
Fid,  who  was  believed  to  have  borne  a  child  to  Bancroft, 
as  Bishop  Challoner  relates  in  the  Life  of  Richard  Dibdale, 
in  his  Missionary  Priests. 

In  her  examination  she  has  evidently  tried  to  say  what 
she  thought  would  be  most  acceptable  to  her  examiners, 
the  Bishop  of  London,  the  Dean  of  Westminster,  and  their 
reverend  assessors.  She  has  said  the  vilest  things  of  all 
the  priests  whom  she  names,  and  it  is  worthy  of  remark 
that  the  accusations  of  indecency  against  them,  which  are 
greedily  seized  upon  by  Harsnct,  are  not  hinted  at  by  the 

1  "The  names  of  Modoz,  Mohu,  Frateretto,  Flibberdigibit,  and  a  few 
other  particulars  in  Shakspeare's  'King  Lear'  were  taken  from  this  book." 
Note  in  the  copy  in  the  Bodleian  Library. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  105 

other  witnesses.     A  specimen  will  serve,^  especially  a:i  it 
refutes  itself. 

"  It  was  not  long  after  this  examinate  came  to 
Mrs.  White,  but  that  one  Harrington,  growing  into 
acquaintance  with  her,  did  afterwards  marry  her,  as  she 
believeth.  The  marriage  was  in  the  Marshalsea,  where 
after  a  Mass,  one  Lister,  a  priest  (as  she  remembereth), 
then  prisoner  there,  used  certain  Latin  words,  whereby 
they  said  she  and  the  said  Harrington  were  married 
together.  There  were  present  there  five  or  six.  After 
which  time  the  said  Harrington  lived  with  this  examinate 
at  times  for  the  space  of  about  four  or  five  years,  she 
notwithstanding  continuing  her  service  with  Mrs.  White. 
.  .  .  She  further  saith  that  the  said  Harrington  being  con- 
demned and  executed  on  the  i8th  of  February,  1593 
[O.S.]  (as  she  remembereth),  she  married  again  with  Ralph 
Uallidowne,  a  smith  in  Holborn,  as  she  thinketh." 

This  flagrant  calumny  against  the  holy  memory  of  a  man 
who  had  given  his  life  for  his  faith,  is  false  on  the  face  of  it. 

First,  she  says  that  a  mock  marriage  was  performed  by 
a  priest  whom  she  names,  after  Mass,  in  the  presence  of 
five  or  six  persons.  Her  examiners  might  be  ready  to 
believe  such  a  story,  but  it  is  simply  incredible  that  so 
many  persons  should  be  found  amongst  those  who  were  in 
prison  for  their  religion,  so  to  make  a  mock  of  that  religion 
by  profaning  holy  Mass  and  the  Sacrament  of  Matrimony. 

Secondly,  she  says  that  the  words  used  were  Latin. 
Her  examiners  may  not  have  known  that  the  essential 
words  of  the  contract  always  were  in  English.  The  form 
of  the  Anglican  marriage  service,  as  well  as  that  which 
English  Catholics  now  use,  is  taken  from  the  ancient 
English  form  in  the  rite  of  Sarum.  Fid  could  not  have 
been  deceived  in  the  way  she  describes. 

Thirdly,  her  story  contains  this  glaring  absurdity,  that 
a  man  who  had  gone  through  a  form  of  marriage  in  a  place 

^  Harsnet's  Declaration,  p.  231. 


I06  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

so  public  as  the  Marshalsea  prison,  before  a  priest,  in  the 
presence  of  five  or  six  witnesses,  could  go  to  the  great 
College  at  Rheims,  where  he  had  previously  spent  two 
years  and  was  well  known,  remain  there  eighteen  months 
more,  receive  the  Sacred  Orders  openly  together  with 
many  others,  the  subdeaconship  at  Laon,  deaconship  and 
priesthood  at  Rheims,  and  one  of  these  orders  at  the 
general  ordination  in  the  ecclesiastical  capital  of  France, 
and  the  other  at  the  hands  of  the  Cardinal  of  Guise  ;  that 
he  could  then  go  on  the  English  mission  and  serve  it  till 
his  death,  mingling  with  Catholics  in  England  for  two 
years  and  known  to  them  to  be  a  priest ;  that  that  death 
should  be  at  Tyburn,  after  a  public  trial  for  the  crime  of 
his  priesthood — and  no  one  have  ever  said,  while  he  was 
preparing  for  Orders,  or  while  he  was  receiving  them,  or 
while  he  was  in  England  acting  as  a  priest,  or  while  being 
tried  because  he  was  a  priest,  or  when  his  name  was  in 
ever}'-  one's  mouth  as  a  martyr,  that  he  had  been  married 
by  a  priest  in  the  presence  of  five  or  six  people.  Such 
a  story  could  be  believed  only  by  those  who  held  the 
Catholics  to  be  profoundly  and  generally  depraved,  and 
that  such  depravity  extended  to  those  who  were  suffering 
imprisonment  for  the  sake  of  their  religion. 

Harrington  was  in  the  Marshalsea,  but  only  for  a  few 
months,  and  that  after  his  arrest  as  a  priest.  When 
examined  ^  by  Justice  Young  after  his  apprehension  in 
May,  1593,  he  gives  us  such  details  of  his  life,  that  with 
the  help  of  the  Douay  Diary  we  become  well  acquainted 
with  his  movements.  He  went  first  to  the  College  at 
Rheims,  in  1582,  when  he  was  only  sixteen,  and  remained 
there  for  two  years.  When  he  left  Rheims  it  was  to  enter 
the  Jesuit  Novitiate  at  Tournay,  but  he  "came  over  into 
England  because  he  could  not  have  his  health."  As  soon 
as  he  came  over  he  was  betrayed,  in  October,  1584,  by 
Ralph  Miller,  the  Rheims  tailor,^  and  he  was  then  "taken 

^  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  ccxlv.  n.  14.        "  Ibid.  vol.  clx.xiii.  n.  64. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  107 

and  sent  to  his  father's  house "  at  St.  John's  Mount,  in 
Yorkshire,  and  there  is  no  trace  whatever  of  his  being  in 
prison,  or  even  in  London,  till  he  was  a  priest. 

From  the  Marshalsea  he  wrote  to  Lord  Keeper  Pucker- 
ing a  very  manly  and  noble  letter,^  in  which  he  said  that 
if  his  life  were  granted  to  him  "  with  such  condition  as  he 
could  observe  without  prejudice  to  his  conscience  and  pro- 
fession," he  would  be  thankful  for  the  favour,  but  that  if 
not,  he  would  "in  all  joy  and  patience  expect  his  final 
sentence."  "If  my  boldness  and  resolute  answers,"  he 
wrote,  "  move  any  man,  I  desire  him  to  remember  that 
even  nature  and  my  bringing  up,  which  hath  not  been 
illiberal  " — he  was  a  gentleman  by  birth — "  always  taught 
me  in  a  just  cause  to  be  assured  and  confident ;  and  more 
than  this,  in  His  cause  my  Saviour  expressly  commandeth 
me  not  to  fear  those  who,  having  in  ignominious  sort 
hanged  or  quartered  my  body,  have  then  no  more  what- 
ever to  do  with  me.  And  for  my  own  part  I  protest 
sincerely  unto  your  honour  that,  after  once  I  had  deter- 
mined this  course,  which  at  God's  good  pleasure  and  yours 
I  shall  consummate,  I  made  no  more  account  of  life,  or 
any  worldly  pleasure,  but,  sleeping  and  waking,  death  was 
the  continual  object  of  my  mind,  the  end  of  my  desires, 
and  the  greatest  honour  which  in  this  world  I  expected 
as  the  reward  of  my  long  and  painful  labours."  This  was 
not  written  from  a  place  of  security,  but  when  he  was  in 
the  hands  of  men  who  had  indicted  him  of  high  treason. 
This  is  the  true  man,  and  this  the  spirit  that  animated 
him  when  imprisoned  in  the  Marshalsea,  not  that  which 
the  calumnious  tongue  of  Friswood  Williams  attributed 
to  him  when  he  was  dead.  Her  story  is  false  on  the  face 
of  it,  and  as  she  bore  false  witness  because  she  would 
say  what  she  thought  would  please  her  examiners,  it 
would  be  but  wasting  time  to  examine  her  evidence 
respecting  the  possessions  and  exorcisms. 

^  Ibid.  vol.  ccxlv.  n.  66. 


io8 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

HARD   TIMES. 

"The  times  that  succeeded  the  holding  of  Parliament  were 
full  of  bitterness  to  Catholics,  and  beyond  all  measure 
grievous.  For  although  before,  the  cruelties  had  been 
great,  and  tending  to  the  destruction  of  many,  yet  now 
the  fury  of  persecution  lifted  up  itself  much  more  vehe- 
mently against  them.  By  means  of  the  authority  of  the 
Earl  of  Leicester  and  the  advice  of  Cecil  (for  under  the 
Queen  these  two  men  were  our  rulers),  it  was  brought  about 
that  for  Catholics  their  country  and  native  soil  became 
changed  into  a  ruthless  and  unfriendly  ground  ;  the  hatred 
of  all  men  was  turned  against  them ;  they  were  laid  in 
wait  for,  betrayed,  attacked  with  violent  and  sudden 
assaults ;  they  were  plundered  by  night,  their  property 
was  confiscated,  their  flocks  were  driven  away,  their  cattle 
taken  from  them.  What  prison  was  there,  what  place, 
however  dark  and  gloomy,  which  was  not  at  that  time 
rendered  glorious  by  the  noble  and  magnanimous  confes- 
sion of  saintly  confessors  and  even  martyrs  ?  In  the 
cross-ways  and  public  roads  you  might  see  guards  suddenly 
stationed,  so  that  none  of  the  travellers  passing  by  could 
move  on  in  safety  or  without  rigorous  examination.  On 
one  and  the  same  night  and  hour  now  a  single  city,  now 
several  throughout  the  kingdom,  were  disturbed  with 
unlooked-for  incursions  of  secret  spies ;  the  inns,  the 
taverns,  the  lodging-houses,  the  bed-chambers,  were 
searched  with  the  utmost  rigour  ;  if  suspected  or  unknown 
persons  were  found,  unless  they  could  give  a  satisfactory 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  109 

account  of  themselves,  they  were  either  imprisoned  or 
guarded  until  the  next  day  came,  and  till  they  could  clear 
themselves,  in  presence  of  a  magistrate,  from  all  suspicion 
of  being  Catholics,  and  particularly  of  being  Catholic 
priests.  Lying  rumours  were  set  afloat  about  the  prepara- 
tion and  coming  of  a  hostile  fleet  into  England  ;  false 
letters  were  forged  pretending  to  come  from  Catholics, 
and  containing  conspiracies  against  the  Queen ;  nothing 
was  more  in  fashion  than  to  believe  that  the  Queen's  death 
was  intended  by  them  ;  indeed,  there  were  some  spies  that 
went  so  far  as  to  disguise  themselves  as  Catholics,  and 
submit  to  arrest  and  incarceration,  and  to  make  a  con- 
fession of  guilt  in  order  to  inflame  the  passions  of  men 
against  the  Catholic  name,  and  enable  them  to  demand 
and  exact  vengeance  upon  them. 

"  It  happened  sometimes  in  London  (and  I  have  myself 
been  present  and  heard  the  complaints  and  lamentations 
of  Catholics)  that  it  was  reported  as  a  certain  fact  that  a 
decree  had  been  passed  by  the  Queen's  Council  for  the 
suppression  and  massacre  of  all  Catholics  in  their  houses, 
on  such  or  such  a  night.  Many  persons  would  then 
abandon  their  homes  and  resting-places,  and  spend  the 
night  in  the  fields  ;  others  hired  boats  on  the  Thames,  and 
floated  up  and  down  the  river.  There  was  a  saying  spread 
abroad,  which  was  supposed  to  have  come  from  the  lips  of 
Cecil,  to  the  effect  that  he  would  bring  matters  to  such  a 
pass  that  in  a  short  time  Catholics  would  be  reduced  to 
such  a  state  of  destitution  that  they  would  be  unable  to 
assist  each  other,  and  would  be  thankful  if,  like  swine,  they 
could  find  husks  wherewith  to  assuage  their  hunger.  Truly 
it  seems  to  me  that  the  prophecy  of  our  Saviour  was  then 
accomplished  :  *  They  will  put  you  without  the  Synagogue, 
and  all  who  shall  slay  you  will  think  that  they  are  doing 
God  service.' 

"Willingly  I  omit  here  the  frequent  arrests  of  priests 
and  others,  their  imprisonments  and  violent  deaths,  which 


no  Life  of  Father  Willia7ii  Weston. 

were  perpetrated  partly  in  London,  partly  in  York,  at 
Winchester,  Canterbury,  and  other  places ;  for  all  these 
things  have  been  diligently  noted  down  in  histories  of  their 
own,  divided  according  to  time,  and  described  with  their 
proper  circumstances.  New  prisons,  in  like  manner,  were 
devised  and  erected  at  Wisbech,  Ely,  Reading,  and 
they  were  filled  with  high-born  persons  for  the  most  part, 
and  illustrious  men.  When  a  request  was  made  to  the 
Queen  to  make  similar  arrangements  for  women,  she  is 
reported  to  have  made  answer :  *  You  have  had  your  own 
Avay  with  the  men  ;  do  you  want  to  shut  up  the  women, 
too,  like  nuns  in  cloisters.^  A  fine  work  that  would  be!' 
and  she  withheld  her  consent.  Nevertheless,  there  were  in 
Yorkshire  public  prisons,  where  the  wives  of  several  men 
of  rank  were  detained  ;^  others  were  held  captive  in  the 
houses  of  private  persons.  But  as  to  the  events  which 
happened  to  myself  during  that  sorrowful  period  of  public 
affairs,  or  to  others  whom  those  trials  touched,  it  may  not 
be  unseemly  to  put  down  some  records  here. 

"  There  was  a  gentleman  who  desired  to  be  present  at 
Mass  in  his  own  house.  The  outer  door  of  the  house  was 
therefore  carefully  shut,  and  the  servant  had  orders  not  to 
admit  any  man  without  express  leave  from  her  master. 
He  himself,  meanwhile,  in  the  upper  part  of  the  house, 
prepared  and  arranged  ever}^thing  necessary  for  the  cele- 
bration of  the  Holy  Sacrifice.  Then,  having  called  the 
priest  from  his  hiding-place,  he  put  on  a  surplice,  and 
devoutly  served  the  father  at  Mass.  By  his  side  he  had 
a  sword  in  readiness. 

"Mass  was  not  quite  finished  when  the  pursuivants 
appeared  at  the  door,  and  began  their  knocking.  The 
servant,  forgetting  her  orders,  opened  the  door  for  them, 
and  they  suddenly  rushed  in.  The  maid  saw  her  mistake, 
and  shouted  out  lustily  that  thieves  had  broken  in.     When 

^  For  some  account  of  the  Catholic  ladies  who  were  imprisoned  in  the 
Castle  at  Sheriff  Hutton,  see  Troubles,  First  Series,  p.  229. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  1 1 1 

her  master  heard  the  outcry,  being  still  in  his  surplice,  he 
seized  his  sword,  met  the  men  as  they  were  ascending 
towards  the  room  where  Mass  was  going  on,  turned  the 
point  of  his  sword  sharply  upon  them,  and  threw  them 
downstairs,  drove  them  into  the  lower  part  of  the  house, 
shut  and  barred  the  intervening  doors,  went  upstairs  again, 
removed  and  arranged  everything,  hid  the  priest  in  a  safe 
place,  took  off  his  surplice,  and  then  went  down  to  the 
men,  saying  to  them,  '  And,  pray,  who  are  you,  and  what 
is  your  business  here?'  They,  however,  called  him  by  his 
name,  and  said,  '  You  seem  to  have  changed  yourself  into 
another  man.  Tell  us,  where  is  your  surplice  ?'  '  I  ?'  said 
he,  '  I  in  a  surplice  ?  I  do  not  belong  to  the  sort  of 
people  who  wear  surplices.'  Then  he  produced  some  gold, 
lined  their  palms,  appeased  them,  and  sent  them  away. 

"  There  was  also  an  illustrious  matron,  who  sent  word 
to  a  certain  priest  whom  she  knew  to  be  dwelling  at  the 
distance  of  a  few  leagues,  requesting  him  to  come  to  her 
house  upon  one  special  day  to  administer  the  sacraments 
to  herself  and  her  family.  At  the  same  time  she  entreated 
her  husband  to  be  absent  from  home  on  that  day  so  that 
the  priest  might  have  freer  access  to  the  house  and  more 
facility  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties.  The  husband  being 
attached  to  his  wife,  albeit  not  of  the  same  religion,  pur- 
posed to  do  as  she  wished  ;  but  before  he  could  leave 
home  there  fell  suddenly  such  a  heavy  shower  of  rain 
that  he  determined  to  stay  within  doors.  The  priest 
meanwhile  remembered  his  appointment,  and  did  not 
regard  either  the  long  journey  or  the  rain.  When  he 
arrived  he  was  soaked  with  the  storm,  and  the  person 
who  opened  the  door  to  him  at  his  coming  chanced  to 
be  the  master  of  the  house,  who,  upon  seeing  the  priest 
guessed  immediately  the  reason  why  he  had  been  sent 
for.  Nevertheless,  he  received  him  kindly  and  invited 
him  to  enter.  He  ordered  a  fire  to  be  lit  to  dry  his 
clothes,  and  showed  him,  in  fact,  every  mark  of  hospitaHty 


112  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

In  the  meanwhile  the  Catholic  members  of  the  family- 
employed  themselves  in  arranging  a  room  and  an  altar, 
and  all  that  was  required  for  the  celebration  of  Mass. 
They  likewise  prepared  themselves  for  receiving  Com- 
munion. They  could  not  so  well,  however,  keep  the 
secret  but  that  the  master  of  the  house  formed  a  tolerably 
true  idea  of  what  was  intended.  He  then  went  to  the 
priest  and  asked  to  be  allowed  to  be  present  at  Mass, 
saying  that  he  had  heard  much  of  it  but  had  never  seen 
it.  The  priest  made  answer  that  his  request  was  not 
merely  singular  but  even  wrong,  because  sectaries  and 
heretics  were  not  admitted  to  Catholic  rites  as  being 
excommunicated  persons ;  sacred  things  were  not  to  be 
given  to  dogs.  The  gentleman  refused  to  accept  this 
answer,  but  only  urged  his  plea  more  forcibly.  The 
priest  yielded  at  last,  under  the  impression  that  there 
must  have  been  some  spark  of  goodness  lying  beneath 
so  earnest  a  petition.  Neither  did  his  hope  deceive  him. 
When  the  gentleman  witnessed  everything,  the  beauty  of 
the  ceremony,  the  reverence  of  the  priest,  the  devotion  of 
those  who  were  present,  feeling  himself  quite  overcome 
either  with  terror  or  with  great  awe,  he  all  at  once  in 
the  middle  of  Mass,  turned  faint,  pale  and  rigid,  then  a 
profuse  perspiration  broke  out  over  him  and  he  fell  in 
a  faint.  His  wife  came  to  his  assistance ;  the  others  who 
were  near  lifted  him  up  from  the  ground,  rubbed  his 
hands,  aided  him  in  every  manner,  and  at  length  after 
a  long  delay  they  brought  him  back  to  life  and  sensation. 
When  the  Mass  and  Communion  were  finished,  the  priest 
said  to  him,  '  Now  you  have  seen  and  felt  by  your  own 
experience  that  you  were  unworthy  to  be  present,  and  have 
received  the  just  punishment  of  an  excommunicated  man. 
You  have  seen,  too,  what  a  miserable  thing  is  life,  how  un- 
certain, how  entirely  dependent  upon  the  will  of  God.'  This 
event  so  profited  the  gentleman  that  by  its  means,  together 
with  the  priest's  short  and  expressive  words,  he  was  so  moved 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  113 

as  to  request  the  father  not  to  depart  for  awhile,  adding, 
'Then  I  can  hear  from  your  lips  what  will  tend  to  my 
advantage  and  that  of  my  soul.'  Being  instructed  in  the 
Faith,  and  how  to  make  his  confession,  he  became  a  most 
exemplary  Catholic,  and  continued  so  throughout  his  life 
with  the  greatest  constancy.  It  fell  in  my  way  to  see 
him  myself  upon  one  occasion  when  he  came  to  Wisbech 
to  visit  us,  bringing  an  ample  alms  with  him  in  the  fulness 
of  his  devotion. 

"  It  was  about  this  period  that  there  occurred  a  very 
memorable  incident  which  was  narrated  to  me  by  a  priest 
who  was  a  witness  of  the  fact.  He  had  been  invited 
to  a  Catholic  house  to  administer  the  Holy  Communion. 
He  said  Mass  and  was  about  to  communicate  those  who 
were  present.  Amongst  them  was  a  young  child  who  with 
great  admiration  watched  all  that  was  passing.  The 
ceremony  over,  he  attached  himself  to  his  mother,  took 
hold  of  her  dress,  and  said,  '  Mother,  mother.'  *  What 
is  it .'' '  she  asked.  '  Did  you  not  see .''  Did  you  not  see  .-* ' 
he  answered.  *  But  what  should  I  see  ? '  said  the  mother. 
The  child  replied,  'The  wonderful  little  infant,  and  so 
beautiful,  like  nothing  that  you  ever  saw,  that  was  placed 
in  my  father's  mouth  by  my  uncle  (this  was  the  priest  who 
had  distributed  Communion),  and  my  father  received  it 
and  it  disappeared.  What  a  pity ! '  These  and  similar 
words  he  went  on  repeating  to  his  mother,  and  he  could 
not  cease  lamenting  and  complaining  that  the  beautiful 
child  was  gone. 

"  I  once  obtained  the  familiar  friendship  of  a  young 
Catholic  gentleman  who  used  to  bewail  often  and  bitterly 
the  condition  of  his  father,  whose  wife  and  children  were 
Catholics,  together  with  some  other  members  of  the 
family,  but  who  would  persist  himself  in  the  outward 
profession  of  a  false  religion,  though  he  was  not  ignorant 
of  his  error  and  danger  in  thus  manifestly  offending 
his  Creator,  and  risking  his  own  salvation.  The  young 
I 


114  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

man  asked  mc  if  I  would  disguise  myself,  visit  his  father's 
house,  and  lay  hold  of  some  opportunity  of  conversing 
with  him  on  the  subject  of  religion.  He  went  on  to  say, 
'For  my  father  delights  in  that  kind  of  conversation  and  in 
company  of  those  who  make  religion  the  matter  of  their 
discourse.'  He  had  considerable  learning  for  a  person  in 
his  position  of  life,  and  was  well  versed  in  the  science  of 
law. 

"  I  could  not  refuse  to  listen  to  such  a  request.     Con- 
sequently I  made  my  visit,  and  after  a  friendly  salutation 
and  a  few  words  upon  general  matters,  the  rest  of  our 
conversation  was  devoted  to  such  topics  as  belonged  to 
religion.      When  our  long  discussion  was  concluded,   and 
I  was  going  away,  he  asked  of  his  son  who  I  might  be. 
He  added  that  it  would  please  him  much  if  I  would  visit 
him  frequently.     This  I  did  accordingly,  and  became  so 
intimate   with   him  that  he  used  to    invite   me   into  his 
library,  and  besides  other  books  which  he  showed  me,  he 
would   bring   out   even    Durandus,   Medina,   and   various 
scholastic   authors   which    he   was   wont   to    peruse   with 
diligence,    hoping   to  find   some   passage   in  them  which 
might  excuse  him  in  his  custom  of  frequenting  heretical 
assemblies  and  churches.     He  requested  me  to  read  the 
sentences  which  he  had  marked,  and  to  solve  the  diffi- 
culties which  he  had  woven  together  out  of  them,  or  which 
had  been  otherwise  suggested  to  him  by  his  own  under- 
standing.    And  when   sometimes  he  was  so  far  pressed 
that  he  was  not  well  able  to  maintain  his  own  position, 
he  would  cry  out  and  say,  '  Away  with  the  heretics,  the 
detestable  enemies  of  God,  with  whom  nothing  is  sacred, 
who  are  the  destroyers  of  all  law  and  the  murderers  of 
souls.     Never  will  I  put  it  within  their  reach  to  strip  me 
of   my  property,  so  that   myself,  my  wife   and   children 
should  be  all  at  their  mercy.' 

"  Now  I  will  mention  the  end  of  the  life  of  this  man 
who  in  other  respects  was  honourable  and  adorned  with 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  115 

a  variety  of  virtues.  His  house  in  London  was  scarcely 
ever  a  day  or  two  without  there  being  a  priest  within 
it  He  owned,  moreover,  another  house  in  the  country 
(whither  he  used  frequently  to  betake  himself),  and  there 
he  kept  a  brother  of  his  who  was  a  priest,  so  that,  were 
illness  to  overtake  him,  he  might  always  have  a  spiritual 
remedy  at  hand  in  a  physician  who  could  offer  succour  to 
his  soul.  Once  when  he  was  travelling,  according  to 
his  custom,  from  one  house  to  the  other,  he  was  taken  ill 
in  the  middle  of  the  journey,  in  an  inn  where  he  was 
resting.  From  thence  he  sent  an  express  messenger  to 
bring  his  brother,  the  priest,  to  him  from  home,  but 
although  much  haste  was  used,  before  the  priest  could 
arrive  he  was  dead.  Thus  it  is  God's  way  to  surprise  the 
wise  in  their  craftiness.  Something  similar  I  heard  also 
concerning  another  person  who  kept  his  son,  a  priest, 
privately  in  his  house  in  case  of  any  danger  of  death. 
One  day  he  left  his  house  to  go  into  a  neighbouring  town, 
wherein  having  heard  an  heretical  sermon,  he  was  over- 
taken by  a  mortal  malady,  fell  down  and  expired." 

Perhaps  the  case  here  alluded  to  by  Father  Weston 
was  the  following,  which  is  taken  from  "Relations  of 
Mr.  George  Stokes  and  Mr.  Heath  concerning  martyrs,** 
copied  by  Father  Christopher  Grene.^  "When  I  was  a 
scholar  in  Oxford,  Mr.  Pitts  of  Iffley  hard  by,  being  a 
schismatic,  and  having  two  sons  Catholic  priests  in  his 
house,  being  often  desired  to  come  to  the  unity  of  the 
Church,  answered  that  he  could  when  he  would  ;  but  as 
he  went  into  our  Lady's  Church  at  Oxford,  he  fell  dowa 
dead." 

"  The  house  in  which  I  was  myself  entertained  in  secret 
was  once  visited  by  certain  Catholics  who  gave  a  satis- 
factory account  of  themselves  both  to  me  and  to  the  head 
of  the  family,  and  expressed  their  desire  of  hearing  Mass. 
When  it  was  over  and  all  were  departing,  I  remained  at 
1  Stonyhurst  MSS.,  iM.  foL  191. 
I   2 


Ii6  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

home  as  usual,  and  going  upstairs  to  the  room  where  my 
books  were  kept,  I  began  my  occupations.  After  nearly  two 
hours  the  whole  house  was  besieged  by  a  great  concourse 
of  men  ;  by  what  accident  or  through  whose  information 
I  know  not.  The  servant  ran  to  me  suddenly,  as  I 
happened  to  be  still  in  the  house.  He  told  me  of  the 
danger,  and  made  me  immediately  come  down  into  an 
underground  hiding-place  that  he  showed  me.  There  are 
several  such  places  in  Catholic  houses,  otherwise  there 
would  be  no  security  possible.  I  descended,  having 
nothing  but  my  breviary  with  me.  Nothing  else  was  at 
hand,  and  moreover  it  would  have  been  dangerous  to  wait, 
for  the  heretics  had  already  found  their  way  into  the 
house  and  were  examining  the  more  distant  parts  of  it. 
From  my  cave  I  could  hear  where  they  were  from  the 
noise  and  tumult  which  they  raised.  Step  by  step  they 
carried  on  their  attacks.  When  they  came  to  my  chamber 
and  saw  my  books  they  became  more  eager  than  before 
in  their  hope  of  discovering  their  prey.  Within  that 
room  was  a  secret  passage ;  of  this  they  demanded  the 
key,  and  after  opening  the  door  that  led  to  it  they  stood 
so  exactly  over  my  head  that  I  could  hear  almost  every 
word  that  was  uttered.  'See;'  they  cried,  'here  is  the 
chalice,  and  here  is  the  missal.'  These  things  were  really 
there,  for  there  had  been  no  time  or  means  of  removing 
them.  They  demanded  a  hammer  and  instruments  to 
break  through  the  wall  and  the  boarding,  for  they  felt 
sure  that  I  could  not  be  far  away.  As  for  myself  I  was 
praying  with  no  slight  fervour  to  God  that  He  would 
avert  the  danger.  It  struck  me  likewise  that  it  would  be 
nobler  for  a  priest  to  surrender  himself  into  the  hands  of 
the  enemy  rather  than  to  endure  being  drawn  out  with 
ignominy.  For  I  believed  that  some  Judas  had  been 
informing  and  betraying  me,  and  that  the  men  knew 
perfectly  well  where  I  was  to  be  found,  but  preferred  that 
the   discovery   should   be    attributed    to   accident   sooner 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  117 

than  to  treachery,  in  order  to  conceal  the  guilt  of  the 
traitor. 

"Whilst  these  thoughts  were  passing  through  my 
mind,  one  of  the  company,  induced  either  by  error  or 
design,  or  as  is  more  probable,  by  the  suggestion  of  a 
good  angel,  exclaimed,  'Why  do  you  spend  your  time 
looking  for  hammers  and  hatchets  ?  There  is  no  space 
here  large  enough  to  hold  a  man.  Look  at  all  the  corners 
and  where  everything  leads,  there  can  be  no  secret  place 
here.'  The  reasoning  of  this  man  proved  effectual,  and 
the  men  desisted  from  their  resolution  of  searching  any 
more  and  destroying  the  place.  It  was  God's  purpose, 
as  I  think,  to  deprive  them  all  of  common  sense.  For 
it  seemed  surprising  that  men  of  that  kind,  so  expert  in 
their  employment,  should  have  been  unable  to  discover 
a  place  that  was  not  constructed  with  any  remarkable 
skill  or  ingenuity.  So  at  last  they  lost  courage,  and 
being  very  much  fatigued  after  their  tedious  hunt,  they 
departed,  carrying  away  whatever  they  found,  the  silver 
chalice,  the  missal,  a  number  of  books,  and  what  else  I 
know  not. 

"They  arrested  and  imprisoned  the  master  of  the 
house,  and  one  or  two  more  who  belonged  to  his  house- 
hold, which  was  not  large,  seeing  that  a  long  while  before 
he  had  been  expelled  from  his  own  home,  and  had  hired 
part  of  another.  I  think  that  at  this  same  time  his  wife 
also  was  arrested  ;  however,  they  did  not  long  delay  to 
release  her  as  she  was  a  worhan  of  noble  birth,  and  they 
did  not  care  to  treat  her  with  severity  on  account  of  her 
position. 

"  So  the  whole  day  was  passed  by  me  and  the  night 
likewise,  and  the  following  day,  until  near  sunset  It 
was  winter  time,  and  I  was  in  a  dark  cellar,  damp,  cold, 
and  so  narrow  that  I  was  compelled  to  stand  all  the  time, 
I  had,  moreover,  to  remain  in  perfect  silence,  without 
coughing  or  noise,  because  I  was  under  the  impression 


ii8  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

that  as  they  did  not  find  me  in  all  that  time  they  would 
besiege  the  house,  lest  I  should  secretly  escape.  As  none 
of  the  servants  came  to  me  during  those  long  hours  to 
open  the  door,  it  confirmed  me  in  my  suspicion  that  the 
enemies  were  still  in  possession  of  the  place.  It  appeared 
to  me,  nevertheless,  that  something  must  be  done  to 
prevent  myself  from  finding  my  hiding-place  turned  into 
my  tomb  whilst  I  was  yet  alive.  I  mounted  the  steps, 
therefore,  and  listened  long  to  find  whether  I  could  dis- 
tinfTuish  voices  or  footsteps  passing.  After  much  watching 
no  symptom  of  anything  or  of  any  person  reached  my 
ear ;  so,  being  at  the  top  of  the  steps,  I  pressed  my 
shoulders  against  the  trap-door  of  the  cellar,  which  had 
been  shut  from  without.  By  many  efforts,  interspersed 
with  prayers,  I  was  but  just  able  to  break  it  open.  Of  one 
thing  there  was  great  fear,  lest  if  I  used  too  much  force 
the  cross-plank  of  the  ladder  should  get  broken  under 
my  feet  and  so  fail  me,  in  which  case  all  hope  would  have 
been  over,  and  I  should  have  perished  with  the  dreadful 
fall,  for  the  person  who  had  shut  me  in  had  been  impri- 
soned ;  those  who  had  remained  at  home  did  not  know 
the  place,  and  were  unaware  of  w^hat  had  become  of  me. 
When  at  last  I  had  accomplished  my  purpose  through 
using  all  the  energies  of  my  soul  and  body  so  that  my 
bones  ached  for  days  afterwards,  I  was  still  at  the  top  of 
the  steps,  with  only  my  head  and  shoulders  visible  from 
above  and  listening  all  the  time.  As  there  was  nothing 
to  be  heard  I  began  to  recite  the  Office  for  the  day  out  of 
the  breviary  which  I  had  with  me.  At  length  I  was  able 
to  distinguish  the  voices  of  women,  the  lamentations  of 
the  mistress  of  the  house  and  her  nurse,  and  the  voices 
of  people  calling  me.  Then  I  surmised  that  all  was  safe, 
and  the  house  must  be  free  from  peril,  so  I  came  out 
entirely  ;  otherwise,  if  there  had  been  suspicion  of  danger, 
it  would  have  been  easy  for  mc  to  have  pulled  down  the 
trap-door,  and  to    have    descended.      When   I  had  fully 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  119 

mounted  I  was  covered  with  dust  and  spiders'  webs  ; 
these  had  to  be  brushed  off,  and  then  I  set  off  imme- 
diately and  escaped,  not  without  considerable  danger, 
because,  as  I  heard  afterwards,  there  were  watchmen  in 
the  way.  Notwithstanding,  through  the  goodness  of  God 
I  escaped," 


CHAPTER   IX. 

MISSIONARY     LIFE. 

"  God  delivered  me  from  another  peril,  and,  as  I  believe, 
no  less  a  one,  upon  a  different  occasion.  While  I  was 
in  the  house  of  a  certain  viscount,  having  been  invited 
thither  by  a  nobleman,  the  viscount's  son-in-law,^  in 
order  to  discourse  about  religion  in  presence  of  the 
daughter  of  the  former,  and  sister  of  the  wife  of  the 
latter,  who  desired  earnestly  to  be  instructed  in  Catholic 
doctrine.  When  I  had  arrived,  and  we  were  all  together 
in  one  of  the  rooms  absorbed  in  conversation  concerning 
matters  of  faith  and  religion,  a  disturbance  was  quickly 
raised  in  the  house,  fomented,  as  the  viscount's  daughter 
believed,  by  her  Puritan  sister-in-law.  It  was  rumoured 
that  an  old  man,  a  priest,  was  already  in  the  house,  and 
engaged  in  a  disputation  in  such  and  such  an  apartment. 
As  these  and  several  other  persons  had  heard  me  speak, 
the  gentleman  who  had  invited  me  began  to  guess  that  a 
trap  had  been  prepared  in  order  to  arrest  me.  He  went 
out  of  the  room  where  we  were,  and  perceived  that  the 


^  "  A  quodam  nobili  viro  et  genero  ejusdem  vicecomitis. "  Orig.  N'obilis 
is  the  usual  term  for  a  gentleman,  and  vicecomes  may  be  the  sheriff  of  a 
county.  If  this  be  a  viscount,  as  seems  probable  from  the  phrase  iua 
dominatio,  a  little  lower,  it  must  be  Henry  Howard,  Viscount  Howard  of 
Bindon.    Anthony  Brown,  Viscount  Montague,  was  a  Catholic. 


I20  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

Puritan  lady  had  arranged  watchers  in  various  quarters  of 
the  house  so  tliat  from  Avhatever  point  I  might  try  to 
escape  there  might  be  men  to  capture  me. 

"  On  the  emergency  he  felt  himself  driven  to  a  course 
of  action  that  bordered  upon  insanity ;  for  since  the 
greatness  of  the  danger  did  not  allow  time  for  longer 
deliberation,  he  determined  to  assemble  his  servants, 
take  me  by  force  through  the  midst  of  the  house, 
rescue  me  from  all  the  pursuers,  place  me  in  a  boat, 
as  the  Thames  was  close  by,  and  row  me  over  to  the 
opposite  side  of  the  river.  He  recollected  himself,  how- 
ever, in  time,  considering  how  rash  such  an  attempt 
must  be,  and  how  much  danger  and  violence  it  must 
bring  with  it,  involving  perhaps  murder  as  a  necessary 
consequence.  In  the  end  he  resolved  to  make  an  appeal 
to  the  viscount  himself,  his  father-in-law,  although  cer- 
tainly a  heretic,  even  ex  officio  a  persecutor.  Thus  putting 
his  hope  in  God,  he  went  to  that  nobleman  and  called  him 
out  of  the  room  where  he  was  talking  and  recreating 
himself  after  dinner  in  company  with  other  men  of  rank. 
Finding  that  he  lingered  for  awhile  and  continued  his 
conversation,  he  called  to  him  again,  and  asked  him  to 
make  haste,  seeing  that  the  matter  in  hand  was  one  that 
suffered  not  delay.  The  company  present  wondered  what 
was  the  reason  of  such  urgency.  The  viscount,  however, 
quitted  his  companions  and  hurried  to  my  friend,  who 
explained  to  him  the  snare  that  had  been  set  to  catch 
me  by  his  daughter-in-law  ;  he  asserted  at  the  same  time 
that  she  was  quite  mistaken  in  her  opinion  respect- 
ing me,  for  instead  of  being  an  old  man  and  a  priest, 
as  she  imagined,  coming  for  the  purpose  of  converting 
his  daughter,  I  was  a  young  gentleman  quite  well  known 
to  himself,  come  over  to  pay  him  a  visit ;  that  as  I 
had  been  out  of  the  country  many  years,  travelling 
in  other  regions  through  curiosity,  it  was  natural  that 
various  persons  besides  himself  should  be  anxious  to  hear 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  121 

what  I  had  to  say  respecting  the  novelties  of  foreign 
lands.  After  his  father-in-law  had  heard  what  he  said, 
and  had  felt  that  it  was  unworthy  of  his  dignity  if  so 
treacherous  an  action  were  perpetrated  in  his  own  house, 
in  his  own  presence,  and  to  the  annoyance  of  his  son-in- 
law  (for  the  affair  had  now  gone  so  far  that  they  were 
holding  me  imprisoned  together  with  one  other  person), 
he  instantly  gave  orders  that  his  son  should  be  sent 
for,  to  whom  he  then  put  questions  as  to  where  his  wife 
was,  and  what  was  her  present  occupation.  The  son 
answered  that  he  did  not  know.  The  father  commanded 
that  she  should  be  called.  The  other  returned,  saying 
that  he  could  not  find  her.  '  Go  away,'  said  the  father ; 
*  make  no  excuses,  but  bring  her  to  me.'  She  came  at 
last,  and  the  viscount  said  to  her :  *  You  forward  thing, 
what  are  you  about  ? '  She  began  then  to  tell  her  story, 
but  he  replied  to  her :  *  Just  go,  foolish  woman,  and  call 
away  instantly  the  men  who  are  on  the  watch,  and  all 
the  servants  whom  you  have  posted  about'  Then  he 
descended  himself,  accompanied  by  some  noblemen,  and 
coming  to  the  spot  ordered  the  door  to  be  opened.  I 
came  forth,  not  at  all,  it  must  be  confessed,  looking  like 
an  old  man  or  a  priest.  I  looked  at  them  all,  saluted 
them  in  the  usual  form,  received  the  like  courtesy  from  the 
viscount,  made  my  way  out,  and  so  escaped.  The  one  who 
had  sent  for  me  was  standing  by,  and  he  said  to  his  father- 
in-law,  'You  lordship  can  see  how  unlike  this  man  is  to 
what  he  was  imagined  to  be.' 

"The  viscount's  daughter,  however,  for  whose  sake  I  had 
been  brought  into  jeopardy,  as  she  had  a  strong  inclina- 
tion to  embrace  the  Catholic  faith,  did  not  cease  to  receive 
ill-usage  from  her  relations.  They  would  pluck  at  her  dress 
and  uncover  her  neck  to  see  whether  she  might  not  be 
wearing  relics  or  crosses  or  an  Agnus  Dei.  Sometimes,  too, 
they  insisted  on  her  eating  meat  on  abstinence  days.  All 
these  details  I  have  set  down  for  the  private  reading  of 


122  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

your  Reverence/  that  you  may  sec  how  many  and  how 
various  arc  the  accidents  growing  out  of  one  and  the  same 
danger,  and  how  many  troubles  and  anxieties  it  may 
involve. 

"There  was  likewise  another  adventure  in  London, 
which  should  not  be  passed  over  in  silence.  I  was  walking 
near  the  shop  of  a  man  whom  I  knew  to  be  a  Catholic, 
so  I  stopped  a  moment  and  had  a  word  with  him,  when 
there  came  up  to  me  a  young  man  of  rank  who  both  at 
his  first  greeting,  and  in  his  after  speech,  showed  me  more 
reverence  than  my  dress  or  appearance  would  seem  to 
demand,  for  he  knew  that  I  was  a  priest.  This  was 
observed  by  a  pursuivant,  one  of  those  tormentors  of 
Catholics,  who  happened  to  be  then  in  a  house  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  same  street.  From  the  gentleman's 
extreme  civility  he  guessed  that  I  was  something  out  of 
the  common  way,  so  he  descended  speedily  from  his  upper 
chamber  resolved  to  find  out  whether  there  were  any  sign 
about  me  of  my  being  a  priest,  and,  if  so,  to  apprehend  me. 
In  the  middle  of  the  road  he  recollected  his  sword,  for  he 
noticed  that  I  carried  arms.  Being  afraid  to  come  unpro- 
vided, and  not  knowing  what  he  might  require,  he  went 
back  to  look  for  his  sword.  This  brief  space  of  time  was 
granted  me  by  God  for  my  deliverance.  For  in  the  mean- 
time we  had  made  an  end  of  our  conversation  ;  the  young 
man,  however,  remained  in  his  place.  I  went  my  way  and 
by  chance  moved  out  of  the  highroad,  turning  down  a 
small  by-street.  When  the  pursuivant  had  left  his  house, 
and  had  come  to  where  we  had  been  standing,  he  failed  to 
see  me  and  cried  out,  *  He  has  gone  off,  then,  and  escaped 
out  of  my  hands.  I  knew  that  he  was  somebody  worth 
taking.'  *0f  whom  are  you  talking,'  exclaimed  the 
Catholic  young  man,  'and  whom  are  you  looking  for.?' 
The  youth  knew  the  pursuivant's  face   becau.se   he   had 

^  The  Autobiography  was  written  in  compliance  with  the  request  of  the 
General  of  the  Society. 


Life  of  Father  Williatn  Weston.  123 

seen  him  before,  when  visiting,  for  no  good  purpose,  his 
father's  house.  The  pursuivant  inquired,  'Who  was  that 
person  with  whom  you  were  talking  ?  For  I  know  that 
if  he  had  not  been  something  out  of  the  ordinary  run 
you  would  never  have  shown  him  so  much  respect  in 
your  manner.'  The  other  put  the  question  off,  saying, 
'Come,  you  are  a  little  more  inquisitive  than  you  need 
be.  Go  home,  and  do  not  be  so  full  of  suspicions;'  and 
then  he  said  good-day. 

"  I  knew  also  a  Catholic  married  woman  who,  as  she  was 
expecting  her  confinement,  left  her  own  home  and  resolved 
to  live  secretly  in  company  with  another  Catholic  woman 
to  prevent  her  child  from  falling  into  the  hands  of  heretics, 
and  being  baptized  by  them.  Having  entered  the  house 
to  visit  her,  seeing  that  she  was  young  and  with  her  first 
child,  I  spoke  of  the  danger  that  was  usual  in  her  circum- 
stances, and  advised  her  to  have  recourse  to  the  Sacra- 
ments of  Confession  and  Communion,  in  order  to  prepare 
herself  for  what  might  prove  to  her  an  occasion  of  death. 
She  listened  to  my  counsel  and  resolved  to  follow  it 
without  delay.  After  being  fortified,  therefore,  with  these 
aids,  she  gave  birth  to  a  child  without  much  suffering 
at  the  end  of  a  day  or  two,  but  through  the  carelessness 
of  her  nurse  she  fell  subsequently  into  a  mortal  fever. 
When  the  illness  was  at  its  height  she  again  demanded 
the  sacraments. 

"  At  length  the  violence  of  her  malady  so  gained  upon 
her  that  it  became  necessary  to  administer  Extreme 
Unction.  When  she  had  been  prepared  by  this  last  rite 
of  the  Church  she  exclaimed,  not  without  great  joy  and 
exultation  of  soul,  and  not  merely  once  or  twice,  but 
many  times,  *  I  see  my  own  soul,  and  its  appearance  is 
so  beautiful,  shining,  and  pure,  that  it  surpasses  the 
clearest  crystal  and  the  heavens  themselves  in  splendour 
and  in  grace.'  She'w^as  likewise  favoured  with  the  vision 
of  celestial  spirits,  and  that  several  times  before  she  gave 


124  Life  of  Father  Willimn  Westo7i. 

up  the  ghost ;  at  which  sight  she  was  so  filled  with  joy 
and  was  inflamed  with  so  vehement  a  desire  of  enjoying 
God  that  she  declared  how  that  in  her  eyes  the  entire 
world  and  its  glory  seemed  to  be  not  only  vain  and  a 
thing  to  be  despised,  but  an  object  of  horror,  as  though 
it  were  so  much  mire,  and  that  instead  of  fearing  death 
she  embraced  it  with  her  whole  soul  and  with  the  ardent 
desire  of  her  heart  in  order  that  she  might  participate 
in  the  pure  and  glorious  fellowship  of  those  heavenly 
spirits.  She  did  not  wish  to  be  restored  to  the  world, 
but  desired  to  die  ;  and  she  could  say  nothing  else. 
She  would  also  speak  of  the  wonderful  beauty  of  the 
angels  whom  she  was  privileged  to  see.  She  predicted 
likewise  her  certain  death,  and  I  think  the  very  moment 
when  it  was  to  take  place. 

"  I  think,  too,  that  this  must  have  been  about  the  time 
when  there  was  a  story  reported  concerning  a  certain  man, 
despised  indeed  in  the  opinion  of  the  world,  but  in  the 
judgment  of  God,  as  we  may  fairly  believe,  one  of  the 
elect  and  a  vessel  of  eternal  predestination.  This  man's 
name  was  John,  and  he  gained  a  poor  livelihood  by  rowing 
his  small  boat  up  and  down  the  river  Thames.  To  this 
John  there  came  one  day  men  whose  appearance  and  dress 
were,  as  he  thought,  those  of  merchants;  in  reality,  however, 
they  were  robbers  and  spoilers.  They  expressed  a  wish  to 
hire  his  labour  and  his  boat.  The  man,  therefore,  glad  of 
the  pay  and  innocent  of  fraud,  agreed  upon  the  price  of 
two  crown  pieces.  They  entered  the  boat  and  ordered 
him  to  row  in  the  direction  of  a  vessel  which  was  there 
lying  at  anchor.  They  took  care  to  observe  the  time  when 
the  ship  had  no  one  on  board.  They  unloaded  it  of  its 
merchandize,  transferred  the  things  to  the  boat  and  went 
away,  having  managed  their  business  secretly  and  craftily, 
to  their  entire  satisfaction. 

"  God,  however,  who  ordered  all  things  to  work  for  the 
good  of  His  elect,  did  not  suffer  the  matter  to  be  longer 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  125 

concealed.  The  men  were  detected,  arrested,  and  taken 
to  prison.  John  also  was  recognized  as  having  been  in 
company  with  the  others,  and  as  having  let  them  have  his 
boat:  he  was  consequently  captured  with  the  rest.  The 
thieves  were  tried,  pleaded  guilty,  and  were  condemned  to 
death.  John  pleaded  his  innocence,  and  protested  that  he 
had  not  been  a  sharer  in  the  crime,  but  had  simply  let  his 
boat  for  hire  for  the  price  of  two  crowns.  This  statement, 
nevertheless,  was  of  small  service  to  him,  for  he  was  con- 
demned with  the  criminals. 

"  After  the  sentence  they  were  remanded  to  prison,  and 
within  a  few  days  were  to  undergo  their  punishment.  John 
meanwhile  found  the  way  and  manner  of  a  better  life,  in 
the  very  place  where  he  imagined  that  he  would  find 
only  death.  It  was  his  habit  to  earn  a  mouthful  of  bread 
by  carrying  the  cups  from  the  cells  of  the  prisoners  to 
a  tavern  that  was  kept  within  the  prison  to  supply  the 
prisoners.  He  was  noticed  one  day  by  a  priest,  who  was 
detained  in  the  same  prison.  'Where  are  you  going  in 
such  a  hurry,  John,  with  your  cups.?'  said  this  priest  to 
him  ;  '  before  many  hours  are  over  it  will  be  along  another 
road  that  you  will  be  hastening.'  '  I  entreat  you,'  said  the 
man  in  reply,  '  give  me  a  trifle  of  money  by  way  of  alms.' 
The  priest  answered  him,  '  Of  what  use  will  the  silver  be  to 
you,  since  before  this  time  to-morrow  you  are  to  be  led  to 
the  scaffold  } '  The  other  replied,  '  I  should  have  hope  of 
pardon,  or  at  least  of  a  reprieve,  if  I  had  a  single  shilling 
for  what  I  require.  For  my  wife  could  bring  it  about  by  a 
petition,  provided  that  she  had  money  to  give  a  lawyer  for 
drawing  it  up.'  '  I  see,'  responded  the  priest,  *  how  little 
understanding  you  have  of  such  matters,  if  you  imagine 
that  such  a  danger  as  yours  can  be  averted  with  so  slight  a 
trouble.  Do  not  let  a  vain  hope  carry  you  away.  I  advise 
you  to  be  thinking  rather  of  your  eternal  salvation.' 

"  Then  he  began  to  explain  to  him  the  necessity  of  the 
Catholic  faith,  and  of  confession  of  sins,  declaring  at  the 


126  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

same  time  that  all  those  were  in  error  who  exchanged  the 
ancient  teaching  of  the  Apostles  and  the  Fathers  for  their 
private  fancies  and  idle  dreams.  John  eagerly  turned  his 
ears  and  his  heart  to  this  discourse ;  he  set  his  burden 
upon  the  ground  and  said, '  Let  us  hear  further  about  these 
tilings,  they  please  me  much.'  The  priest  continued  his 
instruction,  while  John  listened  ever  more  attentively  ;  and 
when  through  the  help  of  divine  grace  he  was  persuaded, 
the  priest  appointed  that  on  the  following  day,  the  very 
one  destined  for  the  execution,  John  should  meet  him  in  a 
certain  place  and  should  make  his  confession ;  in  the  mean- 
time he  was  to  make  a  diligent  examination  of  all  the 
thoughts  and  actions  of  his  past  life.  John  was  not  slothful 
in  accomplishing  what  was  imposed  upon  him,  but  observed 
faithfully  both  time  and  place,  and  when  everything  had 
succeeded  according  to  the  wishes  of  both,  the  priest  added 
that  he  was  to  take  special  heed  to  avoid  the  churches  and 
profane  rites  of  the  heretics,  such  as  sermons  and  commu- 
nion, or  any  other  service  which  they  are  wont  to  celebrate 
contrary  to  the  doctrine  and  customs  of  the  Catholic 
Church.  John  promised  honourably  to  obey  these  pre- 
cepts. 

"  When,  therefore,  the  hour  for  execution  was  at  hand, 
the  criminals  were  summoned  to  attend  a  sermon  and  to 
receive  communion  before  they  were  led  away  to  death. 
The  other  wretched  men  submitted  readily ;  John  alone 
was  not  present.  He  was  ordered  to  appear,  but  he  refused 
to  come.  Again  and  again  they  sent  for  him ;  they  tried 
exhortations,  commands,  menaces.  '  Go  away,'  he  said,  *  I 
have  nothing  to  do  with  your  communion ;  oftener  than 
enough  during  my  life  I  have  been  to  it  and  it  has  done 
me  no  good.  You  can  use  force  if  you  please  to  do  so, 
but  to  make  me  go  willingly  is  beyond  your  power.  I  do 
not  belong  to  your  religion  ;  give  it  to  those  who  like  it 
and  ask  for  it.  Let  me  alone  now,  I  will  not  come.' 
Seeing  his  constancy,  and  that  neither  threats  nor  per- 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  127 

suasions  were  able  to  win  him,  they  left  him  alone  and 
admitted  his  companions  to  their  heretical  rites. 

"That  concluded,  all  of  them,  including  John,  were  con- 
ducted to  the  gallows.  The  others,  as  they  had  lived 
heretics,  so  they  died.  As  to  John,  before  the  rope  was 
put  round  his  neck  he  was  ordered  by  an  Evangelical 
minister  to  beg  God's  assistance,  to  stir  up  his  faith  and 
bear  witness  to  it.  John  replied  that  he  had  nothing  to  do 
with  their  faith,  albeit,  through  his  great  blindness,  he  had 
professed  it  during  his  whole  life,  for  which  he  was  grieved 
and  of  which  he  heartily  repented.  He  was  a  Catholic,  he 
said,  and  wished  to  die  in  the  Catholic  faith,  in  which  alone 
salvation  and  eternal  life  have  to  be  sought  for  and  found  ; 
moreover,  he  was  completely  innocent  of  the  crime 
with  which  he  was  charged  ;  he  had  been  ignorant  of 
the  snare  laid  for  him,  and  his  sole  intention  in  using 
his  boat  had  been  the  desire  of  earning  something  in  that 
way  of  life  which  he  had  practised  from  his  childhood. 
'  Now  let  me  alone,'  he  concluded  ;  *  do  not  trouble  me  any 
more  ;  I  am  innocent ;  I  die  a  Catholic  ;  you  work  in  vain 
if  you  attempt  anything  to  the  contrary.'  Many  things 
were  said  to  him  by  the  minister  and  others ;  they  pro- 
mised him  pardon  and  life  provided  that  he  v/ould  change 
his  mind  with  regard  to  religion ;  but  they  could  do 
nothing  with  him.  With  the  greatest  courage  and  con- 
stancy he  bore  away  the  crown  both  of  innocence  and  of 
faith,  and  persevered  till  he  died." 

The  man  of  rank,  of  whom  Father  Weston  speaks  in  the 
next  anecdote,  was  John,  eighth  Lord  Stourton,  one  of  the 
peers  who  sat  in  judgment  on  Mary  Queen  of  Scots.  His 
mother,  Anne,  daughter  of  Edward,  third  Earl  of  Derby, 
married  secondly  Sir  John  Arundell  of  Lanherne,  commonly 
called  the  Great  Arundell.  Father  Cornelius,  according  to 
the  deposition  of  William  Holmes,^  who  betrayed  him  in 
April,  1594,  "came  unto  Sir  John  Arundell  when  he  lay  at 

^  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elisabeth,  vol.  ccxlviii.  n.  75. 


128  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

Clerkenwell,  and  remained  there  with  him  by  the  space  of 
two  years.  .  .  ,  And  after  that  Sir  John  Arundel!  removed 
his  house  from  Clerkenwell  to  Mowshill,  where  he  remained 
tlie  space  of  three  years,  the  said  Cornelius  and  Sherwood 
continuing  with  him.  And  after  that  the  said  Sir  John 
ArundcU  removed  unto  Thissehvorth  [Isleworth],  where  he 
remained  by  the  space  of  six  or  eight  weeks,  and  there 
died.  .  .  .  After  the  death  of  the  said  Sir  John  Arundell, 
his  lady  removed  unto  Chideock  in  Dorsetshire,  about  a 
fortnight  before  Christmas,  the  said  priests  not  coming  in 
her  company,  but  they  came  unto  Chideock  some  two  or 
three  days  after,  .  .  .  where  the  said  priests  remained 
together  well  near  twelve  months,  and  then  William 
Patenson  went  unto  London,  and  soon  after  his  return 
thither  .  .  .  was  executed."  William  Patenson  was  mar- 
tyred January  22,  159!:  Father  CorneHus  will  therefore 
have  gone  to  Sir  John  Arundell's  in  1586.  Before  this 
we  have  a  trace  of  his  whereabouts,  at  the  time  when 
Father  Weston  used  to  meet  him,  in  the  note  of  a  spy,^ 
dated  April  23,  1586.  "John  Cornellis  most[ly]  accom- 
panying with  Mr.  Gower,  servant  to  the  Lord  Montague, 
and  often  lodged  with  the  said  Gower  within  his  lord's 
house  at  St.  Mary  Overies."  Cornellis  or  Cornellys  is  more 
likely  to  be  the  true  form  of  the  name  than  the  Latinized 
Cornelius. 

The  story  is  well  known  of  the  apparition  of  the  soul  of 
Lord  Stourton,  asking  for  prayers  and  Masses.  It  is  given 
by  Bishop  Challoner  from  the  narrative  of  a  priest  named 
Manger,  who  says  that  the  vision  was  seen  at  the  same 
time  by  Patrick  Salmon,  who  was  afterwards  martyred 
with  Father  Cornelius,  and  was  then  serving  his  Mass. 
Dorothy  Arundell,  who  was  present,  also  wrote  an  account 
of  this  vision,  which  was  sent  to  Rome. 

"I  am  not  quite  sure  whether  the  incident  that  occurred 
during  the  Mass  said  by  Father  John  Cornelius,  took  place 

^  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  clxxxviii.  ii.  37. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  129 

at  this  time  or  a  little  later  on.  It  was  as  follows.  A  man 
of  high  rank  had  fallen  from  the  profession  of  his  faith, 
and  after  persevering  in  error  for  a  few  years  not  without 
considerable  remorse  of  conscience,  was  assailed  at  last  by 
a  deadly  disease.  When  his  last  hour  seemed  near  he  was 
not  ignorant  of  how  much  he  stood  in  need  of  a  priest's 
assistance  in  order  to  expiate  his  sins  and  receive  the 
Viaticum  before  he  died.  Through  a  faithful  servant, 
therefore,  he  gave  directions  that  one  should  be  sought 
out  and  brought  to  him.  The  servant  used,  though  in 
vain,  all  the  diligence  of  which  he  was  capable,  and  with 
great  disappointment  he  at  length  returned  to  his  master, 
without  having  succeeded  in  finding  a  priest.  It  was 
certainly  a  case  to  be  much  lamented ;  for  the  greatness 
of  the  nobleman's  sorrow  arose  from  the  circumstance  that 
it  was  the  everlasting  safety  of  his  soul,  more  than  the  life 
of  his  body,  that  stood  in  jeopardy.  He  did,  nevertheless, 
all  that  lay  in  his  power,  since  he  could  not  do  that  which 
he  desired.  He  assembled  all  his  family,  and  made  an 
open  profession  of  the  Catholic  religion  ;  he  called  upon 
those  present  to  be  witnesses  for  him,  in  the  Day  of 
Judgment,  that  he  repented  of  his  faithlessness  and  his 
fall ;  that  he  was  a  Catholic,  and  as  such  he  wished  to  die ; 
and  that  there  was  no  way  of  saving  the  soul  excepting  in 
that  faith.  Soon  after  these  words  he  breathed  forth  his 
soul. 

"  Some  days  afterwards  Father  John  was  celebrating 
Mass  in  London,  in  the  house  of  Sir  John  Arundell  (whose 
wife  was  the  mother  of  the  nobleman  in  question),  and  the 
dead  man  appeared  to  him  at  the  altar  entirely  surrounded 
with  flames.  Father  John  recognized  him  by  his  high  bald 
forehead,  which  was  conspicuous  even  amidst  the  flames. 
The  Father  asked  him  wherefore  he  was  in  that  state,  and 
what  he  wished  for.  The  apparition  mentioned  who  he 
was,  and  in  what  suffering :  he  was  in  hope  of  salvation ;  he 
entreated  his  prayers  and  those  of  all ;  then  he  vanished 
J 


1 30  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

My  memory  has  failed  me  if  it  was  not  also  reported  that 
those  who  were  present  at  the  Holy  Sacrifice  heard  a 
sound  of  voices,  though  low  and  indistinct,  and  saw  some- 
thing upon  the  altar  that  shone  in  an  unwonted  manner. 
The  Father  informed  them  of  the  vision,  and  told  them  to 
pray  earnestly  for  the  soul  of  the  dead  man,  who  was  said 
likewise  to  have  made  his  confession  to  his  faithful  servant 
when  all  hope  of  seeing  a  priest  was  quite  at  an  end. 

"  Once  I  was  requested  by  a  Catholic  to  accompany 
him  to  the  house  of  his  father,  who  was  a  schismatic.  On 
our  way  we  visited  the  houses  of  various  Catholics,  whom 
I  tried,  in  my  poor  way,  to  assist  both  with  exhortations 
and  the  sacraments.  After  our  arrival  some  days  were 
spent  without  fruit  or  advantage,  so  far  as  our  object 
was  concerned.  During  this  delay  I  formed  an  intimate 
acquaintance  with  a  certain  gentleman,  whose  house  was 
near,  and  by  degrees  I  obtained  his  confidence. 

"  He  had  been  formerly  a  Catholic,  but  through  the 
difficulty  of  the  times  and  of  circumstances,  and  through 
fear,  had  fallen  away.  His  bodily  powers  had  begun  also 
to  fail  him.,  and  he  was  afraid  that  his  corporal  health  and 
the  welfare  of  his  soul  might  both  be  lost  if  he  were  to 
throw  away  the  opportunity  for  good  afforded  him  by  my 
presence.  He  therefore  resolved  to  lay  aside  all  solicitude 
and  idle  fear,  and  to  return  to  the  Church  and  the  firm 
confession  of  his  faith,  after  imploring  the  assistance  of 
God  and  waiting  for  it  with  hope.  For  the  sake  of  this 
matter  I  went  over  and  over  again  to  his  house,  either 
invited  or  uninvited,  looking  out  some  suitable  opportunity 
of  time  and  place  to  carry  out  our  business. 

"  He  had  a  wife,  however,  who  was  more  inquisitive 
than  was  agreeable,  and  she  carefully  remarked  what  he 
might  be  doing,  and  with  what  persons  he  spent  his  time. 
I  imagine,  too,  that  she  guessed  something  of  her  husband's 
design,  and,  being  full  of  fear  lest  he  should  risk  every- 
thing again,  himself,  his  property,  and  his  entire  family, 


Life  of  Father  Williajit  Weston.  131 

plunging  into  an  open  gulf  of  danger,  she  kept  watch  over 
him,  remaining  ever  by  his  side,  in  order  to  prevent  his 
doing  anything  she  did  not  like. 

"  He  nevertheless  remained  inflexible  in  his  purpose  ; 
and  as  he  saw  that  nothing  was  to  be  done  at  his  own 
home  through  the  inopportune  and  unpleasant  perverseness 
of  his  wife,  he  came  over  to  me,  under  the  pretence  of 
visiting  my  host,  who  in  birth  and  position  was  equal  to 
himself,  and  I  received  his  confession  as  we  were  walking 
about  in  the  garden  together.  This  seemed  the  best  way 
of  avoiding  all  that  suspicion  which  could  not  fail  to  have 
arisen  if  there  had  been  a  long  conversation  between  us 
in  a  private  room.  This  he  was  most  anxious  to  avoid, 
particularly  as  there  were  so  many  spies  and  busy-bodies 
around,  and  his  was  a  large  family  of  persons  of  either  sex. 

"  His  confession  being,  therefore,  concluded  to  the  satis- 
faction of  us  both,  we  then  turned  all  our  attention  and 
care  to  the  discovery  of  some  plan  or  device  by  which  he 
might  be  enabled  to  receive  the  Sacrament  of  the  Eucharist. 
It  appeared  to  us  both  a  difficult  undertaking  (though  he 
by  no  means  judged  that  it  should  be  passed  by),  because 
neither  his  own  house  nor  that  of  my  host  offered  any 
place  suitable  for  our  design.  As  neither,  therefore,  proved 
convenient,  we  determined  to  move  both  of  us  to  the 
nearest  market  town,  which  was  not  more  than  a  league 
distant,  and  there  to  meet  in  an  inn  v/e  named.  In  conse- 
quence, I  myself,  together  with  my  companion,  the  son  of 
my  host,  set  out  on  horseback  to  the  market  town,  after 
I  had  said  Mass  in  my  room  and  deposited  the  Blessed 
Sacrament  in  a  pyx  that  hung  round  my  neck. 

"  We  entered  the  inn  as  agreed  upon,  and  chose  in  it 
the  most  suitable  room  that  we  could  find,  one  that  was 
large  and  sufficiently  fair.  Seeming  to  be  occupied  about 
other  affairs,  we  spent  nearly  half  the  day  going  to  and 
fro  between  the  market-place  and  the  inn,  waiting  for  our 
friend.  When  the  time  was  over,  as  he  sent  us  no  message 
J  2 


132  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

saying  cither  that  he  had  changed  his  mind  or  that  he  was 
hindered  from  coming,  I  told  my  companion  to  prepare 
himself  for  receiv^ing  Holy  Communion.  Hardly  had  he 
done  so  when  we  heard  a  violent  knocking  at  the  door  of 
our  room.  I  inquired  who  was  there  ;  there  was  no  reply. 
There  was  another  knocking,  with  equal  or  even  with 
greater  violence  than  before.  My  companion  was  still  on 
his  knees,  making  his  thanksgiving.  I  opened  the  door, 
and  there  beheld  an  unlucky  guest  for  us,  none  other  than 
a  pursuivant. 

"The  thought  came  into  my  mind,  what  evil  spirit 
drove  you  here .?  for  I  saw  the  tokens  of  his  office  fastened, 
as  usual,  upon  his  breast.  I  asked  him  what  he  wanted  ; 
for  I  expected  nothing  better  than  that  he  would  lay  hands 
upon  me  and  take  me  prisoner.  '  I  am  looking,'  he  said, 
'for  a  suitable  lodging  for  the  King,  and  this  is  the  best 
room  in  the  house.'  I  wondered  to  hear  him  speaking  to 
me  of  this  new  King,  as  the  Queen  was  yet  alive,  and  I 
asked  him  what  King  he  meant.  He  answered  me, 
'Antonio,  the  King  of  Portugal,  who  has  been  just  driven 
hither  on  his  way  from  France,  and  is  from  hence  going 
straight  on  to  Court'  He  added,  indeed,  '  But  if  you  like, 
remain  here,  and  we  will  appoint  another  place  for  him.' 
I  replied,  '  We  will  make  way  gladly  for  so  distinguished 
a  guest ;  besides,  we  shall  be  leaving  the  town  in  a  short 
time,  when  our  business  is  over.'  The  man  then  wrote 
the  King's  name  upon  the  door  of  the  room,  and  went 
his  way. 

"  In  the  mcanw^hile  a  messenger  came  to  us  from  our 
expected  companion,  bringing  us  word  of  the  reason  why 
he  had  failed  to  make  his  appearance  at  the  appointed 
time  and  place.  He  had  been  so  weakened  by  an  attack 
of  bleeding  at  the  nose  that  he  was  compelled  to  remain 
at  home.  He  entreated  us,  however,  to  be  present  at  the 
same  market  the  ensuing  week,  and  said  that  he  would 
certainly  join  us  unless  Providence  hindered  the  journey. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  133 

The  seven  days  passed  away,  and  we  all  met  at  the  same 
place,  where  we  performed  quickly  what  was  necessary 
to  be  done,  and  then  departed  home." 

Don  Antonio  was  the  natural  son  of  Don  Louis, 
brother  of  the  Cardinal  Henry,  King  of  Portugal,  and  he 
was  supported  as  a  claimant  to  the  throne  by  Elizabeth, 
out  of  a  wish  to  embarrass  King  Philip  of  Spain.  In  June, 
1 58 1,  Don  Antonio  came  to  England  for  the  first  time, 
Walsingham  writing  to  Burghley,^  June  29:  "The  new 
guest,  Don  Antonio,  arrived  last  night  at  Stepney,  and, 
for  lack  of  apparel,  he  will  not  demand  audience  these 
two  days."  He  was  in  the  country  three  months  ;  a  letter 
of  the  28th  of  September^  saying  that  "  Don  Antonio  is 
still  at  Dover,  detained  by  contrary  winds." 

The  following  paper  shows  that  the  date  of  Don 
Antonio's  second  landing,  when  his  royal  title  startled 
Father  Weston,  was  September,  1585.  Elizabeth  agreed 
at  last  to  assist  him  by  an  armed  force,  and  the  ill-fated 
expedition  of  one  hundred  and  eighty-seven  ships,  under 
Sir  Francis  Drake  and  Sir  John  Norreys,  left  Plymouth, 
April  18,  1589.  Of  twenty-one  thousand  men,  eleven 
thousand  were  lost ;  and  of  eleven  hundred  gentlemen, 
about  seven  hundred  and  fifty,  Don  Antonio  went  to 
France  in  November,  1593,  and  died  at  Paris,  August  26, 

1595- 

The  examination^  of  one  of  Don  Antonio's  priests  is 
curious,  as  showing  how  sharply  they  were  looked  after, 
and  that  Mass,  even  in  the  French  Ambassador's  house, 
was  stopped  as  soon  as  the  news  reached  England  of  the 
death  of  Henri  HI. 

"  The  examination  of  John  Gondsalvus  de  Lima,  taken 
before  me,  Richard  Younge,  the  loth  day  of  February, 
in  the  thirty-second  year  of  the  Queen's  Majesty's  reign 
[151^]. 

^  r.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  cxlix.  n.  53.         ^  Ibid.  vol.  cl.  n.  15. 
^  Ibid.  Addenda,  vol.  xxxi.  n.  121. 


134  I-if<^  of  Father  William  Weston. 

"  The  said  cxaminate  saith  that  he  was  born  at  Lish- 
bornc  [Lisbon],  where  his  mother  yet  Hveth,  and  his  parents 
were  Portugalles  [Portuguese],  and  he  himself  was  made 
priest  at  Lishborne,  and  came  into  England  out  of  France 
with  the  King,  at  September  was  five  years,  and  hath  ever 
since  continued  with  the  King  as  his  chaplain.  And  he 
saith  further  that  here  are  three  friars  attendant  on  the 
King,  viz.,  Friar  Diego  or  James,  a  Franciscan,  Friar 
Joseph,  a  Dominican,  and  Friar  Lewis,  of  the  Order  of 
the  Trinity,  who  have  been  with  him  ever  sithence  his 
coming  into  England. 

"  Itc7ii, — He  saith  that  he  was  in  Flanders  and  Germany 
with  the  King's  son,  being  commanded  by  the  King  to 
attend  upon  him,  and  stayed  there  six  months,  and  being 
demanded  whether  he  gave  not  the  King's  son  counsel 
and  admonition  that  he  should  not  eat  eggs  or  flesh  on 
the  Fridays,  as  the  Earl  of  Leicester  and  others  there  did, 
he  saith  that  it  may  be  he  did  so,  and  thinketh  he  did  not 
evil  therein,  for  that  he  is  a  Portugall  and  a  Catholic, 
and  he  hath  persuaded  the  King's  son  to  continue  in  the 
Catholic  religion,  for  that  his  father  is  a  Catholic  King, 
and  this  examinate  is  a  Catholic  priest,  and  herein  he 
thinketh  he  did  but  his  duty. 

''Item, — He  saith  that  he  did  not  cause  any  man  to  be 
punished  in  the  Low  Countries  for  his  conscience  or  for 
eating  of  flesh  at  his  being  there,  and  he  denieth  that  he 
would  have  gone  to  King  Philip  from  the  King  Antonio, 
for  that  he  is  banished  and  dare  not  come  thither. 

"  Item, — He  saith  that  he  knoweth  Robin,  the  King's 
Treasurer's  boy,  but  denieth  by  his  priesthood  that  he  ever 
confessed  him  or  any  other  Englishman,  for  that  (as  he 
saith)  the  English  Catholics  will  not  trust  him,  that  he  is 
not  King  Philip's  friend,  and  his  King  hath  commanded 
upon  pain  of  death  that  he  shall  not  meddle  with  the 
Queen's  subjects. 

''Item, — He  saith  that  he  used  daily  to  say  Mass  before 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  135 

the  King,  and  the  friars  used  to  say  Mass  to  the  house- 
hold, but  since  the  King  his  last  coming  from  Portugal  he 
hath  not  said  Mass,  for  that  the  King  wanteth  furniture, 
having  left  all  at  Penecha,^  and  when  he  used  to  say  Mass 
the  King  would  not  suffer  any  Englishmen  to  come 
thither.  And  this  examinate  hath  also  said  Mass  at  the 
French  Ambassador's  house  seven  or  eight  times,  and  in 
none  other  place  or  places  since  his  coming  with  the  King 
into  England. 

^^ Item, — He  saith  that  since  his  coming  out  of  Portugal, 
viz.,  in  August  last  past,  on  the  Saturday  next  after  the 
Assumption  of  our  Lady,  he  said  Mass  at  the  French 
Ambassador's  house,  he  being  then  in  France,  but  his 
secretary  and  the  rest  of  the  household  were  present  at 
it,  and  on  the  Sunday  following,  the  King's  death  being 
known,^  commandment  came  from  the  Council  that  they 
should  have  no  Mass  there,  and  since  that  time  this  exami- 
nate did  never  say  Mass  either  there  or  elsewhere,  and 
at  that  time  there  was  no  Englishman  there  to  his  know- 
ledge, and  he  thought  he  might  lawfully  say  Mass  there, 
for  that  the  Ambassador  had  liberty  and  licence  in  his 
own  house." 

England,  in  its  war  against  the  Holy  Sacrifice  of  the 
Mass,  regarded  no  details  as  too  small  for  its  attention. 
Even  hosts  or  altar-breads  were  carefully  looked  after 
amongst  "  Church  stuff ; "  and  they  often  are  mentioned 
in  the  lists  of  things  seized,  under  their  old  name  of 
"singing  cakes."  The  English  Ambassador  in  Spain  in. 
King  James'  time  thought  the  subject  worthy  of  mention 
in  a  despatch  to  his  Government  Sir  Charles  Cornwallis 
wrote,3  May  28,  1609,  "One  Peter  Lester,  an  apothecary, 
a  man  of  the  age  of  thirty-five  or  forty  years,  dwelling  near 


^  Penecha  was  the  landing-place  of  the  expedition  under  Sir  Francis  Drake, 
thirty  miles  from  Lisbon.     Birch's  Elizabeth,  vol.  i.  p.  59- 
^  Henri  III.  was  assassinated  August  i  (July  22),  1589. 
^  P.R.O.,  Foreign,  Spain  ;  Winwood's  Memorials,  vol.  iii.  p;  48. 


136  Life  of  Father  Willia^n  IVeslon. 

Fleet  Bridge,  makes  the  'hostycs'  for  the  Jesuits  and 
Massing  priests  that  are  in  England.  His  irons  that  he 
useth  for  that  purpose  he  keeps  in  a  barrel  or  vessel  of 
beer  in  his  cellar  in  a  corner  on  the  right  hand  of  the 
said  cellar,  there  being  in  the  said  vessel  a  secret  partition 
wherein  he  puts  them."  So  Thomas  Freeman  of  Ashby- 
de-la-Zouch,  "Massing  priest,"  being  examined  at  Bedford, 
April  19,  1585,  "where  he  had  the  Popish  singing  cakes 
which  he  had  about  him,  confessed  that  he  had  them  of 
his  brother  John  Freeman,"  a  linendraper  in  London. 
Father  Weston  proceeds  to  tell  a  very  good  story  in  which 
"singing  cakes  "  are  concerned. 

"  During  this  journey  there  happened  to  us  a  case  of 
danger  by  no  means  contemptible.  It  occurred  some- 
times in  the  houses  of  Catholics  that  there  were  not  hosts 
for  consecration,  and  that  so  a  great  fruit  of  our  labour 
was  lost,  as  we  could  neither  say  Mass  nor  give  Holy 
Communion.  To  prevent  this  inconvenience  I  thought  it 
would  be  well  to  purchase  some  altar-breads  and  carry 
them  with  me.  As  I  had  no  proper  place  to  put  them  in, 
my  companion  arranged  them  and  folded  them  within 
a  fine  linen  handkerchief  which  belonged  to  him,  and 
with  sufficient  security,  as  he  thought.  It  came  to  pass, 
however,  that  from  the  constant  movement  in  riding  on 
horseback,  the  hosts  found  their  way  out,  and  by  degrees, 
first  three  or  four,  then  a  larger  number,  fell  down  and 
lay  in  the  public  road,  and  that  along  almost  half  a  mile. 
We  did  not  perceive  our  misfortune  until  we  came  into 
the  open  country  fields  out  of  the  narrow  road,  for  the 
way  hitherto  had  lain  between  two  high  inclosures  on 
either  side.  At  last  the  wind  blew  strongly  and  carried 
the  particles  into  the  air  and  scattered  them  all  around. 
Then  we  perceived  what  had  happened  and  the  peril  that 
it  brought  with  it.  We  had  not  much  leisure  for  thought. 
We  did  however  the  best  we  could,  though  not  without 
grave  risk.     My  horse  being  the  quickest,  I  went  back  to 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  137 

the  furthest  point  at  which  they  had  begun  to  fall,  and 
set  to  work  to  gather  them  up,  while  my  companion  did 
the  same  for  those  which  lay  at  intervals  here  and  there 
further  on.  We  were  not  slow  in  finishing  our  work.  If 
they  had  been  suffered  to  lie  there  within  sight  of  all 
passers-by,  it  would  have  brought  endless  trouble  upon 
the  Catholics  of  the  neighbourhood,  and  we  ourselves 
should  have  been  hunted  down  with  the  intensest  zeal. 
The  hazard  appeared  all  the  greater,  because  the  hosts 
had  fallen  not  in  lonely  or  uncultivated  paths  but  in  an 
inhabited  country  and  amongst  cottages  scattered  up  and 
down  for  the  convenience  of  the  owners'  occupations. 
Twenty  or  more  had  fallen  in  a  heap  just  outside  the 
door  of  a  house  which  belonged  to  the  minister  of  the 
village  as  I  afterwards  learned.  It  was  an  advantage  to 
us  that  the  accident  took  place  in  harvest  time,  during 
which  season  the  men  are  mostly  in  the  fields  instead 
of  being  in  their  houses." 


r38 


CHAPTER  X. 

ARREST. 

"After  the  lapse  of  some  days,  when  I  had  returned 
from  my  journey,  the  news  was  brought  me  that  two  of 
our  fathers  had  arrived  in  London.  The  tidings  pleased 
me  greatly ;  and  although  these  times  of  persecution  were 
most  terrible,  during  which  many  were  delivered  up  to 
death,  houses  were  laid  waste,  and  Catholics  were  filling 
the  prisons  in  every  quarter  of  the  kingdom,  still  it  was 
no  small  consolation  to  me  to  find  faithful  and  brave 
sharers  of  my  perils  in  the  midst  of  so  many  adversities. 
So  I  prevented  all  delay  and  hastened  to  the  inn  to  pay 
them  a  visit. 

"  They  were  Father  Henry  Garnet  and  Father  Robert 
Southwell " — who  left  Rome  together.  May  8th,  and  landed 
in  England,  July  7,  1586.  "We  saluted  and  embraced  each 
other  and  in  that  same  place  we  dined  together.  On  the 
following  day  (as  there  was  no  safe  place  in  London  either 
in  the  way  of  inns  or  private  houses)  we  left  the  city  and 
travelled  nearly  ten  leagues  till  we  came  to  the  house  of 
a  Catholic  gentleman  and  an  intimate  friend  of  mine.  To 
him  our  appearance  was  a  pleasure  so  great  and  desired 
(as  the  event  proved)  that  it  was  not  possible  for  us  to 
wish  or  dream  of  any  reception  more  loving  or  even 
devout.  In  former  times  he  had  been  devoted  to  the 
Court  and  to  courtiers,  as  chamberlain,  if  I  am  not 
mistaken,  to  the  Earl  of  Leicester  who  was  then  in  full 
power.  At  all  events  he  was  one  of  his  special  favourites 
singularly  high  in   his  estimation  ;  but   he   grew  tired  of 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  1 39 

that  life  even  when  still  young,  and  having  some  idea 
of  Catholic  truth  and  knowing  how  contrary  such  world- 
liness  and  moral  corruption  must  be  to  the  sincerity  and 
purity  of  life  commanded  by  the  Faith,  he  made  up  his 
mind  to  break  from  it  all,  and  forsake  the  Court  and 
look  out  for  some  place  and  manner  of  life  more  remote 
from  that  secular  splendour  and  less  obnoxious  to  the 
temptations  of  sin.  Although  he  did  not  doubt  that  his 
resolution  would  be  unwelcome  to  the  Earl,  with  the 
secrets  of  whose  dark  and  mysterious  life  he  was  con- 
siderably acquainted,  it  was  yet  essential  to  him  to 
prefer  the  interests  of  his  soul  at  the  risk  of  temporal 
perils  ;  and  he  judged  it  better  to  be  bold  at  once  and 
make  a  breach  with  him,  rather  than  by  a  system  of 
delay  to  continue  in  a  state  of  life  that  brought  great 
spiritual  injury  with  it  and  might  perhaps  entail  on  him 
irremediable  ruin.  He  therefore  chose  for  himself  a  country 
house  quite  separated  from  the  tumults  of  the  city,  and 
settled  there  with  his  wife,  children,  and  servants,  keeping 
it  nevertheless  always  open  to  priests  and  Catholics  who 
might  pass  that  way. 

"  This  change  gave  vehement  offence  (as  was  natural, 
considering  his  own  life)  to  the  Earl  of  Leicester.  Offence 
even  is  not  a  sufficient  word  ;  he  became  absolutely  hostile 
and  hateful,  and  thought  that  it  could  not  be  passed  over 
any  more  than  if  it  had  been  a  crime,  but  must  be 
avenged.  Nor  did  the  vengeance  fail  in  its  coming,  for 
a  short  time  afterwards,  in  the  very  same  year  in  which 
the  plot  against  the  life  of  the  Queen  of  Scots  was 
carried  out,  the  offender's  house  was  overthrown,  he  him- 
self with  his  wife  and  part  of  his  family  was  brought  to 
London  and  imprisoned  in  the  Marshalsea,  and  death 
would  have  certainly  been  decreed  against  him  unless 
the  sudden  decease  of  the  Earl,  occasioned,  as  it  was 
said,  through  poison  administered  to  him  by  his  wife, 
had  removed  that  enemy.     After  he  was  gone  " — Leicester 


140  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

died  September  4,  1588 — "the  fervour  of  the  persecution 
against  him  rehixed,  and  our  friend  was  released  from 
prison.  The  rest  of  his  Hfc  he  spent  partly  in  Ireland, 
far  away  from  his  country  and  his  friends." 

There  cannot  be  much  doubt  that  this  house  was 
Mr.  Bold's,  in  Berkshire,  where  these  three  illustrious 
Jesuit  Fathers  celebrated  with  such  devout  solemnity  their 
meeting  on  English  soil.  Anthony  Tyrrell  wrote  to  Lord 
Burghley  on  the  30th  of  August,  1586,  "As  concerning 
Bold  of  Lancashire,  Edmonds  the  Jesuit  and  I,  about 
two  months  past,  did  ride  with  him  from  London  into 
Berkshire  to  his  house  that  was  burnt,  where  Edmonds 
preached.  At  the  sermon  was  himself,  his  wife,  one  other 
gentleman  and  his  wife  that  dwelleth  in  Hertfordshire  : 
whether  he  were  his  brother  or  no,  I  know  not :  his  name 
I  have  forgotten.  Edmonds  persuaded  him  to  be  recon- 
ciled. He  answered  that  he  was  so  intricated  on  my  Lord 
of  Leicester's  dealings,  that  as  yet  he  possibly  could  not. 
He  would  presently  [go]  over  again  and  give  my  lord 
a  quietus  est,  and  peradventure  a  worse  term.  He  spake 
of  my  lord  very  loudly."^ 

The  next  day  Tyrrell  wrote  to  Burghley  again,  in 
answer  to  "Articles,"-  that  is,  questions  suggested  by  the 
former  confession,  and  then  he  repeats  more  minutely  his 
story  of  the  visit  to  Mr.  Bold's  house.  "  Of  my  journey 
to  Mr.  Bold's  of  Lancashire  with  Father  Edmonds,  thus 
it  was,  Mr.  Edmund  Peckham,  late[ly]  deceased,  brought 
me  acquainted  with  Mr.  Bold,  and  Father  Edmonds  and  I 
came  to  his  chamber  by  St.  Clement's,  at  the  house  which 
sometime  was  Dr.  Burkett's,  now  kept  by  one  Mrs.  Bright. 
From  thence  we  went  with  him  to  St.  Giles',  and  then  took 
horse  and  did  ride  down  with  him  into  Berkshire,  to  a 
house  of  his  that  was  burnt.  There  we  remained  two  or 
three  days.  Father  Edmonds  and  I  each  day  saying  Mass  ; 
none  at  it  but  Mrs.  Bold  and  a  young  gentlewoman.    After 

1  P.R.O.,  Mary  Quait  of  Scots,  vol.  xix.  n.  67.  *  Ibid.  n.  68. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  141 

dinner  Father  Edmonds  preached  before  Mr.  Bold,  his 
wife,  one  other  gentleman,  and  his  wife  of  Hertfordshire; 
and  after,  Father  Edmonds  vehemently  persuaded  Mr.  Bold 
to  be  reconciled  to  the  Church.  He  protested  that  with 
all  his  heart  he  desired  it,  but  he  was  so  entangled  in  my 
Lord  of  Leicester's  affairs  that  as  yet  possibly  he  could 
not.  He  said  he  would  make  all  the  speed  he  could  to 
be  gone  again,  and  then  he  would  remove  himself  out  of 
Leicester's  fetters,  repeated  that  he  hated  him  from  his 
heart,  and  that  most  of  his  friends  ere  it  were  long  would 
forsake  him,  and  pity  it  were  that  ever  he  should  come 
back  again  ;  and  many  other  hard  speeches  he  gave  out 
of  the  Earl  which  I  forbear  here  to  utter.  His  conclusion 
was  that  he  would  play  him  a  slippert  trick  ere  it  were 
long." 

No  wonder,  after  this,  that  Mr.  Bold  and  his  family 
were  sent  to  prison  and  hardly  used.  The  system  of 
espionage  and  secret  accusation  that  then  prevailed, 
rendered  it  impossible  for  any  man  to  know  the  real 
reasons  of  his  imprisonment  or  persecution. 

There  was  one  John  Bolt,  Avho  was  apprehended  in 
March,  1593,  who  had  "lived  for  two  or  three  years  at 
Court,  being  in  great  request  for  his  voice  and  skill  in 
music."  With  the  recklessness  in  spelling  that  prevailed 
in  those  times,  we  cannot  be  sure  that  Bolt  and  Bold 
are  different  names,  and  it  may  be  that  he  was  a  member 
of  the  family  in  Berkshire  that  had  so  great  a  taste  for 
music.  If  this  was  so,  and  as  according  to  the  good  nun 
who  wrote  the  Chronicles  of  St.  Monica's,  "  the  Queen 
having  heard  of  his  departure,  fell  out  with  the  master  of 
music,  and  would  have  flung  her  pantoufle  at  his  head 
for  looking  no  better  unto  him,"  ^  we  may  well  suppose 
that  he  was  a  friend  of  Byrd  the  composer,  who  was  a 
"  Gentleman  of  her  Majesty's  Chapel." 

William  Byrd  also  gave  up  his  office,  but  he  returned 
^  Troubles,  First  Series,  p.  297, 


142  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

to  it  as  soon  as  ever  Elizabeth  was  dead,  for  he  was 
certainly  one  of  the  "  Gentlemen  of  the  Chapel "  at  the 
coronation  of  James  I. 

This  well  known  musician  was  born  in  1538,  and 
was  educated  in  the  music  school  of  St.  Paul's  Cathedral, 
his  master  being  the  celebrated  Thomas  Tallis.  In  1554, 
Byrd  was  senior  chorister  of  St.  Paul's.  He  was  appointed 
organist  of  Lincoln  in  1563,  and  in  1570  he  was  sworn 
Gentleman  of  the  Chapel  Royal  in  the  place  of  Robert 
Parsons,  who  was  drowned  at  Newark.  Tallis  and  Byrd 
had  a  patent  from  Queen  Elizabeth  for  the  exclusive 
privilege  of  printing  music  and  selling  music  paper.^ 

His  musical  works  are  enumerated  by  Dr.  Rimbault, 
who  adds,  "  Of  his  compositions  extant  in  MS.,  the  greater 
number  are  for  the  Virginals,"  and  he  considers  that  the 
chief  part  of  Byrd's  ecclesiastical  compositions  being  com- 
posed to  Latin  words  betokens  his  Roman  predilections. 

In  a  list-  of  "places  where  certain  recusants  remain 
in  and  about  London,"  we  have  "William  Byrd  of  the 
Chapel,  at  his  house  in  the  parish  of  Harlington  in  the 
county  of  Middlesex."  In  another  State  Paper^  he  is 
called  a  friend  and  abettor  of  those  beyond  the  sea,  and 
is  described  as  "Mr.  Byrd,  at  Mr.  Lester  his  house,  over 
against  St.  Dunstan's,  or  at  the  Lord  Paget's  house  at 
Drayton.  The  messenger  [evidently  the  bearer  of  an 
intercepted  letter]  is  to  tell  him  things  which  he  will 
well  like."  About  the  time  of  Father  Weston's  arrest, 
we  find  "  Mr.  Byrd's  house  at  Harmansworth  or  Crane- 
ford "  in  a  list*  of  houses  to  be  searched,  August  21,  1586. 

In    "an   inventory^  of    the   books   and    other   Popish 

^  These  details  are  taken  from  the  Old  Cheque  Book,  or  Book  of  Remem- 
brance of  the  Chapel  Royal  from  1561  to  1 744.  Edited  for  the  Camden  Society 
by  Edw.  F.  Rimbault,  LL.D.  1872. 

'  P.  R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  cli.  n.  11. 

^  Ibid.  vol.  cxlvi.  n.  137. 

*  Ibid.  vol.  cxcii.  n.  48. 

"  Ibid.  vol.  cl.xvii.  n.  47. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  143 

relics  found  in  Mr.  Hampden's  house  of  Stocke  in  the 
county  of  Bucks,"  January  26,  158!,  there  is  "an  old 
printed  song-book,  which  was  sent  unto  Carleton,  as 
appeared  by  a  letter  sent  therewithal,  and  one  other  letter 
sent  unto  Mr.  Fytton  from  one  Mr.  Byrd  of  the  Queen's 
Majesty's  Chapel." 

The  brother  of  William  Byrd  was  a  Catholic  likewise, 
and  acquainted  with  some  fervent  English  Catholics, 
When  Benjamin  Tichborne  was  let  out  of  prison  on  the 
condition  that  he  would  act  as  a  spy  on  his  fellow- 
Catholics,  his  first  letter^  to  Lord  Keeper  Puckering, 
dated  May  28,  1594,  reported  "meeting  with  one  Byrd, 
brother  to  Byrd  of  the  Chapel.  I  understand  that  Mrs. 
Tregian,  Mrs.  Charnock,  and  Mrs.  Sybil  Tregian,  will  be 
here  at  the  Court  [at  Greenwich]  to-day." 

The  whole  family  were  good  Catholics,  and  we  learn 
that  in  1605  they  were  suffering  the  temporal  disabilities 
entailed  in  the  statement  that  "they  have  been  excom-- 
municated  these  seven  years."  This  is  taken  from  the 
Proceedings  in  the  Court  of  Archdeaconry  of  Essex, 
May  II,  1605,  pubhshed  by  Dr.  Rimbault  from  Hale's 
Precedents  in  Criminal  Causes.  As  we  often  hear  of  pre- 
sentments of  recusants  by  the  minister  and  churchwardens, 
but  have  not  many  opportunities  of  seeing  their  vexatious 
and  inquisitorial  character,  we  may  give  the  entry. 

"[Parish  of]  Standen  Massie.  \Cotitrd\  Willielmum 
Byrd  et  Elenam  ejus  uxoretn.  Prtrsentantur  for  Popish 
recusants.  He  is  a  gentleman  of  [the]  King's  Majesty's 
Chapel,  and  as  the  minister  and  churchwardens  do  hear, 
the  said  William  Byrd,  with  the  assistance  of  one  Gabriel 
Colford,  who  is  now  at  Antwerp,  hath  been  the  chief  and 
principal  seducer  of  John  Wright,  son  and  heir  of  John 
Wright  of  Kelvedon,  in  Essex,  gentleman,  and  of  Anne 
Wright,  the  daughter  of  the  said  John  Wright  the  elder ; 
and  the  said  Ellen  Byrd,  as  it  is  reported,  and  as  her 

^  V.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  ccxlviii.  n.  Il8, 


144  -^i/^  '^f  Father  William  Westo7i. 

servants  have  confessed,  hath  appointed  business  on  the 
Sabbath  days  for  her  servants,  of  purpose  to  keep  them 
from  church  ;  and  hath  also  done  her  best  endeavour  to 
seduce  Thoda  Pigbone,  her  now  maid-servant,  to  draw  her 
to  Popery,  as  the  maid  hath  confessed  ;  and  besides,  hath 
drawn  her  maid-servants  from  time  to  time  these  seven 
years  from  coming  to  church  ;  and  the  said  Ellen  refuseth 
conference ;  and  the  minister  and  churchwardens  have  not 
as  yet  spoke  with  the  said  William  Byrd,  because  he  is 
from  home,"  &c. 

The  last  notice  of  Byrd  in  the  Old  Cheque  Book  of  the 
Chapel  Royal  is  that  of  his  death,  when  he  was  about 
eighty-five  years  old.  "  1623.  William  Byrd,  a  Father  of 
Music,  died  the  4th  of  July." 

To  Father  Southwell  and  to  Father  Garnet,  as  we  can 
well  conceive,  the  music  in  Bold's  house  must  have  been 
delightful.  Southwell  had  the  soul  of  a  poet,  and  Garnet 
had  a  great  taste  for  Church  ceremonies  and  a  special 
devotion  to  singing  Mass.  Two  extracts  from  his  letters 
we  must  give  to  show  it,  to  see  in  what  difficult  circum- 
stances he  thus  refreshed  his  spirit. 

To  Sister  Elizabeth  Shirley  at  Louvain  he  wrote  ^  on 
Midsummer  day,  1605:  "Besides  the  general  affliction, 
we  find  ourselves  now  betrayed  in  both  our  places  of  abode 
and  are  forced  to  wander  up  and  down,  until  we  can  get  a 
fit  place.  Yet  we  impute  to  the  great  providence  of  God 
that  our  persons  have  escaped  through  your  prayers  and 
others.  We  kept  Corpus  Christi  day  with  great  solemnity 
and  music,  and  the  day  of  the  Octave  made  a  solemn  pro- 
cession about  a  great  garden,  the  house  being  watched, 
which  we  knew  not  till  the  next  day,  when  we  departed 
twenty-five  in  the  sight  of  all  in  several  companies,  leaving 
half  a  dozen  servants  behind,  and  all  is  well — ct  cvasiimis 
mamis  cor  inn  in  nojuine  Domini." 

And   to    Father  Strange,-  June   30,   1601,  he  wrote : 

^  Stonyhurst  MSS.,  P.  fol.  578.  -  Ibid.,  R  fol.  553. 


Life  of  Father  William  Westoit.  145 

"  This  last  week  there  was  the  cruellest  search  at  London 
in  the  night  that  ever  was,  and  some  days  before  and  after 
the  Court  was  guarded,  and  the  gates  of  London,  and 
rumours  spread  abroad  that  the  Jesuits  and  the  King  of 
Scots  went  about  to  kill  the  Queen.  One  justice  said  that 
for  his  part  he  had  searched  four  hundred  houses.  .  .  . 
Notwithstanding  all  our  troubles  we  sing  Mass." 

"When  we  reached  this  gentleman's  house,"  Father 
Weston  says,  "we  were  received  by  him  with  every  mani- 
festation, as  I  said  before,  of  the  greatest  charity  and 
friendly  feeling.  We  found  there  also  some  gentlewomen, 
who  had  come  thither  for  the  sake  of  concealment.  We 
spent  a  whole  week  there,  to  the  incredible  joy  of  all,  in 
the  midst  of  the  liveliest  tokens  of  welcome  ;  for  that  place 
was  the  most  suitable  in  the  world  for  our  business  and 
intentions,  not  merely  because  of  the  loneliness  of  the 
mansion  and  the  position  of  honour  held  both  by  it  and 
the  persons  who  inhabit  it,  but  besides,  because  they  had  a 
chapel  for  the  celebration  of  the  Divine  Mysteries,  an  organ 
likewise  and  other  musical  instruments,  and,  moreover, 
singers  of  both  sexes  belonging  to  the  family,  the  master  of 
the  house  being  singularly  experienced  in  the  art.  Thus 
during  the  course  of  those  days  we  celebrated,  as  it  were, 
a  long  octave  of  some  magnificent  festival. 

"We  met  there  also  Mr.  Byrd,  the  most  celebrated 
musician  and  organist  of  the  English  nation,  who  had 
been  formerly  in  the  Queen's  Chapel,  and  held  in  the 
highest  estimation  ;  but  for  his  religion  he  sacrificed  every- 
thing, both  his  office  and  the  Court  and  all  those  hopes 
which  are  nurtured  by  such  persons  as  pretend  to  similar 
places  in  the  dwellings  of  princes,  as  steps  towards  the 
increasing  of  their  fortune. 

"  Mass  was  sometimes  sung  by  Father  Garnet.     We 

preached  also  in  our  turns,  and  heard  many  confessions, 

and  devoted  the  first  half  of  the  day  almost  entirely  to 

these  occupations.     We  had,  too,  present  amongst  us  the 

K 


146  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

domestic  pastor  of  this  distinguished  and  holy  family,  and 
one  not  unworthy  of  it,  for  a  brief  time  afterwards  he 
ended  his  life  as  a  most  illustrious  martyr  of  Christ.  In 
the  afternoon  we  were  employed  in  other  affairs  and  in 
various  consultations,  as  to  what  kind  of  instructions  the 
new-comers  had  brought  from  Rome  from  our  Father 
General,  as  to  what  was  the  condition  of  affairs  in  England 
so  far  as  I  could  explain  it  to  them,  in  fine,  as  to  how 
we  were  to  conduct  ourselves  in  future,  and  what  were 
our  common  prospects. 

"  When  the  time  had  been  passed  in  arranging  these 
matters  according  to  our  ability,  I  gave  them  information 
of  the  Catholic  houses  to  which  they  might  betake  them- 
selves and  where  they  might  remain,  and  I  appointed 
faithful  men  to  conduct  them  thither.  I  myself  set  out 
for  Oxford  without  loss  of  time.  Urgent  necessity  sent  me 
there  for  the  welfare  of  a  family  which  was  somewhat  in 
confusion  and  stood  in  need  of  advice  and  assistance. 
Having  accomplished  that  matter,  I  turned  towards 
London  and  began  my  journey.  About  half  way  I 
rested  one  night  in  the  house  of  a  Catholic  [Mr.  Francis 
Browne  of  Henley  Park],  a  good  man  and  well  known 
to  me,  together  with  all  his  family ;  and  as  his  house 
was  exactly  fitted  for  the  carrying  out  of  a  design  which 
had  been  previously  in  my  mind  and  thoughts,  namely, 
of  withdrawing  myself  for  a  few  days  from  the  affairs  and 
the  intercourse  of  men,  I  resolved  to  give  myself  up  to 
prayer  and  the  refreshment  of  my  spirit,  which  was  almost 
worn  out  after  so  many  occupations  and  worldly  cares, 
the  management  of  which  I  could  now  intrust  for  the 
time  to  those  two  Fathers. 

"  I  determined  consequently  not  to  lose  the  opportunity 
of  making  my  retreat,  as  I  found  myself  in  so  convenient 
a  house.  It  was  very  solitary  in  its  position,  in  the  midst 
of  rabbit-warrens  and  surrounded  by  a  deer-park,  and  the 
whole  place  was  delightful  through  the  vicinity  of  pleasant 


Life  of  Father  William  Westo7i.  147 

woods  and  meadows.  God,  however,  had  destined  for  me, 
not  this  lovely  and  joyous  place  of  rest,  but  another  retreat, 
much  better  for  prayer  and  for  spiritual  exercises  of  every 
kind,  and  where  I  had  to  stay  longer,  among  wild  animals 
it  is  true,  but  of  a  different  description. 

"  It  happened  in  this  wise.  On  the  second  or  third 
day  after  I  had  arrived  at  that  house  [Henley  Park],  two 
Catholic  gentlemen  came  to  me  to  tell  me  that  it  was 
necessary  for  me  to  set  out  for  London,  that  certain 
persons  and  affairs  were  waiting  for  me  there,  though  they 
themselves  could  not  through  ignorance  explain  the  matter, 
but  they  told  me  of  a  house  where  I  should  be  informed  of 
all,  both  persons  and  things.  On  the  next  day  I  set  out, 
fully  hoping  and  intending  to  return  quickly  to  my  present 
abode.  Those  two  men  accompanied  me.  They  were 
gentlemen  and  firm  Catholics,  well  known  to  myself  and 
to  all,  as  being  upright  and  honourable  men.  I  have  said 
so  much  to  prevent  any  one  from  suspecting  wrongfully 
that  it  was  through  fraud  or  insincerity  on  their  part  that 
suffering  came  upon  me. 

"  On  reaching  London  I  bade  them  farev/ell,  and  went 
to  the  house  without  delay,  where  I  was  to  be  informed 
about  those  who  were  seeking  me.  On  the  way  I  frequently 
turned  my  eyes  to  observe  whether  any  one  was  following 
me,  from  whose  presence  suspicion  might  arise  of  some 
impending  danger.  As  I  drew  near  the  house  I  saw 
a  man  running  along,  but  wearing  no  sword  or  other 
weapon,  so  that  no  evil  opinion,  of  him  arose  in  my  mind. 
When  I  knocked  at  the  door,  however,  and  stopped  for 
a  moment  that  it  might  be  opened,  he  turned  towards  me, 
put  his  hand  on  me,  and  said ;  '  I  arrest  you  in  the  Queen's 
name.'  I  answered  him,  'You  had  better  take  care  lest 
you  make  some  mistake ;  perhaps  I  am  not  the  man 
whom  you  are  seeking.'  '  There  is  no  mistake,'  said  he, 
*  you  are  the  man  I  want ;  you  are  Edmonds,  priest  and 
Jesuit.'  I  answered  him,  '  In  that  you  are  not  far  wrong : 
K  2 


148  Life  of  Father  IVilliatn  Westo7i. 

but  by  whose  authority  do  you  arrest  me  ?  show  me  your 
warrant  if  you  can  ;  if  not,  I  am  not  to  be  taken  prisoner.' 
Immediately  he  put  his  hand  into  his  breast,  and  drew 
from  thence  a  paper  containing  the  names  of  many 
Cathoh"cs  who  Avere  to  be,  as  I  imagine,  arrested  :  but  as 
my  name  was  not  among  them,  I  exclaimed  :  '  This  list, 
besides  being  of  no  authority,  does  not  contain  my  name ; 
if  you  have  nothing  better  to  produce  than  this  I  will  not 
yield,  but  stand  upon  my  right.' 

"  Whilst  we  were  there  thus  disputing,  there  passed 
along  the  road  a  butcher  driving  two  oxen  before  him  to 
the  slaughter-house,  as  it  seemed.  The  street  was  close 
by  the  city,  but  there  Avere  only  a  few  houses  or  habita- 
tions. When  he  saw  us  striving  with  each  other  and  had 
understood  how  the  matter  lay,  he  ordered  me  to  obey  the 
command,  otherwise  he  would  knock  me  down  with  the 
staff  he  carried  on  his  shoulder.  While  all  this  was  going 
on,  an  old  woman  came  forth  from  the  house  to  open  the 
door  for  the  person  who  had  knocked.  She  saw  me  led 
away,  and  was  the  sole  witness  of  what  had  taken  place. 
Later  on  she  was  obliged  to  appear  for  examination,  as 
was  also  the  master  of  the  house  in  like  manner.  However, 
they  suffered  no  harm  on  that  occasion,  as  I  understood, 
whereas,  if  they  had  received  me  within  their  house,  it 
would  have  been  very  different.  It  was  my  frequent 
prayer  to  God,  that  when  it  was  needful  for  me  to  fall 
into  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  no  harm  or  injury  might  be 
brought  thereby  to  other   persons. 

"When  they  had  taken  me  in  this  manner,  they  did  not 
place  me  at  once  in  the  common  prison,  but  shut  me  up 
in  a  private  house  opposite  the  prison,  giving  me  a  keeper 
and  taking  me  into  an  inner  part  of  the  house,  shut  in  by 
several  doors.  They  held  me  a  close  prisoner,  giving  out  to 
the  world  that  I  was  a  Puritan.  Here  I  continued  several 
weeks  without  being  examined,  or  having  any  crime  laid  to 
my  charge." 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  149 

Of  this  apprehension  we  know  more  than  Father 
Weston  can  tell  us.  Unfortunately  for  him  he  reached 
London  when  Walsingham  had  made  up  his  mind  that 
it  was  time  to  explode  the  Babington  plot  and  arrest 
the  conspirators.  Francis  Mills,  his  secretary,  in  reporting 
to  him  the  progress  making  in  that  matter,^  gives  him 
information  of  Father  Weston's  capture.  The  letter  was 
written  on  the  3rd  of  August,  1586. 

"It  may  please  your  honour,  by  the  inclosed  which 
I  received  from  Berd[en]  yesterday,  a  little  before  supper, 
you  may  see  how  the  apprehension  of  Bal[lard]  receiveth 
still  delays,  and  this  may  happen  to  prove  hereabout  no 
better  than  yesterday.  Besides  Phelippes  telleth  me  yester- 
night that  Bab[ington],  from  whom  he  thought  to  have 
by  a  certain  means  received  a  letter,  is  contrary  to  his 
expectation  slipped  out  of  the  city  into  the  country.  How 
this  gentleman's  departure  may  import  the  present  appre- 
hension it  may  be  of  Bal.,  or  require  the  delay  of  his 
apprehension,  your  honour  best  knoweth,  and  accordingly 
may  it  please  you  to  give  your  direction  to  me.  Phelippes 
thinketh  it  good  Bal.  be  taken  as  soon  as  may  be,  though 
Bab.  be  as  you  see  departed  the  city ;  and  so  my  meaning 
is  to  do,  unless  you  command  otherwise. 

"  I  understand  by  the  messengers  that  attend  me,  that 
one  Davies,^  lately  made  priest  here  in  England  by  some 
such  as  hath  power  from  the  Pope,  apprehended  by  them 
and  committed  to  the  Counter  where  he  lay  a  good  while, 
is  lately  by  the  Town  Clerk  of  this  city  upon  some  bail 
set  at  liberty  as  an  ordinary  recusant  ;  whether  your 
honour  have  heard  it  I  know  not;  but  these  men  that 
take  such  pains  to  find  out  these  miscreants  are  discouraged 


^  P.R.O.,  Mary  Queen  of  Scots,  vol.  xix.  n.  4. 

"  This  is  the  priest  of  whom  mention  has  been  made  more  than  once. 
Supra,  p.  60.     When  or  by  whom  he  was  ordained  priest  is  not  known. 


150  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

much  to  sec  many  of  them  receive  so  much  favour  and 
liberty  as  they  do.  They  say  also  Mr.  Young  also  is 
gentle  enough  towards  these  men,  for  all  his  outward  show 
of  forwardness,  &c. 

"  Being  come  thus  far  in  my  letter  of  this  morning  at 
eight  of  the  clock,  Berd.  bringeth  me  word  from  Phclippes 
that  Bab.  is  still  in  the  city,  and  with  divers  others  like  him- 
self betaken  to  a  new  lodging  without  Bishopsgate,  where 
all  this  day  watch  hath  been  laid  in  the  best  and  secretest 
manner  might  be,  in  hope  that  Bal.  is  among  them  :  but 
hitherto  we  cannot  understand  that  Bal.  is  in  this  new 
lodging.  Bab.,  Donne,  Skyrres  [.''],  and  some  others  both 
men  and  women  of  this  crew  I  have  discovered  this  day 
with  my  own  eyes,  and  therefore  seeing  Bab.  is  not 
departed,  I  hope  for  the  better  success  of  this  service. 

"  I  hold  it  not  good  to  attempt  the  entry  and  search 
of  any  house  for  Bal.  unless  we  were  perfectly  assured 
he  were  within  it,  which  yet  neither  Berd.  nor  any  other 
can  assure  me.  For  if  they  could,  I  would  make  small 
doubt  of  his  apprehension.  Otherwise  upon  uncertainty 
to  enter  and  search  doth  scare  and  mar  the  whole  matter. 
We  endeavour  therefore  to  take  him  in  passing  out  or  in. 

"Whether  your  honour's  pleasure  be,  if  need  be  or 
occasion  so  offered,  that  myself  or  Phelippes  being  your 
own  servants  shall  take  Bal.,  and  so  you  appear  to  have 
laid  the  plot  for  his  apprehension,  I  know  not  expressly: 
but  if  the  opportunity  be  offered,  it  shall  not  be  omitted, 
although  it  be  besides  your  express  direction.^ 

"  One  thing  this  afternoon,  about  five  of  the  clock  is 
fallen  out  besides  our  expectation.     Berd.  and  Sheppard, 

^  It  seems  that  it  did  not  suit  Walsingham  that  it  should  be  known  that  he 
had  "laid  the  plot"  for  Ballard's  apprehension.  On  the  following  day, 
August  4,  Mills  wrote  to  him  :  "Between  eleven  and  twelve  of  the  clock  this 
day  was  Bal.  taken  by  virtue  of  my  Lord  Admiral's  warrant  (as  I  think  and  as 
I  appointed),  and  so  is,  according  to  the  tenour  of  the  warrant,  fast  in  the 
Counter  in  Wood  Street.  The  matter  so  handled  in  everj'  circumstance  as 
neither  you  nor  any  of  yours  did  or  need  to  be  known  in  the  matter."  P.R.O., 
Mary  Queen  of  Scots,  vol.  xix.  n.  14. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  151 

the  keeper  of  the  Clink,  being  together  here  about  Bishops- 
gate  espied  Edmonds  the  Jesuit,  and  he  was  presently- 
apprehended  by  Sheppard  alone  (Berd.  not  any  way 
appearing  in  the  matter),  his  weapon  taken  from  him,  and 
he  carried  to  the  Clink,  where  he  is  to  be  kept  in  such 
sort  as  he  may  neither  escape  nor  any  friend  of  his  know 
what  has  become  of  him  until  your  direction  touching 
him  may  be  known.  And  if  he  be  so  notable  a  person 
as  is  supposed,  it  were  not  amiss  he  were  conveyed  closely 
and  so  clapt  awhile  in  the  Tower.  That  I  mislike  and 
doubt  in  Edmonds'  apprehension  is  that  being  missed 
now  peradventure  by  Bal.  and  his  company  (for  he  no 
doubt  was  going  to  them),  it  will  disperse  them.  The 
letter  of  Berd.  mentioned  above,  I  left  at  home  when  in 
the  morning  I  came  hastily  out  of  mine  own  house  to 
take  this  standing  I  am  now  in.  But  this  letter  importeth 
no  great  thing.  Thus  I  humbly  cease  to  trouble  your 
honour.  From  without  Bishopsgate,  this  Wednesday- 
evening. 

"  Your  honour's  most  bounden  and  humble 
servant  always  at  commandment, 

"  Era.  Mylles." 

"To   the  right  honourable   Sir   Francis  Walsingham^ 
knight,  her  Majesty's  principal  Secretary. ' " 

Eftdorsed — "August,  1586.     From  Era.  Milles." 


152 


CHAPTER   XI. 

GOVERNMENT   INFORMATION. 

Father  Weston's  apprehension  was  accidental,  as  it 
happened,  but  the  spies  had  long  been  on  his  track,  and 
he  could  hardly  have  escaped  much  longer.  A  very  few 
days  before  his  arrest,  Walsingham  had  received  this 
"Secret  Advertisement"^  from  a  spy  who  does  not  sign 
the  paper.  It  is  dated  July  21,  1586.  "I  have  many  times 
given  notice  of  the  place  where  the  Jesuit  hath  resorted 
at  the  time  of  his  being  there,  but  no  great  account  hath 
been  made  thereof  If  I  did  know  it  to  be  your  honour's 
pleasure,  I  would  apprehend  both  him  and  divers  others 
with  my  own  hands.  And  when  some  priests  have  been 
by  my  directions  apprehended,  it  hath  been  so  handled 
contrary  to  my  direction  as  I  hardly  escaped  without 
being  discovered  to  the  author  thereof  Henley  Park 
[Mr.  Francis  Browne's  house]  is  never  without  three  or 
four  priests,  and  the  Jesuit  is  there  at  this  present,  but 
never  searched  that  I  can  hear  of,  though  I  have  often 
required  it  when  there  hath  been  a  certain  number  there." 
The  writer,  who  was  thoroughly  well  informed,  and  there- 
fore was  quite  unsuspected  by  the  Catholics  with  whom 
he  was  mingling  only  to  betray  them,  was  either  Nicholas 
Berden  or  Robert  Foley,  names  that  occur  frequently  at 
this  time  in  the  course  of  Walsingham's  plot  against  the 
Queen  of  Scots,  in  which  they  were  active  instruments. 

This   was    by     no    means    the    first    of    the    "  Secret 
Advertisements"   that    Walsingham    received    respecting 

^  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elhaheth,  vol.  cxci.  n.  23. 


Life  of  Father  Willia^n  Weston.  153 

Father  Weston.  The  following  are  interesting  as  showing 
the  work  done  in  return  for  Walsingham's  secret  service 
money,  and  there  is  much  valuable  information^  to  be 
derived  from  them  for  the  purpose  of  our  biography. 
The  first  2  is  endorsed  March,  1585.  The  "  Lady  Paulett" 
mentioned  in  it  was  by  birth  a  Blount,  widow  of  Sir 
Thomas  Pope,  the  founder  of  Trinity  College,  Oxford, 
and  stepmother  of  Sir  Amias  Poulet,  keeper  of  the  Queen 
of  Scots.^ 

Cornelius  and  Loe,  or  Lowe,  were  afterwards  martyrs. 
Wingfield  was  the  same  person  as  Davies,  whose  subse- 
quent liberation  Mills  lamented,  as  we  have  just  seen. 
George  Blackwell  was  made  archpriest  in   1598. 

"May  it  please  your  honour  to  be  advertised  that 
Edmonds  the  Jesuit,  alias  Hunte,  did  dine  with  me 
according  to  his  promise  upon  Saturday  last,  who  so 
abiding  as  I  perceive  hath  been  in  Spain  these  ten  or 
twelve  years  past.  His  coming  into '  England  was  about 
Midsummer  last,  sithence  which  time  he  hath  most 
frequented  the  younger  sort  of  the  gentlemen  of  the  Inns 
of  Court,  like  unto  whom  he  goetli  apparelled.  I  find 
that  he  hath  persuaded  many  of  them  to  his  opinion  in 
religion.  He  useth  much  to  preach  at  the  Lady  Paulett's, 
who  is  lodged  near  Temple  Bar,  at  Mrs.  Lovelesse  in  the 
Blackfriars,  and  at  one  Richard  Beedell  his  chamber, 
which  is  at  one  Mr.  Smyth's  house  in  the  upper  end  of 
Holborn,  unto  which  place  divers  young  gentlemen  do 
resort,  as  namely  young  Suthwycke  and  Claxton  of  Gray's 

^  These  spies'  reports  have  to  be  read  with  caution.  For  instance,  at  the 
time  when  Father  Edmonds  was  safe  in  prison,  we  have  from  St.  Omers, 
Sept.  26,  1586,  "One  of  the  English  here  reports  that  there  are  two  hundred 
Masses  daily  in  London  and  the  suburbs.  Those  he  wrote  of  before  were  two 
Jesuits,  who  passed  from  Boulogne  to  Hyde ;  one  Father  Edmonds  and  the 
other  a  young  man."  Calendar,  Domestic,  Addenda,  Elizabeth,  vol.  xxix 
n.  143. 

*  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  clxxvii.  n.  48. 

^  Letter-Books  of  Sir  Aviias  Poitlct,  p.  374. 


154  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

Inn,  and  fifteen  or  sixteen  others  whose  names  I  know 
not  as  yet.  I  required  of  the  said  Jesuit  to  know  his 
lodging,  but  he  refused  to  let  me  know  the  same.  Yet, 
nevertheless,  he  referred  me  to  one  Ingram,  a  gentleman 
and  a  student  at  the  law,  who  is  lodged  at  Taylor's  house 
in  Holborn,  near  Barnard's  Inn,  who  should  direct  me 
unto  him  at  all  times.  And  he  further  promised  me  that 
he  will  come  to  my  lodging  once  or  twice  in  the  week, 
so  as  I  do  provide  all  necessary  stuff  for  him  to  say  Mass, 
which  I  have  promised  him  to  do  if  by  any  means  I  may 
procure  the  same.  More  in  particular  I  cannot  gather 
of  him  by  reason  of  my  small  acquaintance,  but  that  by 
way  of  discourse  he  seemeth  to  be  persuaded  that  the 
King  of  Scots  shall  marry  with  the  King  of  Spain  his 
daughter,  whereupon  he  doth  infer  that  the  country  of 
Scotland  will  become  Papists,  and  for  the  King's  affection 
to  Papistry  he  standeth  nothing  doubtful,  the  rather  for 
the  great  credit  that  Holt,  the  English  Jesuit,  and  some 
other  of  the  seminaries,  have  about  the  King  there  and 
some  of  his  Council,  as  he  supposeth.  This  was  the  sum 
of  our  first  and  last  conference. 

"  The  names  of  certain  priests  Avith  such  places  as  they 
resort  unto. 

"  To  Mr.  Darrell,  who  is  lodged  at  Doctor  Johnson's  in 
Fleet  Street,  resorteth  one  Martyne  a  priest. 

"To  Sir  John  Arundell  resorteth  one  Tompson  and 
Cornelius,  priests.     Cornelius  is  commonly  lodged  there. 

"  To  the  Lady  Paulett's,  by  Temple  Bar,  resorteth  one 
Twyfford  and  Stone,  priests. 

"  To  Mr.  Treamayne,  at  Clerkenwell,  resorteth  one  Loe, 
priest. 

"To  Richard  Beedell  his  chamber  at  Mr.  Smyth's  in 
Holborn,  one  Holland,  priest,  who  is  a  great  preacher. 

"  By  Revell  his  man  I  have  found  that  Blackwell,  of 
whom  I  have  made  mention  heretofore,  is  and  hath  been 
lodged  at  Mrs.  Meany's,  w^ho  now  lieth  at  Westminster 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  155 

these  seven  or  eight  years  together.  \In  marg.  This 
Mrs.  Meany's  daughter  was  married  to  Sir  Thomas 
Gerard's  son  and  heir.] 

"There  resorteth  to  Mr.  William  Fytton^  his  house  at 
Bailes,  Transome  the  younger,  and  one  Wynckffeld,  priests, 
with  divers  others  whose  names  I  cannot  yet  learn. 

"  There  resorteth  to  Mr.  Brookesbye  of  Leicestershire, 
one  Nicholas  Eake,  a  priest,  but  his  abiding  is  now  in 
Holborn  and  Islington. 

"Edmonds  the  Jesuit,  Holland,  Cornelius,  and  Tran- 
some are  the  chiefest  preachers. 

"There  are  also  divers  other  priests  here  in  London 
whose  names  and  places  I  hope  shortly  to  advertise  your 
honour  of. 

"There  is  at  this  moment  one  Sutton,  a  Jesuit,  remaining 
at  Verdun,  in  France,  [with]  Chambers,  which  Chambers  is 
the  General  of  the  Englishmen  there.  The  said  Jesuit 
doth  attend  a  passage  to  come  into  England. 

"Also  the  Papists  do  expect  forty  or  fifty  priests 
from  Rome  and  Rheims  to  arrive  here  in  England,  which 
news  Dr.  Allen's  man  did  bring  unto  them,  and  with  their 
coming  I  hope  to  be  made  acquainted.  Thus,  according 
to  my  duty,  I  have  advertised  your  honour  of  the  premises, 
and  for  my  farther  service  and  duty  to  be  done,  I  rest 
both  night  and  day  at  your  honourable  commandment, 
as  also  to  pray  God  to  maintain  your  honour  with  much 
prosperity." 

"May^  it  please  your  honour  to  be  advertised  that  it 
is  concluded  and  agreed  among  the  Papists  that  such 
priests  as  are  determined  to  remain  in  England,  or  here- 
after shall  come  into  England,  shall  be  relieved  at  the 
hands  of  Mr.  Henry  Vaux,  son  to  the  Lord  Vaux,  or  by 
his  assigns.  This  Henry  Vaux,  in  company  of  Edmonds 
the  Jesuit,  Floyd,  Jatter,  Comellys,  Stampe,  alias  Dyghton. 

^  Supra,  p.  60.         "  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  clxxviii.  n.  39. 


156  Life  of  Father  Williayn  Weston. 

and  Holland,  priests,  did  lately  assemble  themselves  at 
the  house  of  Mr.  Wylford  in  Hoggesdon,  where  it  was 
ordered  the  Lord  Vaux  should  pay  to  the  relief  of  priests 
that  would  tarr>%  one  hundred  marks.  Sir  Thomas 
Tresham,  Sir  William  Catesby,  and  Mr.  Wylford  one 
hundred  marks  the  piece,  and  certain  other  gentlemen 
they  [asjsessed  at  lower  sums.  All  this  money  is  presently 
to  be  delivered  to  Mr.  Vaux  before  the  forty  days,  to  avoid 
the  danger  of  the  statute,  and  letters  also  directed  into  the 
country  abroad  for  the  said  collection,  and  the  money  to 
be  delivered  to  Mr.  Vaux,  and  he  to  take  notice  of  all 
priests  that  shall  remain  or  come  into  England,  and  in 
secret  by  his  servant  Harris  (as  is  thought)  to  relieve  them 
where  they  shall  be  heard  of  It  is  ordered  that  the 
priests  shall  shift  for  themselves  abroad,  as  in  inns  or  such 
like  places,  and  not  visit  any  Papists,  especially  of  the 
gentlemen,  except  they  be  sent  for,  for  this  summer  season, 
within  which  time  they  hope  either  by  help  or  entreaty 
of  foreign  princes,^  or  by  some  general  petition  to  be  made 
to  her  Majesty  by  a  great  number  of  them  together  to  be 
assembled,  to  be  holpen  by  some  toleration  ;  if  not,  then 
to  adventure  the  danger  of  the  statute.  So  with  my 
most  humble  duty  to  your  honour,  I  rest  to  certify  here- 
after what  they  shall  further  determine. 

"London,  this  2nd  day  of  May,  anno  1585." 

In  the  next  letter-  we  have  mention  of  Cornelius,  Dean, 
Garlick,  and  Pilcher,  all  martyrs.  We  also  learn  the  curious 
fact  that  Morgan  was  to  have  had  the  appointment  of  those 
of  Queen  Elizabeth's  household  who  were  to  have  been 
sent  to  serve  the  Queen  of  Scots.  Walsingham  can 
hardly  have  appreciated  the  sharpness  of  his  spy,  who 
had  perceived  of  another  spy,  who  had  been  recommended 

^  "The  hope  which  the  Papists  have  to  receive  comfort  by  the  Duke  of 
Guise  and  his  confederates,  is  not  little."     /;/  marg. 
"  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabdh,  vol.  cl.xxxviii.  n.  37. 


Life  of  Father  Willimn  Westo7i.  157 

by  Morgan,  that  he  was  "  a  great  keeper  of  company 
with  the  priests  and  Papists,  and  yet  most  conversant  and 
familiar  "  in  Walsingham's  own  chamber. 

"  May  it  please  your  honour  to  be  advertised  that  there 
is  one  Peter  Wylkox,  one  of  the  purveyors  of  her  Majesty's 
buttery,  whose  first  coming  to  her  Majesty's  [service  was 
to  be  sent  on]  service  to  the  Scottish  Queen  by  the  appoint- 
ment of  Thomas  Morgan,  for  it  was  then  expected  that  the 
Scottish  Queen  should  have  had  certain  of  her  Majesty's 
officers  to  have  waited  upon  her,  whereof  this  Wylkox 
should  have  intended  himself  for  one,  but  now  his  expec- 
tation having  been  long  frustrate,  he  will  seem  to  be 
weary  of  his  office  and  to  rid  himself  of  the  same  for 
money,  and  so  to  pass  on.  This  man  hath  been  and  is 
a  great  keeper  of  company  with  the  priests  and  Papists, 
and  yet  most  conversant  and  familiar  in  your  honour's 
chamber. 

"  Sithence  my  return  I  do  find  these  priests  hereunder' 
to  make  their  abode  in  London,  viz.,  Edmonds  the  Jesuit, 
commonly  frequenting  the  house  of  the  late  widow  Tempest, 
now  wife  to  Mr.  Francis  Browne. 

"John  Cornellis,  most  accompanying  with  Mr.  Gower, 
servant  to  the  Lord  Montague,  and  often  lodged  with  the 
said  Gower  within  his  lord's  house  at  St.  Mary  Overies. 

"  Willson,  alias  Gaunte,  lodged  in  the  house  of  the 
Countess  of  Pembroke,  and  confessor  to  the  Lord  Compton 
in  Broad  Street.  This  Willson  is  the  only  man  that  col- 
lecteth  for  the  Seminary.  He  hath  a  convey  for  [the 
money],  but  by  whom  I  cannot  yet  learn.  Ely  Jones  in 
Compton's  house. 

"  Fortescue,  alias  Ballard,  and  Dryland,  much  conv[er- 
sant]  with  the  Lord  Windsor. 

"  More,  Wedall,  alias  Ithell,  Doctor  Stafferton,  alias 
Williamson,  Brome,  Grene,  Lawyer. 

"  Deane,  Garlicke,  Pylcher ;  these  three  were  banished 
men. 


158  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

"  The  principal  receivers  of  the  priests  about  London 
arc   Ruste   the   elder,   W  John   Southcotc,   Richard 

Rainold,  lodged  at  Whytffeld's  in  Holborn,  John  Mannop, 
lodged  at  the  Three  Kings,  without  Temple  Bar,  Henry 
D[un]ne,  Mr.  John  Darrell  of  Sussex. 

"The  lodgings  of  the  said  priests  are  for  the  most 
part  in  the  common  inns  in  Holborn,  especially  the  Red 
Lion ;  for  their  ordinary  meals  they  are  commonly  at 
Whytfifeld's  in  Holborn,  and  the  Plough,  without  Temple 
Bar.  [A  sentence  about  the  state  of  feeling  among  the 
Catliolics  is  too  imperfect  for  transcription.] 

"April  23,  1586." 

"  May^  it  please  your  honour  to  be  advertised  that 
according  to  my  [duty]  and  allegiance  I  have  thought  good 
to  certify  your  honour  the  names  of  such  Jesuits  and  priests 
as  are  now  remaining  in  London,  viz. : — 

Edmonds  the  Jesuit,  Fortescue, 

Cornellys,  Bosse, 

Dryland,  Sherwood, 

Barloe,  Twyfford,  and 

Lawyer,  Ithell,  priests. 

Blackborne, 
"  These  are  now  lodged  in  common  inns  about  London, 
and  they  do  receive  their  relief  of  Edmonds  the  Jesuit, 
who  receives  the  same  of  Mr.  Henry  [Vaux],  that  daily 
collecteth  money  for  the  same  purpose.  This  Ithell  afore- 
said came  from  Paris  about  a  month  past,  where  [he]  made 
his  abode  one  whole  year  now  last  past,  and  was  con- 
versant [and]  familiar  with  Charles  Paget,  Charles  Arundell, 
Morgan,  Throgmorton,  and  the  rest  of  that  faction.  I  was 
earnestly  urged  by  Edmonds  to  provide  [lodgings]  for  the 
said  Ithell,  which  (under  your  honour's  correction)  I  did 
two  days  sithence  [at]  a  tailor's  house  near  Clement's  Inn, 
where  I  have  had  some  conference  [with]  him.  .  .  .  He 

^  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  clxxviii.  n.  72. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  159 

hath  also  promised  to  give  me  credit  with  Persons  the 
Jesuit,  by  the  help  of  Edmonds,  if  I  will  devise  any  sure 
means  for  the  conveying  of  letters. 

"  London,  May  26,  1586." 

Another  paper,^  somewhat  later  in  date,  gives  us  the 
names  of  two  Catholic  houses  frequented  by  Father 
Weston.  Thules  and  Parry  were  afterwards  his  fellow- 
prisoners  at  Wisbech. 

"  The  names  of  such  Seminary  priests  as  have  been 
since  Easter  last,  anno  1586,  at  Sir  Thomas  Tresham's. 
Edmonds  the  Jesuit. 
Christopher  Thules,  alias  Ashton,  now  prisoner 

in  the  Gatehouse, 
Stampe,  alias  Dighton,  now  prisoner  in  Wood 

Street. 
Edward  Dakins. 

Ballard,  alias  Thompson,  that  was  executed. 
John  Cornelius,  with  others  that  I  do  not  now 
remember. 
"The  names  of  such  as  have  been  at  Mitcham  with 
Mr.  Talbott  since  the  same  time. 
Edmonds,  Jesuit. 
Wingfield. 

Parry,  alias  Morgan,  now  prisoner  in  the  Clink. 
John  Cornelius. 
Doctor  Stafferton. 

John   Mushe,  with  others  that  I  do  not  now 
remember. 
"3  Martii,  I586[7]." 

To  these  letters,  by  which  we  get  an  insight  into  the 
service  rendered  by  the  spies,  it  may  be  well  to  add  others 
that  show  how  those  services  received  some  extraordinary 
recompense.  Recusants  and  priests  were  arrested  as  enemies 

^  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  voL  cxcix.  n.  15. 


i6o  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

of  the  State,  too  dancjerous  to  be  at  liberty ;  yet  some  of 
them  were  set  at  liberty  because  "the  money  would  do 
Berden  great  pleasure,  being  in  extreme  need  thereof." 
Mr.  Secretary  Walsingham  was  influenced  by  his  deci- 
pherer, Phelippes,  and  Phclippes  was  influenced  by  Berden, 
and  Berden  was  bribed. 

Ralph  Bickley,  who  would  have  been  worth  20/.  to 
Berden,  was  not  released,  but  Phelippes'  letter  shows  that 
Shelley  w^as  substituted  for  Bickley  when  the  application 
was  made  to  Walsingham. 

"  Ralph  Bickley,  a  Seminary  priest,  [was]  committed 
by  the  Lord  Chancellor  and  others  of  the  lords  of  the 
Council  the  3rd  day  of  May,  1585,  and  was  examined 
before  Mr.  Attorney-General  and  Mr.  Solicitor."  So  says 
the  list^  of  prisoners  in  the  Gatehouse  at  Westminster,  on 
the  1 2th  of  June,  1586.  He  was  Father  Weston's  fellow- 
prisoner  at  Wisbech,  and  his  fellow-exile  on  the  accession 
of  James  I.  in  1603.  At  Wisbech  Father  Weston  obtained 
for  him  a  closer  fellowship,  for  Father  Garnet  wrote ^  to 
Father  Persons,  August  15,  1597:  "Ralph  Bickley  wrote 
to  you  to  sue  for  him  that  he  may  be  admitted.  He  is  a 
very  singular  man.  I  pray  you  obtain  it.  He  hath  sued 
these  twelve  years.  He  is  with  Father  Weston,  who 
desireth  it  greatly." 

He  was  arrested  again  in  1617,  when  Atkinson,  the 
apostate  priest  and  pursuivant,  succeeded  in  getting  20/. 
from  him,  under  promise  of  letting  him  go  free  for  that 
sum,  and  then  took  him  before  Sir  Ralph  Winwood,  a 
magistrate,  which  Father  Bickley,  in  a  fragment  of  a 
letter  that  describes  it,  calls  "cozening"  and  "conie- 
catching." 

Carleton,  for  whom  Berden  interests  himself  so  dis- 
interestedly, was  Richard  Sherwood,  the  priest,  whose 
servant,  when  a    layman,  Edmund    Genings,  the  martyr, 

^  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  cxc.  n,  25. 
"  Stonyhurst  MSS.,  F.  fol.  537. 


Life  of  FatJier  William  Weston.  i6i 

had  been.  Shelley  was  a  layman.  Berden's  letter^  is 
addressed  to  Thomas  Phelippes,  and  is  dated  "from 
Bedlam." 

"Sir, — Upon  Thursday  last,  being  at  the  French  Ambas- 
sador's (as  I  told  you),  there  was  also  the  Lady  Compton, 
in  company  with  the  Lady  Strange,  who  had  attending 
upon  them  young  Thomas  Jarrat  [Gerard],  son  and  heir 
to  Sir  Thomas.  There  was  also  Francis  Tresham,  son 
and  heir  to  Sir  Thomas  Tresham,  who  I  see  is  well 
acquainted  in  that  house,  and  he  had  conference  with 
the  Ambassador  himself,  but  he  came  alone.  The  rest 
made  a  visitation  which  I  suppose  was  rather  for  letters 
than  otherwise,  the  courier  being  arrived  the  night  before. 
For  the  Lady  Strange  I  can  say  nothing :  the  rest  are 
all  too  bad  members  and  meet  to  be  looked  unto,  whereof 
I  pray  you  advertise  his  honour. 

"For  any  convey  to  the  Earl^  in  the  Tower  I  can 
find  none  that  he  either  hath  or  had  as  yet.  Edmonds 
is  not  yet  come.  Upon  Monday  I  would  crave  the  help 
of  your  man. 

"Sir,  if  it  please  you  to  procure  me  the  liberty  of 
Ralph  Bickley,  Seminary  priest  in  the  Gatehouse,  at  his 
honour's  hands,  it  will  be  worth  20/.  to  me ;  and  the 
liberty  also  of  Richard  Sherwood,  alias  Carleton,  prisoner 
in  the  Counter,  in  Wood  Street,  will  be  worth  30/.  They 
crave  their  liberty  upon  bonds  with  sureties  to  appear 
again  at  twenty  days'  warning.  The  money  will  do  me 
great  pleasure,  being  now  in  extreme  need  thereof;  neither 
do  I  know  how  to  shift  longer  without  it.  In  which  suit 
I  earnestly  pray  your  furtherance,  not  only  for  the  gain, 
but  also  to*  make  them  beholden  to  me  and  thereby  to 
make  them  instruments  to  do  her  Majesty  good  service, 
though  against  their  will.     For  Carleton  I  take  to  be  a 

^  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  cxcv.  n.  75. 

'  The  Earl  of  Arundel  had  at  this  time  been  about  fourteen  months  in  the 
Tower. 


1 62  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

meet  man  to  further  any  service  concerning  the  Earl  that 
you  will  devise,  and  his  practices  beyond  the  seas  (if  there 
be  any),  I  hope  will  not  be  hid  from  me:  and  the  priests 
always  to  be  disposed  of  as  shall  please  his  honour,  and 
my  turn  served,  for  Carlcton  he  is  persuaded  there  is  no 
hope  but  by  your  means,  and  he  hath  directed  me  to 
make  friends  to  you  for  his  liberty.  So  praying  you  to 
favour  these  suits  as  well  for  my  particular,  which  is  some- 
what extreme  at  this  present,  whereof  his  honour  is  not 
ignorant,  and  for  the  service  in  general,  I  rest  expecting 
your  answer  hereunto,  if  you  please.  From  Bedlam,  this 
Saturday  night.  Yours  to  command, — NICHOLAS  Berden. 
"  Bickley  is  of  small  account,  and  was  departing  the 
realm  about  the  beginning  of  the  statute." 

In  the  next  letter^  we  have  Phelippes  interceding  with 
Walsingham  for  Berden  and  others. 

"It  may  please  your  honour.  The  apposted  party, 
with  his  supplication  for  Carleton  and  Shelley,  will  present 
himself  unto  you,  at  your  coming  abroad,  which  is 
B[erden]'s  brother-in-law.  It  may  please  your  honour 
to  sign  this  warrant  ready.  He  is  addressed  of  whom 
to  demand  it,  after  upon  your  honour's  show  of  content- 
ment, and  Mr.  Justice  Young  to  take  good  surety  for 
his  forthcoming  and  good  behaviour  every  way  toward 
the  State.  It  may  please  you  to-morrow  to  be  good 
unto  Gray,  of  Wisbech,  who  will  be  petitioner  for  some 
of  the  best  priests  or  others  that  their  honours  think  well 
to  be  restrained  of  liberty.  Doctor  Bavand  is  an  old 
man,  and  no  seminary,  and  well  commended  by  Doctor 
Young,  which  maketh  me  bold  to  pray  your  honour  that 
according  to  his  supplication  to  the  lords,  he  may  be 
to-morrow  committed  to  Mr.  Jo.  Roper,  of  Kent,  who  cometh 
to  church,  but  I  take  him  to  be  otherwise  affected  in  religion. 

^  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  cxc.  n.  30. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  1 65 

But  this  I  do  at  mine  uncle's  request,  who  was  his  pupil 
at  Oxford,  having  hitherto  refused  to  make  any  motion. 
in  favour  of  the  man  till  now  I  see  a  general  course  taken 
for  them  all.  And  seeing  the  man  is  like  enough  other- 
wise to  have  favour,  I  would  not  have  my  uncle  think 
but  that  my  good  word  had  been  cause  thereof  And 
so  I  humbly  take  my  leave.  London,  the  13th  of  June, 
1586.  Your  honour's  always  most  humble  at  command- 
ment,— Tho.  Phelippes." 

Berden  writes^  to  Walsingham  to  thank  him  for 
another  favour  of  the  same  kind. 

"  I  humbly  thank  your  honour  for  that  it  pleased  you 
to  spare  Christopher  Dryland's  life  at  the  last  sessions,  at 
my  request,  assuring  you  that  it  hath  much  increased  my 
credit  amongst  the  Papists  that  by  my  endeavour  his  life 
was  saved,  for  they  suppose  that  some  friend  at  my  request 
moved  your  honour  therein.  I  protest  I  abhor  the  man  in 
regard  of  his  profession,  and  the  only  thing  that  moved 
me  thereunto  was  for  that  the  man  is  singularly  well 
persuaded  of  me,  supposing  me  to  be  a  most  apt  man 
to  serve  the  Papists'  turn,  and  further  a  man  of  great 
credit  amongst  them  all,  of  what  faction  soever,  and 
therefore  a  meet  man  to  be  sent  over,  thereby  to  avow 
and  maintain  my  credit  to  all  the  practisers.  May  it 
therefore  please  your  honour,  if  it  may  stand  with  your 
honourable  courses  and  the  benefit  of  the  State,  to  grant 
him  liberty  upon  bond  with  sureties,  in  respect  of  his 
health,  to  yield  his  body  before  the  lords  at  a  month's 
warning  to  be  given  at  one  of  his  sureties'  houses,  or  to 
depart  the  realm  within  the  said  term  after  his  enlarge- 
ment. My  meaning  is  that  he  shall  (and  so  his  is  own) 
depart  the  realm  within  one  month ;  but  he  standeth 
scrupulous  to  be  bound  directly  to  depart,  for  that  thejr 

1  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  cxcv.  n.  21. 
L  2 


164  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

choose  rather  death  than  voluntary  banishment,  for  that 
is  scandalous  amongst  their  fellows ;  and  Martin  Arre 
[Array]  is  generally  condemned  for  that  he  yielded  there- 
unto, and  he  that  shall  give  credit  to  another  man  had 
need  to  preserve  his  own.  So  praying  your  honour's 
favour  in  the  suit,  if  it  be  not  offensive,  I  humbly  crave 
pardon  for  my  boldness.  If  it  may  please  your  honour  to 
grant  the  suit,  the  party  is  prisoner  in  the  Counter  in 
Wood  Street ;  and  Mr.  Justice  Young  will  hinder  his 
liberty,  except  your  honour  take  special  order  therein. 
"London,  November  23,  1586." 

"  Dryland,  Tyrrell,  Wolseley,  in  the  Counter  in  Wood 
Street,  apprehended  this  last  month,  and  famous  priests."^ 
Such  is  one  notice  of  Dryland  in  the  State  Papers. 
Another  is,-  "  The  Counter  in  Wood  Street :  .  Dryland, 
Tyrrell,  Wolseley,  Dighton,  Dibdale,  Maddox — conjurers 
or  exorcisers  as  they  are  termed." 

One  word  of  Martin  Array,  an  excellent  priest,  the 
spelling  of  whose  name  is  wonderfully  varied.  Walsing- 
ham's  private  secretary,  Francis  Mills,  was  greatly  puzzled 
by  his  liberation,  as  he  tells  Walsingham  in  the  letter  we 
are  about  to  give.  From  a  Stonyhurst  Paper^  we  learn  that 
Array  was  "  for  a  round  sum  bought  from  the  shambles." 
Mills  writes  of  his  release,  and  it  is  amusing  to  see  his 
compassion  for  the  poor  pursuivants  who  were  balked 
of  their  prey.  Just  so,  in  the  letter  that  recounted  to 
us  Father  Weston's  arrest,  he  bewailed  Davies'  libe- 
ration, for  "these  men  that  take  such  pains  to  find  out 
these  miscreants  are  discouraged  much  to  see  many 
of  them  receive  so  much  favour  and  liberty."  And  he 
even  adds  that  "they  say,''  that  is,  the  pursuivants  say, 
that  "  Mr.  Young  also  is  gentle  enough  towards  these  men, 

^  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  cxci.  n.  37. 

^  Jdid.  vol.  cxciii.  n.  13. 

^  Atij;!.  A.  vol.  i.  n.  70 ;  Letter-Books  of  Sir  Amias  Poulet,  p.  387. 


u^ijii  Oj  x-aLfcer  yt< cucam  yy eSLon.  165 

for  all  his  outward  show  of  forwardness."  The  Catholics 
did  not  say  so/  though  Justice  Young  also  was  open  to 
the  influence  of  a  bribe. 

As  to  Array,  Berden  notes  for  Walsingham's  informa- 
tion,^— "  Martin  Arre  :  this  deserveth  well  to  be  hanged, 
for  that  he  received  great  favour  of  his  honour  and  was 
bound  to  depart  this  realm,  and  yet  remaineth  in  the 
North  parts.  It  were  good  to  call  upon  his  bonds."  In 
an  examination^  under  the  name  of  Martin  Ara,  alias 
Cotton,  he  gives  some  account  of  his  movements  since  he 
came  to  England  as  a  priest.  The  following  is  the  letter"* 
from  Mills  to  Walsingham. 

"  It  may  please  your  honour,  having  lodged  these  two 
nights  past  Newall  and  Worsley  here  with  me,  to  the  end 
I  might  have  them  at  hand  to  help  do  the  service  I  am 
here  about  [the  apprehension  of  Ballard  and  Babington], 
they  requiring  this  forenoon  to  go  for  an  hour  or  two 
abroad,  as  I  thought  for  some  their  necessary  private 
causes,  are  now  returned  to  me,  having  about  Tuttle 
[Tothill]  Street  apprehended  three  priests  and  committed 
them  close  and  several  to  the  Counter  in  Wood  Street. 
The  names  of  these  priests  are  in  the  little  paper  inclosed.^ 
And  the  other  inclosed  papers^  they  found  about  Robert 
Palmer,  one  of  the  three,  worth  reading  to  see  how  little 
they  account  of  her  Majesty  or  her  laws  made  against 
such  traitorous  varlets  as  they  are,  and  what  grounds  they 
think  they  have  by  the  laws  of  this  realm  to  stand  against 
any  law  made  in  her  Majesty's  time.  There  was  in  the 
company  of   these    priests   the  wife   of  young   Peckham 


^  Condition  of  Catholics,  p.  Ixix. 

*  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  cxcv.  n.  72. 
^  Strype's  Annals,  vol.  iii.  part  ii.  p.  422. 

*  P.R.O.,  Mary  Queen  of  Scots,  vol.  xviii.  n.  71. 

'  Thomas  Smythe,  alias  Deacon,  Robert  Palmer,  Simon  Godfraye. 

*  The  form  of  indictment  of  a  priest,  with  an  outline  of  the  arguments  that 
might  be  used  at  the  bar  in  defence  of  a  priest  so  indicted. 


1 66  Life  of  Father  William  Weslon. 

(deceased),  son  to  Sir  G.  Peckham,  but  escaped  away 
because  these  two  men  had  not  belike  abihty  to  appre- 
hend all  the  company,  being  as  they  were  ready  to  go 
home  and  ride  away. 

"All  this  day  I  hear  nothing  of  Casye,  Phelippes'  man. 

"  Newall  and  Worsley  say  there  is  one  Martin  Arrea^ 
set  at  liberty  out  of  the  Counter  (a  notable  Seminary  priest) 
yesterday  or  very  lately,  which  they  are  very  sorry  for. 
Whether  your  honour  know  anything  hereof,  and  that  this 
Martin  be  used  to  any  good  purpose  with  your  privity 
I  know  not,  but  these  messengers  are  sorry  he  is  enlarged. 
Thus  I  humbly  cease  to  trouble  your  honour. 

"  Your  honour's  most  humble  servant 
always  at  commandment, 

"  Fra.  Mylles. 

"Tower  Hill,  the  24th  of  July,  1586." 

Christopher  Dryland  was  not  set  free  as  Berden 
proposed,  but  was  sent  to  Wisbech  Castle.  He  was  a 
priest  of  very  exemplary  life,  and  is  said  to  have  been 
Father  Weston's  confessor  while  they  were  fellow-prisoners 
at  Wisbech.  He  was  banished  in  1603,  and  going  at 
once  to  Rome,  entered  the  Society. 

He  is  hardly  to  be  blamed  for  desiring  to  get  his  release 
made  out  in  such  terms  that  he  should  not  be  looked  upon 
by  Catholics  abroad  as  having  purchased  his  liberty  by 
renouncing  his  priestly  work  in  England.  It  was  not  very 
heroic,  but  all  men  are  not  heroes.  Our  Father  Weston 
acted  in  a  very  different  spirit,  for,  as  we  shall  see  later 
on,^  when  the  Countess  of  Arundel  offered  to  purchase  his 
liberty,  he  absolutely  refused  it  if  thus  obtained. 

^  "  This  Arrea  was  by  them  taken."     In  Jiiarg. 
"  Infra,  p.  196. 


i67 


CHAPTER   XII. 

THE   BABINGTON   PLOT. 

Of  the  two  men  who  were  the  chief  of  those  pretending 
to  be  CathoHcs  that  they  might  act  as  spies,  Berden  and 
Foley,  Father  Weston  looked  upon  Foley  as  the  cause  of 
his  arrest,  though  it  was  really  Berden.  In  the  words  in 
which  he  resumes  his  narrative,  it  is  pretty  plain  that  he 
had  Foley  in  his  mind.  As  to  Foley's  keeping  a  good 
table  and  entertaining  Catholics,  it  is  a  coincidence  that 
on  the  day  of  Father  Weston's  arrest,  Fhelippes  wrote  to 
Walsingham,^  "  I  might  have  taken  him  [Babington]  and  a 
whole  knot  at  supper  in  Foley's  garden." 

The  folly  was  extreme  of  trusting  a  man  who  lived 
under  Walsingham's  roof.  Foley  was  in  the  service  of 
Walsingham's  daughter.  Lady  Sydney.  Babington  dis- 
ported himself  in  Foley's  garden,  as  though  the  sharpest 
eyes  in  Europe  were  not  fixed  upon  him,  though  he  knew 
all  the  while,  as  Father  Weston  is  about  to  tell  us,  that 
Walsingham  was  better  acquainted  with  his  plot  than  he 
was  himself  Babington  wrote  only  one  letter  to  the  Queen 
of  Scots  that  ever  reached  her  hands,  and  that  was  the 
well-known  letter  in  which  he  communicated  to  her  his 
plans  for  her  liberation.  This  letter  v/as  accompanied  by 
a  few  lines  to  Queen  Mary's  Secretary  Nau,  to  ask  his 
opinion  of  Foley.  Nau's  answer  about  him,  which  was  not 
very  assuring,  was  sent  off  at  once,  without  waiting  till 
Mary's  answer  to  Babington  was  ready.  It  was  of  these 
that  Fhelippes  said,-  "The  short  note  was  sent  to  Bab., 
wherein  is  somewhat   only  in   answer  of  that   concerned 

^  P.R.O.,  Queen  of  Scots,  vol.  xix.  n.  6. 
^  Letter-Books  of  Sir  Amias  Poulet,  p.  224. 


1 68  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

Foley  in  his.  Wc  attend  her  very  heart  at  the  next."  As 
"her  very  heart,"  when  it  came,  contained  no  aUusion  what- 
ever to  the  proposed  assassination  of  EHzabeth,  interpo- 
lations were  foisted  into  her  letter,  a  copy  of  which  thus 
falsified  was  the  only  evidence  brought  against  her. 

We  are  concerned  only  with  Foley  here,  and  these 
are  the  two  letters^  relating  to  him  that  passed  between 
Babington  and  Nau. 

"  A  ]\Ionsr.  Nau,  Secretaire  dc  sa  Ma'=- 

"  Monsr.  Nau, — Je  seroy  bien  aise  d'entendre  quelle 
opinion  vous  auez  d'un  nomme  Robert  Fooley  lequel  ie 
trouve  d'auoir  intelligence  des  affaires  de  sa  Ma"=-  Je 
suis  fort  priue  avec  luy,  par  quel  moyen  j'en  scay  quelque 
chose,  et  en  soupsonne  d'auantage.  Je  vous  prie  faictes 
m'en  scauoir  vostre  opinion  de  luy. 

"Antho.  Babington. 

"  Je  pense  que  cecy  a  estd  escript  per  un 
Babington  et  que  Curie  luy  a  respondu 
en  mon  nom.     Ainsy  signe,  Nau. 
C'est  la  vray  copie  de  la  lettre  que  i'escrivis 
a  Mons.  Nau.     Ainsy  signd,  Anthoine  Babington." 

"  Sir, — Yesternight  her  Majesty  received  your  letters 
and  their  inclosed,  which  before  this  bearer's  return  cannot 
be  deciphered.  He  is  within  these  two  or  three  days  to 
repair  hither  again  :  against  which  time  her  Majesty's 
answer  shall  be  in  readiness.  In  the  meanwhile  I  would 
not  omit  to  show  you  that  there  is  great  assurance  given 
of  Mr.  Foley  his  faithful  serving  of  her  Majesty,  and  by 
his  own  letters  hath  vowed  and  promised  the  same.  As 
yet  her  Majesty's  experience  of  him  is  not  so  great  as 
I  dare  embolden  you  to  trust  him  much,  he  never  having 
written  to  her  Majesty  but  once,  whereunto  she  hath  not 
yet  answered  for  not  knowing  of  his  abode,  neither 
assuredly   to  whose   hands   he   first   committed  the   said 

^  r.R.O.,  Queen  of  Seots,  vol.  xix.  n.  9;  vol.  xviii.  n.  43. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  169 

letters.  Let  me  know  plainly  what  you  understand  of 
him.  And  so  I  will  pray  God  to  preserve  you.  This  13th 
of  July.     At  Chartley.  "  Nau." 

Father  Weston  thus  describes  this  Robert  Foley. 
"  The  principal  author  of  my  apprehension  was,  it  was 
said,  a  certain  man  who  held  one  of  the  smaller  offices 
in  Court  and  had  obtained  some  familiarity  with  Secretary 
Walsingham,  whom  he  served  in  the  quality  of  a  spy, 
being  ready  witted  by  nature  and  ingenious  in  deceiving, 
and  from  whom  upon  occasions  he  received,  according 
to  report,  large  sums  of  gold  and  silver  to  encourage  him 
in  his  art.  He  had  contrived  to  insinuate  himself  into 
the-  intimate  acquaintance  of  the  chief  Catholics  who 
resided  about  London,  whom  he  would  receive  often  in  his 
own  house  and  at  a  table  luxuriously  supplied.  Through 
this  familiarity,  by  thus  becoming  accustomed  to  him 
and  through  habit,  he  gained  their  good  opinion  as 
being  a  worthy  man,  approved  not  only  as  honourable 
but  as  very  devout,  so  that  he  was  often  admitted  to 
be  present  with  them  at  Mass,  the  sacraments,  and 
exhortations.  For  he  knew  right  well  how  to  behave 
himself,  so  that  he  came  to  them  without  a  shadow  of 
suspicion.  By  this  Catholic  demeanour  and  the  friendship 
of  good  men,  he  acquired  so  high  a  character  that  he 
tried  to  avail  himself  of  it  in  order  to  fasten  himself 
upon  me,  and  to  obtain  more  familiarity  than  I  was 
anxious  for.  In  short,  he  made  me  so  many  promises 
and  was  so  obsequious  in  his  manner  towards  me 
that  it  made  me  scent  out  something  that  did  not 
please  me.  For  instance,  his  house,  his  room,  his  keys, 
his  coffers  would  be  all  open  to  me  and  might  be  used 
by  me  ;  whether  he  were  at  home  or  absent,  he  would 
make  arrangements  that  in  any  time  of  peril  or  diffi- 
culty whatever  I  should  always  find  a  refuge  in  his 
house.     If  I  desired  to  send  letters  or  money  to  any  place 


170  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

beyond  the  seas,  he  never  had  a  doubt  but  that  he  could 
help  on  my  purpose,  and  send  them  from  any  harbour 
or  any  part  of  the  sea  coast.  Now  I  knew  that  the 
possibiHty  of  such  promises  was  beyond  the  reach  of  any 
good  or  sincere  CathoHc,  for  it  is  not  possible  for  such 
to  dare  to  make  such  offers,  or  to  lend  such  aid  in  so 
disturbed  and  hostile  a  condition  of  public  affairs :  so  I 
began  to  avoid  him  by  degrees  and  to  see  as  little  of 
him  as  was  possible,  albeit  even  this  line  of  conduct  did 
not  appear  to  me  particularly  safe ;  for  I  could  not  escape 
him  very  long  without  having  to  undergo  a  serious  expos- 
tulation on  his  part  on  account  of  my  altered  behaviour, 
so  that  it  became  clear  to  me  that  he  felt  himself  offended 
in  no  small  a  degree.  The  marks  of  his  affection  for 
me  began  from  that  time  very  much  to  cool ;  and  what 
he  afterwards  attempted  against  me,  it  is  not  in  my  power 
to  relate.  General  rumour  reported  that  he  was  the  man 
who  betrayed  me,  and  nine  days  before  my  arrest  had 
stationed  a  watch  in  secret  at  the  gates  of  London,  giving 
them  a  description  of  my  person,  so  that  as  I  passed  by 
they  might  be  able  to  secure  me.  Neither  did  his  hopes 
deceive  him. 

"  Xow  to  return  to  my  story.  They  imprisoned  me 
in  a  room  in  which,  for  greater  security,  a  warder  was 
shut  up  with  me.  At  midnight  after  the  second  or  third 
day-^  I  heard  the  bells  ringing  in  an  unaccustomed  manner 
through  the  entire  city.  I  inquired  of  my  keeper  what 
this  bell-ringing  meant.  He  answered  that  the  city  Avas 
overjoyed  at  the  capture  of  various  Papists  who  had  been 
engaged  in  the  horrible  crime  and  treachery  of  conspiring 
against  the  life  of  the  sovereign,  and  had  plotted  to  nomi- 
nate the  Queen  of  Scots  as  the  rightful  heir  of  the  crown 
and  to  ravage  the  city  of  London  with  fire  and  sword  ; 
also  to  make  one  Edmonds  a  Jesuit  (meaning  myself,  who 

^  This  was  the  15th  of  August,  and  Father  Weston  had  been  more  than 
ten  days  under  arrest. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  1 7  r 

at  that  time  went  by  the  name  of  Edmonds)  bishop  of 
the  city.  *  A  horrid  conspiracy  ! '  he  added  ;  '  but  God  has 
turned  their  evil  plot  against  the  heads  of  the  authors  of  it' 
"  He  mentioned  several  gentlemen,  whose  names  I 
knew  well,  as  actors  in  the  conspiracy.  And  although  it 
struck  me  that  a  great  deal  of  what  was  told  me  must  be 
false  and  feigned,  still  I  did  not  doubt  but  that  some  secret 
mischief  had  been  at  work  which  would  be  used  by  the 
heretics  with  a  most  intense  zeal  and  ingenuity  as  a  handle 
for  cruel  persecution  against  all  Catholics,  and  even  for 
their  ruin,  unless  God  should  interpose.  The  idea  made 
me  forget  my  own  danger,  although  the  prospect  before 
me  was  nothing  less  than  a  most  painful  death.  I  was 
absorbed  in  anxiety  for  our  common  cause  that  stood  in 
such  extremity,  and  every  kind  of  disturbing  thought  came 
upon  me  to  agitate  my  mind.  For  as  I  knew  with  what 
a  hatred  the  heretics  were  inflamed  against  the  Catholic 
faith,  there  was  nothing  else  to  expect  but  that  with  all 
craft  and  dissimulation  and  extreme  cruelty  they  would 
no  longer  spare  any  person  or  thing,  but  having  obtained 
this  pretext  either  real  or  assumed,  and  planned  by  them- 
selves (as  was  afterAvards  proved  to  be  the  case),  they 
would  expend  their  rage  against  Catholics  without  inter- 
mission. In  the  midst  of  these  tempestuous  thoughts, 
which  distracted  and  wounded  my  mind,  the  night  passed 
away.  Then  followed  the  morning,  and  the  day  more 
sorrowful  than  the  night.  On  one  side  of  my  room  I  had 
the  public  street,  on  the  other  side  flowed  the  Thames. 
During  all  that  day  and,  I  think,  some  days  following, 
there  was  a  great  concourse  of  men  full  of  excitement  and 
congratulating  each  other ;  they  collected  piles  of  wood  for 
their  bonfire  and  stood  around  talking  wildly  and  boast- 
fully against  the  Pope,  the  King  of  Spain,  the  Catholics, 
and  the  Queen  of  Scots  ;  and  as  you  may  suppose  against 
the  Jesuits  also,  and  that  not  in  the  last  place.  As  I  saw 
and  heard  these  things  through  the  window  (for  they  lit 


172  i^ijc  of  Father  ^y  iciiam  VVeston. 

their  bonfire  just   beneath  it),  I  could   not  help  pitying 
them  and  lamenting  for  ourselves. 

"  But  on  the  other  side  of  the  room  the  spectacle  was 
still  more  terrible  :  Catholics  bound  and  carried  in  boats 
along  the  river  to  and  fro  between  the  tribunals  and  the 
Tower  of  London.  The  Tower  was  probably  at  the 
distance  of  a  mile  and  a  half  from  Westminster,  where  the 
courts  of  justice  are  held.  It  was  easy  to  see  and  dis- 
tinguish Avhen  they  were  being  conveyed  by  river  in  the 
boats,  from  the  uniform  and  arms  of  the  soldiers,  and  from 
the  rushing  and  tumult  of  the  people  thronging  to  see, 
who  had  often  light  skiffs  in  which  they  accompanied  the 
prisoners  all  the  way  on  the  river.  Such  was  the  daily 
spectacle  that  met  my  eyes  during  a  period  of  six  or 
seven  weeks.  In  all  that  interval  the  trials  v/ere  going 
on.  Sentence  of  death  was  passed  upon  several  gentle- 
men, and  the  executions  took  place.  Yet  in  the  course 
of  all  these  weeks  nothing  whatever  was  done  with  me, 
no  examination  Avas  made  or  question  asked,  although  in 
the  estimation  of  all  the  heretics  I  had  been  the  author 
and  leader  of  the  whole  tragedy.  Of  this  my  quiet,  and 
of  the  delay  whilst  every  day  and  hour  I  expected  to  be 
removed  to  the  Tower,  where  all  the  others  were  detained 
in  irons  and  subjected  to  tortures,  I  can  allege  no  better 
cause  than  that  they  were  anxious  to  extort  by  torments 
from  the  rest  all  that  lay  in  their  power,  so  as  to  be  able 
to  bring  me  forward  as  the  concluding  show  of  the  entire 
tragedy,  already  convicted  and  adjudged  by  the  overwhelm- 
ing testimony  of  so  many  persons,  and  that  they  might  enjoy 
a  perpetual  triumph  against  the  Jesuits  as  the  contrivers 
of  evil  against  princes.  I  do  not  say  this  without  just 
ground  of  suspicion,  as  I  was  afterwards  told  that  during 
the  space  of  a  whole  year  there  was  no  one  seized  or  put 
upon  the  rack  who  was  not  most  carefully  examined  with 
respect  to  me  as  to  whether  I  knew  of  or  had  given  any 
help  towards  the  affair,  which  circumstance  was  not  dis- 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  1 73 

guised  even  by  my  keeper,  for  he  often  told  me  that  he 
was  in  daily  expectation  of  my  being  carried  away  to  the 
Tower  for  examination. 

"  However,  after  the  entire  affair  of  the  conspiracy  had 
been  most  strictly  investigated  on  all  sides,  and  those  who 
were  found  guilty  had  been  condemned  to  death  and 
executed,  they  then  brought  my  cause  before  the  public, 
but  it  was  very  quickly  disposed  of  if  we  consider  the 
times,  for  as  they  had  not  succeeded  in  gaining  any  evidence 
against  me  in  spite  of  the  rigorous  examinations  of  the 
others,  in  sheer  desperation  of  bringing  out  anything 
against  me,  they  resolved  to  act  with  mildness.  They  .  L  f.„:, 
examined  me;  however,  recounting  before  me  the  names 
of  all  the  alleged  authors  of  that  conspiracy,  and  asking 
me  whether  I  knew  them  or  had  given  them  counsel  or 
had  heard  anything  of  their  attempt  or  had  any  under- 
standing of  it ;  and  other  similar  searching  questions  they 
put  to  me.  I  made  answer,  which  was  the  real  truth,  that 
I  had  not  the  slightest  acquaintance  with  their  plan  or 
design,  and  as  they  had  nothing  more  severe  to  charge 
me  with  or  prove  me  guilty  of,  they  relinquished  that  head 
of  their  accusation  and  turned  to  another,  namely,  that  I 
had  persuaded  a  certain  gentleman^  not  to  espouse  the 
party  of  the  Earl  of  Leicester,  and  not  to  afford  him  any 
assistance  in  that  unjust  campaign  of  his  with  the  heretics 
in  Belgium  against  the  King  of  Spain  ;  for  this  gentleman 
had  served  the  Earl  with  a  large  equipment  of  soldiers  and 
horses  at  his  own  expense.  They  said  that  with  a  long 
exhortation  and  many  arguments  I  had  pointed  out  to 
him  the  injustice  of  that  war.  The  examiner  related 
likewise  the  very  place  where  I  had  held  such  a  discourse 
with  him,  and  that,  having  mounted  me  on  his  own  horse, 
he  had  taken  me  to  his  home.  He  then  indicated  the 
part  of  the  house  where  my  chamber  stood,  and  that  I 
had   delivered   an   exhortation   there   in  the   presence  of 

^  See  Tyrrell's  information  respecting  Mr.  Bold,  S2ipra,  p.  140. 


174  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

many  persons.  lie  even  mentioned  the  text  of  Scripture 
upon  Avhich  I  had  preached,  together  with  some  part  of 
my  sermon  and  its  phrases. 

"When  I  heard  all  these  things  it  was  impossible 
not  to  be  amazed  :  for  many  of  them  were  true,  though 
mingled  with  interpolations  ;  which  latter,  as  I  could  prove 
them  to  be  falsities,  I  so  handled  and  turned  as  to  throw 
doubt  upon  even  the  other  things  which  were  true,  and 
to  let  it  appear  that  the  person  who  did  not  scruple  to 
be  untruthful  in  some  cases  was  not  worthy  of  belief  when 
he  testified  to  the  rest.  He  made  answer  :  *  You  need  not 
think  that  by  this  trick  you  will  escape,  or  that  by  the 
sophistry  of  your  logic,  you  can  elude  the  laws  ;  but  we 
will  make  you  confess  the  truth. ' 

"  Then  he  changed  his  discourse  to  certain  other 
things  not  much  to  the  purpose,  and 'asked  many  curious 
questions  concerning  exorcisms,  and  the  power  of  casting 
out  devils  from  the  bodies  of  men  by  the  ceremonies  of  the 
Church,  about  which  things  there  had  been  much  earnest 
talking  in  the  mouths  of  all  men ;  and  for  that  day  he 
departed. 

"  On  the  next  day  he  came  again,  and  drawing  a 
written  paper  from  his  breast,  he  said  to  me :  '  See  here, 
I  bring  you  the  confession  of  a  man  written  in  his  own 
words,  that  you  may  know  how  hard  it  will  be  for  you 
to  equivocate,  and  how  true  Avere  the  things  which  I 
related  and  upon  which  I  questioned  you ;  and  yet  you 
hesitate  and  refuse  to  confess.'  He  then  began  to  read 
over  a  long  list  of  statements  pertaining  to  that  gentle- 
man's confession.  I  said  to  him,  'Well,  what  more  do 
you  require  from  me,  and  why  do  you  go  on  pressing 
me,  when  you  have  this  confession  of  the  man  who  is 
accused  ?  For  if  he  has  admitted  himself  that  he  has 
conversed  with  me,  that  he  has  entertained  me,  that  I 
told  him  such  and  such  things  with  regard  to  Leicester 
and  the  war  in  Flanders,  arrange  your  accounts  with  him ; 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  1 75 

a  criminars  confession  against  himself  is  worth  more  than 
the  testimony  of  many  witnesses  j  let  his  blood  fall  upon 
his  own  head  ;  I  know  nothing  of  these  things,  nor  can 
confess  them ;  if  he  accuses  me  of  anything,  you  know 
better  than  I  do,  or  if  you  mean  things  that  I  do  not 
deny,  such  as  that  I  am  a  Catholic,  a  priest,  a  Jesuit, 
bring  it  forward  and  urge  it ;  it  will  rest  with  me  to  defend 
my  cause  or  to  assent  to  the  accusations.'  When  he  saw 
indeed  that  he  was  unable  to  extort  anything  more  from 
me,  he  departed ;  for  I  knew,  or  guessed  pretty  well,  that 
the  whole  charge  was  a  pretence  and  a  fiction  and  that 
no  such  confession  had  been  made  by  any  one,  but  Wcis 
an  invention  of  their  own  brains  to  bring  that  gentleman 
within  the  clutches  of  their  laws,  since  he  was  very  rich 
and  had  large  revenues, — those  laws,  I  mean,  which  forbid 
men  under  pain  of  death  and  confiscation  of  property  to 
have  any  intercourse  with  priests  and  Jesuits,  and  that 
they  might  thus  have  it  in  their  power  to  deprive  him 
of  his  goods  and  even  of  his  life,  if  it  so  pleased  them; 
although  that  man  was  not  at  that  time  a  Catholic,  but 
had  a  pious  inclination  towards  the  Faith,  as  he  showed 
an  extreme  desire  to  see  me  and  treat  with  me  about 
certain  affairs  relating  to  his  soul  and  conscience,  I  had 
consented  to  visit  him,  though  with  reluctance,  being 
urged  by  the  entreaties  of  various  persons  who  thoroughly 
knew  him  and  had  special  influence  with  me.  He  had 
been  married  to  a  Catholic,  and  some  were  of  the  same 
faith  who  belonged  to  his  family,  who  lived  in  a 
house  some  leagues  from  London.  Thither  he  conducted 
me,  and  there  I  celebrated  Mass,  heard  confessions  and 
gave  exhortations  to  such  as  were  Catholics.  Though  not 
admitted  to  Mass,  he  wished  to  be  present  at  the  sermons. 
"  The  process,  against  me  however,  did  not  entirely  rest 
here,  for  after  an  interval  of  one  or  two  days  they  took 
me  out  of  the  room  where  they  had  kept  me  hitherto  with 
a  solitary  keeper,  and  carried  me  away  across  the  river 


1 76  Life  of  Father  William  JVeston. 

to  a  private  dwelling-house,  where,  with  greater  length 
and  seriousness  they  examined  me  upon  all  the  charges. 
I  formed  a  conjecture  that  they  had  brought  me  into 
the  light  for  no  other  purpose  than  to  have  opportunities 
of  producing  against  me  divers  faithless  and  treacherous 
men,  who  would  bear  witness  that  they  had  seen  me  in 
the  company  of  that  gentleman,  and  that  I  had  preached 
in  his  house.  After  my  arrival  at  the  dwelling  which 
they  had  chosen  for  me,  they  treated  me  not  like  a 
criminal,  that  is  to  say,  they  did  not  make  me  stand 
bare-headed  to  answer  their  demands  in  the  humble 
position  of  a  suppliant,  but  they  placed  me  at  the  head 
of  the  table  above  the  examiners  themselves,  and  wished 
me  to  speak  and  reply  to  their  questions  with  my  head 
covered.  Sitting  down,  therefore,  as  they  requested  me, 
although  at  first  I  declined,  I  was  not  so  foolish  as  to 
believe  that  it  was  with  any  intention  of  doing  me 
honour  that  they  behaved  in  such  a  manner,  knowing 
how  they  abhorred  the  name  of  a  priest  and  a  Jesuit. 

"  Happening  to  lift  my  eyes,  I  noticed  in  the  higher 
part  of  the  room  opposite  to  me,  a  net-like  grating  covered 
with  a  curtain.  Then  the  thought  recurred  to  my  mind 
that  perhaps  they  had  placed  some  traitor  there  to  identify 
me,  if  possible,  as  I  was  just  in  front  of  him,  as  the  person 
whom  they  had  accused  of  carrying  on  the  secret  con- 
versation with  the  gentleman  above  mentioned.  My 
suspicions  were  by  no  means  improbable,  for  later  on 
the  whole  stratagem  was  laid  open,  and  the  author  of 
the  treachery  was  recognized  and  restored  to  liberty;  for 
at  that  time  they  held  him  in  custody.  They  were  not 
anxious  to  produce  this  traitor  openly  that  he  might 
accuse  me  face  to  face,  lest,  being  once  recognized,  he 
should  lose  his  power  of  injuring  us  and  of  being  useful 
to  them.  He  served  them,  indeed,  afterwards,  and  did 
great  injury  to  many  other  persons,  but  most  particularly 
to  himself 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  177 

"  Here,  therefore,  they  put  many  questions  to  me 
with  respect  to  the  conspiracy  of  Anthony  Babington 
and  his  companions,  the  supremacy  of  Queen  Elizabeth, 
the  authority  of  the  Pope,  the  Papal  dispensation  for  the 
marriage  of  Henry  VHI.  and  Catharine  his  wife,  the 
Queen  of  Scots,  and  sundry  other  subjects,  none  of  them 
new.  However,  neither  did  they  bring  against  me  stronger 
arguments  or  proofs  than  they  had  done  before. 

"When  they  had  satisfied  themselves  with  every 
species  of  interrogation,  they  sent  me  back  to  my 
prison,  where  they  kept  me  five  months  in  daily  expec- 
tation of  something  new,  either  that  they  would  bring 
me  out  for  death,  or  would  take  me  to  the  Tower. 
For,  although  they  had  found  me  innocent  and  free 
from  all  ground  of  accusation  with  regard  to  the  con- 
spiracy, still  they  were  furnished  with  ample  reason  for 
putting  me  to  death  seeing  that  I  was  a  priest  and  a 
Jesuit.  However,  they  are  not  willing  to  allege  reasons 
like  these  when  they  can  invent  any  more  odious  offence 
to  accuse  men  of  in  presence  of  the  people. 

"  These  affairs,  therefore,  being  satisfactorily  arranged, 
according  to  their  ideas,  they  immediately  turned  all  their 
thoughts  and  designs  towards  the  subject  of  the  trial  of 
the  Queen  of  Scots.^  With  every  kind  of  preparation  and 
solicitude,  they  appointed  informers  and  other  agents  for 
carrying  on  that  business,  and  executing  the  sentence  at 
Fotheringay,  where  she  was  kept  in  close  imprisonment ; 
and  in  a  very  short  time  that  whole  work  of  iniquity  was 
brought  to  a  close.  As  to  myself,  I  remained,  as  I  said, 
in  great  perplexity  of  mind  concerning  that  which  might 
occur  both  to  my  own  person  and  our  cause  in  general, 
and  I  prayed  unceasingly  to  God  that  Pie  v/ould  turn  to 
good  these  strange  and  terrible  extremities  of  persecution. 

"  Once  as  I  was  sitting  full  of  care  I  turned  my  eyes 

^  Mary  was  tried   in  the   middle  of   October,    1586,   and  was  executed 
February  8,  158^. 

M 


178  Life  of  Father  Williavt  Weston. 

towards  another  part  of  the  room,  and  there  became  visible 
to  me  a  sheet  of  paper  thrown  down  in  a  dark  corner  of 
it.  The  previous  day  I  had  heard  a  great  noise  in  that 
direction,  Avhich  noise  had  been  meant  as  a  signal  to  attract 
my  attention  by  the  person  who  brought  the  writing.  So 
I  picked  up  the  letter,  for  the  bringer  of  it  had  taken  heed 
of  the  time  when  my  keeper  was  out  of  the  way,  and  on  it 
I  read  the  following  words:  'Write  back  who  you  are,  what 
you  wish  to  be  done,  and  if  you  are  in  want  of  anything.' 
He  had  inclosed  a  pen  in  the  paper,  but  the  ink  had  been 
lost,  I  think,  by  the  way,  or  else  they  had  forgotten  to 
send  any.  Necessity  drove  me  to  hunt  through  every 
corner  of  the  room  to  see  whether  any  materials  for  writing 
could  be  found.  At  length  I  lit  upon  a  dry  and  withered 
flower  which,  when  chewed,  supplied  moisture  and  colour 
sufficient  to  produce  in  writing  letters  that  were  legible. 
Having  written,  therefore,  what  was  essential,  I  waited  for 
the  departure  of  the  keeper  on  the  following  day,  and 
when  the  friendly  noise  was  heard  at  the  hole,  I  gave 
back  the  answer.  This  happened  through  the  diligence 
and  care  of  some  Catholics  who  were  in  the  neighbouring 
prison  ;  and  not  only  was  the  whole  affair  an  immense 
consolation  to  me,  but  proved  exceedingly  useful  for  many 
purposes,  for  by  this  contrivance  I  received  intelligence  of 
what  was  going  on  outside  the  walls.  This  way  of  writing 
was  put  an  end  to  shortly  afterwards,  but  another  plan 
was  thought  of  and  invented,  still  more  convenient,  both 
for  the  exchange  of  letters  and  for  the  transmission  of 
various  things  besides. 

"  At  this  time  two  priests  out  of  the  same  prison  were 
led  forth  to  judgment ;  sentence  of  death  was  passed  upon 
them  and  they  were  executed." 

We  know  of  three  of  Father  Weston's  fellow-prisoners 
in  the  Clink  to  whom  God  gave  the  grace  of  martyrdom, 
besides  those  whose  martyrdom  he  here  mentions.  In  the 
six  months  from  June  to  November,,  15 86,  there  were  com- 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 


179 


Priests. 


mitted  to  the  Clink  fourteen  priests  and  ten  laymen,  of 
whom  only  two  were  discharged  during  that  time.  This 
we  know  from  a  certificate  among  the  State  Papers,^  but 
there  may  have  been  other  recusants  in  the  Clink,  whose 

■^  "An  abstract  of  the  certificate  of  priests  and  other  recusants  committed 
to  sundry  prisons  since  the  month  of  June,  1586,  until  November,  1586. 

"Clink. 

(  Sampson  Lowe,  committed  by  Mr.  Attorney,  the  19th  of  October. 

Jonas  Meredith,  committed  by  the  lords,  13th  of  August. 

James  Taylor,  committed  by  the  lords,  15th  of  August. 

Christopher  Asheton,  committed  by  the  lords,  29th  of  August. 

David  Ringsteede,  committed  by  the  B.  of  Winton,  the  3rd  of 
June. 

Richard  Bawlbett,  committed  by  the  Archb.  of  Canterbury,  the 
14th  of  June. 

Roger  Yardley,  alias  Bruerton,  gent,  committed  by  Mr.  Secre- 
tary, the  22nd  of  August. 

Thomas  Leighton,  gent.,  committed  by  the  lords,  the  2Sth  of 
August. 

Charles   Babington,    gent.,    committed  by   Mr.  Secretary,   dis- 
charged by  him  the  8th  of  November. 

Thomas  Dymocke,  gent.,  discharged  by  Mr.  Waade,  the  i8th  of 
November. 

Norton  Greene,  gent.,   committed  by  Mr.  Young,   the  8th  of 
September. 

John  Gage,  gent.,  committed  the  4th  of  September,  and  dis- 
charged by  Mr.  Waade. 

John  Stephens,  sent  from  Winchester,  the  30th  of  October. 

Richard  Lusher,  gent.,  committed  by  the  Archb.  of  Canterbury, 
the  loth  of  October. 
^  John  Robinson,  pr.,  committed  the  30th  of  June  by  the  Lord 
Treasurer. 

William    Parrye,    pr.,    committed  the   28th  of   September  by 
Mr.  Secretary. 

Paul  Spence,  pr.,  committed  by  Mr.  Rokeby,  the  19th  of  January, 
1586. 

Edward  James,  pr.,  sent  by  Mr.  Topcliffe,  1st  of  May,  1586. 

Morrice  Williams,  pr.,  committed  by  Mr.  Young,  the  17th  of 
June. 

William  Edmonds,  pr.,  committed  the  4th  of  August  by  Mr. 
Secretary. 

Nicholas  Phipps,  alias  Smyth,  pr. ,  committed  by  Mr.  Secretary, 
the  19th  of  September. 

Anthony  Tyrrell,  pr. ,   committed  by  Mr,  Young,  the   1 7th  of 
September. 

William  Cartricke,  pr.,  committed  by  Mr.  Secretary,  the  30th  of 
October. 

Nicholas  GeUebrand,  pr.,  committed  by  Mr.  Young,  the  9th  of 
October  "  {Domestic,  Elizabeth^  vol.  cxcv.  n.  34). 

M   2 


Priests.    * 


i8o  Life  of  Father  Willia7n  Weston. 

committal  was  of  an  earlier  date.  Two  martyrs  are 
named  in  this  list,  John  Robinson  and  Edward  James, 
who  suffered,  the  one  at  Ipswich,  in  October,  1588,  and 
the  other  on  the  17th  of  the  same  month,  at  Chichester. 
Edward  James  was  one  of  four  priests  who  were  seized 
off  Littlchampton,  in  Sussex,  and  who  never  set  foot  in 
England  after  their  ordination  except  in  custody.  Ralph 
Crockett,  another  of  this  company,  was  executed  with  him.^ 

John  Robinson  was  a  widower,  and  his  son,  Francis 
Robinson,  was  also  a  priest,  "a  true  heir  of  his  father's 
virtue."  Bishop  Challoner  quotes  the  narrative  of  a  priest 
of  the  name  of  Joseph  Haynes,  which  may  fitly  find  place 
here.  "  Mr.  John  Robinson,  a  secular  priest,  being  in  the 
year  1588  prisoner  in  the  Clink  at  London,  when  the  rest 
that  had  been  there  prisoners  with  him  (whom  he  called  his 
bairns,  and  they  for  his  age  and  sincerity  called  him  father), 
were,  for  the  Catholic  faith,  sent  into  divers  parts  of  the 
kingdom  to  be  executed  ;  the  good  old  man,  being  left 
alone,  lamented  for  divers  days  together  exceedingly,  until 
at  last  a  warrant  was  sent  from  the  Council  to  execute  him 
also.  The  news  whereof  did  much  revive  him,  and  to  him 
that  brought  the  warrant  he  gave  his  purse  and  all  his 
money,  and  fell  down  on  his  knees  and  gave  God  thanks. 
Being  to  set  forward  in  his  journey,  they  willed  him  to  put 
on  boots,  for  it  was  in  winter,  and  so  far  as  Ipswich  in 
Suffolk  where  he  was  sent  to  suffer.  '  Nay,'  said  the  good 
man,  '  these  legs  had  never  boots  on  yet,  since  they  were 
mine,  and  now  surely  they  shall  perform  this  journey  with- 
out boots,  for  they  shall  be  well  paid  for  their  pains.'  " 

Another  martyr,  William  Flower,  alias  Way,  will  be 
mentioned  later.  Those  of  whom  Father  Weston  speaks 
as  executed  at  this  time,  were  John  Lowe  and  John 
Adams,   who    suffered    for   their    priesthood    at  Tyburn, 

^  Their  examinations  exist  in  the  P.  R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  clxxxviii. 
n.  46,  and  the  account  of  their  execution,  ibid.  vol.  ccxvii.  n.  I.  See 
Mr.  Simpson's  article  in  the  Rambler  for  April,  1857,  p.  269. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 


iSl 


October  8,  1586.  Their  names  are  of  frequent  occurrence 
when  the  exorcisms  are  mentioned,  and  thus  in  a  Hst  of 
prisoner's/  dated  August  or  September,  1586,  they  are 
bracketed  with  Father  Weston  as  "practisers."  At  this 
time  Tyrrell  was  in  the  Counter  in  Wood  Street,  but  he 
was  transferred  to  the  Clink  before  their  execution,  which 
he  attributes,  as  we  shall  afterwards  see,  to  the  information 
against  them  given  by  himself  He  must  therefore  have 
had  the  misery  of  seeing  these  two  innocent  men  taken  out 
for  execution  through  his  cowardice. 

"  This  period  was  indeed  full  of  confusion  for  every  one : 
all  the  roads  and  harbours  were  beset,  and  guarded  day 
and  night,  so  that  no  one  without  most  rigorous  exami- 
nation was  allowed  to  pass.  The  hostelries,  the  houses, 
the  rooms  were  searched  and  investigated  with  such 
exceeding  diligence  that  neither  guest  nor  acquaintance 
could  hope  to  escape  notice,  but  was  compelled  to  render 
an  account  of  himself  In  this  manner  many  priests  were 
captured,  and  the  prisons  throughout  the  whole  kingdom 
were  thronged  with  Catholics. 

"This  seems  to  me  to  be  a  convenient  opportunity 
for  inserting  a  few  particulars  concerning  that  entire  affair, 
I  mean  the  plot  attempted  by  Anthony  Babington,  partly 
drawn  from  what  I  have  read  in  a  certain  writing  of 
Father  Southwell,  who  drew  up  a  brief  description  of 
the  whole  conspiracy,  partly  from  those  things  which 
with  my  own  eyes  I  saw  and  understood.  Anthony 
Babington  was   a   man   of  good  family,  and   in  income, 

1  "In  the  Clink— 

r  Edmonds  the  Jesuit. 
Adams. 
"  Practisers -{  Parry,  alias  Morgan, 
j  Edward  James. 
(^Lowe. 
Robinson, 
Williams. 

Paul  Spence,  a  banished  man,  but  simple,  and  hath  sub- 
scribed to  her  Majesty's  authority  "  [Lansdowne  MSS. 
363,  fol.  10). 


1 82  Life  of  FatJic}'  William  Weston. 

ready  money,  furniture,  and  other  property,  well  pro- 
vided, young,  scarcely  thirty  years  old,  attractive  both  in 
face  and  in  all  bodily  perfections,  sharp  of  understanding, 
pleasant  and  facetious,  and  with  a  turn  for  literature 
unusual  among  men  of  the  world.  He  had  spent  a 
portion  of  his  life  in  Paris,  or  elsewhere  on  the  Continent, 
Avhither  he  had  travelled  for  the  sake  of  curiosity  and 
also  for  learning.  Upon  his  return  to  London  he  lived 
in  such  a  manner  as  to  gather  around  him,  by  force  of 
his  gifts  and  moral  superiority,  various  young  men  of 
his  own  rank  and  position,  Catholics,  zealous,  adven- 
turous, bold  in  the  face  of  danger,  ardent  for  the  protec- 
tion of  the  Catholic  faith,  or  for  any  enterprise  the  end 
of  which  was  to  promote  the  general  Catholic  cause. 

"Walsingham  (as  we  are  told  by  Father  Southwell, 
whose  little  work  is  said  to  have  just  come  from  the 
press,  and  I  wish  much  that  your  Reverence  had  seen 
and  read  it  when  I  saw  it  in  manuscript  and  freshly 
brought  out,  and  only  accessible  to  a  few),  Walsingham, 
I  say,  from  whom  it  was  impossible  to  hide  their  pro- 
ceedings, judged  that  nothing  could  be  worthier  of  his 
genius  and  dexterity  than  to  invent  an  iniquitous  strata- 
gem, and  by  its  means  to  involve  these  young  men  in 
destructive  designs,  which  must  serve  to  inflict  a  stigma 
of  dishonour  upon  the  Catholic  cause  and  bring  in 
ample  and  pleasant  spoil  from  the  confiscated  property 
of  the  victims.  This  Walsingham,  therefore,  being  ex- 
pressly fitted  for  the  art  of  deceiving  by  the  employ- 
ment of  all  kinds  of  fraud  and  devices,  caused  one  or 
two  of  his  own  hypocrites  to  be  introduced  into  their 
society,  who  could  act  the  part  of  Catholics  with  pro- 
foundest  dissimulation,  entering  into  long  and  close 
familiarity  with  them,  and  most  devoutly  dedicating  them- 
selves to  God  and  all  holy  things  in  every  business  of 
theirs ;  and  then  work  on  from  smaller  matters  until  they 
could  suggest  the  undertaking  of  the  supreme  design  of 


Life  of  Father  Williarn  Weston.  183 

all ;  not  indeed  the  death  of  Elizabeth,  as  the  heretics 
declare  falsely,  but  the  release  from  prison  of  the  Queen 
of  Scots,  the  next  legitimate  heir  to  the  crown  after 
Elizabeth,  and  conveying  her  safe  and  sound  into  France, 
there  to  be  under  the  protection  of  the  Duke  of  Guise, 
her  near  blood  relation.  This  enterprise  they  did  not 
consider  as  exceedingly  arduous,  yet  they  imagined  that 
it  would  be  the  cause  of  unbounded  terror  to  the  heretics, 
and  would  occasion  them  a  great  deal  of  laborious  occu- 
pation, for  there  would  be  danger  that  the  French,  finding 
themselves  in  possession  of  the  rightful  heiress,  might 
prepare  and  unite  their  forces,  and  restore  her,  at  all  events 
after  Elizabeth's  death,  to  her  own  lawful  estate  and 
kingdom  by  force  of  arms. 

"This  was  the  leading  idea  and  foundation  of  the  whole 
attempt  and  contrivance.  For  this  purpose  some  excursions 
had  to  be  made  into  Scotland  and  into  France ;  and  the 
entire  negotiation  was  explained  and  communicated,  as 
they  thought,  to  the  Duke  of  Guise.  The  unhappy  men 
however  were  cruelly  deluded,  and  ensnared  in  an  in- 
extricable network  of  perplexity  and  deceit.  For  the 
contrivers  of  this  fraud  so  arranged  that  another  man 
should  assume  the  person  and  office  of  the  Duke  of 
Guise  and  should  take  the  responsibility  of  providing  the 
assistance  which  they  were  begging  from  the  real  Duke. 
They  poured  forth  their  innermost  souls  therefore,  and  their 
secret  designs  to  this  deceiver,  and  falling  thus  headlong 
into  the  most  rash  and  immature  resolves,  came  to  ruin. 

"  This  is,  as  well  as  I  can  remember,  what  was  reported 
in  Father  Southwell's  book.  With  regard  to  what  con- 
cerns myself,  I  wish  to  add  such  details  as  came  under 
my  own  eyes  or  notice  in  relation  to  the  afTair,  either 
before  or  after  it  took  place,  over  and  above  those  things 
which  I  have  mentioned  already.  Many  opportunities 
came  in  my  way  of  conversing  familiarly  with  this 
Anthony  Babington,  and  of  discussing  affairs  in  general 


184  I^ifc  of  Father  William  Wcstoii. 

with  him,  seeing  that  he  was  a  very  ready  witted  person 
and,  for  a  young  man,  had  a  considerable  experience 
in  matters  of  moment.  And  as  he  Avas  excessively 
inclined  to  the  idea  of  visiting  foreign  nations,  it  was 
a  pleasure  to  him  to  hear  me  describing  various  circum- 
stances which  I  had  seen  and  known.  Before,  how- 
ever, his  setting  out  for  the  purpose  of  foreign  travel,  he 
was  anxious  to  pay  a  visit  to  his  own  home  and 
family,  who  lived  at  no  small  distance  from  London, 
and  when  he  had  made  every  preparation  for  this  journey 
and  his  coach  and  horses  were  all  ready,  he  begged  that 
I  would  accompany  him  on  the  expedition,  implying 
that  he  had  decided  hopes  of  being  able  to  accomplish 
something  for  the  cause  of  Christ  and  the  Church  in 
the  society  of  his  relations  and  friends.  But,  in  spite 
of  the  prospect  of  these  advantages,  I  did  not  think  it 
desirable  to  avail  myself  of  the  offer,  both  for  other 
good  reasons,  and  likewise  because  that  appearance  of 
splendour  and  secular  ambition,  though  not  misbecoming 
to  him  and  his  state  of  life,  did  not  appear  to  me  to  be 
profitable  in  my  vocation  of  gaining  souls. 

"As  it  happened,  however,  in  accordance  with  the 
changeableness  of  human  affairs,  in  the  course  of  a  few 
days  he  was  frustrated  in  all  those  expectations.  For  he 
was  sent  for  to  pay  a  visit  to  Walsingham,  who  put  to 
him  many  questions  concerning  the  Queen  of  Scots,  and, 
together  with  a  severe  expostulation,  informed  him  that 
he  was  himself  aware  of  his  most  secret  designs,  that  it 
lay  in  his  power  to  disclose  many  secrets,  if  he  chose,  for 
he  knew  as  a  certain  fact  that  letters  had  mutually  passed 
between  him  and  that  Queen,  and,  after  divers  threatening 
words,  he  charged  him  to  cultivate  affection  for  his  own 
country,  and  the  fidelity  of  a  subject  towards  his  own 
sovereign.  How  the  other  defended  himself  I  cannot  tell ; 
he  did  contrive  to  defend  himself  in  such  manner  as  he 
was  able.     Walsingham  at  lencrth  dismissed  him  full  of 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  185 

trouble,  as  I  conceive,  and  very  thoughtful,  and  disturbed 
with  fear  as  to  the  result  of  various  events. 

"  After  an  interval  of  a  few  days  he  was  sent  for  again, 
and  Walsingham  went  over  once  more  and  repeated  his 
former  discourse,  with  greater  gentleness,  however,  and 
with  some  kind  words  well  calculated  to  soften  his  feelings. 
He  should  remember  what  his  position  was,  how  excel- 
lently endowed  in  gifts,  both  of  nature  and  education  ;  of 
how  great  service  he  might  become  in  the  State ;  how 
useful  his  merits,  if  he  would  employ  for  his  country's 
advantage  his  energies  and  his  industry  ;  that,  for  his  own 
part,  he  was  ready  to  bring  him  under  the  notice  of  the 
Queen,  and  obtain  for  him  a  personal  interview ;  and 
stretching  out  his  hand,  he  added :  *  Come,  now,  act  with 
confidence ;  do  not  fear  to  converse  freely  amongst 
Catholics  on  the  subject  of  our  affairs,  so  as  to  escape 
observation  ; '  many  other  things  he  subjoined,  trying  to 
win  the  man  to  his  side,  for  what  purpose  I  know  not ; 
because  he  had  already  sufficiently  entrapped  him,  one 
would  think,  in  those  former  designs  of  which  I  made 
mention  above. 

"All  these  particularities  Babington  narrated  to  me 
with  his  own  lips,  one  by  one,  and  profound  was  my 
sorrow  when  I  heard  him  telling  me,  since  I  knew  full 
well  what  a  master  in  the  art  of  deception  was  this 
Walsingham,  and  how  powerful  in  accomplishing  what- 
ever his  mind  was  set  upon.  I  answered  him  that  he 
might  as  well  put  out  of  his  mind  all  idea  of  his  expedi- 
tion, and  I  continued  :  '  It  will  not  be  either  soon  or  easily 
that  this  affdir  Avill  be  brought  to  a  close.  I  cannot  tell 
you  in  what  manner  you  can  escape  out  of  his  snares  :  if 
you  yield,  you  give  up  your  religion  ;  if  you  renounce  him 
and  decline  his  offers,  you  surrender  yourself  inevitably  to 
the  peril  of  death ;  if  you  doubt  and  waver  betwixt  the 
two,  you  will  even  then  risk  the  loss  of  your  life,  and  you 
will  soon  among  Catholics  lose  the  reputation  of  being  a 


1 86  Life  of  Father  William  Westoti. 

Catholic'  He  said  in  reply :  '  No  one  who  has  ever 
known  me  will  have  a  suspicion  of  my  not  being  a  Catholic, 
even  if  I  were  to  use  a  little  liberty  either  in  speaking  or 
acting.'  I  answered :  '  No  one  doubts  that  you  are  a 
Catholic,  and  will  be  always  so,  and  no  one  ever  will  doubt 
provided  that  you  continue  to  act  like  a  Catholic  man, 
and  fulfil  the  duties  of  one ;  but  if  you  were  ever  to 
say  words  or  attempt  actions  which  Catholics  would  be 
ashamed  to  suggest  even  to  their  most  intimate  and  most 
trusted  friends,  you  would  find  it  quite  an  impossibility  to 
escape  suspicion  or  to  avoid  disgrace.' 

"  This  was  my  last  conversation  with  Anthony  Babing- 
ton  ;  indeed,  from  that  day  forward  I  never  saw  him  more. 
If  I  had  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing  him  I  should  have 
abstained  from,  so  doing,  not  that  I  feared  for  himself  or 
for  anything  that  he  might  do  (for  in  his  religion  he  was 
always  the  best  and  bravest  of  young  men) ;  nor  did  I 
imagine  that  Walsingham  would  ever  be  able  to  lead  him 
astray  in  any  matter  that  would  be  dishonourable  to  a 
Catholic,  but  because  it  was  clear  to  my  mind  that  I  could 
not  with  safety  enter  into  and  preserve  an  intimacy  with 
men  of  his  description,  and  still  maintain  that  pure 
principle  of  our  Institute  which  requires  us  to  interfere  only 
in  such  business  and  matters  as  may  concern  religion, 
withholding  ourselves  from  political  affairs.  This  would 
be  in  the  present  instance  impossible,  since  he  would  be 
driven  to  consult  me  frequently,  and  impart  to  me  much 
information. 

"  Afterwards  the  affair  became  public  ;  the  whole  plan 
of  the  negotiations  was  laid  open ;  the  authors  of  it 
hunted  to  death,  the  remainder  scattered  through  every 
quarter  of  the  kingdom,  wherever  they  could  hope  for  a 
refuge.  Anthony,  with  four  others,  fled  to  a  neighbouring 
wood,  wherein  they  tried  to  conceal  themselves.  Mean- 
time, being  pressed  by  hunger,  Anthony  sent  to  a  neigh- 
bouring house  that   belonged  to  a  Catholic  woman,  the 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  187 

same  Mrs.  Bellamy  of  whom  I  before  spoke.^  To  one  of 
the  daughters  of  that  gentlewoman  he  sent  a  ring 
from  his  finger,  entreating  by  that  token,  which  she 
knew  by  sight,  as  the  gems  inserted  in  it  were  of  great 
price,  that  she  would  supply  some  provision  for  himself 
and  his  companions.  She  complied  with  his  request,  in 
spite  of  its  being  full  of  danger ;  but  sympathy  and  pity 
conquered  in  her  all  fear  of  consequences.  Still  they  were 
not  able  to  remain  long  in  hiding :  they  were  taken  them- 
selves, and  with  them  Mrs.  Bellamy,  the  young  lady 
above  mentioned,  and  two  others  of  her  children.  They 
were  all  separated,  and  sent  to  different  prisons. 

"  Of  the  two  sons  who  were  placed  in  the  Tower,  one 
was  tortured  with  such  cruelty  that  he  sank  under  it  and 
died.  After  his  death  he  was  calumniated  by  the  heretics, 
who  said  that  he  had  strangled  himself  Jerome,  the  other, 
was  condemned  to  death  at  the  same  time  with  Anthony 
and  the  other  conspirators,  and  executed  accordingly. 
Their  mother  was  also  placed  in  the  Tower,  and  after 
some  months  died,  worn  out  with  suffering  and  with  the 
filth  and  loathsomeness  of  her  prison ;  miserably  in  truth 
if  we  look  merely  at  this  present  life,  gloriously  however 
as  I  should  judge  of  such  a  death,  for  it  does  not  seem  to 
me  either  in  place  or  manner  inferior  to  that  of  a  martyr. 

"  Since  the  present  opportunity  appears  to  be  a  suitable 
one  for  the  narration,  I  am  not  willing  to  pass  over  a 
certain  memorable  event  which  occurred  in  the  house  of 
this  same  gentlewoman,  Mrs.  Bellamy.  A  short  time 
before  the  breaking  out  of  that  tragedy  a  herb,  or  rather 
a  shrub,  furnished  with  leaves,  flowers,  and  at  length 
fruit  in  form  like  berries,  sprang  up  and  grew  in  the 
inner  roof  of  an  upper  chamber,  in  a  place  that  projected 
just  above  people's  heads,  between  the  principal  beam  and 
the  mortar.  They  usually  cover  the  internal  ceilings  of 
houses  with  a  smooth  layer  of  cement  or  gypsum  spread 

^  Supra,  p.  49. 


1 88  Life  of  Fat  ha-  William  Weston. 

over  a  firm  framework  made  of  wood.  It  was  between 
this  cement  and  the  old  rafter,  without  sap  or  moisture, 
that  the  phant  fixed  its  roots  and  began  to  flourish.  After 
the  leaves  and  the  flowers  it  put  forth  its  fruits,  which  were 
only  five  in  number.  Neither  was  this  a  sudden  event, 
appearing  and  disappearing  in  a  moment,  but  during 
many  months  it  continued,  and  the  spectacle  was  shown 
to  all  who  lived  near  and  was  seen  by  them,  not  without 
just  and  universal  surprise. 

"  The  lady  took  wonderful  pleasure  in  her  new  and 
marvellous  plant.  She  failed  not  to  visit  it  every  day, 
and  she  showed  it  to  all  who  came  to  the  house.  After 
several  months  she  went  up  to  see  it  as  usual  and  beheld 
it  in  a  withering  condition,  about  to  give  way  out  of  its 
support,  which  had  grown  loose  and  altogether  threatening 
decay.  She  turned  to  her  daughter-in-law  who  was  near 
her,  and  said,  '  What  is  this,  daughter }  I  am  so  afraid 
that  I  shall  lose  my  plant  and  its  fruits.'  She -then  lifted 
up  her  hands  and  wished  to  raise  the  plant  and  set  it 
in  its  former  place.  She  had  not  yet  touched  it  when 
it  fell  down  entirely  and  dropped  into  her  hand.  She 
felt  much  surprised  at  the  strangeness  of  the  thing,  which 
she  regarded,  and  not  unnaturally,  as  an  omen  of  some 
misfortune  that  awaited  her  family.  Her  fears  indeed 
were  by  no  means  unfounded.  At  the  end  of  a  few 
days  those  five  young  men  were  taken  who  were  thought 
to  have  been  designated  by  the  five  fruits  of  this  singular 
plant ;  and  their  dangerous  cause,  as  she  helped  them 
with  food  while  they  were  wandering  in  the  woods,  fell 
upon  her,  that  is  to  say,  brought  ruin  to  herself  and  to 
her  family." 

It  is  curious  to  contrast  the  care  with  which  in  the  time 
of  which  we  are  writing  everything  was  committed  to  paper, 
and  the  neglect  in  after  times  of  documents  that  would 
now  be  highly  valued.  The  account  of  Babington's 
conspiracy  written    by  Father  Southwell,  though  it  is  a 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  189 

subject  so  unlike  anything  else  we  have  from  his  pen,  we 
should  be  very  glad  to  find.  If  it  was  printed,  as  Father 
Weston  suggests,  we  have  not  been  able  to  identify  it. 

Mrs.  Bellamy's  flower  is  not  quite  of  the  same  historical 
importance,  and  of  that  there  is  another  record.  As  even 
little  things  help  us  to  enter  into  the  feeling  of  the  time, 
we  copy  it  here.  Father  Christopher  Grene  says^  that 
"  the  relations  of  Mr.  George  Stoker  and  Mr.  Heath  have  as 
followeth  :  '  There  was  a  gentlewoman  called  Mrs.  Bellamy, 
who  not  long  before  that  she  with  her  three  sons  was  taken, 
kneeling  in  her  chamber,  directly  over  her  head,  out  of  an 
old  post,  there  sprung  a  flower  with  four  pendants  at  it. 
She,  lifting  up  her  eyes  by  chance,  saw  it,  and  being 
amazed  thereat  called  her  daughter  to  see  it  also.  The 
same  flower  not  long  after,  as  she  was  praying,  fell  upon 
her  head,  the  which  she  took  and  put  into  a  box.  It  is  at 
this  time  in  England,  and  hath  been  seen  of  many  of  good 
credit.  The  same  gentlewoman  was  condemned  by  a  wrong 
name,  upon  which  consideration  she  could  not  be  executed 
with  the  rest ;  but  they  kept  her  till  the  next  sessions,  in 
mind  then  to  have  executed  her.  In  the  meantime  she 
died  in  the  Tower.'  "  Though,  as  we  have  already  seen,^ 
the  name  of  Catharine  Bellamy  was  well  known  to  Popham, 
Walsingham,  and  others,  the  widow  was  first  indicted  by 
the  name  of  Elizabeth.  This  was  in  the  general  indict- 
ment^ against  the  conspirators,  which  was  found  on 
Wednesday,  September  7.  The  amended  indictment 
against  Catharine  Bellamy,  late  of  Harrow-on-the-Hill, 
for  helping  and  receiving  Babington  and  Barnwell  on 
August  12,  was  found  September  23  ;  her  son  Jerome 
having  been  tried  and  convicted  on  the  15  th  of  the 
same  month,  and  executed  on  the  21st.  We  do  not  know 
whether  the  good  widow  lived  to  hear  of  Bartholomew's 
death  under  torture. 

^  Stonyhurst  MSS.,  Catalogue  of  Martyrs,  p.  85. 

^  Supra,  p.  48. 

^  Fourth  Report  of  Deputy  Keeper  of  Public  Records,  p.  277. 


IQO 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

LIFE    IN    THE    CLINK. 

"  During  the  period  of  the  above  narrative  of  the  year  (as 
I  believe)  1586,  that  is,  a  Httle  before  my  own  imprison- 
ment, various  events  took  place,  not  indeed  of  great 
consequence  and  yet  perhaps  not  to  be  so  despised 
as  to  deserve  entire  omission.  In  my  travels,  amongst 
other  friends  I  came  as  a  guest  to  the  house  of  a 
Catholic  man  who  was  very  old,  a  white-haired  octoge- 
narian. He  had  lived  before  the  suppression  and  the 
destruction  of  the  religious  houses  in  the  reign  of 
Henry  VIII.,  and  had  been  servant  or  had  filled  some 
office  in  the  monastery  of  Glastonbury.^  In  the  overthrow 
of  that  house  and  church,  when  all  the  most  sacred  vessels 
of  religion,  and  those  things  which  should  be  the  most 
kept  from  the  profane,  were  being  handled  by  sacrilegious 
fingers,  among  other  things  which  he  was  able  to  seize  and 
save  as  if  from  a  conflagration,  was  a  certain  cross  held 
sacred  and  venerable,  not  so  much  on  account  of  its 
material,  albeit  adorned  with  gold  and  precious  gems, 
as  for  the  sake  of  the  holy  relics  of  saints  which  were 
inclosed  within  it.  Above  all,  there  was  one  of  the  nails 
with  which  the  body  of  our  Saviour  was  fastened  to  the 

^  Glastonbury  seems  to  have  been  the  only  monastery  ^vhere  an  effort  was 
made  to  save  the  treasures  of  the  Church  from  the  hands  of  the  spoiler. 
Richard  Whiting,  the  Abbot,  and  two  of  the  monks,  were  hanged  on  Tor  Hill 
for  this  offence,  Nov.  15,  1539.  The  commissioners  reported,  Sept.  28,  "We 
have  found  the  two  treasurers  of  the  church,  monks,  with  ^he  two  clerks  of  the 
vestiy,  temporal  men,  in  so  arrant  and  manifest  robbery,  that  we  have  com- 
mitted the  same  to  the  gaol "  {Suppression  of  Monasteries,  Camden  Society, 
p.  257).     Perhaps  this  old  man  was  one  of  the  clerks  of  the  vestry. 


Life  of  Father  William^  Weston.  191 

Cross.  It  was  the  general  report  and  opinion  that  this 
had  been  brought  into  England  by  St.  Joseph  of  Arimathea 
and  his  companions,  and  had  been  handed  down  as  an 
inheritance  by  perpetual  succession  from  age  to  age  till 
it  became  considered  as  the  settled  property  of  the 
monastery  at  Glastonbury,  where  there  was  also  a  tra- 
dition that  the  body  of  the  same  St  Joseph,  having 
been  conveyed  thither,  had  lain  for  some  centuries,  kept 
with  the  utmost  veneration. 

"  Thus  this  nail  came  into  the  hands  of  the  old  man, 
and  was  kept  by  him,  as  may  be  imagined,  with  great 
devotion.  The  matter  came  in  course  of  time  to  the 
hearing  of  Bishop  Jewel,  who  held  the  see  of  Salisbury;^ 
he  obtained  the  needful  authority  from  the  Crown,  and 
by  an  act  of  exceeding  injustice  took  it  away  by  force. 
What  use  he  afterwards  made  of  it,  or  where  he  placed 
it,  is  not  known.  I  was  unable  therefore  to  see  the  nail 
itself,  but  the  old  man  showed  me  the  case,  made  of  wood, 
in  which  it  had  been  laid,  and  by  reason  of  the  softness 
of  the  material  there  still  remained  in  the  case  an  impres- 
sion of  the  form  of  the  nail  wrought  in  the  wood,  and  in 
that  manner  preserved.  So  far  as  I  could  conjecture,  it 
must  have  been  about  a  foot  long,  and  in  the  upper 
part  was  of  the  thickness  of  a  finger.  The  head 
was  not,  I  believe,  broad  ;  lower  down,  however,  it  was 
wider  than  in  the  remaining  part,  and  tapering  by  degrees 
to  the  end,  which  was  marked  out  with  four  or  five 
corners. 

"  The  old  man  told  me  also  of  a  remarkable  miracle 
which  had  been  accomplished  a  short  time  previously  by 
the  case  of  the  nail  or  else  the  cross  of  which  I  spoke 
before  (which  of  the  two  it  was  is  not  clear  to  my  mind, 
but  I  rather  think  it  was  the  former),  and  it  was  corro- 
borated by  the  testimony  of  almost  all  those  who  dwell 
near.      The  miracle  was  this,  that  by  the  simple  touch  of 

^  John  Jewel  became  Bishop  of  Salisbury  in  1559  and  died  in  1571. 


192  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

it   a   boy's   \vovind,    both   large   and    deep,  was   suddenly- 
healed. 

"  The  house  of  the  old  man  stood  at  the  distance  of 
three  or  four  English  miles  from  that  ancient  monastery, 
but  scarcely  one  mile  from  the  spot  which,  as  tradition 
asserts,  was  chosen  by  St.  Joseph  and  his  companions 
as  their  habitation.  The  situation  of  this  latter  was  on 
a  mountain,  and  its  old  foundations  and  remains  are 
still  in  existence.  The  old  man  told  me  that  he  often 
used  to  go  up  thither  for  the  sake  of  devotion,  mounting 
the  hill  not  on  his  feet  but  upon  his  knees,  and  carrying 
with  him  the  cross  and  the  reliquary  of  the  nail,  '  to  protect 
me,'  he  added,  '  from  the  assaults  of  the  spirits  : '  for  there 
could  be  heard  in  that  place  bowlings  and  groanings  and 
lugubrious  voices  as  of  persons  mourning,  so  that  he 
imagined  that  there  must  be  there  some  place  of  com- 
munication with  the  souls  in  Purgatory.  His  scrupulous 
devotion  made  him  likewise  keep  a  lamp  perpetually 
burning  in  that  portion  of  his  house  which  looked  towards 
the  mountain.  All  these  and  many  others  besides  were 
the  wonderful  stories  narrated  to  me  by  that  old  man, 
so  that  I  remained  with  him  two  days  or  more,  feeling 
myself  more  taken  and  delighted  by  his  conversation 
than  I  could  have  imagined. 

"  Leaving  him,  I  went  after  some  days  to  the  house 
of  a  man  of  rank,  who  brought  out  to  me  a  New  Testa- 
ment in  a  large  volume  made  of  parchment,  all  written 
with  golden  letters  and  great  capitals  most  elegantly 
wrought,  and  adorned  on  both  sides  and  distinguished 
with  blue  characters  ;  the  first  letters  of  all  the  chapters 
were  ornamented  with  the  most  singular  and  elaborate 
workmanship.  This  volume  was  ancient,  and,  through 
want  of  care,  it  is  believed,  some  of  the  leaves  at 
the  beginning  had  been  injured,  and  others  entirely 
destroyed.  In  consequence  I  asked  for  the  book,  as  I 
saw  that  its  present  place  was  neither  suitable  or  sufficient 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  193 

for  so  great  a  treasure,  and  he  gave  it  to  me,  I  requested 
him  nevertheless  to  keep  his  present  for  me  for  a  while, 
as  I  meant  to  come  back  after  a  short  space,  and  convey 
it  away  to  a  better  locality.  Before  however  I  could  do 
this,  my  arrest  took  place,  and  I  was  shut  up  in  prison. 

"  Not  long  after  those  days,  it  happened  that  a  certain 
Catholic,  overwhelmed  with  sorrow  on  account  of  his 
crimes,  fell  into  so  great  a  despair,  that  he  resolved  to 
attempt  his  own  life,  and  the  first  thing  that  he  did  was 
to  plunge  a  dagger,  which  he  used  to  carry  about  with 
him,  into  his  bosom.  The  wound  was  deep,  but  not 
mortal.  He  was  travelling  at  the  time  with  other  asso- 
ciates, and  on  horseback.  The  pain  made  him  dismount, 
though  he  alleged  some  other  pretence ;  traces  of  much 
blood  were  perceived  ;  his  companions  were  amazed,  and 
ran  to  his  assistance ;  they  conveyed  him  into  a  neigh- 
bouring city  to  be  taken  care  of,  and  the  wound  was 
healed.  He  was  restored  to  his  health  and  his  friends, 
but  after  four  years,  if  I  remember  right,  he  was  seized 
with  an  attack  of  the  same  melancholy,  and  thought  it 
best  to  finish  the  matter  at  once,  when  there  was  no  one 
near  to  interrupt  him.  He  therefore  shut  himself  up  in 
the  most  distant  and  quiet  part  of  the  great  house  where 
he  was  living,  in  order  to  bring  his  deadly  purpose  to  a 
close.  He  bethought  himself  of  a  very  old  and  rusty 
knife,  which  he  had  hidden  years  before  in  some  corner 
of  that  same  place.  He  took  it  out,  and  with  it  so  tore 
himself  open  that  his  bowels  came  out,  and  in  the  midst 
of  those  pains  and  tortures  of  death,  he  raised  his  voice 
in  most  lamentable  cries,  until  he  was  heard  by  the  persons 
who  were  far  away  in  another  part  of  the  house.  They 
rushed  to  his  room,  and  beheld  the  frightful  spectacle, 
a  man,  that  is  to  say,  covered  with  blood  and  his  own 
entrails,  shrieking  out  and  asking  for  a  confessor.  It 
chanced  that  there  was  one  ready  in  the  house,  through 
the  providence  of  God,  and  life  was  just  prolonged  for 
N 


194  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

the  sake  of  the  soul  of  that  unfortunate  man  until  he  had 
made  a  full  and  complete  confession  of  his  sins  ;  after 
which  he  expired. 

"To  return  now  to  the  year  1587.  At  the  end  of 
five,  or  at  the  most,  of  six  months  (for  I  am  going  back 
now  to  the  intended  order  of  my  narrative),  when  every 
intention  of  transferring  me  to  the  Tower  of  London  had 
been  set  at  rest,  since  out  of  the  confessions  of  so  many 
persons  they  had  not  been  able  to  find  a  sufficient  reason 
for  charging  me  with  any  complicity  with  the  acts  and 
machinations  of  the  conspirators,  they  took  me  away  from 
the  private  house  where  I  had  been  guarded,  and  cast 
me  into  the  public  prison  called  by  the  people  the  Clink, 
and  together  with  me  in  the  same  cell  they  placed  a 
priest  whose  name  was  Nicholas  [Phipps  or  Felps,  alias\ 
Smith.  There  I  remained  in  pretty  close  imprisonment 
for  rather  more  than  a  year.  There  were  in  this  same 
Clink  many  priests  and  gentlemen,  and  Catholics  of  a 
middling  rank,  besides  criminals,  thieves,  and  debtors. 

"Among  other  persons,  such  is  the  injustice  of  the 
heretics,  I  found  a  Catholic  man  who  had  a  wife  and 
two  children,  and  yet  he  had  been  kept  and  shut  up 
there  many  years  under  the  title  and  pretence  of  being 
a  priest.  Another  prisoner  was  even  a  preacher  of  no 
small  note  among  the  Puritans,  and  almost  a  prophet, 
who  was  one  day  found  by  a  Catholic  in  some  solitary 
place  diligently  reading  and  poring  over  a  small  book. 
He  was  asked  what  book  it  was.  He  hardly  liked  to  let 
it  be  seen,  but  it  turned  out  to  be  an  A  B  C  book,^  which 
taught  the  first  elements  of  reading.  The  man  explained 
sorrowfully  that  for  eight  years  or  more  he  had  devoted 
himself  to  the  study  of  it,  and  yet  had  never  been  able 
to  succeed  in  arranging  the  letters  into  words,  so  as  to 
spell  them  out,  read,  and  pronounce  them. 

"  This  prison  was  in  many  ways  far  more  convenient 

^  Abecedarium.     Ori<:. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  195 

for  me,  since  it  was  possible  occasionally  to  hear  the 
voices  of  Catholics  and  talk  to  them,  although  only  by 
means  of  chinks  and  crevices  in  the  walls.  Sometimes 
also  I  had  an  opportunity  of  celebrating  the  Holy 
Mysteries,  for  from  the  lower  room  (which  was .  inhabited 
by  Catholics)  in  the  dead  of  the  night  we  were  enabled 
to  obtain  vestments  by  a  rope  which  was  let  down  from 
our  window,  and  in  the  early  morning,  before  the  warders 
and  other  prisoners  were  awake,  we  returned  them  in  the 
same  manner.  It  likewise  came  to  pass  (to  my  great  and 
superabounding  consolation)  that  on  the  night  of  our  Lord's 
Nativity  all  the  Catholic  prisoners  at  the  same  time  came 
to  see  me,  so  that,  having  heard  their  confessions,  I 
celebrated  three  Masses,  and  made  them  all  participate 
in  the  banquet  of  the  Sacred  Body  of  our  Saviour ;  after 
which  I  dismissed  them  all  safe  and  sound. 

"  Your  Reverence  would  have  been  full  of  admiration 
both  of  their  devotion  and  their  tact  in  the  management 
of  affairs.  There  was  indeed  among  them  a  certain  man 
who  had  been  formerly  a  heretic  and  a  keeper  of  Catholic 
prisoners.  This  man  excelled  greatly  in  skill  and  ingenuity. 
Besides  other  devices,  he  had  a  clever  contrivance  for 
opening  locked  doors  and  shutting  them  up  again  securely. 
So  he  went  through  all  the  rooms  and  opened  them,  mine 
he  also  of  course  unlocked,  and  thus  they  were  all  intro- 
duced, and  we  were  able  to  spend  the  whole  night  together 
to  our  great  joy. 

"  The  greater  part  of  this  year  was  spent  by  me  in 
perpetual  expectation  of  death,  and  although  it  was  told 
me  by  some  persons  that  the  sovereign  herself  had 
declared  her  firm  conviction  that  Edmonds  (meaning 
myself)  had  no  part  whatever  in  the  conspiracy,  never- 
theless there  were  daily  rumours  flying  about  which 
asserted  that  on  such  a  day  I  should  be  brought  before 
a  public  tribunal,  which  would  certainly  end  in  my 
receiving  sentence  of  death.    This  information  was  brought 

N    2 


196  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

to  mc  so  often  that  I  was  never  long  without  it,  and  used 
to  spend  days  and  nights  in  meditation  upon  death. 
There  were  not  wanting  to  me  friends  who  pleaded  in 
my  behalf  with  their  patrons,  the  courtiers  and  chief  men 
of  State  around  the  Queen.  No  one  nevertheless,  how- 
ever great  a  favourite,  was  bold  enough  to  intercede  for 
me  with  the  sovereign.  One  of  them  said  :  '  If  it  had 
been  a  case  of  theft,  homicide,  piracy,  or  anything  of  that 
kind,  I  should  not  be  afraid  of  asking  or  of  obtaining ; 
but  in  an  affair  which  relates  to  Jesuits  like,  this,  I  can 
do  nothing,  and  am  afraid.' 

"  Others  tried  to  release  me  from  captivity  and  save 
my  life  by  sums  of  money,  which,  when  it  was  related 
to  me,  I  wrote  immediately  to  Father  Robert  Southwell 
that  in  every  possible  way  he  might  try  and  prevent  it ; 
for  it  did  not  seem  to  me  an  honourable  proceeding, 
particularly  for  a  disciple  of  the  Society  (so  many  of 
whose  members  do  not  hesitate  every  day  throughout 
all  parts  of  the  world  to  hazard  their  lives  for  the  salvation 
of  souls),  that  for  a  paltry  sum  of  money  my  confession 
of  faith  should  be  obscured  ignominously,  as  it  appeared 
to  me,  for  I  felt  as  though  I  could  never  again  have  looked 
men  in  the  face  freely  and  confidently  with  such  a  stain 
of  cowardice  and  degeneracy  of  mind  burnt  into  me  and 
degrading  me.  Not  that  I  was  free  from  fear  of  death, 
or  did  not  appreciate  liberty.  I  was  very  much  afraid 
of  dying,  and  should  have  welcomed  liberty  with  open 
arms ;  but  the  idea  remained  always  in  my  mind  that 
such  a  mode  of  liberation  was  contemptible,  and  that  it 
would  be  singularly  unworthy  of  those  times  which  had 
been  rendered  illustrious  by  the  confession  of  so  many 
martyrs." 

That  which  Father  Weston  here  tells  of  himself,  is 
related  more  precisely  in  the  Life  of  the  Earl  of  Arimdel} 
"  When  he  was  first  taken,  and  put  prisoner  in  the  Clink, 

^  P.  27. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  197 

the  Countess  of  Arundel  went  in  disguise  to  visit  him, 
and  offering  by  means  of  money  to  procure  his  banish- 
ment, as  was  usual  in  those  times,  his  answer  was,  as  she 
herself  told  me,  that  he  was  not  committed  to  prison  for 
money,  so  neither  would  he  be  released  by  money,  but 
expect  till  either  God,  or  they  by  whose  authority  he  was 
deprived  of  his  liberty,  should  of  their  own  accord  set 
him  free."  Father  Weston  says  that  he  wrote  to  Father 
Robert  Southwell  to  hinder  this  plan  for  his  liberation, 
which  shows  that  the  Countess  continued  for  awhile  to 
entertain  the  idea. 

"  I  also  received  letters,"  he  says,  "  encouraging  me 
to  martyrdom  from  the  same  Father  Robert  and  from 
Father  John  Cornelius,  both  of  them  now  themselves 
martyrs  of  the  Society.  For  what  end  God  has  preserved 
me  hitherto,  I  know  not.  He  who  preserved  me  knows 
well,  and  as  it  has  been  His  will  so  far,  may  He  con- 
tinue to  preserve  me. 

"  Frequent  visits  meanwhile  were  made  by  the  magis- 
trates to  this  prison,  and  many  were  the  investigations. 
One  of  them  entered  the  cell  of  a  certain  priest  with  a 
design  to  examine  it ;  and  either  from  his  own  hand  or 
from  that  of  his  attendant,  let  one  or  two  hosts  fall  upon 
the  ground.  Then,  as  if  he  had  known  nothing  of  the 
fraud,  he  turned  round,  looked  at  them,  and  said:  'Are 
these  the  sort  of  things  you  do  here.-*  They  must  no 
longer  be  tolerated.  This  is  not  all,  we  may  be  sure  ; 
but  only  a  token  of  other  things  which  you  have  here, 
and  of  what  you  presume  to  do  in  disobedience  to  the 
laws  and  proclamations.*  He  forthwith  began  a  search, 
and  went  straight  up  to  the  very  spot  where  all  the 
vestments  and  the  furniture  for  the  altar  were  hidden 
away,  together  with  a  silver  chalice.  On  a  single  board 
being  taken  up,  everything  was  of  necessity  seen,  and 
carried  from  the  place.  He  knew  where  to  look  before 
he  came  in,  having  received  information  from  a  person 


198  Life  of  Father  Williayn  Weston. 

concerning  whom  I  shall  have  more  to  say  presently, 
and  who  had  been  formerly  admitted  there  for  the  purpose 
of  celebrating  IMass. 

"  Not  contented  with  his  spoil,  he  returned  to  my 
room,  and  began  to  look  round  and  to  move  things  out  of 
their  places.  Then  he  said  :  '  I  sometimes  find  chalices 
lying  hid  amongst  the  bricks  of  the  fire-places.'  Drawing 
a  poignard  which  hung  by  his  side,  he  began  to  feel  with 
it.  The  result,  however,  did  not  answer  his  expectations, 
although  I  had  in  reality  a  silver  chalice  then  laid  under 
the  hearth-stone.  If  one  brick  were  removed,  there  was 
a  hollow  place  under  the  fire  and  a  heap  of  wood.  This 
cavity  was  most  useful  for  concealing  things  because,  when 
covered  up  and  sprinkled  over  with  ashes,  it  would  escape 
the  notice  of  any  one,  unless  he  were  very  careful  and 
prepared  beforehand. 

"After  having  been  molested  with  these  and  similar 
annoyances,  and  with  uncertain  messages  of  death,  they 
sent  for  me  one  day  through  an  official,  and  I  was 
taken  out  of  prison  to  a  house  where  many  commissioners 
and  persons  appointed  to  examine  into  my  cause  were 
assembled  together,  in  company  with  a  notary.  They 
again  went  over  all  the  heads  of  the  former  examination, 
excepting  the  affair  of  Babington.  They  inquired  my 
name,  the  condition  of  my  parents,  the  place  where  I  was 
born,  where  I  was  educated.  *  Was  it  in  England  .''  Was 
it  abroad  .''  Where  had  I  studied  ?  Where  had  I  become 
a  priest  and  a  religious  ?  Through  whose  command  had 
I  returned  into  England  }  Where  had  I  been  1  Whom 
had  I  known  .•*  At  whose  houses  had  I  said  Mass  .''  Whom 
had  I  reconciled  to  the  Church  .-•  Whose  confessions  had 
I  heard  .'' '  To  all  these  interroga'tions  I  replied  with 
brevity  and  case,  confessing  all  such  things  as  might  be 
revealed  without  injury  to  others,  denying  those  which 
they  had  no  right  to  press  me  upon,  and  which  I  could 
not,  without  sin,  betray  to  them. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  199 

"  They  first  of  all  brought  out  a  Bible,  written  in  the 
vulgar  tongue,  to  make  me  swear  upon  it  that  I  would 
answer  sincerely  and  honourably  to  every  question.  In 
the  beginning  I  declined  the  book.  '  Yet  you  will  swear,' 
said  one  of  them,  'if  we  bring  you  a  copy  of  Jerome's 
works.'  '  By  no  means,'  I  replied  ;  '  neither  by  that  nor  by 
any  other  oath  will  I  bind  myself ;  and  you,  being  laymen, 
cannot  lawfully  make  me  swear,  as  I  am  an  ecclesiastic, 
nor  can  you  judge  me  at  your  tribunals.  I  am  exempted 
from  them  by  my  privileges,  and  I  shall  use  my  rights ; 
nor  is  there  any  occasion  to  be  so  disturbed  about  an  oath, 
for  I  am  ready  to  do  anything  save  in  those  matters  by 
which  religion  would  be  offended  ;  and  moreover,  my  word 
shall  be  as  firm  as  any  oath.' 

"  From  these  beginnings  they  went  on  (if  I  remember 
right)  to  different  things.  They  asked  me  what  I  thought 
of  the  justice  of  the  excommunication  of  the  Queen  by  the 
Bull  of  Pius  V.  I  said  that  I  had  never  seen  the  Bull,  nor 
heard  all  that  it  contained.  They  here  pressed  me  very 
hard,  and  insisted  much,  doing  all  that  was  possible  to  get 
some  explanation  from  me,  but  in  vain. 

"At  that  time  there  reigned  a  perpetual  rumour  and 
a  vivid  expectation  and  fear  of  the  Spanish  fleet,  that  was 
said  to  be  preparing  for  a  voyage  in  the  ensuing  year. 
Upon  this  subject  they  questioned  me  with  the  closest 
curiosity.  '  Did  I  know  anything  about  it  .-*  Had  I  heard 
of  its  approach  }  Was  I  a  party  to  it  in  any  way  }  What 
should  I  do,  when  it  was  already  near  the  coasts  of 
England .'  Whose  side  should  I  take  .-*  Which  party 
should  I  defend  .'' '  I  made  answer  that  the  report  which 
was  spread  abroad  had  certainly  come  to  my  hearing, 
but  with  regard  to  having  any  correspondence  with  the 
Spaniards  by  letters  or  secret  messages,  there  was  abso- 
lutely nothing  of  which  they  could  accuse  me  with  any 
justice  ;  but  as  to  declaring  which  side  I  should  prefer, 
particularly  as  I  was  ignorant  of  the  causes  of  the  war,  it 


200  Life  of  Father  William  Weston, 

was  impossible  for  mc  to  attempt  it.  Whether  the  war 
should  be  proclaimed  for  the  purpose  of  restoring  the 
Catholic  religion,  or  for  any  other  reasons  just  or  unjust, 
it  was  clear  that  I  should  not  have  either  the  wish  or  the 
power  to  take  up  arms  and  fight :  it  would  be  no  business 
of  mine.  They  said  :  *We  know  that  very  well ;  but  what 
advice  would  you  give  }  Whom  would  you  follow  if  they 
came  to  fight  for  a  matter  of  religion  } '  I  replied  :  '  Rest 
assured  that  in  that  case  I  should  do  nothing  contrary  to 
religion  ;  of  that  I  am  resolved  already.  What  I  should 
really  do  is  not  for  mc  to  say,  so  various  and  changeable 
are  the  thoughts  of  men  ;  and  it  is  not  just  or  right  that 
a  man  should  be  reckoned  a  criminal  because  of  some 
future  event,  when  there  is  nothing  to  charge  him  with  at 
the  present  time.' 

"  Still  they  ceased  not  to  turn  the  matter  over  in  every 
possible  way,  bringing  into  the  argument  various  forms 
of  speech  and  inventions  of  possible  contingencies  which, 
though,  of  course,  they  sometimes  happen,  may  very 
possibly  not  happen  at  all ;  and  upon  the  ground  of  an 
hypothesis  they  required  and  urged  me  to  give  a  clear  and 
plain  answer,  when  they  would  have  turned  my  words 
into  a  crime,  just  as  if  the  facts  themselves  had  existed. 
This  examination  was  continued  during  three  or  four 
hours.  On  this  occasion  many  subjects  besides  the  above 
were  brought  into  dispute ;  in  particular,  the  execution  of 
the  Queen  of  Scots,  and  the  injury  that  Catholics  had 
received  from  it,  insomuch  that  now  they  are  thoroughly 
cast  down  from  all  hope  of  seeing  their  Faith  on  the  throne, 
and  of  enjoying  their  religion  which  they  seek  after  so 
earnestly  and  desire  so  strongly.  This  is  a  summary  of  all 
their  interrogations  and  of  my  replies. 

"  They  sent  me  back  to  my  prison,  where  I  gave  myself 
up  entirely  to  my  former  exercises  of  meditation  and 
preparation  for  death,  expecting  each  moment  to  be 
hurried   away  to  a   tribunal   and   to  judgment,   and   such 


Life  of  Father  William  Westo7i.  201 

was  the  expressed  opinion  of  all  and  what  they  looked 
for.  As  Catholics  were  naturally  full  of  curiosity  to  be 
acquainted  with  every  article  of  my  examination,  I  satisfied 
their  anxiety  as  well  as  I  could  by  slipping  written  papers 
through  fissures  and  apertures.  The  other  prisoners,  both 
near  me  and  elsewhere,  were  full  of  similar  expectations 
for  themselves  ere  long,  and  imagined  that  they  would  be 
interrogated  in  the  same  manner. 

"  Nevertheless,  in  the  midst  of  all  those  trials  which 
befell  Catholics  day  by  day,  including  punishments  and 
death,  there  was  not  wanting  some  consolation.  Three 
of  the  family  of  our  keeper  himself  were  converted  to  the 
Faith,  so  were  also  one  among  the  minor  officials  on 
guard,  a  woman  advanced  in  years,  and  a  girl  who, 
abandoning  her  former  master,  devoted  herself  hence- 
forward to  the  service  of  Catholics. 

"  In  this  very  year  it  was  my  lot  to  hold  a  disputation 
with  a  certain  Doctor  of  the  University,  of  the  name  of 
Andrewes,  a  man  of  considerable  reputation  among  them, 
who  is  now,  as  I  hear,  the  so-called  Bishop  of  Ely.^  I  was 
summoned  out  of  prison  and  conducted  to  a  certain  place 
where  it  was  said  to  me  by  the  person  who  had  desired 
me  to  be  sent  for:. 'We  want  you  to  hold  a  controversy 
with  this  learned  man  and  to  discuss  your  opinions  with 
him,  to  see  if  he  can  make  any  impression  on  you.  No 
one  will  interrupt  you  :  all  your  questions  and  difficulties 
you  can  treat  of  by  yourselves  alone.'  I  made  answer : 
*  If  it  is  only  for  my  sake  that  this  controversy  is  to 
be  entered  upon,  there  is  no  reason  why  I  should 
admit  of  it,  since  I  have  not  the  smallest  doubt  or 
hesitation  in  any  matter  little  or  great  with  respect  to 
faith.  In  aft'airs  like  these  the  dispute  should  be  held 
in  the  Universities  or  public  places,  that  the  disguise  of 
a  false  .religion  may  be  torn  away  in  presence  of  those 

^  Lancelot  Andrewes  became  Bishop  of  Chichester  in   1605,  of  Ely  in 
1609,  of  Winchester  in  1618,  and  died  in  1626. 


202  Life  of  Father  William  Westo7i. 

who  live  in  error,  and  the  real  truth  may  be  displayed 
before  them  freely  and  openly,  without  any  veil  of  dissi- 
mulation.' '  In  no  way,'  replied  the  other,  '  would  such  a 
course  be  desirable,  for  so  you  would  have  an  opportunity 
of  seducing  many,  but  if  you  wish  that  seven  or  eight  of 
your  own  people  should  meet  in  my  house,  together  with 
an  equal  number  from  the  other  side,  you  shall  find  either 
here  or  elsewhere  both  place  and  books.'  '  But  who 
are  to  be  the  judges  or  the  auditors.'*'  I  inquired  ;  'for 
unless  those  who  are  to  judge  or  hear  belong  to  both 
the  parties  concerned,  the  truth  will  be  oppressed  and 
lie,  as  it  were,  buried.  However,  be  it  so,'  I  added,  '  let 
them  come  as  you  have  said ;  and  let  faithful  notaries 
be  summoned  who  will  honourably  receive  and  write  down 
the  words,  the  opinions,  the  arguments  of  all  the  con- 
tending parties.  It  will  not  be  difficult  to  find  persons 
who  will  undertake  the  business,  and  joyfully  offer  them- 
selves to  have  a  share  in  the  contest'  This  he  did  not 
like,  but  said  in  conclusion :  'At  all  events  in  the  mean- 
time you  can  have  your  disputation,  you  two  together, 
and  a  conference  with  each  other.'  He  then  departed, 
leaving  us  alone  wdth  the  doors  closed. 

"  I  said  that  there  was  no  occasion  for  me  to  learn 
from  him  as  a  master  or  teacher  those  things  which  I 
had  learned  already  from  faith  and  the  authority  of  the 
Church.  If  he  wished  to  ask  me  anything  since  we 
were  alone,  I  added,  let  him  say  what  he  would.  Our 
discussion  fell  upon  sacramental  confession  and  the  inter- 
pretation of  the  Scriptures.  Whether  we  talked  about 
any  other  subject  I  do  not  well  remember  ;  w'ithout 
doubt  there  were  several  articles  proposed  between  us, 
for  we  remained  there  about  four  hours.  And  with  regard 
to  those  two  first  questions,  he  admitted  at  last  that  he 
did  not  allow  in  the  interpretation  of  Scripture  the  in- 
constant and  fallacious  spirit  of  private  persons.  In 
speaking  of  confession,  he  did  not  disapprove  of  the  use 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  203 

of  it,  and  thought  it  not  only  lawful  in  itself,  but  allowed 
that  it  was  a  practice  that  he  was  not  altogether  without 
experience  of  Though  this  Doctor  was  a  Puritan,  it 
seems  he  tolerated  a  certain  form  of  confession ;  indeed 
his  temper  of  mind,  as  some  say,  was  not  entirely  in 
opposition  to  the  Catholic  faith. 

"  I  cannot  repeat  the  remainder  of  our  conversation,  for, 
with  the  exception  of  those  two  points.  Confession,  and  the 
Holy  Scripture,  my  memory  a  good  deal  fails  me.  The 
reason  for  this  meeting  was  at  first  unknown  to  me.  It 
appeared  to  me  strange  that  I  should  have  been  called  up  to 
so  solitary  an  interview,  not  a  single  witness  or  judge  being 
present.  However,  two  days  after  I  had  been  sent  back  to 
prison,  there  came  to  me,  wath  the  gaoler's  permission,  a 
certain  person  quite  unknown  to  me,  whether  a  Catholic 
or  a  heretic  I  know  not,  certainly  in  a  benevolent  and 
friendly  spirit.  He  said  to  me :  '  Perhaps  you  are  not 
aware  of  the  motive  for  procuring  your  conversation  with 
Dr.  Andrewes.  While  you  were  disputing  there  were  in 
reality  two  priests  present,  who  were  placed  near  at  hand 
and  were  able  to  hear  everything  that  you  said,  and  they 
w^ere  so  moved  and  agitated  that  they  could  scarcely 
refrain  from  breaking  forth  from  their  hiding-place,  con- 
fessing openly  to  you  their  Avant  of  constancy,  and  making 
amends  for  their  error  by  a  manifest  and  avowed  return 
to  their  faith.  These  men  had  been  overcome  through 
fear  of  torments  and  the  terror  of  death,  and  had  vacillated 
in  their  faith.  One  of  them  (if  I  am  not  mistaken,  and 
I  think  that  I  am  not)  underwent  an  illustrious  martyrdom 
for  the  Faith :  the  other's  name  was  Anthony  Tyrrell,  the 
person  about  whom  I  promised  above  to  give  a  more 
lengthened  notice.     His  story  is  as  follows. 

"  This  same  Anthony  was  arrested  a  short  time  before 
Babington  and  thrown  into  prison,  into  that  which  is 
generally  known  as  'the  Poultry.'^     There,  as  he  was  not 

^  Tyrrell  was  not  in  the  Counter  in  the  Poultry,  but  in  the  prison  of  the 
same  name  in  Wood  Street. 


204  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

a  man  of  much  constancy,  he  began  to  show  symptoms 
of  vacillation,  being  influenced  partly  by  gentleness  and 
the  hope  of  liberty,  partly  through  fear  of  torture.  There 
were  in  the  same  prison  some  Catholic  prisoners,  who, 
after  carefully  observing  him,  did  not  consider  it  as  a 
good  sign  that  he  received  so  many  visits  from  heretics, 
and  conversed  so  much  with  them.  They  also  discovered 
after  awhile  that  he  admitted  and  kept  by  him  heretical 
books,  a  Bible  written  in  the  vulgar  tongue,  and  the 
Institutes  of  Calvin,  which  circumstance  strengthened 
much  further  their  opinion  that  his  courage  was  waxing 
feeble  and  faint. 

"  In  the  course  of  some  months  he  was  removed  from 
that  place  and  brought  to  our  prison^  where  I  was  then 
detained  a  close  prisoner,  and  together  with  me  several 
Catholics,  many  of  whom  were  young  gentlemen  in 
trouble  on  account  of  Babington's  conspiracy.  AH  of 
these,  after  collecting  from  every  side  tokens  and  signs 
that  there  were  just  grounds  for  suspicion,  began  some 
to  decline  his  acquaintance,  some  to  take  precautions 
when  in  company  with  him.  For  in  the  first  place,  when 
there  was  no  call  or  necessity  for  so  doing,  he  always 
retained  his  secular  dress.  When  he  found  himself  at 
table  the  only  priest  among  many  secular  Catholics  he 
could  not  be  induced  to  say  grace.  It  was  likewise 
remarked  that  the  book-marks  in  his  Breviary,  that  in- 
dicated the  Office  for  the  current  day,  were  not  rightly 
placed.  His  friendship  and  familiarity  with  heretics  were 
such  as  to  produce  a  general  suspicion  that  his  behaviour 
was  not  so  sincere  and  holy  as  became  a  priest,  and  it 
was  felt  that  these  external  relations  were  not  suitable 
to  a  man  who  was  maintaining  a  conflict  in  prison  for  the 


^  "  Counter  in  Woorl  Street.  Anthony  Tyrrell,  pr.,  moved  by  Mr.  Young, 
the  I3lh  of  September  [1586]."  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  cxcv.  n.  34. 
His  admission  into  the  Clink  seems  to  have  been  four  days  later.  Supra, 
p.  179. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  205 

Catholic  faith,  and  in  presence  of  so  many  persons  both 
Catholics  and  heretics. 

"He  did  not  continue  long  to  mislead  those  who 
surrounded  him :  for  after  no  great  interval  of  time  he 
left  both  his  prison  and  his  religion,  went  over  to  the 
side  of  the  heretics,  and  was  presented  with  his  liberty. 
In  the  room  he  left  there  dwelt  at  the  same  time  a 
certain  Catholic  who,  considering  the  manners  of  the 
man,  searched  carefully  to  see  whether  he  could  find  any 
letters  or  notes  written  by  him  or  by  other  persons  to 
him.  He  fell  upon  one  spot  where  lay  hidden  some 
letters  of  William  Cecil  and  his  answers  to  them,  but 
very  much  torn  and  in  disorder.  He  brought  these 
letters  to  me,  and  asked  me  what  had  better  be  done, 
in  order  that  after  such  great  and  evident  perfidy  he 
might  stand  convicted,  for  Anthony  concealed  his 
treachery  as  much  as  possible,  and  did  not  wish  to 
appear  as  though  he  had  sinned  against  religion.  I  bade 
him  unite  together  the  fragments  of  the  letters  and  so 
to  arrange  them  upon  a  gummed  sheet  of  paper  that 
they  might  be  read  ;  then  to  send  them  to  the  Marshal- 
sea  prison,  in  which,  besides  other  sufferers,  there  were 
also  some  priests  in  captivity,  so  that  they  might  send 
for  the  man  and  expostulate  with  him  in  the  first  place 
about  his  faithlessness  and  treachery  in  conspiring  with 
heretics,  and  at  the  same  time  persuade  him  to  return 
to  his  former  profession  as  soon  as  possible.  If  he  should 
confidently  persist  in  denying  his  crime,  I  exhorted 
them  to  show  him  his  correspondence  with  Cecil,  and 
thus  close  his  shameless  lips  by  such  plain  evidence 
against  him. 

"  They  therefore  invited  Tyrrell  to  visit  them,  and  laid 
before  his  eyes  the  foulness  of  his  sin  against  God,  against 
men  and  his  own  conscience.  Still  he  did  not  seem  to  be 
moved  until  they  showed  him  his  letters  and  convinced 
him  by  his  own  handwriting,  when  his  pertinacity  gave 


2o6  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

way  and  he  abandoned  his  falsehood.  Finding  himself 
detected  he  promised  to  return  to  the  Church,  to 
renounce  his  engagements  with  the  heretics,  do  penance 
in  earnest,  and  make  just  restitution,  so  far  as  it  could 
be  done  to  those  whom  he  had  injured  by  his  perfidious 
accusations.  All  this  he  afterwards  accomplished,  and  in 
a  long  writing^  he  manifested  the  whole  history  of  his 
previous  frauds  and  the  causes  of  his  ruin.  He  also 
cleared  many  persons  of  false  and  unjust  accusations, 
and  as  to  myself  he  made  all  things  fair  and  freed  me 
from  sundry  suspicions. 

"  Since  the  rumour  of  this  scandal  had  been  spread 
far  and  wide,  and  nothing  was  more  notorious  in  the 
mouths  of  all  men  than  the  public  renunciation  of  the 
Catholic  faith  by  Tyrrell  the  priest,  it  was  judged  that 
there  could  be  no  place  so  appropriate  and  no  time  so 
suitable  for  its  accomplishment  as  St.  Paul's  Cross,  on 
the  occasion  of  some  public  sermon  delivered  there  before 
the  people.  When  therefore  the  day  and  the  hour 
approached  on  which  this  event  was  appointed  to  take 
place,  John  Reynolds  ascended  the  pulpit  intending  to 
use  as  the  material  of  his  oration  and  triumph  (as  he 
imagined)  the  abjuration  of  the  perfidious  priest.  Near 
him  Tyrrell  also  mounted,  though  for  a  very  different 
and  opposite  purpose,  having  not  only  no  design  of 
speaking  against  the  Faith,  but  being  resolved  to  make 
a  renunciation  of  his  heresy  and  errors  and  to  confess 
openly  his  treachery  and  the  reasons  of  his  fall.  When 
therefore  he  had  begun  to  express  his  sorrow  for  his 
transgressions,  to  promise  that  during  the  remaining 
course  of  his  life  he  would  never  by  word  or  action 
cffend  the  cause  of  religion,  and  to  declare  these  things 
aloud  in  presence  of  the  people,  the  heretics  seeing  into 
what  a  contrary  channel  from  what  they  expected  the 
tide  of  affairs  was  turning,  laid  hands  on  him,  drew  him 

^  Tyrrell's  letter  to  the  Queen,  in  Strypc's  Annals^  vol.  iii.  pt.  ii.  p.  425. 


Life  of  Father  Willimn  Weston.  207 

away,  thrust  him  out  of  the  pulpit.  What  did  Tyrrell  do 
then  ?  Since  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  explain  to  his 
auditors  his  full  mind  and  meaning,  he  drew  out  of  his 
bosom  many  sheets  of  paper  which  contained  the  whole 
history  of  his  case^  and  scattered  them  among  the  people, 
so  that  from  their  hands  and  eyes  they  might  receive  that 
information  which  they  were  debarred  from  gathering 
by  means  of  his  voice  from  the  pulpit.  For  he  had  fore- 
seen how  unlikely  it  would  be  that  they  should  allow  him 
to  carry  on  his  harangue  through  to  the  end  ;  he  had 
therefore  prepared  his  papers  in  readiness  to  act  as  a 
substitute  for  uttered  words. 

"  From  the  pulpit  he  was  eagerly  hurried  off  to  prison 
and  shut  in  there ;  they  loaded  him  with  irons  and  tor- 
mented him  in  a  thousand  ways.  What  am  I  now  to  say  ? 
Unhappily  things  went  wrong  again.  Not  bearing  such 
severity  he  fell  a  prey  to  the  craft  of  Satan,  and  gave  himself 
up  a  second  time  to  the  heretics,  allured  by  the  hope  of 
pardon  and  an  excessive  love  of  liberty.  When  set  free 
he  again  returned  to  the  Catholics,  deploring  his  incon- 
stancy. They  then,  as  they  had  good  reason  to  fear  that 
he  would  never  be  able  to  live  in  England  free  from  the 
snares  of  the  heretics,  arranged  for  him  that  he  should 
cross  the  water,  so  that  living  in  security  amongst  Catholics 
he  might  pass  the  rest  of  his  life  beyond  the  reach  of 
further  danger.  He  consequently  set  sail  and  reached 
the  harbour  in  safety ;  but  not  content  with  this,  the 
fickle  and  unhappy  man  came  back  again  in  a  few  days, 
and  being  convicted  once  more,  he  acted  as  minister  at 
the  sacrilegious  tables  of  the  heretics  till  he  was  an  old 
man.  At  length  (as  I  have  heard  lately)  he  was  rescued 
from  them  by  the  diligence,  admonitions,  and  fervent 
prayers  of  his  brother,  who  was  a  Catholic  and  a  most 
devout  man,  and  so  in  the  end  he  returned  to  God  and 
the  most  secure  harbour  of  salvation.     That  he  might  do 

^  Palinodia  Antonii  Tyrrelli,  Conceriatio,  after  fol.  213,  sig.  E  4. 


.'o8  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

this  more  safely  he  passed  over  into  Belgium,  and  there 
in  the  peace  and  unity  of  the  Church  slept  in  our  Lord." 

As  the  singular  life  of  Anthony  Tyrrell  will  be  treated 
apart  in  the  present  volume,  it  is  not  necessary  here  to  add 
any  notes  to  Father  Weston's  accurate  narrative.  But 
though  the  same  matter  will  be  told  at  greater  length, 
and  in  more  minute  detail,  it  has  been  thought  better 
to  leave  this  story  as  it  stands  in  this  place,  in  order  not 
to  interfere  with  the  integrity  of  the  autobiography  of 
Father  Weston. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

BETWEEN   TWO   PRISONS. 

"  The  year  'ZZ  now  appeared,  in  which  preparations  and 
warlike  equipments  were  made  on  no  small  scale  both 
by  sea  and  land  to  oppose  the  Spanish  fleet  which  was 
then  declared  to  be  near  at  hand  in  full  force.  The 
Queen's  Councillors  therefore  deemed  it  to  be  but  a  part 
of  their  prudent  duty  to  meet  in  arms  an  armed  and 
foreign  foe,  unless  they  could  also  provide  with  anxious 
forethought  against  all  fear  and  danger  from  internal 
enemies.  And  as  the  entire  body  of  Catholics  formed  a 
perpetual  subject  of  uneasiness  to  them,  they  brought  it 
about  as  far  as  present  circumstances  would  permit  that 
a  good  number  of  Catholics,  both  priests  and  laymen, 
should  be  kept  out  of  the  way  in  prison,  for  fear  that, 
if  an  opportunity  were  granted  them,  they  might  join 
forces  with  the  enemy. 

"  This  intention  was  made  notorious,  and  the  command 
was  received  first  by  the  priests  who  were  detained  in 
London  ;  not  indeed  by  all,  only  by  some,  and  of  that 
number  I  was  myself  one.  A  messenger  came  to  me,  sent 
from  the    Council,  telling  me    that    it  was  the    Queen's 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  209 

pleasure  and  that  of  the  lords  of  the  Council  that  I  should 
go  to  Wisbech  Castle,  and  that  within  a  few  days.  I  asked, 
'  At  whose  expense  ? '  He  replied,  '  At  your  own.'  But 
leave  was  given  me  that,  during  two  or  three  days,  in 
company  with  a  keeper,  I  might  visit  my  friends  and 
provide  all  things  necessary  for  the  journey.  I  did  not 
want  for  money,  and  gladly  seized  the  opportunity,  in 
particular  for  the  sake  of  divers  persons  who  had  not 
courage  to  come  and  visit  me  in  the  prison,  and  yet  were 
exceedingly  anxious  to  see  me  and  converse  with  me. 

"  On  the  succeeding  day  I  set  out,  having  changed  my 
habit  for  secular  clothes,  and  in  the  first  place  I  visited  all 
those  Catholics  who  were  detained  in  the  different  prisons, 
both  priests  and  laymen,  not  without  great  joy  and  con- 
gratulation on  either  side.  While  I  was  thus  employed  in 
visiting  my  friends,  there  came  to  me  a  messenger  on  the 
part  of  a  certain  illustrious  and  noble  lady,  requesting  me 
by  no  means  to  omit  arranging  an  interview  with  her 
before  my  departure.  I  answered  that  there  would  be  no 
difficulty  in  the  matter ;  adding,  however,  *  I  have  with  me 
for  my  companion  a  keeper  who  is  always  watching 
me,  and  never  permits  me  to  go  anywhere  without  his 
presence.'  The  messenger  said  to  me :  '  That  will  never 
do ; '  for  the  lady,  in  truth,  was  of  more  than  ordinary 
rank.  '  Do  your  very  best  to  be  set  free  from  him  for  a 
few  hours,  and  come  alone,  if  it  be  possible ;  if  otherwise, 
do  not  trouble  yourself  further  about  it'  I  told  him  that 
there  was  no  great  difficulty  in  trying  the  man,  but  that 
any  hope  of  succeeding  in  the  attempt  was  small  indeed. 
We  went  out,  therefore,  from  that  place  (which  was  one  of 
the  prisons)  and  went  on  to  visit  other  persons.  As  soon 
as  we  were  alone  I  said  to  John  (this  was  the  name  of  my 
keeper),  'A  friend  has  just  sent  word  to  me  that  without 
any  manner  of  excuse  I  am  to  go  and  see  him  as  speedily 
as  possible.'  '  Well,'  replied  the  man,  '  you  can  go  when 
you  please.'  I  replied  :  '  But  I  do  not  wish  to  have  you 
O 


2IO  Life  of  Father  J  Villi  am  IVeston. 

with  me  as  a  companion  and  witness.'  '  That  must  not 
be,'  he  said  ;  '  it  is  as  much  as  my  hfe  is  worth,  for  the 
eyes  of  many  persons  arc  on  us,  and  if  you  were  to  escape 
from  mc  after  my  receiving  such  a  strict  command  to 
guard  you  safely,  all  the  danger  will  fall  upon  mc.  I 
cannot  grant  you  such  a  liberty.'  I  reminded  him  that 
he  had  experienced  already  my  nature  and  fidelity,  and 
that  it  was  not  my  way  to  requite  with  a  bad  return  such 
persons  as  had  rendered  me  a  service.  Then  I  produced 
an  angeF  (a  golden  coin  of  the  value  of  twenty  reals),  and 
continued  :  '  See  here  ;  this  will  be  yours  if  you  will  grant 
me  that  which  I  ask  of  you  ;  and  you  need  have  no  fear 
about  losing  favour.'  '  I  dare  not,'  he  replied,  '  I  dare  not.' 
He  had  hardly,  however,  gone  six  paces  further  when 
he  broke  out  into  the  following  expressions :  '  When  will 
you  be  back  again,  or  where  shall  I  find  you  when  you 
have  finished  with  your  friend  .-"  Such  was  the  effect  the 
gold  produced.  I  said  that  it  was  for  him  to  settle  that 
matter  according  to  his  own  convenience  ;  as  for  me,  I  was 
ready  at  any  hour  or  in  any  place  to  meet  him. 

"  It  is  not  without  reason  that  I  mention  these  details, 
however  unimportant  they  may  seem  ;  for  they  helped  to 
obtain  for  me  not  only  the  presence  and  sight  of  Father 
Robert  Southwell,^  and  a  long  interview  with  him,  and 
the  means  of  visiting  other  illustrious  personages ;  but  it 
enabled  me  to  supply  comfort  to  a  certain  soul  that  was 
labouring  in  extreme  sorrow,  and  to  afford  it  a  remedy 
for  its  salvation.  For  there  lay  in  a  certain  heretical  house 
a  Catholic,  who,  with  the  consent  of  his  keeper,  had  come 
to  London  for  the  completion  of  some  urgent  business. 
He  had  been  committed  to  a  prison  in  the  country,  a  good 
way  out  of  London.     He  was  seized,  however,  and  over- 

^  The  angel  was  worth  los.     The  real,  the  Spanish  sixpence.    Johnson. 

*  Father  Southwell  lived  with  Anne  Countess  of  Arundel,  who  is  no 
doubt  the  "  lady  of  more  than  ordinary  rank,"  whom  Father  Weston  visited. 
She  was  living  then,  it  would  seem,  at  Arundel  House,  near  Somerset  House, 
in  the  Strand.    Life  of  the  Countess  of  Arundel  and  Surrey,  pp.  192,  196. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  211 

powered  by  a  long  sickness,  which  brought  him  near  to 
death.  The  woman  who  nursed  him,  being  a  Catholic, 
had  diligently  searched  the  whole  city  through  to  find  a 
priest,  but  in  vain ;  she  then  sent  word  to  me  of  the  peril 
of  that  person,  and  entreated  me,  if  it  could  be  contrived, 
to  come  to  his  assistance,  as  he  was  almost  giving  up  the 
ghost.  I  went  to  him  when  the  little  piece  of  gold  obtained 
for  me  the  liberty  to  do  so.  I  explained  that  I  was  a 
priest  (for  I  was  dressed  like  a  layman),  and  that  I  had 
come  to  hear  his  confession.  '  If  that  is  the  reason  why 
you  have  come,  it  is  in  vain,'  he  said ;  '  the  time  for  it  is 
passed  away.'  I  said  to  him :  '  What !  are  you  not  a 
Catholic  ?  If  you  are,  you  know  what  you  have  to  do. 
This  hour,  which  seems  to  be  your  last,  has  been  given 
you  that  by  making  a  good  and  sincere  confession  you 
may,  while  there  is  time,  wash  away  the  stains  of  your 
past  life,  whatever  they  are.'  He  answered :  '  I  tell  you 
that  you  have  come  too  late  ;  that  time  has  gone  by.  The 
judgment  is  decided  ;  the  sentence  has  been  pronounced ; 
I  am  condemned  and  given  up  to  the  enemy  ;  I  cannot 
hope  for  pardon.'  '  That  is  false,*  I  answered,  '  and  it  is  a 
most  fearful  error  to  imagine  that  a  man  still  in  life  can 
assert  that  he  is  already  deprived  of  God's  goodness  and 
abandoned  by  His  grace,  in  such  a  way  that  even  when 
he  desires  and  implores  mercy  it  should  be  denied 
him.  Since  your  faith  teaches  you  that  God  is  infinitely 
merciful,  you  are  to  believe  with  all  certitude  that  there  is 
no  bond  so  straitly  fastened  but  the  grace  of  God  can 
unloose  it,  no  obstacle  but  grace  has  power  to  surmount 
it'  '  But  do  you  not  see,'  he  asked  me,  '  how  full  of  evil 
spirits  this  place  is,  where  we  are  ?  There  is  no  corner  or 
crevice  in  the  walls  where  there  are  not  more  than  a 
thousand  of  the  most  dark  and  frightful  demons  who, 
with  their  fierce  faces,  horrid  looks,  and  atrocious  words, 
threaten  perpetually  that  they  are  just  going  to  carry  me 
into  the  abyss  of  misery.  Why,  even  my  very  body  and 
O  2 


2  12  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

entrails  are  filled  with  these  hateful  guests,  who  are 
lacerating  my  body  and  torturing  my  soul  with  such 
dreadful  cruelty  and  anguish  that  it  seems  as  if  I  were 
not  so  much  on  the  point  merely  of  going  there,  as  that 
I  am  already  devoted  and  made  over  to  the  flames  and 
agonies  of  hell.  Wherefore  it  is  clear  that  God  has 
abandoned  me  for  ever,  and  has  cast  me  away  from  all 
hope  of  pardon.' 

"  When  I  had  listened  in  trembling  to  all  these  things, 
and  to  much  more  of  a  similar  kind,  and  saw  at  the  same 
time  that  death  was  coming  fast  upon  him,  and  that  he 
would  not  admit  of  any  advice  or  persuasion,  I  began  to 
think  within  myself,  in  silence  and  anxiety,  what  would  be 
the  wisest  course  to  choose.  There  entered  into  my  mind, 
through  the  inspiration,  doubtless,  of  God,  the  following 
most  useful  plan  and  method  of  dealing  with  him.  '  Well, 
then,'  I  said,  '  if  you  are  going  to  be  lost,  I  do  not  require 
a  confession  from  you  ;  nevertheless,  recollect  yourself  just 
for  a  moment,  and  with  a  quiet  mind  answer  me  in  a  few 
words,  either  yes  or  no,  to  the  questions  that  I  put  to  you  ; 
I  ask  for  nothing  else,  and  put  upon  you  no  other  burden.' 
Then  I  began  to  question  him,  and  to  follow  the  order  of 
the  Commandments :  first,  whether  he  had  denied  his 
faith.  '  See,'  I  said,  'do  not  worry  yourself;  say  just  those 
simple  words,  yes  or  no.'  As  soon  as  he  had  finished 
either  affirming  or  denying  anything,  I  proceeded  through 
four  or  five  Commandments,  whether  he  had  killed  any 
one,  stolen  anything,  &c.  ?  When  he  had  answered  with 
tolerable  calmness  I  said  to  him:  'What  are  the  devils 
doing  now  ?  What  do  you  feel  or  suffer  from  them  .-' ' 
He  replied  :  '  They  are  quieter  with  me  ;  they  do  not  seem 
to  be  so  furious  as  they  were  before.'  '  Lift  up  your  soul 
to  God,'  I  said,  '  and  let  us  go  on  to  the  rest.'  In  the  same 
fashion  and  order  I  continued  to  question  him  about  other 
things ;  then  I  inquired  again,  saying :  '  How  is  it  now  ? ' 
He  replied  :  'Within  I  am  not  tormented  ;  the  devils  stand 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  213 

at  a  distance ;  they  throw  stones,  they  make  dreadful 
faces  at  me,  and  threaten  me  horribly;  I  do  not  think 
that  I  shall  escape.'  Going  forward  as  before,  I  allured 
and  encouraged  the  man  by  degrees,  till  every  moment  he 
became  more  reasonable,  and  at  last  made  an  entire  con- 
fession of  all  his  sins ;  after  which  I  gave  him  absolution, 
and  asked  him  what  he  was  suffering  from  his  cruel  and 
harassing  enemies.  *  Nothing,'  he  said  ;  '  they  have  all 
vanished  :  there  is  not  a  trace  of  them,  thanks  be  to  God.' 
Then  I  went  away,  after  strengthening  him  by  a  few  words 
and  encouraging  him  beforehand  against  temptations 
which  might  return.  I  promised  at  the  same  time  that 
I  would  be  with  him  on  the  morrow,  and  meant  to  bring 
the  most  Sacred  Body  of  Christ  with  me,  and  warned 
him  to  prepare  himself  diligently  for  the  receiving  of  so 
excellent  a  banquet.  The  whole  following  night  he  passed 
without  molestation  from  the  enemy,  and  on  the  next  day 
he  received  with  great  tranquillity  of  mind  the  most  Holy 
Sacrament,  after  which,  at  an  interval  of  a  few  hours, 
without  disturbance,  he  breathed  forth  his  soul,  and  quietly 
gave  it  up  to  God.  Before  he  died  I  asked  the  man  what 
cause  had  driven  him  into  such  desperation  of  mind.  He 
answered  me  thus  :  '  I  was  detained  in  prison  many  years 
for  the  Catholic  faith,  nevertheless  I  did  not  cease  to  sin 
and  to  conceal  my  sins  from  my  confessor,  being  persuaded 
by  the  devil  that  pardon  must  be  sought  for  from  God 
rather  by  penances  and  severity  of  life  than  by  confession. 
Hence  I  either  neglected  my  confessions  altogether  or  else 
made  insincere  ones,  and  so  I  fell  into  that  melancholy  of 
mind  and  that  state  of  tribulation  which  has  been  my 
punishment.' 

"  How  extraordinary  may  be  the  effects  produced  by 
a  mind  in  the  agitations  of  terror  and  consciousness  of 
wrong  may  in  truth  be  well  gathered  from  those  events 
narrated  above,  but  it  will  be  yet  further  proved  by  what 
will  next  be  described.     When  the  Queen  on  one  occasion 


2  14  Z^/^  of  Father  William  Weston. 

for  the  sake  of  diverting  herself  made  a  progress  through 
the  county  of  Norfolk,  all  the  inhabitants  of  that  county, 
noble  and  simple,  vied  with  each  other  in  giving  her 
the  most  splendid  reception  that  was  possible  ;  some, 
that  they  might  win  her  grace  and  favour,  others,  that 
they  might  not  lose  it  ;  others  in  short,  particularly 
Catholics,  that  they  might  not  incur  still  further  their 
sovereign's  displeasure  and  aversion.  Her  journey  being 
at  an  end,  when,  after  many  congratulations,  festivities, 
shows,  and  triumphant  pageantries,  the  Queen  had 
departed,  and  Avhen  they  were  expecting  many  graces 
and  privileges  in  reward  for  their  homage  and  dutiful 
service,  she  at  length  commanded  that  all  those  Catholics 
who  had  not  as  yet  submitted  to  frequent  the  churches, 
if  they  still  refused,  should  be  sent  to  prison.  Great  was 
the  trouble  and  anxious  the  deliberations  of  all  of  them 
to  decide  what  was  best  to  be  done. 

"  Concerning  the  others  I  say  nothing  :  the  case  of 
one  person  alone  I  mean  to  commemorate,  which,  although 
I  believed  it  before  as  an  undoubted  fact  through  the 
evidence  of  many  persons,  was,  however,  later  on  related 
to  me  by  the  lips  of  the  very  man  himself  when  he  came 
once  to  visit  us  at  Wisbech.  It  is  as  follows.  'That 
proclamation,'  he  said,  'did  not  touch  me  lightly,  but  lay 
like  a  weight  upon  my  mind.  It  was  not  merely  my  own 
happiness  that  was  at  stake :  my  wife,  my  children,  my 
establishment,  all  were  in  danger  unless  I  obeyed  the 
command.  On  the  other  hand,  if  I  were  to  obey,  dis- 
honour would  await  me,  and  the  infamy  attached  to 
cowardice  and  degeneracy  of  mind  ;  the  offence  against 
God,  and  the  inevitable  danger  to  my  soul.  To  increase 
my  trepidation,'  he  added,  '  there  came  upon  me  likewise 
the  persuasions  of  my  friends  and  their  entreaties  (I  mean 
those  friends  who  are  wise  rather  according  to  the  world 
than  towards  God),  exaggerating  the  transitory  goods 
of  this   life,  and   showing  me  how  rash   and  lamentable 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  2 1 5 

a  thing  it  would  be  to  refuse  for  the  sake  of  one  visit 
to  church  the  avoidance  of  so  many  evils.  So  at  length/ 
he  went  on,  '  although  I  saw  what  was  the  better  counsel, 
I  followed  the  worse  one,  and  I  determined  for  once 
to  do  violence  to  my  conscience,  and  to  break  through 
my  difficulties.  When,  therefore,  the  festival  day  came 
on  which  it  was  necessary  for  me  to  be  present,  I  entered 
the  church,  a  strange  new-fangled  place  to  me,  as  for 
many  years  I  had  not  been  there.  Soon  my  bowels  began 
to  be  tormented,  a  fire  seemed  presently  to  be  lighted 
in  them  which  gave  me  vehement  pain,  so  that,  as  the 
flame  ascended  to  my  breast  and  penetrated  the  region 
round  my  heart,  I  thought  that  I  was  broiling  and  con- 
suming in  an  infernal  conflagration.  Neither  did  the  fire 
cease  here,  but  it  gained  my  head  and  raised  itself  far 
above  my  head  so  that  several  times  I  lifted  up  my  hand 
to  feel  whether  what  I  felt  were  a  real  flame  or  no.  At 
length  I  seemed  to  myself  to  be  all  on  fire  and  burning; 
and  what  I  was  to  do  I  did  not  know,  for  to  bear  those 
flames  any  longer  was  intolerable  to  me,  but  to  go  out 
and  quit  that  pestilent  assembly  while  the  service  was 
only  half  over,  would  have  undone  all  my  trouble  and 
reduced  me  to  a  still  worse  position  than  before.'  He 
held  on  therefore,  controlling  both  himself  and  his 
sufferings  with  courage,  until  the  profane  prayers  were 
concluded ;  but  after  he  had  left,  it  seemed  to  him  as  if 
he  was  carrying  about  with  him  an  unbearable  inward 
hell,  and  he  was  oppressed  with  such  a  thirst  that  its 
intensity  made  him  take  refuge  in  the  nearest  tavern. 
There  he  ordered  some  drink  to  be  brought  to  him,  and 
emptied  so  many  tankards  that,  although  it  sounds  in- 
credible, he  swallowed  eight  gallons  and  more  without 
suff'ering  any  inconvenience  or  sickness,  all  that  liquor 
being  quickly  consumed  and  absorbed  in  his  interior,  just 
as  though  it  had  been  poured  down  into  an  extremely 
deep    furnace.       Notwithstanding    all    this    he    had    not 


2i6  Life  of  Father  WilUtxvi  Weston. 

succeeded   in   extinguishing   the   secret    fire   within   him. 
He  returned  home  in  despair,  with  a  sorrowful  counten- 
ance and  an  aching  heart.     His  wife  perceived  how  he  was 
changed,  and  asked  him  what  had  happened  to  pain  him. 
Then  he  explained  the  whole  affair  to  her,  what  he  had 
suffered  in  the  heretical  meeting,  and  how  great  was  the 
oppression  both  of  body  and  mind  under  which  he  was 
labouring  even  at  that  time.     The  lady  being  not  only 
an  excellent  Catholic,  but  most  warmly  attached  to  her 
husband,   tried   to   console   him   by   all  that    lay   in   her 
power,  and  excited  him  to  hope  for  better  times  ;  further- 
more, which  was  still  better,  she  sent  for  a  priest  with 
all  speed  that,  by  the  infusion  of  the  grace  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  he  might  heal  the  sickness  of  his  mind.     Every 
day   his   condition   became    easier    and    pleasanter.      At 
length,  after  he  was  quite  restored  to  health,  he  went  to 
visit  the  so-called   Bishop  of  that  place,   and  related  to 
him  how  he  had  done  his  best  to  satisfy  the  wishes  of 
his  sovereign,  though  against  his  conscience,  how  he  had 
attended   the   church,    and    what    he   had   suffered   while 
therein.     He  concluded  by  saying :    '  Know  now,  that  I 
am  not  only  sorry  for  what  I  have  done,  but  I  am  firmly 
resolved   never  on  any  account  to  go  to    church  again.' 
The  Bishop  was  not  at  all  moved  by  his  narrative,  nor 
did  he  show  the  slightest  compassion  for  the  man,  but 
committed  him   forthwith   to  prison,  where  he  continued 
during  four  whole   years  with  great  constancy  of  mind, 
though  the  loss  of   his    liberty  was  a  less  evil  than  the 
injury  to  his  family  affairs. 

"  Likewise,  since  it  bears  upon  my  subject,  I  should 
wish  to  mention  what  was  told  me  concerning  her  son 
by  the  above-mentioned  gentleman's  wife,  who  was  a  very 
meritorious  good  Catholic  woman.  This,  her  son  by  a 
former  husband,  received  a  summons  from  a  certain 
magistrate  to  appear  before  him.  He  was  questioned 
about  his  faith  and  religion,  and  after  bravely  confessing 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  217 

that  he  was  a  Catholic,  he  was  detained  for  three  days 
in  the  magistrate's  house,  with  nothing  to  eat,  so  that, 
being  worn  out  and  tamed  by  hunger,  he  might  be 
compelled  to  eat  meat  on  days  when  it  was  prohibited 
by  the  Church.  At  length  the  magistrate  sent  him  to 
the  University  of  Cambridge,  and  put  him  into  the  hands 
of  a  most  cruel  master,  who  not  only  with  every  species 
of  art  and  fraud,  but  by  violence  also  and  menaces  might 
compel  him  to  attend  the  church.  And  when  the  youth 
with  a  strong  and  undaunted  mind  made  resistance,  he 
was  so  severely  beaten  that  he  well-nigh  lost  his  reason. 
On  hearing  this,  his  mother  undertook  the  journey  to 
see  her  son.  When  admitted  into  his  room,  she  found 
him  ill  in  bed  and  not  altogether  right  in  his  mind  : 
perceiving  also  that  his  shirt  was  all  covered  with  blood 
from  his  wounds,  she  could  not  suppress  her  sorrow  and 
tears.  With  some  difficulty  she  was  allowed  to  take 
him  home  with  her,  and  many  months  elapsed  before  he 
was  restored  to  himself  and  to  soundness  of  body  and 
mind. 

"In  that  same  town  of  Wisbech  there  were  two  boys 
born  of  poor  parents,  whom  the  keeper  of  the  prison 
admitted  within  the  wall,  that  they  might  be  useful  as 
servants  to  the  prisoners  detained  there.  In  the  course 
of  some  months,  those  boys  learned  so  much  about  the 
Catholic  religion  that  by  degrees  they  left  their  heresy 
which  they  had  imbibed  in  infancy,  attached  themselves 
to  Catholic  doctrine,  and  left  off  frequenting  the  churches 
and  profane  rites  of  the  heretics.  When  the  governor 
of  the  place  received  information  of  this,  he  fixed  upon 
a  certain  festival  day,  and  commanded  the  boys  to 
be  present  at  the  heretical  sermon.  This  they  refused. 
He  then  had  them  cruelly  flogged  in  the  market- 
place in  presence  of  all  the  people,  and  put  them  in 
irons.  Being  afterwards  set  free,  one  of  them  escaped 
to   Belgium,  was  received  as    a    student  in  the  Colleges 


2i8  Life  of  Father  William  Westo7i. 

at  Douay,  and  so  improved  in  learning  and  a  character 
for  virtue  that  he  was  admitted  to  Holy  Orders,  and 
is  labouring  at  present  in  the  English  vineyard.^ 

"  The  other  was  captured  a  second  time  and  thrust  into 
the  prison  at  Ely,  where  for  many  months  he  endured 
a  painful  life  in  the  midst  of  various  hardships.  At  length 
he  was  brought  to  trial  in  company  with  several  criminals, 
and  was  indicted  upon  the  sole  ground  of  his  being  a 
Catholic.  '  You,  indeed,'  said  some  one,  '  wanting  to  be 
a  Catholic,  when  you  have  never  so  much  as  seen  a  Mass, 
and  do  not  know  what  this  sect  means.  Who  could  it 
ever  have  been  who  drove  you  into  such  folly .'' '  The 
others  meanwhile  began  to  mock  him  and  turn  him 
into  ridicule,  seeing  how  very  young  he  was  to  do  such 
a  thing.  He  replied  :  '  It  is  true,  as  you  say,  that  I 
have  not  seen  much,  nor  heard  much  concerning  the 
Catholic  faith  ;  and,  as  you  see,  I  am  young  enough 
and  not  well  practised  or  brought  up  in  it ;  but  this 
one  thing  I  know  well  and  understand,  that  it  is  the 
only  faith  for  salvation,  and  much  more  ancient  than 
your  new  religion,  yea,  and  older  by  many  centuries.' 
They  said  to  him :  '  How  can  you,  an  ignorant  boy,  tell 
what  is  oldest.''  You  are  deceiving  yourself  'It  is 
not  I,'  he  replied,  *  but  your  own  chroniclers,  and  a 
man  of  your  own  profession  and  one  of  your  ministers, 
Holinshed,  I  mean,  who  asserts  as  much  plainly  in  his 
chronicle.'  They  all  denied  that  there  was  anything  of  the 
kind  in  Holinshed's  book.  '  Indeed  there  is,'  he  replied.  '  I 
am  telling  no  lie ;  I  know  what  I  am  talking  of : '  and  at 
the  same  time  he  produced  from  his  bosom  a  great  leaf 
torn  out  from  Holinshed's  Chronicle,  and  continued : 
'  Now  to  begin  with,  recognize  your  man  by  his  name : 
then,  if  your  please,  read  the  words  that  are  contained  in 

^  In  the  list  of  boys  attending  tlie  prisoners  at  Wisbech  we  find  Thomas 
and  George  Fisher  ;  and  George  Fisher  entered  the  Englisli  College  at  Rome 
in  1601.     There  is  no  such  name  in  the  Douay  ordination  list. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  219 

this  torn  leaf.'  When  they  had  openly  read  the  page, 
they  were  sorry  and  much  ashamed  of  what  they  had 
done ;  for  it  contained  a  description  of  the  entrance  of 
St.  Augustine,  the  Apostle  of  England,  with  the  cross, 
litanies,  relics,  and  all  the  other  tokens  of  a  Catholic 
ceremonial.  A  Catholic  prisoner  in  Wisbech  had  torn 
this  leaf  out  of  his  own  book,  a  very  large  volume,  and 
had  admonished  the  boy  to  preserve  it  carefully,  so  that 
when  he  should  be  brought  to  trial  for  his  faith,  he  need 
assert  nothing  else  with  regard  to  his  religion,  or  say 
anything  besides,  but  satisfy  himself  with  showing  that 
torn  leaf  to  the  judges.  This  was  done  by  the  youth 
very  opportunely,  both  as  to  time  and  place :  and  he 
so  put  them  to  confusion,  that  they  did  not  know  what 
they  ought  to  say  in  reply.  For  the  writer  of  the  book 
was  one  of  their  most  approved  authorities,  and  a  most 
clear  witness  for  the  extreme  antiquity  of  the  Catholic 
faith. 

"  The  assizes  of  the  island  of  Ely  are  held  usually 
twice  in  the  year,  and  the  judges'  courts  are  made  ready 
in  our  prison.  On  one  of  these  occasions  two  men  and 
a  woman  were  condemned  for  some  crime  to  the  punish- 
ment of  death  and  remanded  to  prison  while  they  awaited 
their  execution.  These  persons  received  from  some  of  our 
number  an  explanation  of  the  Catholic  religion ;  and  the 
truth  of  it  was  laid  before  them,  together  with  its  supreme 
necessity,  if  they  wished  to  avoid  eternal  punishment 
and  obtain  eternal  blessedness.  Without  any  very  great 
difficulty  they  were  persuaded  to  become  Catholics,  and  to 
obtain  pardon  of  their  sins  by  confession.  To  obtain  access 
to  the  woman  was  more  difficult ;  but  the  two  men 
employed  much  zeal  and  diligence  in  rendering  their  aid. 
As  she  was  near  them  they  were  able,  through  the  chinks 
of  the  partition  wall,  to  suggest  things  which  were  neces- 
sary for  belief,  in  particular,  the  authority  of  the  Catholic 
Church   and   the   purification   of   the   conscience  by  the 


220  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

Sacrament  of  Penance,  which  things  when  she  had 
eagerly  taken  in  and  thoroughly  understood,  she  began 
to  think  of  every  art  and  method  by  which  she  might 
comply  with  the  precept  of  confession,  as  the  men  had 
already  done ;  neither,  by  God's  assistance,  was  she  left 
without  a  suitable  opportunity,  considering  the  shortness 
of  the  time.  For  since,  on  her  part,  she  made  use  of  all 
industry  and  fervour  she  obtained  the  satisfaction  of  her 
desire.  The  fatal  hour  was  at  hand,  and  they  were  sum- 
moned to  execution  by  the  ministers.  Then,  in  order  to 
make  an  open  demonstration  to  the  people  who  were 
spectators  that  they  were  Catholics  and  meant  to  die  as 
such,  they  all  placed  upon  their  necks  the  linen  shrouds 
that  had  been  given  to  them  by  Catholics  for  their  burial 
and  so  arranged  them  upon  their  breasts  as  to  produce 
the  form  of  the  Cross  ;  and  that  the  religion  of  the 
Cross  might  appear  still  more  evident  to  all,  they 
contrived  to  insert  black  bows  of  ribbon  on  these 
shrouds.  They  went  out  of  the  inclosure  of  the  prison 
giving  signs  of  their  devotion  not  only  by  words  and 
demonstrations  but  with  tears  and  sighs  that  betrayed 
their  piety,  an  infinite  multitude  of  persons  being  present 
and  admiring  them.  Without  intermission  they  Avere 
visibly  deploring  the  crimes  of  their  past  life,  and  they 
vehemently  lamented  that  it  was  so  late  before  they  had 
understood  the  salutary  doctrine  that  alone  leads  to 
eternal  life.  Three  times  or  more,  before  they  reached 
the  scaffold,  they  all  knelt  down  and  prayed  a  long 
while  with  abundance  of  tears.  Some  among  the  heretics 
wished  to  hinder  them,  saying  that  so  many  and  such 
evident  signs  of  Popery  ought  not  to  be  tolerated  in 
public.  Others,  however,  and  indeed  the  great  number, 
ceased  not  to  defend  and  praise  them  and  to  wish  that 
such  fruits  of  penitence  might  be  bestowed  upon  them- 
selves by  God.  The  criminals,  in  truth,  seemed  to  make 
no  end  of  testifying  their  faith  and  shedding  tears.    When 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  221 

they  arrived  at  the  place  of  punishment  they  emulated 
each  other  in  repeating  everything  with  yet  greater 
fervour  of  soul  and  piety,  to  the  amazement  of  the 
standers-by,  so  that  no  one  scarcely  could  help  pitying 
them.  At  length  when  the  ropes  had  been  placed  around 
their  necks  and  they  had  finished  speaking,  they  put  to  their 
lips  beads  which  Catholics  had  given  them  for  the  sake 
of  gaining  the  indulgence  attached  to  them,  and  these 
they  swallowed  in  presence  of  all  the  people.^  Then  being 
turned  off  the  ladders  they  exchanged  this  miserable  life, 
as  all  hoped  and  declared,  for  that  blessed  and  happy  one 
beyond.  This  event  being  reported  everywhere,  came  to 
the  ears  of  the  Queen's  Councillors,  who  gave  a  severe 
reprimand  to  the  chief  gaoler  of  that  prison  because  he 
suffered  such  things  to  go  on  in  public." 


CHAPTER   XV. 

WISBECH    CASTLE. 

Father  Weston  rather  abruptly  turns  at  this  point  of 
his  autobiography  to  his  transfer  to  Wisbech,  and  the 
opportunity  is  a  good  one  for  inserting  a  few  words 
respecting  this  his  new  prison.  Wisbech,  dear  to  us  as 
having  been  long  the  place  of  confinement  of  many 
notable  prisoners  for  the  Faith,  was  one  of  the  oldest 
possessions  of  the  Church  of  Ely,  having  been  given  to 
the  convent  by  Oswy  and  Leoflede  when  their  son  Alfwin, 
afterwards  Bishop  of  Elmham,  was  educated  there.^  A 
great  part  of  the  estate  was  assigned  to  the  monks,  after 

^  It  is  needless  to  say  that  this  little  demonstration  was  an  invention  of 
their  own,  and  had  nothing  to  do  with  gaining  an  indulgence. 

*  Supplement  to  the  First  Edition  of  Mr.  Beniham's  History  and  Antiquities 
of  the  Cathedral  and  Co7iventual  Church  of  Ely.  By  William  Stevenson, 
F.S.A.     Norwich,  1817,  p.  77. 


222  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

Ely  became  a  bishop's  see.  That  portion  now  belongs 
to  the  dean  and  chapter,  and  is  called  Wisbech  Murrow. 
The  remainder,  which  was  annexed  to  the  see,  is  called 
Wisbech  Barton.  It  seems  that  a  castle  was  built  there 
by  William  the  Conqueror,  which  is  said  to  have  been 
greatly  injured  by  an  inundation  of  the  sea  in  1236. 

Cardinal  Morton,  Bishop  of  Ely,  built,  between  1478 
and  1483,  a  new  castle  of  brick,  and  made  it  the  chief 
residence  of  the  see.  It  was,  however,  allowed  by  his 
successors  to  become  ruinous,  and  Father  Weston  describes 
its  condition  when  he  was  sent  there  in  1588.  From  very 
early  times  the  Bishop's  prison  was  used  occasionally  for 
the  custody  of  State  prisoners,  but  in  1579  the  whole 
castle,  or  what  remained  of  it,  was  given  over  to  receive 
Catholic  prisoners,  with  their  keeper  and  his  ofiEicers.  The 
bishopric  of  Ely  was  vacant  from  1581  to  1599,  and,  says 
Strype,^  "  for  v/ant  of  a  bishop  a  great  number  of  Papists 
are  harboured  in  that  diocese,  and  the  bishop's  houses 
are  much  decayed."  By  "  Papists  harboured  in  the  diocese," 
he  does  not  mean  the  prisoners  in  Wisbech,  but  Catholics 
living  peaceably  because  the  ofifice  of  chief  persecutor  was 
vacant ;  and  as  for  the  decay  of  Wisbech  Castle,  that  had 
come  about  no  doubt  because  the  bishops  had  found  its 
situation  among  the  fens  unwholesome.  This  was  held 
to  be  no  disadvantage  to  its  use  as  a  prison  instead  of  a 
palace. 

At  the  Revolution  the  castle  was  sold  to  Thurlow, 
afterwards  the  secretary  of  Oliver  Cromwell,  who  built  a 
house  on  its  site.  The  estate  reverted  to  the  see  at  the 
Restoration,  and  in  1793  Bishop  Yorke  sold  it,  under  an 
Act  of  Parliament,  to  John  Medworth  of  Bermondsey,  by 
whom  the  last  remains  of  the  castle  were  taken  down  in 
18 16.     Its  site  is  now  the  garden  in  the  Crescent - 

^  Annals,  vol.  iv.  p.  344. 

*  The  English  Counties  Delineated.  By  Thomas  Moule.  London,  1837, 
vol.  i.  p.  183. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  223 

It  will  help  to  illustrate  Father  Weston's  narrative  if 
we  add  that  "the  building,^  which  covered  two  acres  of 
land,  stood  in  the  midst  of  other  four  acres,  at  the  bound- 
ary of  which  was  a  strong  high  wall,  and  on  the  outside 
next  the  town  was  a  ditch  or  moat  forty  feet  wide ;  and 
there  was  no  way  to  the  castle  but  by  a  drawbridge  in 
the  west  front.  .  .  .  The  great  tower  was  the  residence  of 
the  constable  or  governor.  Underground  were  dismal, 
dark  vaults  for  the  confinement  of  prisoners,  which  made 
this  tower  sometimes  be  called  the  keep  or  dungeon. 
In  this  building  was  the  great  hall." 

The  castle  was  used  as  a  prison  for  Catholics  at  least 
as  late  as  161 5,  for  we  have  a  curious  account^  by  James 
Tabor,  Registrar  of  the  University  of  Cambridge,  of  the 
passage  through  the  town  of  some  priests  on  their  way 
to  Wisbech,  about  the  time  of  a  visit  of  King  James  I., 
and  of  the  precautions  taken  to  prevent  any  conferences 
between  them  and  the  undergraduates  of  the  University. 
Though  this  relates  to  a  time  subsequent  to  Father 
Weston's  imprisonment,  the  story  is  so  unlike  our  own 
ways  that  it  is  difficult  to  resist  the  temptation  to  insert 
it  here. 

"  13  Maii,  161 5.  A  three  weeks  before  the  day,  early 
notice  was  given,  both  to  the  deputy  Vice-Chancellor 
and  the  actors  of  the  comedy  called  Ignoramus,  that  his 
Majesty,  at  his  going  up  to  London  from  Thetford  and 
Newmarket,  where  he  had  sported,  was  fully  resolved  to 
hear  the  said  comedy  acted  again ;  whereupon  the  actors 
were  suddenly  called  together,  and  they  made  speedy 
preparation,  as  well  for  the  altering  and  adding  something 
to  the  plot ;  and  in  the  interim,  whilst  this  was  prepared, 

^  An  Historical  Account  of  the  Ancient  Town  and  Port  of  Wisbech.  By 
William  Watson,  Esq.,  F.A.S.     Wisbech,  1827,  pp.  123,  129. 

'  Annals  of  Cambridge.  By  Charles  Henry  Cooper.  Cambridge,  1S45, 
vol.  iii.  p.  84. 


2  24  ^{A'  of  Father  William  Weston. 

certain  Jesuits  or  priests,  being  to  be  conveyed  from 
London  to  Wisbech  Castle,  were  not  suffered  to  come 
through  Cambridge,  but  by  the  sheriff  carried  over  the 
back  of  the  town  to  Cambridge  Castle,  where  they  lodged 
one  night,  which  the  Vice-Chancellor  did  carefully  and 
wisely  to  prevent  the  dangers  which  might  have  ensued 
if  the  younger  sort  of  students  had  seen  them,  and  so 
by  their  own  allurements  or  persuasion  of  some  of  their 
adherents,  drawn  them  to  a  private  conference  either  there 
or  at  Wisbech,  which  also  to  prevent,  the  Vice-Chancellor 
attended  their  coming  into  the  castle,  and  then  sent  back 
all  such  young  students  as  he  saw  there.  This  they 
perceiving,  offered  a  disputation  to  the  Vice-Chancellor 
upon  three  questions,  which  were  [the  contradictories  of] 
these — 

"  I.  Protestantium  Ecclesia  est  vera  Christi  Ecclesia. 

"2.  Non  datur  Judex  externus  infallibilis  in  rebus 
Fidei. 

"  3.  Fides  non  potest  existere  sine  Charitate,  sine  qua 
tamen  est  causa  adaequata  justificationis. 

"  The  Vice-Chancellor  told  them  he  knew  they  were  to 
make  no  abode  there,  neither  had  he  power  from  his 
Majesty  to  give  leave  for  a  disputation,  which  might  give 
them  occasion  of  stay,  and  cause  a  meeting  of  the  students, 
and  so  left  them  ;  whereupon  the  Papists  gloried  as  in  the 
victory,  that  they  offered  to  dispute,  and  the  Vice-Chan- 
cellor did  refuse  it,  and,  that  this  might  be  the  better 
known,  they  writ  divers  copies  of  the  questions,  and 
fastened  them  to  boughs  ;  and  the  next  morning,  as  they 
went  to  take  boat  for  Wisbech,  they  threw  them  over 
Magdalen  College  walls,  which  were  brought  to  the  Vice- 
Chancellor  ;  whereupon  the  Vice-Chancellor  certified  the 
King  what  they  had  done,  so  the  King,  about  eight  days 
before  his  coming,  notified  to  the  Vice-Chancellor  that  at 
his  coming  to  Cambridge  he  would  have  a  disputation 
there  of  thos-;  questions.     Then  the  Vice-Chancellor  chose 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  225 

young  men  of  the  University  to  fit  the  disputation,  which 

were — 

"Mr.  Roberts,^  Trinitatis,    to  answer. 

" Mr.  Bidglande,  Regiiialis^ 

"Mr.  Cumbar,^  Trinitatis  r   to  reply, 

"  Mr.  Chappel,^  Christi       ) 

and  Mr.  Ceci\\,Johannis,  to  moderate  this  act.     The  King 

had   a    Latin   sermon   on    Sunday,   and    disputations   on 

Monday,  before  coming  away." 

The  first  CathoHc  prisoner  who  was  sent  to  Wisbech 
was  John  Feckenham,  O.S.B.,  the  last  Abbot  of  West- 
minster. Anthony  a  Wood  says*  that  "all  the  time  of 
Queen  Mary's  reign,  he  employed  himself  in  doing  good 
offices  for  the  afflicted  Protestants  from  the  highest  to  the 
lowest,  and  did  intercede  with  the  Queen  for  the  Lady 
Elizabeth,  for  which  he  gained  her  displeasure  for  a  time. 
After  the  said  Lady  Elizabeth  came  to  the  Crown,  and 
religion  was  about  to  be  altered,  he  devised  and  made 
speeches  in  the  Parliament  House  against  the  Queen's 
supremacy  over  the  Church  of  England.  But  the  Queen, 
having  a  very  great  respect  for  his  learning  and  virtuous 
life,  as  also  for  his  former  tenderness  of  her,  sent  for,  and 
had  private  discourse  with  him  ;  but  what  it  was,  none  yet 
do  positively  know,  though  there  be  not  wanting  some 
that  say  that  she  offered  to  him  the  Archbishopric  of 
Canterbury,  if  he  would  take  the  oath  and  conform  to  the 
Church  of  England,  which  he  refused." 

Elizabeth's  respect  and  gratitude  led  her  no  further 
than  to  grant  Feckenham  the  honour  of  this  interview, 
for  she  sent  him  to  the  Tower,  then  to  "  free  custody " 

^  "Supposed  to  be  William  Roberts,  afterwards  Fellow  of  Queen's,  and 
ultimately  Bishop  of  Bangor. 

^  "Thomas  Comber,  afterwards  Master  of  Trinity  College,  and  Dean  of 
Carlisle. 

'  • '  William  Chappell,  afterwards  Dean  of  Cashel,  Provost  of  Trinity  College, 
Dublin,  and  Bishop  of  Cork,  Cloyne,  and  Ross  "  (Mr.  Cooper's  notes). 

*  Athena:  Oxon.  vol.  i.  p.  222. 

P 


2  26  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

with  Robert  Home,  Bishop  of  Winchester — the  same 
who,  in  1549,  was  the  cause  of  his  imprisonment  in  the 
Tower  under  Edward  VI.,  so  that  it  is  not  improbable 
that  Hornc,  "  as  the  Roman  Catholics  say,  did  deal 
uncivilly  and  falsely  by  him "  —  from  Home's  custody 
Elizabeth  sent  him  back  to  the  Tower,  thence,  after  a  time, 
to  the  Marshalsea — while  a  prisoner  in  which  place  he  was, 
however,  allowed,  on  account  of  his  health,  to  sleep  in  a 
private  house  in  Holborn, — and  at  last  he  was  sent  to 
Wisbech,  where  he  died  in  1585,  the  twenty-seventh  year 
of  Elizabeth's  reign,  and  consequently  the  twenty-seventh 
year  of  his  imprisonment.  The  first  mention  of  his  transfer 
to  Wisbech  is  in  a  letter^  from  George  Carlcton  to  the 
Privy  Council,  in  July,  1579.  The  names  of  his  fellow- 
prisoners  are  mentioned  in  another  letter^  written  by 
Carleton  and  his  colleague,  Humphrey  Michell.  The  most 
notable  of  these  is  Thomas  Watson,  the  last  Bishop  of 
Lincoln,  on  whose  death  at  Wisbech,  on  the  27th  of 
September,  1584,  the  ancient  hierarchy  of  England 
expired.^  Fcckenham  and  Watson  rest  in  the  parish 
churchyard  of  Wisbech  St.  Peter.  The  letter  of  their 
fanatical  keepers  at  Wisbech  will  give  a  good  idea  of  the 
sort  of  persons  under  whose  charge  the  last  years  of  their 
venerable  lives  were  spent. 

"  All  duty  and  obedience  unto  your  honourable  lord- 
ships,— We  crave  pardon  in  that  we  have  not  so  straitly 
observed  your  honours'  direction  in  advertising  the  state 
of  the  recusants  in  Wisbech  Castle  as  was  set  down.  The 
greatest  reason  for  our  excuse  is  to  crave  more  time  than 
the  allowance  of  one  month  for  certifying  the  state  of  our 
proceedings  therein,  for  else  by  not  searching  into  the 
particular  conditions  of  the  parties,  we  might  inform  more 

■^  P.  R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  cxxxi.  n.  48. 
^  Ibid.  vol.  cxliii,  n.  17. 

'  Thomas  Goldwell,  Bishop  of  St.  Asaph,  died  in  1584  (Stonyhurst  MSS., 
P.  fol.  107),  and  it  is  possible  that  he  was  the  last  sunivor  of  the  ancient  bishops. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  227 

for  order  than  for  matter,  and  so  in  vain.  Let  it  therefore 
please  your  honours  to  understand  that  the  recusants  here 
now  imprisoned  are  eight  in  number,  namely,  Watson, 
Feckenham,  Younge,  Windham,  Oxenbridge,  Metham, 
Wood,  and  Bluet.  And  we,  according  to  your  lordships' 
letters  and  articles  to  the  same  adjoined,  have  (as  duty 
have  charged)  performed  carefully  what  was  enjoined,  as 
well  to  the  Bishop,  Gray  the  keeper,  as  the  prisoners 
themselves.  Advertising  further  that  the  Lord  Bishop 
hath  appointed  a  preacher  unto  the  recusants,  a  man  of 
holy  life,  learned,  and  able  to  give  account  of  his  doctrine 
strongly.  The  men  restrained,  before  us  both,  and 
others  have  been  called  divers  times  and  as  often  required 
to  hear  the  preacher,  and  abide  the  prayer ;  but  they  all 
with  one  voice  generally,  and  after  that  every  man  parti- 
cularly answering  for  himself,  denied  to  allow  either,  saying 
that  as  they  are  not  of  our  Church,  so  they  will  neither 
hear,  pray,  nor  yet  confer  with  us  of  any  matters  con- 
cerning religion.  Yet  as  touching  conference  we  must 
confess  that  Oxenbridge,  Metham,  and  Bluet  (being 
privately  dealt  with)  were  contented  to  abide  some  con- 
ference with  the  learned  ;  but  when  the  place  and  time 
was  appointed  for  disputation  upon  their  own  questions, 
the  first  of  them  that  spoke  made  his  protestation  that,  for 
obedience'  sake  and  our  pleasings,  they  were  content  to 
dispute  before  us,  upon  divers  causes  between  their  Church 
and  ours  now  in  question.  Nevertheless,  with  such  minds 
as  what  and  whatsoever  could  be  said  against  them,  they 
meant  not  to  be  reformed. 

"  The  disputation  held  by  the  space  of  two  hours,  the 
Lord  be  thanked,  to  the  great  profit  of  us  and  such  as 
stood  by,  though  to  them  a  hardening. 

"We   have    also,   according   to    the   article,    with   the 

preacher  perused  their  books   and  writings,  of  which  we 

restrained    all    saving  the   Canonical    Scriptures   and    the 

allowed    writers,   which    to    forego    (together    with   their 

P  2 


2  28  Life  of  Father  WiUiajn  Weston. 

Romish  notes  upon  the  same)  was  a  great  grief  unto  their 
hearts,  alleging  that  the  Book  of  God  simply  carricth  not 
such  force  and  comfort  to  their  consciences  as  when  the 
same  is  unfolded  by  the  Councils  and  Church  of  Rome. 
It  may  further  please  your  honours  that  divers  of  the 
recusants  have  their  servants  to  attend  upon  them,  and 
yet  for  them  to  be  allowed  is  not  warranted.  We  have 
suffered  them  (as  restrained  only  within  the  walls)  to 
attend  their  masters  till  we  know  your  further  pleasure, 
and  in  the  meantime  we  find  that  their  repairing  together, 
and  not  so  abridged  as  their  masters,  is  in  manner  all  one 
as  if  their  masters  might  as  well  confer  as  eat  together, 
which  conferring,  as  it  is  restrained,  so  we  wish  their 
together  eating  were.  For  if  they  be  such  offenders  as  in 
your  honours'  letters  appear,  ordinary  meeting  at  meals 
doth  not  only  strengthen  them  in  error,  but  also  layeth  a 
persuasion  before  them  that  this  late  earnest  restraint  with 
such  favour  added,  will  end  with  restoring  of  their  former 
liberty ;  but  it  were  too  much  boldness  for  us  to  show  any 
further  our  opinions  before  your  wisdoms,  what  we  think 
meet  for  such  obstinates  without  further  understanding  of 
your  honourable  minds  herein. 

"  Even  thus,  therefore,  beseeching  the  Lord  our  God 
to  endue  your  honours  with  all  knowledge,  judgment,  and 
obedience  of  and  to  His  will  in  this  behalf,  and  that  even 
upon  these  monsters  somewhat  may  be  wrought  by  your 
authority  that  may  yield  to  His  glory  and  the  godly  peace 
of  this  part  of  His  Church,  in  the  preservation  of  the  life 
and  continuance  of  the  prosperous  government  of  her  most 
excellent  Majesty,  with  increase  of  all  grace,  we  most 
humbly  take  our  leaves,  from  Wisbech  Castle  the  i6th  of 
October,  1580. 

"  Your  honours'  most  humbly  in  the  Lord  at  com- 
mandment, 

"  George  Carleton, 
"  Humphrey  Michell." 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  229 

Though  the  number  of  priests  banished  in  1585  was 
seventy-two,  there  were  many  yet  remaining  in  the  various 
prisons,  and  the  vacancies  were  soon  filled  by  fresh 
captures  of  Seminary  priests  and  of  Catholic  laymen.  It 
became  a  serious  question  for  the  Government  what  was 
to  be  done  with  them,  and  among  the  State  Papers  we 
find,  under  the  title,  "  The  means  to  Stay  the  Declining  in 
Religion,"^  the  following  politic  suggestions — 

"  Remedies  for  the  restrained  [priests].  The  execution 
of  them,  as  experience  hath  showed,  in  respect  of  their 
constancy,  or  rather  obstinacy,  moveth  many  to  compassion 
and  draweth  some  to  affect  their  religion,  upon  conceit 
that  such  an  extraordinary  contempt  of  death  cannot  but 
proceed  from  above,  whereby  many  have  fallen  away. 
And  therefore  it  is  a  thing  meet  to  be  considered  whether 
it  were  not  convenient  that  some  other  remedy  were  put 
in  execution.  And  in  case  the  execution  of  them  shall 
not  be  thought  the  best  course,  then  is  it  to  be  considered 
what  other  way  were  fit  to  be  held  with  them.  There  are 
of  these  seminaries  two  sorts,  some  learned  and  politic 
withal,  and  of  great  persuasion ;  others  simple,  having 
neither  zeal,  wit,  or  learning.  For  the  first  they  are  to 
be  sent  to  Wisbech,  or  some  such-like  places  where  they 
may  be  under  honest  keeping,  and  be  restrained  from 
access  and  intelligence ;  for  that,  being  banished,  they 
might  do  a  great  deal  of  harm.  For  the  second,  they  may 
be  banished  as  others  before,  upon  penalty  to  be  executed 
if  they  return.  Such  as  were  banished  and  are  returned 
are  to  be  presently  executed." 

One  would  be  led  to  suppose  that  this  paper  was  read 
at  a  Privy  Council,  for  we  have  a  holograph  letter  on  the 
subject  from  Walsingham  to  Phelippes,^  in  which  its 
expressions  recur. 

^  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  cxcv.  n.  114. 

'  Cotton.  MSS.   Calig.    C.   ix.  f.    566.     {^Wrongly  endorsed,    Babington's 
treasons.] 


230  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

"  My  lords  do  mean  to  take  order  with  the  Seminary 
priests  by  banishment  of  some,  executing  of  others,  and 
by  committing  the  rest  to  Wisbech  or  some  such-Hke  place 
under  some  honest  keeper.  I  have  thought  good  to  send 
you  a  register  of  their  names,  to  the  end  you  may  confer 
with  the  party  you  wot  of,  and  to  desire  him  to  set  down 
their  intentions  to  do  harm  in  their  several  kinds. 

"  I  take  it  there  will  be  found  very  few  of  them  fit  to 
do  good. 

"And  so  I  commit  you  to  God.     At  Barnes,  the  25th 

December,  1586. 

"  Your  loving  friend, 

"  Fra.  Walsingham." 

Walsingham  bears  testimony  to  the  constancy  of  the 
priests  who  were  his  prisoners.  "  Few  fit  to  do  good," 
means  few  that  Avould  become  his  tools.  The  "party  you 
wot  of"  was  Berden  the  spy,  and  accordingly  among  the 
State  Papers  we  have  various  papers  giving  his  comments 
on  the  register  of  names  that  Walsingham  sent  him.  It 
seems  incredible  that  the  fate  of  men  of  the  character  of 
the  imprisoned  priests  should  have  been  dependent  upon 
the  report  of  a  mercenary  wretch  like  Berden,  but  so  it 
was.  Two  names,  with  his  comments  upon  them,  taken 
from  his  report,  will  be  the  strongest  illustration  of  the 
sort  of  counsellor  by  whom  \\'alsingham  was  content  to 
be  guided  in  the  distribution  of  "justice." 

"  William  Edmonds  is  the  only  Jesuit  of  England  ;  to 
be  kept,  if  not  hanged. 

"John  Lister,  in  the  Marshalsea;  I  beseech  you  to  show 
him  all  favour ;  he  is  my  wife's  near  kinsman."^ 

It  is  all  in  keeping  with  the  system  by  Avhich  Phelippes 
had  power  with  Walsingham,  and  Berden  with  Phelippes, 
and  Berden  used  his  power  in  behalf  of  the  man  that  paid 
him  well.     This  time  it  was  not  the  prisoner  suing  for 

^  P.R.  O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  c.xcv.  n.  73. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  231 

liberty,  but  the  keeper  of  the  prison  desiring  prisoners 
who  would  pay  him  best,  and  so  Phelippes  writes  to 
Walsingham^  in  these  terms  in  behalf  of  Thomas  Gray, 
the  keeper  of  Wisbech  Gastle.  "  It  may  please  you 
to-morrow  to  be  good  unto  Gray  of  Wisbech,  who  will  be 
petitioner  for  some  of  the  best  priests  or  others  that  their 
honours  [of  the  Privy  Council]  think  well  to  be  restrained 
of  their  liberty."  The  best  priests,  those,  that  is,  whose 
friends  Avould  help  them  to  pay  the  most.  They  were  to 
be  there  at  "their  own  charges,"-  which  simply  means  that 
the  keeper  was  to  make  all  the  profit  possible  from  their 
custody  at  their  own  expense,  and  that  a  certain  amount 

^  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  cxc.  n.  30. 

"  "  Priests  and  others  in  the  prisons  about  London  fit  for  Wisbech,  able 
to  bear  the  charges — 

"  Gatehouse — Jonas  Meredith. 
James  Taylor. 
Newgate — Leonard  Hide. 
Isaac  Higgens. 
George  CoUinson. 
Counter,  Wood  Grene. 

Street —  Stampe. 

Edmund  Bradock. 
White  Lwn — Thomas  Pound. 
Marshalsea — ^John  Lister. 

John  Hubberley. 
Edward  Calverley. 
George  Potter. 
Nicholas  Knighton. 
John  S  my  the. 
Counter,  Poultry —  Stranguish." 

( P.  R.  O. ,  Doviestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  cxciii.  n.  67. ) 
"The  names  of  the  prisoners  at  Wisbech — 


.   Recusants. 

Priests. 

Priests. 

Mr.  Scroope. 

Potter. 

Stranguish. 

Mr.  Pierrepont. 

Powell. 

Greene. 

Mr.  Pound. 

Bramstone. 

Wigges. 

Priests. 

Southworth. 

Stampe. 

Metham. 

Loide. 

Dryland. 

Wigge.[?] 

Bickley. 

Bagshawe. 

Bluet. 

Bradock. 

Tillotson. 

Calverley. 

Chadock. 

Barlwin." 

Edmonds. 

{Ibid.  p.  cxc.  n.  44.) 

These  papers  are  dated  in  the  Calendar,  in  evident 

error,  September  and  June,  1586. 

232  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

of  freedom  would  be  winked  at  if  it  were  paid  for  hand- 
somely. 

Time  went  on,  and  the  plan  of  sending  some  of  the 
prisoners  out  of  the  way  to  Wisbech,  which  seems  to  have 
been  forgotten  for  a  while,  reviv'cd  again.  Mr.  Justice 
Young,  to  whom  the  examination  of  Catholics  was  espe- 
cially intrusted,  was  commissioned  to  report  on  the  various 
priests,  and  to  choose  out  those  who  should  be  sent  to  the 
prison  in  the  Fens.     He  wrote  thus^  to  Walsingham — 

"Right  Honourable, — Mine  humble  duty  remembered, 
it  may  please  your  honour  to  be  advertised  that  according 
to  your  honour's  commandment  I  have  talked  with  sundry 
priests  remaining  in  the  prisons  about  London,  whom  I 
find  to  be  of  divers  dispositions,  some  very  obstinate  and 
perverse,  so  liberal  of  their  slanderous  speeches  and  so 
evil  affected  towards  the  Queen's  Majesty  and  the  estate 
of  the  realm,  that  as  they  are  most  unworthy  to  live  in 
England  for  fear  of  the  disturbance  of  her  Majesty's  peace- 
able government,  so  in  mine  opinion  they  are  not  worthy 
to  live  in  any  other  place,  where  they  may  incite  any 
others  to  the  hurt  and  damage  of  the  realm  :  amongst 
which  is  one  Simpson,  alias  Hyegate,  and  one  Flower, 
priests,  with  many  others,  but  these  are  especial,  and  such 
as  by  the  laws  have  justly  deserved  death,  and  in  nowise 
merit  her  Majesty's  mercy,  as  will  appear  by  their  exami- 
nations, which  I  will  send  to  your  honour,  with  all  the 
others  when  I  shall  have  perfected  them. 

"Whereas  your  honour  thinketh  convenient  that  some 
should  be  sent  to  Wisbech,  it  is  most  assured  that  living 
here  in  London  at  liberty  in  the  prisons,  they  do  much 
harm  to  such  as  resort  unto  them,  especially  William 
Wigges,  Leonard  Hide,  and  George  Collinson,  priests, 
prisoners  in  Newgate ;  Morris  Williams,  an  old  priest, 
prisoner  in  the  Clink,  and  Thomas  Pound,  prisoner  in  the 

^  P.R.O.,  Doaicsiic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  cciii.  n.  20. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  233 

White  Lion,  taken  as  a  layman,  but  (as  Tyrrell  assureth 
me)  he  is  a  professed  Jesuit,  and  was  admitted  by  one 
substituted  by  Persons  while  the  said  Pound  was  prisoner 
in  the  Tower,  These  are  most  busy  and  dangerous 
persons,  and  such  as  in  nowise  are  worthy  of  liberty, 
neither  are  they  within  the  compass  of  the  last  statute ;  ^ 
so  that  if  your  honour  think  so  good,  Wisbech  were  a 
convenient  place  for  them. 

"  There  are  many  others  which  will  appear  to  be  of 
the  same  sort ;  but  for  so  much  as  these  are  principal 
malefactors,  and  that  perhaps  they  be  a  number  sufficient 
to  be  carried  thither  at  one  time,  I  will  forbear  to  speak 
of  the  others  until  I  shall  deliver  all  their  examinations 
together,  which  shall  be  with  as  much  celerity  as  I 
may,  for  I  find  many  that  would  live  peaceably,  and 
are  not  estranged  from  conference  to  be  had  with  our 
preachers. 

"  I  am  given  to  understand  that  one  Francis  Tyrrell  is 
to  be  admitted  into  her  Majesty's  service,  and  hath  the 
grant  of  a  room,  but  where  I  know  not.  As  I  hear,  he  is 
an  obstinate  Papist,  and  is  doubted  lest  he  be  placed  as 
an  espie.  He  hath  of  late  spoken  very  slanderous  and 
evil  speeches  against  the  Earl  of  Leicester  and  Sir  Francis 
Drake,  which  I  write  to  your  honour  because  you  may 
inquire  of  him  and  prevent  him,  for  it  will  be  verified  to 
him  what  he  is  and  what  he  hath  spoken. 

"  I  beseech  your  honour  to  remember  her  Majesty  for 
the  protection  for  my  son  Wendover,  for  it  standeth  me 
greatly  upon  as  I  certified  her  Majesty,  and  I  hope  her 
Highness  will  be  mindful  of  my  suit  for  myself  And  so 
I  humbly  take  my  leave,  praying  Almighty  God  long  to 

^  By  the  statute  27  Eliz.  [158*]  cap.  2,  Jesuits,  Seminary  priests,  and 
other  ecclesiastical  persons,  born  in  these  realms,  and  ordained  by  the  pre- 
tended authority  of  the  See  of  Rome,  coming  into  or  remaining  in  the  Queen's 
dominions,  were  guilty  of  high  treason.  IS' either  Queen  Mary  priests,  nor 
those  who  had  "  remained,"  because  they  were  in  prison  from  the  passing  of  the 
Act,  were  "within  the  compass  of  the  statute.' 


234  ^lA'  of  Father  William  Weston. 

preserve  and  keep  you  and  all  yours  in  health,  with  much 
increase  of  honour.  London,  this  26th  day  of  August, 
1587. 

"  Your  honour's  most  ready  at  commandment, 

"  Ryc.  Young." 

Of  the  two  priests  whom  Young  recommended  for  death, 
one  was  executed.  "William  Flower,  alias  Way,  seminary," 
was  one  of  Father  Weston's  fellow-prisoners^  in  the  Clink. 
His  name  does  not  occur  in  the  lists  already  given,-  for  they 
are  both  dated  in  1586,  and  he  was  not  arrested,  as  we  shall 
immediately  see,  till  June,  29  Eliz.,  that  is,  1587.  Lord 
Keeper  Puckering  mentions  him  thus  ■?  "  Surrey.  W^illiam 
Flower,  born  in  Denshire,  made  a  priest  in  France  at 
Michaelmas,  anno  28  Rcgince.  He  returned  into  England, 
and  was  apprehended  in  Surrey  about  June,  29  Rcgiiics, 
after  the  general  pardon.  His  offence  was  of  being  in  the 
realm."  If  "  Denshire  "  means  "  Devonshire,"  this  agrees 
very  well  with  W^illiam  Way,  of  the  diocese  of  Exeter, 
who,  according  to  the  Douay  Diary,  was  ordained  priest 
at  Laon,  September  18,  1586.  The  College  Diary  enters 
this  priest  on  its  list  of  martyrs.  A  contemporary  manu- 
script^ sa}'s  of  him  :  "  Mr.  William  Way,  priest,  a  man 
much  mortified  by  great  abstinence  and  other  austerities. 


1  "20  July,  1587. 

"  Clink — Maurice  AVilliams. 

William  Edmonds,  Jesuit. 

Nicholas  P'elps,  alias  Smj  ih.  Seminary. 

Anthony  Tyrrell,  alias  Browne,  Seminary. 

Nicholas  Gellebrand,  Seminary. 

William  Flower,  alias  Way,  Seminary. 

William  Parry,  Seminary. 

John  Robinson,  Seminary. 

Edward  James,  Seminary. 

Paul  Spcnce,  Seminary." 

(P.  R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  ccii.  n.  6l.) 
'  Supra,  pp.  179,  181. 
"  Slrype's  Annals,  vol.  iv.  p.  254. 
*  Oscott  College  MSS.,  Father  Grene's  Collcdan.  F.  p.  78. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  235 

lying  ever  in  prison  upon  the  boards  and  wearing  con- 
tinually a  shirt  of  hair,  so  desirous  of  martyrdom  that  he 
would  many  times  cry  out,  '  Oh,  I  shall  never  come  to  it,' 
was  conveyed  from  London  to  Kingston-upon-Thames, 
where,  answering  with  great  constancy,  he  was  drawn, 
hanged,  and  quartered  with  severity."  The  Bishop  of 
Chalcedon,  in  the  Catalogue  of  Martyrs  sent  by  him  to 
the  Holy  See  in  1628,  places  his  martyrdom  on  the  23rd 
of  September,  1588,  and  quotes,  as  referring  to  this  martyr, 
Stowe,  who  says  :  "  On  the  23rd  of  September  a  Seminary 
priest  named  Flower  was  hanged,  beheaded,  and  quartered 
at  Kingston." 

By  a  very  curious  coincidence  it  appears  that  another 
priest,  who  suffered  martyrdom  at  the  same  place  a  few 
days  later,  was  also  called,  at  least  as  an  alias,  William 
Way.  It  is  not  surprising  that  the  Bishop  of  Chalcedon 
and  Bishop  Challoner  have  omitted  him  from  their 
Catalogues  of  Martyrs,  yet  it  seems  that  there  really  was 
a  second  martyr  who  was  called  by  that  which  was  the 
true  name  of  the  first.  His  own  name  was  William  Wigges; 
and,  what  is  more  curious,  there  were  two  priests  of  this 
name  also,  of  whom  one,  and  that  not  the  martyr,  is 
mentioned  in  Young's  letter.  We  will  take  the  martyr 
first,  though  he  was  the  younger  of  the  two. 

Anthony  a  Wood  says:^  "One  Will.  Wygge,  some- 
times called  Way,  was  executed  for  being  a  seminary  and 
denying  the  oath  of  supremacy,  at  Kingston,  in  Surrey,  on 
the  1st  day  of  October,  1588."  Whether  he  was  the  same 
with  WiUiam  Wygge,  of  New  College,  Oxford,  who  took  the 
degree  of  M.A.  October  12,  1582,  Wood  adds  that  he  does 
not  know.  Dr.  Worthington,  whose  Catalogue  of  Martyrs 
was  printed  in  1614,  and  Dr.  Champney,  whose  manuscript 
history  of  the  reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth  was  begun  in  161 8, 
agree  in  saying  that  a  martyr,  whom  they  call  Way, 
suffered  at  Kingston  on  the    ist  of  October.     Wilson,  in 

^  Fasti  Oxon.  p.  123. 


236  Life  of  Father  Williavi  Weston. 

his  Catalogue,  printed  in  1608,  makes  no  mention  of 
Flower  or  Way,  but  names  William  Wigges,  priest,  on 
that  day.  Yepez  derived  his  list,^  printed  in  1599,  from 
a  little  book  called  Relacion  dc  algtmos  martyrios,  published 
by  Father  Persons  in  1590,  in  which  occur  the  names  of 
Flower  and  Way ;  and  this  shows  what  is  meant  by 
"  Elouer  "  and  "  Vvayo  "  in  Yepez.  On  the  other  hand, 
the  list  at  the  end  of  Ribadeneira's  Spanish  Sanders, 
printed  in  1594,  gives  "Guillermo  Wiges,"  or  Wigges, 
and  "  Guillcrmo  Vero,"  the  latter  half,  apparently,  of  the 
name  of  Plower. 

The  other  William  Wigges  was  of  St.  John's  College, 
Oxford,  and  according  to  Anthony  a  Wood  became  B.A. 
in  1566.  He  is  mentioned  as  "still  in  London"  by 
Gregory  Martin,  in  a  letter-  written  by  him  to  Campion, 
dated  February  8,  1575.  "Wigsaeus  noster  Londini  est 
adhuc."  He  seems  to  have  been  at  the  College  at  Rheims 
from  November,  1577,  ^o  the  March  following,  and  in 
August,  1 58 1,  to  have  proceeded  to  Rome  with  Thomas 
Stanney  and  John  Munden.  Munden  was  martyred  in 
1582.  Wigges  must  have  returned  from  Rome  very  soon, 
for  he  was  ordained  in  1582,  when  the  Douay  Diary  notes 
that  he  Avas  of  the  diocese  of  London.  He  left  the  College 
for  England  on  the  i6th  of  P'ebruary,  1583.  \\\  1585  he 
was  in  the  Tower  with  Leonard  Hide  and  Thomas  Alfield, 
and  the  three  priests  were  indicted  together.^  Alfield  was 
martyred,  but  the  lives  of  Wigges  and  Hide  were  spared, 
and  we  learn  from  Young's  letter  that  they  were  still  in 
Newgate  in  1587. 

Young's  recommendation  was  adopted  respecting  both 
of  them,  and  they  were  sent  to  Wisbech  Castle ;  and  some 


^  Persecticion  de  Inglaterra,  p.  6i2. 

*  Archives  of  the  English  College,  Rome.  For  this  extract,  and  for 
the  references  here  given  relating  to  \N'igges,  the  editor  is  indebted  to  Canon 
Estcourt. 

^   The  Rambler,  June,  1857,  p.  426. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  237 

time  later  their  characters  were  thus  reported^  to  the  Privy 
Council  by  some  official,  whom  we  do  not  know. 

"  Leonard  Hide,  a  most  dangerous  and  presumptuous 
Seminary  priest,  who,  being  sent  to  the  Tower,  willed  the 
commissioners  to  show  him  favour,  that  he  might  show 
them  favour  another  day.  He  was  removed  from  Newgate 
to  Wisbech,  and  is  a  great  practiser  and  writer  of  letters 
abroad  for  traitorous  causes. 

"William  Wigges,  priest,  a  most  traitorous  seducer  of 
the  Queen's  Majesty's  subjects  from  the  truth  and  from 
their  true  obedience.  He  is  a  desperate  man,  and  told  the 
commissioners  that  he  had  said  Mass,  and  would  say 
Mass,  and  that  he  hoped  to  say  Mass  in  Paul's.  He  hath 
greater  power  and  authority  than  the  ordinary  sort  of 
priests  have  for  consecration  of  chalices,  altar-stones,  and 
such  like." 

The  report  reached  Rome  that  William  Wigges  had 
died  of  hardships  in  prison  in  the  year  1588,  whereas  in 
reality  he  survived  and,  as  we  have  seen,  was  sent  to 
Wisbech.  This  was  printed  at  Rome  in  1590,  in  the 
Catalogue  of  the  Martyrs  of  the  two  Seminaries  of  Rome 
and  Rheims,  and  was  no  confusion'  with  the  other  priest 
of  the  same  name,  for  his  martyrdom  in  that  year  was 
also  mentioned  in  the  same  Catalogue.  This  we  learn 
from  Father  Grene,^  who  says  that  he  understands  the 
martyr  to  be  the  same  as  William  Way,  and  in  his  index 
he  has  "Waius  Gul.,  alias  Wiggs." 

There  is  one  more  prisoner  who  is  mentioned  in 
Young's  letter,  of  whom  it  may  be  well  to  say  a  word. 
When  the  report  above-mentioned,  respecting  the  Wisbech 
prisoners,  was  made  to  the  Privy  Council,  there  were 
thirty-two  in  confinement  there,  who  were  all  priests  except 
one.  That  one  was  Thomas  Pound,  and  he  probably 
owed  the  honour  to  the  perfectly  accurate  information  that 

*  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  cxcix.  n.  91. 
^  Stonyhurst  MSS.,  Catalogue  of  Martyrs,  p.  56. 


238  Life  of  Fat/icr  William  Weslon. 

Anthony  Tyrrell  had  given  to  Young,  that  he  had  been 
received  into  the  Society.  In  truth,  he  had  been  nearly 
ten  years  a  Jesuit,  for  Father  Alercurian  had  received  him 
on  the  1st  of  December,  1578,  and  all  that  time,  and 
onwards  for  full  thirty  years,  he  was  in  prison.  The  report 
said  of  him  :  "  Thomas  Pound,  a  layman,  a  v^ery  obstinate 
man,  and  a  great  maintainer  of  priests  and  other  bad 
persons." 

We  must  now  at  length  accompany  Father  Weston  to 
his  new  place  of  imprisonment. 

"  Affairs  being  as  I  have  described,  the  appointed  day 
came  for  us  to  begin  our  journey  to  Wisbech.  Out  of  the 
whole  number  of  priests  in  the  different  prisons  there 
were  twelve  of  us  chosen,  who  were  conducted  by  our 
keepers  to  a  public  inn,  and  then  delivered  into  the  hands 
of  those  who,  with  the  help  of  a  strong  and  armed  guard, 
were  to  escort  and  convey  us  away.  We  set  out  on  our 
travels  in  the  midst  of  a  great  concourse  of  men  and 
women,  who  followed  us  with  their  eyes  and  gestures  till 
we  were  far  beyond  the  city,  as  though  we  had  been 
some  strange  spectacle.  They  treated  us  with  kindness 
throughout  our  journey.  At  night,  however,  they  set 
watches  at  the  doors  of  our  rooms,  both  to  prevent  the 
possibility  of  our  escaping,  and  also  to  protect  us  from 
violence  on  the  part  of  the  heretics.  When  we  arrived  at 
Wisbech,  at  least  on  the  following  day,  the  Justices  of 
the  Peace  assembled,  who  had  received  orders  from  the 
Queen's  Council  to  take  us  in  charge,  and  place  us  in  our 
appointed  prison.  Here,  again,  we  had  a  throng  of  almost 
the  whole  population,  for  it  was  a  market-day.  In  dense 
groups  they  surrounded  us  as  we  quitted  the  inn  where 
we  had  slept,  and  accompanied  us  to  the  prison.  When 
we  reached  it,  we  were  divided  and  sent  into  separate 
rooms,  wherein  we  lived  day  and  night  under  bolts  and 
locks,  excepting  at  the  hours  of  dinner  and  supper,  and 
half  an  hour  before  and  after  our  meal,  when  we  could 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  239 

breathe  the  air  and  walk  about  a  little.  This  was  a  public 
prison,  common  to  all  the  thieves  and  criminals,  and 
situated  within  the  inclosure  of  the  Bishop's  palace.  It 
stood  upon  a  high  terrace,  and  water  filled  a  moat  all 
around  it.  Everything,  however,  at  that  time  was  ruinous 
and  dilapidated,  particularly  through  the  rapacity  and 
avarice  of  the  heretical  prelates,  who,  not  caring  for 
posterity,  and  only  mindful  of 'their  own  convenience,  had 
despoiled  the  building  of  its  best  material,  selling  the  lead 
off  the  roof,  the  beams,  the  iron,  and  the  glass,  and  thus 
abandoning  the  other  parts  to  ruin  and  decay. 

"  In  this  prison,  besides  other  priests  and  high-born 
laymen,  I  found  Thomas  Metham  and  Thomas  Pound,  the 
former  a  priest,  the  latter  a  layman  of  good  family,  both 
of  whom  had  been  formerly  admitted  into  the  Society  by 
Father  Persons,  and  had  suffered  much  for  many  years 
and  in  many  prisons,  even  including  the  Tower  of  London, 
with  great  courage,  for  the  confession  of  their  faith.  Before 
them,  indeed,  the  Bishop  of  Lincoln,  Feckenham,  Abbot 
of  Westminster,  Doctor  Wood,  the  confessor  of  Queen 
Mary,  all  of  them  illustrious  men,  had  been  thrust  into 
this  prison,  or  rather  sepulchre,  and,  after  many  calamities, 
tribulations,  and  labours,  had  happily  slept  in  our  Lord. 
Hither,  also,  we  ourselves,  with  no  other  expectation  of  it 
but  as  a  place  of  living  entombment,  arrived  and  entered 
in,  and  there  we  were  kept,  deprived  of  the  sight  of  the 
world  and  all  who  were  dear  to  us,  myself  for  the  space  of 
eleven  years,  others  for  a  still  longer  period,  others  for  a 
shorter  one,  being  intercepted  by  death  and  allowed  to  finish 
their  earthly  course,  not  without  a  great  store  of  merits. 

"The  number  of  the  prisoners  was  not  always  the 
same,  or  fixed  ;  for  from  time  to  time  new  ones  were 
brought  in,  while  the  older  ones,  particularly  laymen  of 
distinction,  were  set  free,  and  some  were  removed  by 
death.  But  we  averaged  generally  thirty  or  five-and- 
thirty,  shut  up  day  and  night  in  our  cells,  as  I  said ;  only 


240  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

at  dinner  and  supper  we  were  set  free  and  met  at  a 
common  table,  a  keeper  being  always  present,  and 
occupying  one  extremity  of  the  table,  while  his  wife  did 
the  same  at  the  other  end,  both  of  them  watching  us 
diligently  for  fear  of  a  word  being  dropped  that  they 
could  not  themselves  hear.  Immediately,  then,  after  a 
half  hour,  we  were  sent  back  to  our  rooms.  We  were 
fed  at  the  expense  of  Catholics,  and  that  at  no  light 
cost ;  but  we  were  scarcely  ever  permitted  to  enjoy  the 
sight  or  conversation  of  any  one.  If  a  person,  Jiowever, 
brought  money  for  the  prisoners,  one  or  two  had  leave  to 
go  to  meet  him  to  receive  his  alms.  Night  watches  were 
arranged  within  and  without  the  walls.  The  whole  order 
of  affairs  and  the  care  of  us  were  committed  to  the  hands 
of  four  justices,  men  of  particular  mark ;  and  if  any 
matter  or  business  stood  in  need  of  special  assistance  or 
diligent  attention,  it  was  referred  to  them.  Moreover,  on 
a  certain  tablet,  long  and  broad,  were  written  many  laws, 
all  set  down  in  a  long  list  and  in  order,  and  hung  up  in 
a  public  place,  so  that  any  one  who  chose  might  read 
them.  These  rules  were  imposed  upon  the  gaolers  and 
upon  ourselves  ;  we  all  had  to  observe  them  :  they  related 
to  the  subject  of  our  food,  to  the  hours  which  had  to  be 
kept,  to  visitors,  to  books,  to  disturbances  of  the  peace,  and 
various  other  things  which  it  would  take  too  long  to  tell. 

"  Under  this  condition  and  manner  of  living  we  con- 
tinued, I  think,  six  years.  We  were  subjected,  however, 
to  frequent  examinations,  searchings  of  our  rooms,  contests 
with  ministers,  and  disputations  concerning  religion.  Yet, 
notwithstanding  all  these  annoyances,  it  was  a  great  con- 
solation to  us  that  we  were  frequently  enabled  to  celebrate 
the  Holy  Mysteries  ;  for  we  had  learned  to  arrange  matters 
with  so  much  ingenuity  that  we  did  not  want  for  either 
vestments,  chalices,  altar-breads,  or  wine. 

"  From  the  beginning  the  prison  had  been  beset  by  a 
great  multitude  of  Puritan  visitors,  especially  a  little  before 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  241 

our  arrival,  partly  from  the  town  itself,  partly  from  the 
villages  near.  For  as  the  gaoler  was  himself  a  Puritan, 
together  with  all  his  family,  and  had  the  justices  also  for 
supporters,  they  used  to  come  in  crowds,  flocking  from  all 
quarters  to  be  present  at  their  exercises.  These  they  used 
to  begin  with  three  or  four  sermons,  preached  one  after  the 
other.  Then  they  went  to  communion,  not  receiving  it 
either  on  their  knees  or  standing,  but  moving  by,  so  that 
it  might  be  called  a  Passover  in  very  truth.  They  had 
likewise  a  kind  of  tribunal  of  their  own,  and  elders  who 
had  power  to  investigate  and  punish  at  will  the  misde- 
meanours of  their  brethren.  They  all  had  their  Bibles, 
and  looked  diligently  for  the  texts  that  were  quoted  by 
their  preachers,  comparing  different  passages  to  see  if  they 
had  been  brought  forward  truly  and  to  the  point,  in  such 
a  manner  as  to  confirm  their  own  doctrine.  They  held 
arguments,  also,  among  themselves  about  the  meaning  of 
various  Scripture  texts,  all  of  them,  men  and  women,  boys 
and  girls,  labourers,  workmen,  and  simpletons ;  and  these 
discussions  were  often  wont,  as  it  was  said,  to  produce 
quarrels  and  fights.  All  these  things  could  be  seen  by 
the  Catholic  prisoners  from  the  windows  of  their  cells,  for 
they  took  place  not  in  a  temple  or  house,  but  within  the 
inclosure  of  the  prison  walls,  on  a  large  space  where  a 
thousand  or  more  persons  were  reported  sometimes  to 
assemble,  and  occasioned  laughter  to  such  as  beheld  or 
heard  them  by  the  multitude  of  their  Bibles,  the  number 
of  their  horses,  and  the  medley  of  their  voices.  When  the 
congregation  was  dismissed,  after  the  long  fast  that  had 
been  imposed  upon  them  all,  and  after  the  whole  day  had 
been  consumed  in  these  exercises,  they  ended  the  farce 
with  a  plentiful  supper.  As  time  passed,  however,  their 
fervour  relaxed,  their  principal  leaders  were  removed,  and 
they  began  to  diminish  in  numbers  and  to  seek  other 
places  better  fitted  to  serve  as  scenes  for  their  sacrilegious 
assemblies." 
Q 


242 


CHAPTER   XVL 

collp:gk  life  in  prison. 

"After  we  had  passed  about  six  years  in  solitary  con- 
finement, during  which  time,  besides  other  affronts  and 
molestations,  we  had  to  sustain  assaults  from  the  throwing 
of  stones,  hurled  at  us  partly  in  contempt,  partly  in  a  spirit 
of  hatred,  there  began  to  dawn  upon  us  gentler  times, 
tempered  with  greater  liberty,  through  the  goodness  of 
God.  At  the  end  of  many  complaints  and  contentions 
with  our  gaoler,  we  at  last  obtained  leave  to  go  out  of 
our  rooms  when  we  pleased,  though  not  beyond  the  walls 
of  the  prison.  We  could  receive  openly  any  friends  who 
came  to  visit  us  ;  we  were  exempted  from  the  necessity  of 
dining  at  our  gaoler's  table,  and  we  gained  the  power  of 
providing  food  for  ourselves  at  our  own  choice,  each  one  of 
us  paying  every  month  for  our  rooms  the  sum  of  twenty- 
four  reals  [i2j'.].  This  sum,  when  paid  by  thirty,  and 
sometimes  forty  of  us,  amounted  to  a  very  comfortable 
stipend  for  a  man  who  deserved  so  little,  and  received 
it  as  pay  for  so  singularly  impious  and  sacrilegious  an 
employment.  We  had  then  a  public  refectory  for  us  all, 
separate  from  the  keeper's  house,  our  own  kitchen, 
pantry,  cellars,  and  offices,  so  that  we  appeared  to  be 
almost  dwelling  in  our  own  house  and  free  home.  The 
place  was  large,  as  I  said,  and  formed  part  of  the  Bishop's 
residence.  Thus  it  proved  quite  spacious  enough  for  us 
all ;  neither  was  there  anything  left  to  annoy  us  beyond 
the  absence  of  corporal  liberty,  our  gaoler  always  securing 
our  custody  and  reserving  to  himself  certain  concessions 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  243 

which  he  could  grant  or  withhold,  according  to  circum- 
stances. 

"The  following  was,  I  think,  the  only  event  of  these 
times  that  deserves  to  be  recorded,  and  that  was  very- 
remarkable.  It  happened  during  that  period  when  all 
the  prisoners  were  kept  shut  up  until  the  time  for  dinner 
and  supper.  One  day,  at  the  very  hour  of  dinner,  whilst 
Mr.  Pound  and  his  companion  were  present  with  the 
others,  the  roof  of  the  chamber  allotted  to  those  two  fell 
in,  the  beams  being  quite  decayed.  If  this  had  occurred 
at  any  other  time  but  that  brief  space  set  apart  for  dinner, 
it  must  have  imperilled  their  lives,  or  at  least  have  resulted 
in  the  breaking  of  their  limbs.  It  was  remarked  that  the 
part  of  the  room  where  stood  the  table  that  served  them 
instead  of  an  altar,  where  Mass  was  said  every  day,  and 
was  decorated  for  that  purpose  with  a  number  of  pictures, 
was  in  such  a  manner  preserved  from  the  accident  that 
neither  the  altar  nor  the  pictures  were  so  much  as  soiled 
with  the  dust  and  rubbish  of  the  falling  rafters. 

"After  those  six  years  I  emerged,  as  it  were,  from 
darkness  and  the  strict  confinement  of  the  cells,  and  felt 
myself  permitted  once  again  to  behold  the  light  of  the 
world.  Then  not  only  were  we  able  to  minister  to  the 
spiritual  wants  of  those  Catholics  who  came  to  see  us,  but 
we  arranged  our  life  so  as  to  form  a  kind  of  college,  and 
began  to  employ  ourselves  in  literary  studies  and  in  all 
other  honourable  occupations,  devoting  certain  days  of  the 
week  to  cases  of  conscience,  controversies,  discussions,  and 
lectures  in  the  Hebrew  and  Greek  languages.  We  also 
appointed  sermons,  not  so  much  for  the  necessity  of 
seculars  as  for  the  benefit  and  practice  of  the  priests 
themselves. 

"After  it  became  known  to  Catholics  that  liberty  had 

been  granted  to  us  of  seeing  and  speaking  with  all  who 

came  to  us,  there  appeared  forthwith  a  great  number,  not 

only  of  Catholics,  but  also  of  heretics,  who  thronged  to 

Q  2 


244  ^^fi  ^/  Father  Willia7n  Weston. 

visit  us  for  the  sake  of  seeing  who  we  were,  consulting  us, 
and  holding  controversies  with  us.  No  day  passed  away 
without  some  guests.  For,  even  if  I  omit  the  arrival  of 
students  from  the  Universities,  and  of  ministers  who  came 
often  attended  by  numerous  followers,  to  discuss  doctrines 
with  us,  the  continual  tide  of  Catholics  of  all  kinds  who 
pressed  in  to  visit  us  was  so  great  that  the  Queen  and  her 
Councillors  were  highly  indignant  at  it,  and  blamed  our 
gaoler  for  allowing  it.  But  in  spite  of  all  this,  since  the 
place  was  at  a  considerable  distance  from  Court,  the  visits 
were  not  stopped  for  long.  Innumerable  persons  came 
from  all  parts  of  the  kingdom  ;  some,  as  to  a  place  of 
devotion,  as  though  they  had  undertaken  a  pilgrimage, 
spending  the  time  during  which  they  stayed  with  us  in 
receiving  the  sacraments,  and  other  pious  exercises,  as 
though  they  were  celebrating  a  solemn  festival.  In  this 
manner  the  house  was  never  empty,  nor  were  we  ever  freed 
from  the  duty  of  these  ministrations.  I  pass  over  the  cases 
of  conscience  that  were  settled  by  us,  the  quarrels  that  we 
pacified,  the  frequent  letters  that  we  were  required  to  write, 
answers  to  heretics,  and  to  those,  also,  who  had  the  faith, 
but  who  insisted  that  the  practice  of  going  to  heretical 
services  was  not  unlawful  nor  worthy  of  condemnation. 

"  Such  was  the  state  and  such  were  the  habits  of  our 
prison  life  during  all  the  last  five  years,  until  I  was 
removed  from  thence  and  shut  up  in  the  Tower  of  London. 
If  there  is  anything  else  proper  to  be  mentioned  it  would 
be  the  manner  of  our  own  life — my  own,  I  mean,  that  of 
Father  Thomas  Metham,  and  of  Thomas  Pound,  to  whom, 
after  a  few  years,  Father  Ralph  Bickley  was  added.  There 
is  scarcely  anything  for  me  to  add  to  the  general  customs 
of  our  whole  community,  excepting  the  exercises  of  prayer, 
examination  of  conscience,  exhortations,  and  conferences, 
which  we  took  care  should  be  diligently  maintained, 
unless  violence  or  any  great  necessity  came  to  interrupt 
them. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  245 

"  Immediately  on  our  obtaining  the  liberty  of  which  I 
^spoke,  in  the  year  '94,  if  I  mistake  not,  Father  Thomas 
Metham  having  finished  the  course  of  his  life  by  a  happy 
passage,  left  us  for  God.  He  was  at  least  sixty  years  old, 
and  had  experienced  many  prisons.  For  four  years  he 
had  been  detained  in  the  Tower  of  London,  from  which, 
when  suffering  from  serious  illness,  he  was  released  at  the 
intercession  of  friends.  Later  on  he  passed  through  other 
prisons,  and  in  the  end  was  brought  to  Wisbech.  As  he 
was  a  learned  man  and  a  theologian,  having  been  a 
licentiate  before  he  entered  religion,  and  accomplished 
both  in  the  Hebrew  and  Greek  languages,  and  in  historical 
knowledge  and  all  scholarship,  he  had  been  engaged  In 
many  contests  and  disputations  with  heretics,  and  carried 
away  glorious  trophies  in  the  cause  of  that  faith  which  he 
so  bravely  defended.  At  last,  it  was  by  a  short  and 
apparently  light  illness  that  he  was  attacked  and  over- 
come. Fortified  by  the  sacraments  of  the  Church,  happily 
and  sweetly,  painlessly  and  without  any  agony,  he  slept 
in  peace." 

Of  Father  Thomas  Metham  very  little  is  known  beyond 
that  which  is  here  told  by  Father  Weston.  It  is  a  mistake 
on  the  part  of  Dodd  and  Oliver  to  say  that  "  he  was  one 
of  the  first  missionaries  from  Douay  College."  He  was 
ordained  elsewhere,  and  became  Licentiate  in  Theology 
in  some  other  Continental  university,  for  he  but  passed 
through  Douay  College  on  his  way  to  England,  in  order 
that  he  might  obtain  missionary  faculties  from  Dr.  Allen, 
the  President.  This  was  in  1574;  and  the  Douay  Diary, 
in  recording  it,  notes  that  he  was  a  Yorkshireman  by  birth. 
In  all  probability  he  was  a  son  of  Sir  Thomas  Metham,  of 
whom  Sanders  says^  that  he  and  his  wife  had  been  many 
years  in  prison.  Mrs.  Metham  is  mentioned^  as  one  of  the 
six  Catholic  ladies,  "  of  the  best  sort,"  who  were  imprisoned 
in  Sheriff  Hutton  Castle  by  the  Earl  of  Huntingdon, 
^  Concertatio,  fol.  47.  °  Troubles,  First  Series,  p.  229. 


246  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

"  all  which  gentlewomen  became  afterwards  ladies,  their 
husbands  being  knighted."  This  was  probably  our  Fatheif 
Metham's  brother's  wife.  The  old  Sir  Thomas,  as  we 
learn  from  Sanders,  was  an  intimate  friend  of  Thomas 
Percy,  the  Earl  of  Northumberland,  who  was  beheaded  in 
1572.  He  says  that  when  the  Earl  was  brought  to  York, 
shortly  before  his  execution  Sir  Thomas  Metham  had  an 
interview  with  him,  and  after  an  affectionate  farewell,  went 
home  and  died  in  a  few  days,  so  that  death  did  not  separate 
the  two  friends. 

When  Father  Thomas  Metham  began  his  long  course 
of  imprisonment  may  be  computed  from  the  fact  that  the 
Roman  Annual  Letters^  say  that  he  died  in  1592.  Father 
Weston  was  therefore  wrong  in  saying  1594-  June  28, 
1592,  says  Nadasi,  "in  the  seventeenth  year  of  his 
captivity,  inavtyrio  eo  inolestiori  quo  diiitiirniorir  This 
w-ould  take  the  commencement  of  his  prison  life  back  to 
1575,  the  year  after  his  entrance  on  the  English  mission. 
This  agrees  sufficiently  well  with  the  date  of  his  reception 
into  the  Society.  It  was  from  the  Tower,  where  Father 
Weston  has  told  us  he  spent  four  years,  that  he  managed 
to  get  his  desire  to  be  a  Jesuit  conveyed  to  his  friend 
Father  Thomas  Darbyshire,  who,  as  we  have  seen,  was 
then  at  Paris.  Father  Darbyshire  interceded  for  him  with 
Father  Everard  Mercurian  ;  and  the  letter  by  which  the 
General  granted  his  desire  is  dated  May  4,  1579.  Bartoli,^ 
apparently,  a  little  overstates  it  when  he  says  that  he  had 
then  been  five  full  years  in  prison. 

His  name  docs  not  often  appear  in  the  State  Papers. 
It  occurs,  however,  in  the  year  1580,  showing  that  he  had 
been  previously  liberated  on  bail,  perhaps  at  the  time  when 
the  intercession  of  friends  obtained  his  release  from  the 
Tower  on  account  of  illness.     The  paper^  is  called,  "Note 

^  More,  Hist.  Prov.  lib.  iv.  c.  15,  p.  141. 

-  Inghilterra,  lib,  v.  p.  345. 

^  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  E'.iiabdh,  vol.  c.\].  n.  38. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  247 

of  the  names  of  prisoners  in  charge  under  the  Marshal  of 
her  Majesty's  Bench  for  not  conforming  themselves  in 
causes  of  religion."  "Thomas  Metham,  clerk,  was  com- 
mitted the  nth  day  of  May  last  past,  by  the  Justices  of 
her  Majesty's  Bench  at  Westminster,  at  which  time  he  did 
yield  his  body  for  the  safeguard  of  his  sureties,  who  before 
had  entered  into  bond  that  he  should  appear  that  term  in 
the  court.  The  cause  appeareth  in  the  Crown  Office  with 
Mr.  Sandes,  and  [is]  unknown  to  the  Marshal  in  whose 
custody  the  said  Thomas  Metham  remaineth  at  this 
present." 

It  was  not  until  long  after  Father  Metham's  death  that 
Ralph  Bickley  was  admitted  into  the  Society,  for  the 
date  of  the  application  in  his  behalf  made  by  Father 
Garnet  to  Father  Persons,  was  April   15,  1597. 

On  the  accession  of  King  James  Father  Bickley  was 
banished,  when  he  had  spent  seventeen  years  in  prison  ; 
but  he  returned  to  the  mission,  and,  as  we  have 
already  mentioned,-  was  again  arrested  in  16 17,  when 
he  was  cozened  out  of  20/.  by  Atkinson,  the  apostate 
pursuivant.  Half  a  letter  in  his  handwriting  is  still  in 
existence,  and  in  it  he  gives  some  account  of  his  exami- 
nations on  that  occasion  by  Sir  Ralph  Winwood,  and  by 
the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  George  Abbot. 

"  I,  weary  of  their  company,"  he  says,  speaking  of 
the  pursuivants,  who  had  him  in  custody,  "willed  them  to 
carry  me  before  Sir  Ralph  Winwood  before  dinner.  We 
v/ent,  and  Sir  Ralph  not  coming  to  dinner  to  his  house  we 
went  to  the  next  tavern  to  dine,  but  by  the  way ;  this 
morning,  when  we  were  so  cozened,  after  that  I  had  told  the 
knaves  [letter  torn]  and  easily  was  satisfied,  protested  to  me 
that  he  would  do  what  he  could  for  me  [with  Sir  Ralph], 
and  he  told  me  the  particular  causes  of  his  favour  with 
the  knight,  and  he  hoped  [short]ly  to  procure  that  for  my 
health  I  under  sureties  should  be  permitted  to  lie  about 

^  Supra,  p.  160. 


248  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

the  fields.  Rut  that  if  that  could  not  be  effected  but  that 
I  must  go  to  prison,  he  would  procure  me  liberty  to  walk 
abroad  into  the  fields  with  my  keeper.  To  this  purpose  he 
dealt  with  the  knight  privately,  and  came  with  me  from 
my  lodging  to  Sir  Ralph,  and  he  brought  me  up  to  my 
examination,  where  the  pursuivants  having  given  him  the 
letter  and  paper  above  said,  calling  me  to  him,  sitting 
in  his  great  chamber  where  suitors  came  for  audience,  he 
first  asked  my  name.  I  said,  '  Britain.'  '  Are  you  a  priest 
or  Jesuit .'' '  I  answered,  '  May  it  please  your  honour  to 
understand  that  seeing  I  was  stayed  on  suspicion  only,  I 
hoped  his  honour  would  not  enforce  me  to  answer  to  more 
than  my  accusers  could  prove ;  but  if  privately  alone  he 
would  ask  me  anything  that  I  could  without  hurt  of  myself 
or  others,  I  would,  in  confidence  in  his  honour's  humanity, 
satisfy  him  to  his  content'  Thereat  presently  he  arose, 
and  carried  me  into  his  gallery  and  none  present  but  he 
and  I,  he  asked  me  if  I  were  a  priest  and  Jesuit.  I 
answered,  '  I  will  not  deny  or  fear  to  acknowledge  my 
profession  to  you :  I  am  so.'  Then  asking  me  a  question 
or  two  about  the  letter,  I  satisfied  him.  Then  he  asked 
me  of  what  University  I  was.  I  told  him,  '  Of  Oxford.' 
He  asked  of  what  college.  I  said,  '  Of  Exeter  College.' 
Then  he  demands  me  whom  I  knew  in  that  time.  I  told 
him.  And  asking  if  I  had  been  a  prisoner,  I  said,  '  Ay,  at 
Wisbech.'  Then  he  asked  me  why  I  changed  my  name. 
I  said  because  friends  would  be  afraid  of  our  known  proper 
names.  .  .  . 

"  Being  brought  to  my  Lord  of  Canterbury  before 
dinner,  he  sitting  in  his  chamber  in  a  chair,  and  some 
of  his  gentlemen  and  secretary  by,  first  bid  them  give 
me  a  stool,  for  he  saw  me  very  faint.  Then  said  he, 
'  Mr.  Bic[kley],  I  missed  you  narrowly  some  years  since.' 
*  Where  } '  said  I.  *  At  a  place  the  first  letter  whereof  was 
Cant.'-     *  My  lord,'  said  I,  '  I  know  nothing  thereof.' 

^  It  is  not  easy  to  determine  the  letters  of  this  syllable.     They  may  be 
"Card,"  or  even  "Caril." 


Life  of  Father  William  Westo7i.  249 

"  Then  said  he,  '  I  have  your  first  profession  of  a 
Jesuit  under  your  own  hand.'  I  answered,  '  My  lord,  I 
hope  you  have  not  anything  under  my  hand  whereof  I 
need  repent  me  or  be  ashamed.'  Then,  asking  me  how 
long  I  had  been  priest  and  Jesuit,  and  how  long  prisoner 
heretofore,  and  when  I  was  banished ;  to  which  I 
answering,  then  said  he  to  me,  '  When  you  were  at 
Wisbech,  you  were  distributing  bishoprics  of  this  realm, 
and  dividing  the  kingdom  to  the  Infanta.'  I  answered, 
*  My  lord,  this  is  the  first  news  I  heard  of  such  doings. 
Your  honour  hath  many  informations  not  sound,  whereof 
this  is  one  to  my  knowledge.'  Then  said  he,  *  Will  you 
show  yourself  ready  to  swear  your  allegiance  to  his 
Majesty .'' '  I  answered,  '  Yes,  my  lord,  as  far  as  all 
ancient  clergymen  of  this  realm  or  other  Catholic  realms 
have  done  in  Catholic  days ;  but  this  oath  of  allegiance 
is  new,  not  heard  of  before,  yea,  by  divers  learned  men 
proved  to  be  unlawful,  howbeit  some  maintain  it,  and  tJi 
dubiis  seairior  pars  sequenda  est,  which  is  not  to  take  it.' 
'  You,  then,'  saith  he,  *  will  not  take  it  ? '  '  No,  my  lord, 
for  the  reasons  alleged.'  All  this  being  done,  he  required 
me  to  testify  that  with  my  hand,  which  I  did.  He  said  not 
a  word  of  the  letter  and  paper  taken  with  me." 

Father  Ralph  Bickley  Avas  one  of  twelve  Jesuits,  Avho 
were  set  free  by  King  James  in  June,  161 8,  at  the 
request  of  Diego  de  Sarmiento,  Count  de  Gondomar,  the 
Spanish  Ambassador,  who  was  then  leaving  England. 
Father  Bickley  died  soon  after  at  St.  Omers,  in  a  good 
old  age.^ 

In  illustration  of  the  community  life  led  at  Wisbech 
by  the  prisoners  when  the  regulations  were  relaxed,  we 
may  here  insert  an  examination,-  which  shows  that  the 
priests  were  accustomed  to  have  the  Scriptures  read  from 
the  Vulgate,  while  they  were  at  dinner. 

^  More,  Hist.  Prov.  lib.  viii.  d.  22,  p.  377. 

'  P.K.O.,  Domestic,  Elizibeth,  vol.  cclv.  n.  15. 


250  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

"The  examination  of  William  Wagge,  of  Wisbech, 
butcher,  of  and  concerning  certain  speeches  uttered  by 
Edward  Hall,  late  my  servant,  taken  before  me,  William 
Medeley,  in  the  Castle  of  Wisbech,  the  2rst  of  December 
last,   1595. 

"  The  said  Wagge,  being  examined  what  undutiful 
speeches  to  her  Majesty  he  heard  Edward  Hall  utter  in 
the  alehouse,  publicly,  when  he  came  from  the  marshes 
from  his  cattle,  confesseth  that  when  he  asked  Hall  what 
babbling  and  noise  the  Papists  made  in  dinner-time,  Elall 
made  answer  that  '  it  was  a  foolish  speech  to  call  it 
babbling,  for  it  was  but  reading  of  certain  chapters  of 
the  Bible  in  Latin,  and  we  have  it  in  English,  and  in  that 
there  is  as  good  matter  as  we  have  either  read,  or  taught, 
or  preached  unto  us  ;  the  which  I  will  justify  [that  is, 
am  ready  to  prove]  and  therefore  give  it  a  better  term.' 
'I  can  give  it  no  better,'  saith  Wagge,  'neither  doth  it 
deserve  a  better,  nor  yet  scarce  as  good  as  long  as 
I  understand  it  not ;  and  if  you  do  so  far  justify 
and  commend  the  same,  I  will  like  the  worse  of  you, 
and  so  will  your  master,  I  am  sure,  if  he  knew  it' 
As  for  the  words  which  Baldwin  justifieth,  he  saith  he 
heard  no  such,  but  only  the  very  word  of  'mutiny'  and 
no  more,  neither  could  he  tell  what  he  meant  by  it  or  what 
he  would  say.     More  than  this  he  cannot  say. 

"  William  Medeley." 

William  Medeley  was  the  new  keeper,  successor  to 
Thomas  Gray,  of  whom  Father  Weston  speaks  further 
on.  Bartoli  says  that  Gray's  daughter,  whose  conversion 
he  next  recounts,  was  called  Ursula. 

"  I  must  not  here  omit  the  conversion  of  the  daughter 
of  our  chief  gaoler.  She  was  gifted  Avith  a  keen  and  unusual 
understanding,  and  being  entirely  given  up  and  devoted 
to  the  sect  of  the  Puritans,  she  was  held  to  have  such 
authority  and  inspiration  that  she  had  already  obtained 


Life  of  Father  Williavt  Weston.  251 

the  title  and  dignity  of  elder,  and  was  regarded  by  them 
all  as  a  prophetess.  When  she  had  often  heard  the 
Catholic  prisoners  disputing  with  the  heretics  upon  matters 
of  religion,  and  had  silently  weighed  in  her  mind  the 
arguments  used  upon  both  sides,  comparing  the  solid 
reasoning  of  Catholics  with  the  light  answers  of  their 
opponents  ;  and  when  she  had  observed  that  her  own 
husband,  although  an  obstinate  man,  was  often  reduced 
to  silence  or  else  driven  to  absurd  replies  ;  although  in 
the  beginning  she  had  been  much  opposed  to  us  and  even 
pertinacious  (for  on  some  occasions  she  would  in  a  modest 
way  interpose  her  own  opinions),  as  the  light  of  the 
Catholic  religion  dawned  upon  her  mind,  she  began  by 
degrees  to  hesitate,  to  waver,  to  form  doubts,  to  listen 
patiently  to  what  was  answered  her  and  to  receive  instruc- 
tions, and  at  length  to  move  so  far  towards  a  right  dis- 
position as  to  incur  the  suspicion  of  her  own  father.  At 
last  when  she  had  gone  so  far  that  being  more  and  more 
confirmed  in  the  truth  of  our  Faith,  she  more  and  more 
rarely  did  frequent  the  assemblies  and  churches  of  her 
Puritan  friends,  her  father,  perceiving  his  daughter's 
alienation  from  that  sure  sign,  and  also  from  the  fact  that 
she  would  sometimes  argue  on  the  Catholic  side  and  urge 
against  the  Puritans  those  same  arguments  to  which  she 
had  herself  yielded  assent,  became  so  infuriated  against 
her  and  all  Catholics,  that,  after  trying  every  mode  of 
bringing  back  his  daughter,  and  perceiving  that  he  gained 
nothing  by  argument,  caresses,  and  menaces,  he  made  an 
impious  protestation  that  he  detested  and  execrated  the 
Catholic  religion  with  so  implacable  a  hatred  that,  even 
though  he  should  be  certain  of  the  fact  that  without 
it  he  could  not  obtain  his  salvation,  even  then  he 
would  never  embrace  it.  This  wicked  speech,  worthy 
of  the  lips  of  some  lost  spirit,  made  so  deep  an 
impression  upon  his  daughter's  mind  that  she  felt 
herself    more    strongly    drawn    towards    the    Faith,   and 


2^^  Life  of  Father  IVilliam  Westoju 

sought  ways  and  means  by  which,  without  any 
greater  offence  to  her  father,  she  might  accompHsh  her 
design.  At  that  time  she  was  shortly  expecting  the  birth 
of  an  infant.  It  would  be  impossible  to  tell  how  much 
she  had  to  bear  from  her  wicked  father  as  the  time  of  her 
confinement  approached  ;  but  when,  through  God's  mercy, 
she  had  safely  passed  through  it  and  had  returned  with 
renewed  strength  from  the  place  to  which  she  had  retired 
for  her  confinement  (which  was  outside  the  inclosure  of 
the  prison  and  her  father's  house),  she  had  daily  con- 
tentions with  her  father,  her  mother  (who,  however,  loved 
her  exclusively),  with  her  husband,  and  with  many  others 
of  the  sect.  Notwithstanding  this  she  could  not  be 
withdrawn  from  her  resolution,  for  she  was  always  so 
urged  by  the  force  of  truth  and  the  reproaches  of  her 
conscience  that  she  found  herself  unable  to  go  back ;  but 
the  rough  and  furious  violence  of  her  father  so  terrified 
her  that  she  shrank  from  seriously  and  actually  professing 
herself  a  Catholic.  Formerly,  indeed,  when  her  father 
ordered  her  or  requested  her  to  go  to  church,  she  would 
invent  some  obstacle,  or  find  out  some  cause  for  excusing 
herself ;  but  one  day  on  which  custom  rendered  it 
necessary  to  attend,  when  her  parents  and  the  rest  of  the 
family  were  ready  to  go  to  church,  they  directed  her  to 
accompany  them.  She  began  to  feign  a  hindrance  to  put 
it  off,  and  when  commanded,  at  last,  refused  obedience. 
Then  her  father,  a  ferocious  man  by  nature,  to  the  horror 
of  the  by-standers,  in  a  deadly  rage  said  to  her,  'You 
wretch,  how  dare  you } '  Upon  that  he  drew  his  dagger, 
rushed  at  his  daughter,  and  when  she  ran  away,  with 
blind  fury  pursued  her.  She,  however,  was  quick  and 
active  and  avoided  that  danger.  Keeping  her  face  always 
turned  towards  her  father,  she  went  backwards  out  of  the 
house,  and  as  she  withdrew,  implored  and  conjured  him 
to  spare  her  life.  But  he,  forgetful  not  only  of  paternal 
love   but   also    of    common    humanity,   with    his    drawn 


Z.ife  of  Father  William  Weston.  253 

dagger  pressed  after  her  to  run  her  through.  Put  to 
flight  thus  and  expelled  from  her  father's  house,  she  was 
left  in  the  street  desolate,  not  knowing  whither  she  was 
to  betake  herself,  or  to  whom  she  should  turn,  for  all  the 
neighbours  held  the  man  in  dread.  At  length  an  honour- 
able and  wealthy  matron,  touched  with  pity,  received 
her  as  a  guest  for  that  night.  By  the  exertions,  however, 
and  diligence  of  Catholics,  it  was  brought  about  that  she 
was  conveyed  away  on  horseback,  and  did  not  for  many 
years  see  her  father  again  or  any  of  her  relations.  She 
bore  this  separation  from  her  friends  and  many  other 
afflictions  very  bravely,  and  so  manfully  embraced  the 
Cross  of  Christ  that  not  only  did  she  endure  with 
equanimity  the  loss  of  her  worldly  goods,  but  she  sub- 
mitted, as  I  have  heard,  for  many  years  to  imprisonment 
for  the  confession  of  the  Faith." 

Father  Weston's  next  story  is  a  specimen  of  the  curious 
way  in  which  our  ancestors  treated  the  insane.  It  is  not 
uncommon  to  find  now-a-days  that  people  have  gone  out 
of  their  minds  in  consequence  of  religious  troubles,  and  it 
is  to  be  wondered  at  that  we  have  not  more  frequent 
instances  of  a  similar  effect  in  a  time  of  great  religious 
excitement  and  anxiety  like  the  days  of  Elizabeth. 
The  case  of  the  unfortunate  young  undergraduate  at 
Hart  Hall  seems  to  have  made  a  great  impression  on 
Father  Weston,  who  it  must  be  confessed  becomes  a 
little  prolix  as  he  comes  towards  the  end  of  his  auto- 
biography. We  have  ventured  to  cut  his  sentences  down 
a  little. 

Hart  Hall,  afterwards  Hertford  College,  then  Magdalen 
Hall,  and  now  again  Hertford  College,  was  one  of  the 
houses  in  Oxford  to  which  men  went  whose  tendency  was 
to  the  Catholic  religion.  The  other  Colleges  frequented  by 
them  were  St.  John's  and  Gloucester  Hall.  The  latter  is 
now  merged  in  Worcester  College.  There  the  old  religion 
lingered,  when  the  scholars  of  Dr.  Allen  had  left  St.  Mary's 


2  54  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

Hall  and  time  had  removed  the  effect  of  Dr.  Bridgewater's 
influence  on  Lincohi,  of  which  Colleges  they  had  been  the 
heads. 

Laurence  Humphrey  and  John  Reynolds  were  two  of 
the  best  known  Puritans  at  Oxford  at  that  time.  Rey- 
nolds, Avhose  name  Anthony  a  Wood^  spells  Rainolds,  was 
of  Christ  Church,  or  as  Father  Weston  calls  it,  "of  the 
Cathedral."  Wc  have  met  him  before  in  his  discussions 
with  Father  John  Hart.  The  story  ran  that  John  and 
William  Reynolds  were  brothers,  John  a  Catholic  and 
William  a  Protestant,  and  that  they  disputed  on  religion 
till  they  converted  one  another,  "  William  turning  a  zealous 
Catholic,  and  John  a  strong  Puritan."  A  Wood  shows 
from  one  of  Father  Persons'  books  that  William  Reynolds 
was  converted  because  "  he  fell  in  the  end  to  read  over 
Mr.  Jewel's  book,  and  did  translate  some  part  thereof 
into  Latin,  but  before  he  had  passed  half  over,  he  found 
such  stuff  as  made  him  greatly  mislike  of  the  whole 
religion,  and  so  he,  leaving  his  hopes  and  commodities 
in  England,  went  over  the  sea;  and  the  last  year  of  Jubilee, 
to  wit,  1575,  he  came  to  Rome  and  brought  that  book 
with  him,  and  presented  both  himself  and  it  to  the  tribunal 
of  the  Inquisition,  of  his  own  free  motion  and  accord, 
where  I  guess  the  book  remaineth  still,  if  it  be  not 
burned."  Of  John  Reynolds'  five  brothers,  the  three 
eldest  were  Catholics,  Jerome,  William,  and  Edmund. 
William  was  a  P'ellow  of  New  College ;  Jerome  and 
Edmund  were  Fellows  of  Christ  Church,  the  latter, 
"  leaving  that  house  because  he  was  in  aninio  Catlioliciis, 
retired  to  Gloucester  Hall." 

As  to  the  other  Protestant  divine  here  mentioned 
by  Father  Weston,  Laurence  Humphrey,  according  to 
a  Wood,"  "  in  1560  was  constituted  the  Queen's  Professor 
of  Divinity  in  the  University  of  Oxon,  being  then  about 
thirty-four  years  of  age,  at  which  time  was  a  very  great 

^  Athencc  Oxon.  vol.  i.  p.  267.  -  Ibid.  p.  242. 


Life  of  FatJier  William  Weston.  255 

scarcity  of  theologists  throughout  the  body  of  students, 
and  in  the  year  following  he  was  elected  President  of 
this  College."  "  From  Zurich  and  Geneva,"  a  Wood 
goes  on  to  say,  "  he  brought  back  with  him  at  his  return 
into  England  so  much  of  the  Calvinian  both  in  doctrine 
and  discipline,  that  the  best  that  could  be  said  of  him 
was  that  he  was  a  moderate  and  conscientious  Noncon- 
formist." And  he  and  Thomas  Sampson,  another  severe 
Calvinist,  who  wore  "  the  round  cap "  in  imitation  of 
Humphrey,  "  preached  by  turns  every  Lord's  day,  either 
at  St.  Mary's  or  elsewhere,  to  the  academicians,  at  that 
time  there  being  a  great  scarcity  of  divines  in  the 
University  and  but  very  few  masters." 

"  It  must^  be  now  known  that  in  the  beginning  of  the 
reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  the  University  of  Oxon  was 
so  empty,  after  the  Roman  Catholics  had  left  it  upon 
the  alteration  of  religion,  that  there  was  very  seldom  a 
sermon  preached  in  the  University  Church  called  St.  Mary, 
and  what  was  done  in  that  kind  was  sometimes  by 
Laurence  Humphrey,  President  of  Magdalen  College, 
and  Thomas  Sampson,  Dean  of  Christ  Church.  But 
they  being  often  absent,  a  young  man  of  All  Souls' 
College  would  often  step  up  and  preach  to  the  admira- 
tion of  all  his  auditors." 

By  these  expressions  honest  Anthony  a  Wood  shows 
how  averse  the  University  of  Oxford  as  a  whole  was  to 
the  new  religion,  and  how  great  was  the  injury  caused 
to  learning  by  its  introduction. 

"One  of  my  fellow-prisoners,  a  priest,  related  to  me  a 
history  regarding  an  occurrence  of  which  he  had  been  an 
eye-witness  whilst  he  was  in  the  University  of  Oxford, 
before  his  conversion,  while  still  a  Protestant  minister. 
As  this  story  deserves  to  be  told,  it  may  as  well  be  inserted 
here,  although  it  took  place  long  before  the  period  of  which 
I  have  been  writing,  and  must  have  had  for  its  date  some- 

^  Athena:  Oxon.  vol.  i.  p.  i6i. 


256  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

where  about  the  middle  of  the  reign  of  Queen  EHzabeth. 
It  was  told  to  me  in  1595  or  1596.  There  was  a  young 
man  from  Lancashire,  born  of  Catholic  parents,  and 
educated  as  a  Catholic  in  his  father's  house.  After  making 
some  progress  in  his  humanities,  he  was  sent  to  Oxford 
for  the  higher  studies  of  logic  and  philosophy.  Of  all  the 
numerous  colleges  of  young  men  there,  he  chose  or  fell 
upon  the  one  known  as  Hart  Hall.  As  he  was  a  Catholic, 
he  could  not  escape  notice  among  the  heretics,  neither 
could  he  conceal  or  disguise  the  profession  of  his  religion. 
It  was  remarked  by  his  associates  that  he  did  not  frequent 
their  churches  or  join  in  their  prayers.  Some  entreated, 
some  threatened,  while  others  (who  seemed  more  humane) 
exhorted  and  terrified  him  by  describing  the  severity  of 
the  laws  decreed  against  such  as  himself.  At  length  he 
found  himself  unable  to  endure  those  heavy  and  daily 
molestations  inflicted  on  him  by  so  many  persons,  particu- 
larly as  he  was  only  a  youth  seventeen  or  eighteen  years 
old  ;  so  being  without  wiser  counsel,  he  consented  to  be 
present  at  the  sermon  of  a  certain  Laurence  Humphrey, 
an  arch-heretic  and  dogmatizer.  When  the  sermon  was 
over,  the  deep  sting  that  remained  in  his  mind  allowed 
him  to  have  no  rest  or  peace  in  his  soul.  His  nights  and 
days,  therefore,  he  passed  in  a  state  bordering  on  despair, 
as  though  he  had  been  tormented  by  the  furies.  One  night 
that  was  singularly  tempestuous,  he  was  frightened  by  the 
thunder  and  lightning.  He  imagined  that  his  last  hour 
had  come,  when  he  would  be  compelled  to  render  an 
account  to  God  of  all  the  actions  of  his  life,  and  that  this 
thunder  was  sent  by  God  as  a  kind  of  forewarning  of  the 
tremendous  sentence  about  to  be  pronounced  against  him. 
He  trembled,  raised  his  hands  to  heaven,  and  prayed 
fervently  and  eagerly.  In  particular  he  repeated  frequently 
aloud,  and  with  intense  earnestness,  that  petition  in  our 
Lord's  Prayer,  'And  lead  us  not  into  temptation.'  Thus 
he  spent  the  night  in   prayers  and  tears.      At   dawn   he 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  257 

saw,  or  thought  he  saw,  a  dove  with  outstretched  wings, 
knocking  again  and  again  at  the  window  of  his  room. 
This  he  interpreted  as  a  good  omen,  as  though  that  inno- 
cent bird  had  been  sent  to  him  as  a  messenger  of  peace 
and  reconciHation.  The  thorn,  nevertheless,  still  remained 
in  him,  and  during  all  that  day  he  kept  to  his  bed,  turning 
over  in  his  mind  various  thoughts  that  led  him  to  despera- 
tion. What  was  he  to  do  }  To  go  on  suffering  such  misery 
appeared  to  him  an  evil  worse  than  any  death.  Then 
an  incredible  suggestion  occurred  to  his  mind.  He  thus 
disputed  and  meditated  with  himself:  *My  sin  has  been 
most  grievous ;  there  is  no  greater  sin  that  I  know  of  than 
a  sin  against  religion  ;  there  has  been  public  scandal :  there 
must  be  satisfaction  as  public  as  the  sin.'  He  waited, 
therefore,  until  about  evening,  when  they  were  all  at 
supper ;  then,  having  stripped  off  his  clothes,  he  went 
down  to  the  gate,  and,  through  as  quiet  and  retired  streets 
as  he  could  find,  made  his  way  with  all  speed  to  the  market 
place  of  the  city.  He  had  got  a  good  way,  and  was  making 
haste,  when  he  suddenly  met  the  bursar  of  his  house,  who 
stared  in  surprise  to  see  a  naked  man  rushing  along  the 
public  street.  It  was  in  the  middle  of  summer,  and  it  was 
still  light.  As  he  drew  nearer  he  recognized  who  it  was, 
and  called  out,  '  Why,  Mr.  March  (for  so  he  was  called), 
what  is  the  meaning  of  this  .''  *  'Go  on  your  way,'  said  the 
boy,  '  and  let  me  finish  what  I  am  doing,  for  it  is  necessary 
for  my  soul.  I  am  going  to  make  confession  before  all 
the  people,  and  say  how  sorry  I  am  for  my  great  sin.' 
The  bursar,  taking  him  to  be  stark  mad,  made  him  come 
home,  put  him  to  bed,  and  reported  in  •  the  house  the 
strange  conduct  of  young  March.  They  all  ran  up  to  see 
him,  scarcely  believing  him  sane.  They  discovered  that 
he  had  been  urged  by  the  pricks  of  his  conscience  to  form 
such  a  design,  because  of  the  heretical  sermon  preached 
against  religion  at  which  he  had  been  present.  Of  those 
who  stood  round  him  some  broke  forth  into  vehement 
R 


258  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

reproaches  and  arguments,  persuading  him  to  give  up  all 
his  scruples  and  religion  together.  March  answered  them 
still  more  sharply.  He  called  them  heretics,  condemned 
and  lost  enemies  of  God  and  of  all  that  is  good,  and 
ordered  them  to  leave  his  room.  In  the  midst  of  his  con- 
versations and  controversies,  however,  he  ever  and  anon 
betook  himself  to  prayer,  especially  calling  out  in  a  loud 
voice,  'And  lead  us  not  into  temptation.'  In  these  reli- 
gious controversies  they  spent  a  considerable  portion  of 
the  night,  March  defending  himself  against  them  vigor- 
ously. At  last  they  got  tired  and  went  to  bed.  March, 
finding  himself  alone,  besought  of  God  with  earnest  sighs 
and  tears  that  He  would  rescue  him  from  his  trouble.  The 
man  who  told  the  story  to  me,  and  who  was  occupying 
a  chamber  near,  then  went  to  see  him.  He  encouraged 
him  to  throw  off  his  despondency,,  at  all  events,  for  that 
night,  and  to  take  some  rest  and  sleep  ;  and  he  added,  '  I 
am  a  different  sort  of  man  from  what  you,  perhaps,  take 
me  for.  In  matters  of  religion  I  feel  with  you,  whatever 
I  am  in  name  and  profession  (for  at  that  time  he  w^as  an 
Evangelical  minister,  though  well  disposed  in  favour  of  the 
Catholic  faith),  and  I  quite  understand  how  a  delicate 
conscience  is  wounded  by  the  stings  of  remorse ;  but 
nothing  should  make  you  doubt.  I  have  a  friend  and  a 
physician  who  is  both  able  and  Avilling  to  heal  persons 
afflicted  like  yourself  To-morrow  morning  early  I  will 
awake  you,  and  will  take  you  to  a  place  where  you  will  be 
able  to  confer  with  him  about  the  wounds  of  your  soul.' 
He  meant,  of  course,  a  priest  whom  he  knew  to  be  in 
concealment  somewhere  in  the  city.  At  these  words 
March  was  comforted,  and  at  last  fell  asleep. 

"  The  fame  of  this  affair  could  not  long  remain  within 
the  walls  of  the  College.  It  soon  became  the  talk  of  the 
city,  to  such  a  degree  that  very  early  in  the  morning, 
before  they  had  time  to  go  out,  March  was  surrounded 
by  a  multitude  of  the  chief  theologians   amongst  them. 


Life  of  Father  William   Weston.  259 

There  was  John  Reynolds,  doctor  of  theology  of  the 
cathedral,  and  a  well-known  writer  also.  He  went  up 
to  the  youth,  and  in  a  long  conversation  that  lasted  several 
hours  did  his  best  to  undermine  his  faith  and  constancy, 
but  in  vain,  for  March  with  great  zeal  persevered  in 
defending  the  authority  of  the  Catholic  Church.  '  But,' 
said  Reynolds,  'are  not  all  you  Papists  egregious  idolaters? 
Do  you  not  adore  creatures  instead  of  God  .''  Your  chief 
doctor  and  theologian,  Thomas  Aquinas,  whom  you  all 
accept,  affirms  in  distinct  words  that  the  cross,  which  is 
a  creature,  is  nevertheless  to  be  worshipped  with  latria, 
which,  as  it  is  the  worship  peculiar  to  God,  ought  never 
to  be  offered  to  any  one  excepting  God.'  March  made 
answer :  '  I  am  not  a  theologian,  nor  do  I  know  what 
has  been  said  by  St.  Thomas,  but  I  am  quite  sure  that 
neither  he  nor  any  tolerably  instructed  Catholic  ever  said 
that  the  adoration  due  to  God  alone  may  be  given  to  a 
creature.  You  cannot  show  me  this  out  of  St  Thomas.' 
'  I  will  show  it  to  you,'  said  Reynolds,  '  and  if  you  please, 
I  will  place  the  very  passage  before  your  own  eyes,  that 
you  may  believe  it'  'Then,'  said  March,  'leave  off  dis- 
puting, and  do  as  you  have  said.'  Hereupon  Reynolds 
went  away  and  did  not  return  himself,  but  sent  the  book 
with  the  passage  marked,  at  an  interval  of  some  hours, 
and  desired  the  minister  to  take  care  that  March  did  not 
read  anything  besides  the  sentence  in  question.  When 
March  had  read  the  passage  and  wanted  to  read  further, 
the  minister  put  his  hand  over  the  book,  and  said,  'You 
must  not  go  any  further,  you  have  got  enough,  the  cross  is 
a  creature,  and  yet  to  be  worshipped  with  latria:  what 
more  do  you  want  ? '  '  For  all  that,'  cried  March,  '  I  wish 
to  read  what  follows ;  I  do  not  know  what  the  sense  of 
it  is.'  After  some  contention,  therefore,  and  some  violence, 
the  one  trying  to  remove,  the  other  to  keep  in  its  place 
the  hand  that  lay  on  the  page,  March  exclaimed,  'Go 
away  with  you,  heretic  that  you  are,  like  all  the  others, 

R   2 


26o  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

you  know  nothing  about  spiritual  things.  Away  with  you 
all,  cursed  by  God,  the  fellows  of  Judas  and  Cain,  and 
haters  of  the  truth  ;  trouble  me  no  more,  for  I  mean  to 
adhere  firmly  henceforward  to  the  only  true  and  Catholic 
Church.'  When  he  had  spoken  thus  the  minister  departed, 
and  March,  although  pretty  nearly  beside  himself,  rested 
for  a  while.  Not  for  long,  however,  for  during  the  greater 
part  of  that  day  and  the  following,  the  perpetual  stream  of 
visitors,  his  fellow-collegians  and  others,  never  ceased  in 
the  direction  of  his  room.  They  excited  the  unhappy  boy 
both  by  their  words  and  actions  ;  they  ill-treated  him  and 
bound  him  with  cords  as  a  madman,  and  smothered  him 
up  between  feather  beds,  although  it  was  in  the  height 
of  summer.  So  that  within  two  days,  whether  they 
worried  him  to  death  (though  I  do  not  say  so),  or  whether 
he  sank  under  the  agonies  of  his  own  mind,  perhaps  in 
part  from  both  causes,  at  any  rate,  within  two  days,  as 
I  said,  deprived  of  all  human  succour  (not  of  divine,  we 
may  believe),  he  breathed  his  last. 

"  A  certain  man,  a  Catholic,  related  to  me  an  answer 
which  he  made  to  the  so-called  Bishop  of  Winchester,^ 
and  his  assessors,  when  he  was  cited  with  other  Catholics 
before  his  tribunal.  His  companions  had  been  already 
interrogated  and  dismissed,  and  when  it  came  to  his  turn 
they  said  to  him,  'And  you,  good  man,  what  have  you 
got  to  tell  us } '  He  was  very  simple  in  his  appearance, 
and  poor,  just  able  to  earn  a  scanty  livelihood  with  his 
tailor's  needle  and  scissors.  *  Do  you,  too,  like  remaining 
in  that  blind  ignorance }  It  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  in 
you  who  have  been  deceived  and  led  away  by  a  too  great 
simplicity,  still  it  does  not  require  much  wisdom  to  under- 
stand that  it  is  atrociously  wicked  and  stupid  to  worship 
stocks  and  stones  instead  of  God,  which  is  what  you 
Papists  do.  Therefore,  do  not  be  so  foolish.  Admit  with 
us  that  these  things  are  not  gods,  but  false  and  empty 
*  Thomas  Cooper  became  Bishop  of  Winchester  in  1583,  and  died  in  1594. 


1 


Life  of  Father  William  Weslo7i.  261 

representations  of  the  true  and  supreme  God.'  The  man 
repHed,  '  We  neither  know  nor  adore  any  other  God  save 
the  one  Creator  of  the  world  and  the  Redeemer  of  all 
men ;  and,  however  simple  we  may  be,  we  are  not  ignorant 
of  the  difference  between  Christ  as  He  is,  reigning  in 
heaven,  and  the  images  of  Christ ;  betwixt  Peter  and 
Paul,  and  their  pictures  and  representations.'  They  said 
to  him,  '  Do  you  presume  to  deny  that  you  hold  up  your 
hands,  bend  your  knees,  and  offer  up  incense  to  pictures 
or  images,  that  is  to  say,  to  wood  and  stone,  and  that 
you  invoke  these  idols,  and  address  prayers  to  them  as 
though  they  were  true  gods  ^ '  Then  the  other  replied, 
'  To  answer  your  question,  be  so  kind  as  to  let  me  bring 
forward  a  familiar  example.  If,  for  instance,  one  of  you 
were  out  hunting  with  your  hounds,  and  were  to  enter  a 
hall  adorned  with  tapestry  and  hangings  representing  deer, 
hares  or  other  animals,  and  were  then  to  try  to  excite  his 
dogs  to  tear  them  in  pieces,  do  you  think  the  hounds 
would  be  so  stupid  as  to  attack  the  painted  pictures  and 
mistake  them  for  real  animals  ?  I  entreat  you,  therefore, 
to  believe  that  we  are,  at  all  events,  as  sensible  as  you 
allow  the  dogs  are.  Be  sure  that  the  least  learned  of  us 
are  quite  enough  instructed  by  the  Church  to  be  fully 
aware  of  the  distinction  that  exists  between  God,  Christ, 
and  the  saints,  and  their  representations  painted  or  carved, 
and  to  know  that  we  are  not  to  worship  images  instead  of 
God  and  the  saints,  but  that  we  are  to  consider  the  realities 
of  what  we  see  in  the  images.'  Upon  receiving  this  answer 
the  heretics  were  astounded,  marvellil^g  that  so  much 
wisdom  and  truth  should  have  come  frqm  such  a  simple 
person,  so  not  knowing  how  to  oppose  him  further,  they 
felt  confused  and  dismissed  him. 

"  A  certain  Greek  from  the  island  of  Patmos,  relying 
on  the  letters  of  recommendation  which  he  had  received 
from  the  British  envoy  at  Constantinople,  came  into 
England   to   collect  alms   for   the   redemption    of   some 


262  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

captives.  He  in  consequence,  after  showing  his  letters 
and  obtaining  permission  from  the  Privy  Council,  travelled 
through  many  cities  and  towns  in  England,  and  at  length 
stopped  at  Wisbech.  There  on  a  certain  festival  day  the 
cause  of  his  arrival  was  proclaimed  by  the  preacher  from 
the  pulpit,  and  he  was  presented  by  the  people  with  a  very 
generous  contribution.  When  the  report  of  the  affair 
reached  us  we  asked  and  obtained  leave  that  the  man 
should  visit  and  converse  with  us.  He  Avas  dressed  in  a 
common  suit  rather  threadbare,  not  in  his  own  Greek 
fashion.  He  was  so  well  acquainted,  not  only  with  the 
Greek,  but  likewise  with  the  Latin  and  Italian  tongues, 
that  he  could  explain  his  meaning  and  understand  that  of 
others  in  all  three  languages.  The  place  where  we  were 
was  soon  filled  with  the  concourse  of  spectators,  both 
Catholics  and  heretics,  whom  curiosity  drew  together. 
The  stranger  narrated  amongst  other  things  the  different 
adventures  of  his  travels  ;  and  in  the  course  of  his 
descriptions  he  produced  letters  from  the  two  Patriarchs 
of  Constantinople  and  Alexandria,  written  with  clearness 
and  elegance  in  the  Greek  tongue,  and  duly  sealed  with 
the  Patriarchs'  own  seals.  The  seal  of  Constantinople  was 
of  white  wax  and  bore  a  large  figure  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  ; 
that  of  Alexandria  was  of  black  wax  and  had  the  effigy  of 
St.  Mark.  After  the  letters  had  been  unfolded  we  took 
care  that  they  should  be  read  and  explained  before  the 
company  in  the  vulgar  tongue.  Besides  the  motive  of  the 
journey,  these  letters  contained  some  passages  relating  to 
religion  and  the  questions  controverted  by  heretics,  such  as, 
in  particular,  the  mystery  of  the  unbloody  Sacrifice.  An 
opportunity  having  thence  arisen  for  saying  something  on 
the  subject  of  religion  in  presence  of  the  minister  and  his 
people,  we  made  inquiry  about  several  matters  as  to  what 
was  felt  concerning  them  by  the  Greek  Church  and  religion, 
for  example,  about  pictures,  for  these  he  openly  carried 
about  with  him,  and  then  there  were  besides  the  seals  of 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  263 

the  two  prelates.  *  What  did  they  feel  with  respect  to  their 
honour  and  worship  ?  What  about  the  true  presence  of 
the  Body  and  Blood  of  Christ  in  the  sacrifice  of  the  Mass  ? 
What  about  Purgatory,  the  honour  of  the  saints,  the  neces- 
sity of  good  works  for  salvation  ? '  To  all  these  questions 
he  gave  answers  very  much  in  harmony  with  Catholic 
doctrine,  and  proved  plainly  that  the  Greek  and  Latin 
Churches  (with  the  exception  of  those  errors  peculiar  to 
the  former  which  have  little  in  common  with  our  modern 
heretics)  unite  wonderfully  and  are  conformed  to  each  other 
in  opinion  and  teaching,  in  opposition  to  the  new  heresies 
of  our  time.  On  hearing  this  all  the  heretics  who  were 
present,  and  particularly  the  minister  (who  was  looked 
upon  by  his  own  people  as  a  great  preacher  and  not  a 
little  learned)  stood  speechless  and  greatly  confounded. 
They  were  so  shut  out  from  escape  as  to  be  unable  to 
mutter  a  word  in  reply,  and  their  discomfiture  was  the 
more  complete  because  oftentimes  they  had  ventured  to 
boast  of  having  the  Greeks  for  their  imitators  and  patrons 
in  doctrine. 

"  My  narrative  so  far  has  been  continued  in  order,  and 
I  have  set  down  with  truth  and  fidelity  such  things  as  I 
happened  to  see,  or  to  hear  from  trustworthy  persons.  Since 
the  conclusion  is  now  drawing  on  I  mean  to  add  these 
few  words.  In  the  prison  of  Wisbech  I  was  detained  for 
eleven  years,  during  six  of  which,  if  my  memory  serves 
me,  I  was  kept  closely  and  strictly,  and  during  the  other 
five  more  freely,  together  with  my  fellow-captives.  Our 
first  gaoler  having  been  removed  by  a  most  dreadful  death, 
another  was  chosen  in  his  place  who  wished  to  be  con- 
sidered as  a  gentleman,  being  sprung  from  the  same  family, 
according  to  his  own  account,  as  William  Cecil,  the  Lord 
Treasurer,  by  whose  goodwill  and  authority  he  obtained 
an  excellent  position,  being  made  by  him  Justice  of  the 
Peace.  This  man  being  appointed  as  keeper  and  governor 
of  the  prison  was  in  hopes  that,   in  consequence  of  his 


264  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

authority  over  the  laity,  he  would  be  able  in  like  manner 
to  hear  and  pass  judgment  in  the  case  of  ourselves  and  our 
causes,  if  any  difficulties  were  to  arise.  He  had,  moreover 
(though  he  never  ought  to  have  had  them),  persons  who 
strenuously  favoured  all  his  endeavours  and  designs,  saying 
that  in  consequence  of  the  civil  laws  of  the  kingdom  and 
the  decrees  of  the  Queen  all  the  negotiations  and  disputes 
among  priests  (excepting  matters  of  faith  and  religion)  had 
to  be  put  an  end  to  and  decided."^  .  .  . 


CHAPTER   XVH. 

THE   TOWER,   EXILE,   AND   DEATH. 

It  would  appear  that  just  at  the  point  where  the  mutila- 
tion of  the  manuscript  brings  Father  Weston's  autobio- 
graphy to  an  abrupt  termination,  he  was  beginning  to 
allude  to  a  subject  that  all  must  wish  to  be  forgotten. 
Though  what  he  would  have  said,  would  have  been  for 
certain  most  modestly  said,  it  is  not  to  be  regretted  that 
we  should  not  have  to  reproduce  it  here.  The  divisions 
that  embittered,  as  no  hardships  could  embitter,  the  greater 
part  of  a  year  during  the  latter  portion  of  that  long  im- 
prisonment at  Wisbech,  could  be  described  from  the 
contemporary  papers  that  survive  ;  but  it  would  be  to 
revive  unnecessarily  a  now  happily  forgotten  discord. 

Of  that  disagreement  this  only  need  be  said,  that  the 
division  had  its  origin  in  the  strong  desire  of  eighteen  of  the 
priests  there  confined  to  render  their  imprisonment  as  con- 
ducive as  possible  to  their  sanctification,  but  they  adopted 
a  means  that  the  others  had  a  perfect  right  to  object  to 
and  keep  aloof  from,  as  they  judged  best.     These  eighteen 

^  P.  76  of  the  MS.     TItc  rest  is  wanting. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  265 

petitioned  Father  Garnet,  then  Superior  of  the  English 
Jesuits,  that  Father  Weston  might  be  charged  to  preside 
over  them  as  their  local  Superior,  according  to  certain 
rules  by  which  they  proposed  to  frame  their  community 
life.  This  letter  was  written  by  them  on  the  7th  of 
February,  159!,  and  on  the  8th  of  November,  Dudley 
and  Mush,  two  ancient  missioners,  who  had  gone  with 
Father  Garnet's  concurrence  to  Wisbech,  as  pacificators, 
were  able  to  write  to  him  and  say  that  the  division  was 
at  an  end.  "You  would  have  wondered,"  they  wrote,^ 
"to  have  seen  the  vehemency  of  God's  spirit,  in  one 
moment  to  make  all  hard  hearts  relent ;  and  where  there 
was  most  froward  aversion  immediately  before,  there  was 
suddenly  seen  to  be  most  intense  affections  and  tender- 
ness. Such  humiliation  one  at  another's  feet ;  such  wring- 
ing, clipping,^  and  embracing  ;  such  sobs,  tears,  and  joyful 
mourning — that  for  joy  also  our  hearts  were  like  to  burst 
among  them.  And  verily.  Father,  neither  among  them- 
selves, nor  to  our  sight,  they  appeared,  after,  the  same 
men  they  were  before.  We  thought  it  one  of  the  joyfullest 
days  that  ever  we  had  seen." 

It  would  have  been  well  for  England  if  all  differences 
had  ended  there.  Such  reconciliations  are  rarely  lasting, 
and  the  "  stirs  at  Wisbech,"  as  they  were  called,  had  been 
heard  of  all  over  the  kingdom.  Party  spirit  arose :  very 
violent  things  were  written,  and  what  was  worse,  were 
printed  and  published ;  and  this  evil  continued  till  it 
culminated  in  Watson's  detestable  Qiiodlibets,  which  were 
the  delight  of  the  enemies  of  the  Church. 

Another  matter  Father  Weston's  autobiography  must 
have  described,  the  loss  of  which  is  more  to  be  regretted. 
From  Wisbech  he  was  transferred  to  the  Tower  of 
London,  and  we  should  have  liked  to  have  been  told  by 
himself  how  it  happened,  and  in  what  way  he  was  treated 

^  Tiemey's  Dodd,  vol.  iii.  p.  115. 
*  To  dip,  Anglo-Saxon,  to  embrace.     Halliwell. 


266 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 


in  that  most  cruel  of  all  English  prisons.  That  the  state 
of  things  at  Wisbech  should  not  have  been  permitted  to 
continue  is  not  surprising.  How  Elizabeth's  Government, 
with  its  lynx  eyes,  should  have  overlooked  the  open 
practice  there  of  the  Catholic  religion  for  five  years  or 
more,  we  cannot  imagine.  A  paper,  printed  by  Strype/ 
scurrilous  in  other  parts,  says,  and  is  justified  in  saying, 
as  follows  :  "The  state  of  the  Seminary  priests  and  Jesuits 
at  Wisbech,  by  liberty  and  favour  of  their  keeper,  growing 
to  be  as  dangerous  as  a  Seminary  College,  being  in  the 
heart  and  midst  of  England.  First,  there  is  about  twenty- 
eight     Seminary   priests   and    Jesuits,  ^   who    have    com- 

^  Annals,  vol.  iv.  p.  273. 

^  In  the  Harleian  MSS.  6998,  fol.  220,  from  which  this  is  taken,  there 
are  the  subjoined  lists  of  the  priests  and  the  boys  attending  on  them,  of  which 
Strype  only  prints  a  few  lines. 

"  Staff:  Dr.  Christopher  Bagshawe. 

Lond:  Dr.  Norden. 

Kent.  Father  William  Edmonds. 

Wales.  Mr.  Thomas  Blewett. 

Staff :  Father  Buckley. 

Essex.  Mr.  Ralph  Ithell. 

Wales.  Mr.  Lewis  Barlow. 

Lond  :  Mr.  William  Wigges. 

Wales.  Mr.  James  Powell. 

Bark  :  INIr.  Leonard  Hide. 

Kent.  Mr.  Thomas  Bramstone. 

Hampsh :  Mr.  Ralph  Bickley. 

Norf  :  Mr.  Edward  Bradocke. 

Lane  :  Mr.  Christopher  Southworth. 

Wales.  Mr.  Jonas  Meredith. 

Yorks  :  Mr.  Edmund  Calverley. 
Mr.  Christopher  Thules. 

Lane  :  Mr.  Chaddocke. 

Lane  :  Mr.  Robert  Nutter. 

Yorks  :  Mr.  Philip  Strangwidge. 

Staff:  Mr.  John  Greene. 

Kent.  Mr.  Christopher  Dryland, 

Yorks  :  Mr.  Francis  Tillotson. 

Yorks  :  Mr.  William  Clargenett. 

Kent.  Mr.  George  Potter. 
Mr.  Archer. 

Lane  :  Mr.  Boulton. 

Wales.  Mr.  William  Parry. 

Wore  :  Mr.  James  Taylor. 

Wales.  Mr.  Aberley. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  267 

pounded  with  their  keeper,  Gray,  for  their  diet  and  all 
provision,  and  necessary  entertaining  servants,  as  if  they 
were  in  a  free  College  and  no  prison.  .  .  .  Great  resort  and 
daily  is  there  to  them  of  gentlemen,  gentlewomen,  and  of 
other  people,  who  use  to  dine  and  sup  with  them,  walk 
with  them  in  the  castle  yard,  confer  with  them  in  their 
chambers;  whereby  they  receive  intelligence,  and  send 
again  what  they  list,  from  and  unto  all  quarters  of  the 
realm,  and  beyond  sea.  And  other  priests  resort  unto 
them,  as  Father  Scott,  the  Seminary  priest  did,  anno  '91, 
and  others  known." 

In  this  account  of  the  resort  of  Catholics  to  Wisbech 
Castle  at  this  time,  it  is  clear  that  there  is  no  exaggeration. 

Lane  :        Mr.  Robert  Woodroffe. 
Mr.  Alexander  Gerard. 
Hampsh  :  Mr.  Pound,  a  layman. 

"The  names  of  all  such  boys,   as  are  attending  upon  the  priests  now 
remaining  within  the  Castle  of  Wisbech — 

John  Crompton,  about  the  age  of  seventeen  years,  and  bom  about  London ; 

servant  to  Dr.  Bagshawe. 
John  Cutler,  about  the  age  of  seventeen  years,  and  bom  at  Wisbech ;  servant 

to  Mr.  Barlow. 
Thomas  Fisher,  about  the  age  of  sixteen  years,  bom  at  Stilton  j  servant  to  the 

whole  company. 
George  Fisher,  his  brother,  about  the  age  of  fourteen  years ;  late  servant  to 

Mr.  Dryland,  and  now  servant  to  Mr.  Bickley. 
Michael  Randall,  about  the  age  of  thirteen  years,  bom  at  Stilton ;  servant  to 

Mr.  Wiggs. 
John  Ingram,  about  the  age  of  seventeen  years,  bom  at  [blank] ;  late  servant 

to  Mr.  Meredith,  and  now  attending  on  the  whole  company. 
Bartholomew  Story,    about   the   age  of  seventeen  years,  bom  at  Wisbech ; 

servant  to  Mr.  Blewe^. 
Thomas  Churchard,  about  the  age  of  sixteen  years,  bom  at  [blank] ;  servant  to 

Mr.  Pound,  recusant. 
William  Clarke,  about  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  bom  at  [blank]  ;  servant  to 

Mr.  Hide. 
Thomas  White,  about  the  age  of  thirteen  years,  born  at  Wisbech ;  servant  to 

Mr.  Ithell. 
Edward  Overton,  about  the  age  of  fifteen  years,  bom  at  Wisbech ;  servant  to 

Mr.  Southworth. 
John  Gooday,  about  the  age  of  thirteen  years,  bom  at  Haddenham  ;  servant  to 

Mr.  Buckley. 
Henry  Cutler,  about  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  bom  at  Wisbech ;  servant  to 

Mr.  Taylor." 


268  Life  of  Father  Willia^n  Weston. 

Father  Weston  says  that  it  was  like  a  place  of  pilgrimage. 
Justice  Young  reported^  to  the  Lord  Keeper,  under  date 
January  2,  159^,  that  Mrs.  Jane  Wiseman  "was  at  Wisbech 
with  the  seminaries  and  Jesuits  there,  and  she  did  repent 
that  she  had  not  gone  barefooted  thither,  and  she  is  a 
great  reliever  of  them,  and  she  made  a  rich  vestment 
and  sent  it  them,  as  your  lordship  doth  remember  as  I 
think,  when  you  and  my  Lord  of  Buckhurst  sent  to 
Wisbech  to  search,  for  that  I  had  letters  which  did 
decipher  all  her  doings."  And  again,-  April  14,  1594, 
"  Mrs.  Jane  Wiseman  hath  been  also  a  great  receiver  and 
harbourer  of  Seminary  priests,  and  other  bad  persons, 
and  went  to  Wisbech  with  her  two  daughters,  where  (as 
she  saith)  she  was  absolved  and  blessed  by  Father 
Edmonds  the  Jesuit,  and  since  that  time  her  daughters 
are  sent  beyond  seas  to  be  professed  nuns,  as  other  two 
her  daughters  were  before," 

William  Wiseman,  her  son,  in  his  examination,^  March 
I9»  i594>  said  that  he  "was  with  Father  Edmonds  at 
Wisbech  about  Michaelmas  last  was  twelve  months,  and 
there  saw  and  spake  with  him,  both  privately  and  in 
company." 

Such  may  serve  as  specimens,  and  they  only  come 
to  our  knowledge  because  they  came  to  the  knowledge 
of  the  Government.  In  all  this  the  authorities  must  have 
seen  the  esteem  in  which  Father  Weston  was  held  by 
Catholics.  When  they  chose,  what  was  done  at  Wisbech 
Castle  was  perfectly  well  known.  Edward  Hall,  the  porter, 
told^  them  even  that  "some  of  them  would  not  acknow- 
ledge Mr.  Edmonds,  a  Jesuit,  to  have  any  government 
over  them,  whilst  others  were  content  he  should  govern 
according  to   the   custom   of  their   Colleges   in   France." 


^  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  ccxlvii.  n.  3. 

^  Ibid.  vol.  ccxlviii.  n.  68. 

'  Ibid.  vol.  ccxlviii.  n.  36 ;  Condition  of  Catholics,  p.  1. 

*  Ibid.  vol.  cclvi.  n.  1 1 6. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  269 

And  the  report^  from  which  extracts  respecting  others 
have  been  previously  given,  said  of  him :  "  William 
Edmonds,  a  Jesuit,  a  very  dangerous  man,  and  in  especial 
account  amongst  the  Papists,  was  sent  thither  from 
the  Clink,  and  was  suspected  to  be  a  great  practiser 
of  treasons."  With  this  sense  of  his  prominence,  it  is 
not  to  be  wondered  at  that  when  Elizabeth's  Ministers 
resolved  to  make  a  thorough  change  at  Wisbech,  they 
should  have  separated  Father  Weston  from  the  others, 
and  have  consigned  him  to  the  Tower  of  London. 

The  discipline  at  Wisbech  again  became  more  severe, 
and  this  severity  was  renewed  from  time  to  time  even 
after  the  accession  of  King  James.  Father  Garnet  wrote 
to  Father  Persons,^  September  8,  1601,  "The  prisoners 
[at  Wisbech]  were  suffered  to  buy  nothing  but  bread 
and  drink.  I  understand  that  dured  [lasted]  for  few  meals. 
Now  they  buy  their  own  meat,  but  are  kept  from  their 
chambers,  and  are  not  suffered  to  have  their  beds,  but 
in  two  strait  rooms  forced  to  lie  on  mats  on  the  ground 
to  the  number  of  twenty.  .  .  .  Some  there  be  exempted 
and  live  by  themselves  in  chambers,  Mr.  Pound,  Ralph 
Emerson,  by  reason  of  his  infirmity,"  &c.  And  again,^ 
October  4,  1605,  just  a  month  before  the  Gunpowder 
Plot,  "The  prisoners  at  Wisbech  are  almost  famished. 
They  are  very  close,  and  can  have  no  help  from  abroad, 
but  the  King  allowing  a  mark  [13^'.  4^.]  a  week  for  each 
one,  the  keeper  maketh  his  gains,  and  giveth  them  meat 
but  three  times  a  week." 

Poor  little  Brother  Ralph  Emerson  was  in  a  helpless 
state  that  rendered  imprisonment  a  peculiar  hardship. 
A  stroke  of  paralysis  deprived  him  of  the  use  of  half 
his  body,  and  in  this  condition  he  lingered  till  James  I. 
came  to  the  throne.     He  was  then  shipped  off  to  Flanders, 

^  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  \<A.  cxcix.  n.  91. 
2  Stonyhurst  MSS.,  P.  fol.  554. 
»  Ibid.  fol.  563. 


270  Life  of  Father  William  Westo?t. 

after  twenty  years  all  but  a  few  months  spent  in  English 
prisons,  and  he  died  at  St.  Omers  on  the  12th  of  March, 
1604.  It  was  a  mistake  to  say^  that  he  was  at  Wisbech 
with  Father  Weston.  At  Wisbech,  Father  Weston  never 
had  more  than  two  Jesuits  at  a  time  for  his  companions. 
Mr.  Pound  and  Father  Metham  were  the  first,  and 
Father  Metham  had  been  dead  five  years  before  Father 
Bickley  was  admitted  into  the  Society.  Weston  and 
Pound  were  removed  together,  and  Bickley  then  remained 
the  only  Jesuit  at  Wisbech  till  in  February,  1600,  Father 
Christopher  Holiwood,  an  Irish  Jesuit,  who  had  been 
captured  the  year  before,  was  sent  thither  from  the 
Gatehouse,  Father  Edward  Coffin  from  the  Counter  in 
Wood  Street,  and  Ralph  Emerson  from  the  Clink.  They 
were  all  banished  together  in  1603.- 

It  is  not  possible  to  resist  the  temptation  of  saying 
one  word  in  passing  of  another  religious,  though  not  of 
his  own  order,  who  was  with  Father  Weston  at  Wisbech 
during  the  later  portion  of  his  imprisonment  there. 
His  name  appears  in  the  Harleian  list"  as  "Father 
Buckley."  There  were  two  of  the  name,  and  they 
have  this  in  common,  that  each  was  a  connecting 
link  between  the  religious  of  Queen  Mary's  time  and 
their  brethren  in  the  revival  of  their  respective  orders  in 
the  days  of  persecution.  Which  of  the  two  this  was  is 
not  quite  plain.  Bishop  Challoner  thinks  that  it  was 
John  Buckley,  who  was  also  called  Godfrey  Morris,  or 
Jones,  a  Franciscan,*  who   had  been   brought  up  by  the 

^  Supra,  p.  44. 

^  Anno  1603  "ejecti  sunt  etiam  quatuor  Patres  Societatis  Jesu,  scil.  P. 
Christophorus  Holiwodus,  Hibemus,  P.  Rogerus  [Henricus]  Floydus,  P. 
Edouardus  Coffinus,  P.  Radulphus  Bickleus,  et  Frater  Radulphus  Emerson" 
(Douay  Diary).  Of  Father  Holiwood,  P'ather  Garnet  wrote,  "He  doth  much 
comfort  our  friends  at^Wisbech,  and  was  of  exceeding  edification  in  the  Gate- 
house." May  22,  1600  (Stonyhurst  MSS.,  P.  fol.  552).  "To  Framlingham 
went  out  of  the  Tower,  Wright,  Archer,  Pound,  Alabaster."  July  7,  1601 
{Ibid.  fol.  539). 

^  Supra,  p.  266. 

*  Certamen  Seraphicuvi,  p.  13. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  271 

Franciscans  at  Greenwich,  the  brave  men  of  whom  Friar 
Forest  was  one,  and  was  martyred  at  St.  Thomas 
Waterings,  July  12,  1598.  But  it  seems  more  probable 
that  it  was  Sigebert  Buckley,^  a  Benedictine  monk  of 
Westminster,  around  whom,  after  the  accession  of 
James  L,  the  venerable  Anglo-Benedictine  Congregation 
was  formed.  It  is  time,  however,  for  us  now  to  bid 
Wisbech  farewell,  leaving  there  many  worthy  corffessors 
of  Christ,  while  we  accompany  Father  Weston  back  to 
London. 

Father  Bartoli  tells  us  that  one  of  the  justices  of 
Wisbech  was  commissioned  to  send  in  safe  custody  to 
London  Father  Weston  and  three  others.  He  chose  the 
dinner  hour  as  the  time  when  they  would  necessarily  be 
out  of  their  cells,  and  thus  be  unable  to  destroy  any  papers 
or  conceal  anything  they  had.  The  first  name  called  out 
was  Edmund  Weston,  then  Giles  Archer,  Christopher 
Southworth,  and  lastly  Thomas  Pound ;  and  when  they 
had  been  successively  consigned  to  the  keepers  he  had 
brought  with  him,  he  proceeded  to  search  their  rooms  and 
to  take  possession  of  all  their  letters  and  papers,  as  well  as 
their  altar  furniture.  Dr.  Christopher  Bagshawe  is  not 
mentioned  as  removed  from  Wisbech  at  this  time,  but 
his  transfer  cannot  have  been  long  afterwards,  for  his 
name  appears  with  the  others  in  a  list  of  the  priests, 
prisoners  in  London,  in  February,  159I.  Mr.  Dodd  says 
of  him  that  "  not  long  afterwards  he  found  means  to 
be  discharged  of  his  confinement."  It  can  hardly  be  a 
mere  coincidence  that  in  160 1  there  should  have  appeared 
from  his  pen  one  of  those  violent  books  to  which  allusion 
has  been  made  above. 

It  was  mid-winter  when  Father  Weston  was  taken  to 
London,  and  the  journey  occupied  three  days.  But  the 
cold  and  the  foul  winter  roads  were  a  preparation  for 
further  sufifering.     The  apprehension  at  Wisbech  had  been 

^  Dodd,  Church  History,  vol.  ii.  p.  137. 


272  Life  of  Father  William  Weston. 

so  sudden  that  there  had  been  no  time  to  put  off  the 
Jesuit  habit  that  Father  Weston  was  accustomed  to  wear 
in  prison.  Thus  conspicuous,  he  was  kept  for  two  hours 
standing  in  the  midst  of  the  London  mob,  a  punishment  in 
itself  Httle  short  of  the  pillory,  till  the  Privy  Council 
decided  where  the  prisoners  were  to  go.  Archer  and 
Pound  accompanied  Father  Weston  to  the  Tower  ;  Chris- 
topher Southworth,  a  son  of  that  noble  confessor.  Sir 
John  Southworth,  and,  it  would  seem,  a  brother  of  John 
Southworth,  who  died  a  martyr  in  1654,  was  sent  to  the 
Gatehouse.^ 

It  was  in  the  power  of  the  officials  of  the  Tower  to 
make  imprisonment  tolerable,  entailing  in  fact,  no  further 
suffering  than  the  loss  of  liberty  ;  but  it  was  also  in  their 
power,  without  resorting  to  actual  torture,  to  make  it 
intolerable.  Father  Weston  v/as  there  for  four  years  and 
a  half,  and  it  was  a  time  of  great  suffering.  A  cell 
was  assigned  him  where  the  air  was  foul  and  the  smell 
pestilent.  It  was  lighted  by  one  small  window,  so  small 
that  its  light  was  scarcely  sufficient  to  enable  him  to  read. 
His  one  book  was  a  Bible,  and  his  one  occupation  was  to 
read  and  re-read  it  when  the  lie^ht  was  sufficient  to  enable 


^   "  Toiver — Edmonds. 
Archer. 
GatcJiousc — Two  Irish  priests. 
Dr.  Bagshawe. 
Christopher  Southworth. 
Newgate — Nicholas  Knight. 
Nicholas  Linche. 
Robert  Barwis. 
Anthony  Rowse. 
Wood  iVmY— Edward  Coffin. 
Counter — Robert  Benson. 
King's  Bench — ^John  Pibush. 
Marshalsca — ^John  Champney. 

Clink — William  Cornwallis. 
Edward  Hughes. 
Edward  Tempest. 
Bridrcvell—ySxx^iy 
{?.'R.O.,Dotnestic,  Elizabeth,  vol,  cclxx.  n.  45 ;  Feb.  159.) 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  273 

him  to  do  so,  and  to  ponder  over  what  he  read  when 
his  eyes  failed  him.  His  breviary  had  been  taken  from 
him,  and  for  a  very  long  time  he  had  no  means  of 
obtaining  another,  for  his  confinement  was  strictly  solitary. 
Ordinarily  the  prisoners  in  the  Tower  were  supplied  with 
all  they  required  from  their  friends  outside,  and  the  plan 
was  a  profitable  one  for  those  in  charge  of  them ;  but  this 
was  a  privilege  of  those  who  had  what,  speaking  com- 
paratively, deserved  its  name  of  the  "  liberty  of  the  prison." 
In  the  Tower,  above  all  places  in  England,  it  was  possible 
entirely  to  isolate  those  who  were  "close  prisoners." 
Father  Weston  was  thus  isolated.  For  the  whole  time 
of  his  imprisonment,  we  are  told  by  Father  de  Peralta, 
who  is  careful  in  what  he  says,  Father  Weston  was  not 
able  once  to  go  to  confession,  or  to  speak  face  to  face  with 
a  friend.  And  for  the  first  two  years  he  had  for  gaoler  a 
sour-tempered,  harsh  man,  who  never  spoke  to  him  a  kind 
word ;  and  once  even  used  blows  to  force  him  to  give 
up  a  rosary  that  he  had  managed  to  keep  in  spite  of  the 
searches  to  which  he  had  been  subjected.  At  that  time 
the  Lieutenant  of  the  Tower,  who  was  his  only  other 
visitor,  had  nothing  for  him  but  reproaches,  and  all  the 
poor  Father's  power  of  abstraction  in  prayer  was  insufficient 
to  save  him  from  sometimes  brooding  on  them.  The 
bribes  offered  by  his  friends  were  unavailing,  and  for 
two  years  no  communication  whatever  reached  him  from 
them  or  them  from  him.  No  wonder  that,  as  he  told 
Father  de  Peralta,  it  was  not  an  uncommon  thing  for 
the  close  prisoners  in  the  Tower  to  go  out  of  their 
minds. 

When  the  first  two  years  were  over,  his  gaoler  was 
changed,  and  though  he  still  was  not  allowed  intercourse 
even  with  a  fellow-prisoner,  his  new  gaoler  permitted  him 
some  little  change.  It  was  doubtful  whether  it  was  a 
change  for  the  better,  except  that  it  brought  with  it 
sunlight  after  the  long  twilight  of  his  cell,  and  fresh  air 
S 


2  74  ^?/^'  of  F<-'ii^i(^^'  William  Weston. 

to  breathe.  He  was  now  allowed  to  go  on  the  roof  of 
his  tower,  but  this  involved  being  locked  out  there, 
solitary  as  before,  and  exposed  to  all  weathers,  until,  the 
last  thing  at  night,  his  keeper  came  to  take  him  back 
to  his  comfortless  cell,  sometimes  wet  through  and  stiff 
with  cold. 

To  make  the  solitude  more  solitary,  and  the  crown 
of  patience  still  brighter,  it  pleased  God  that  his  eyesight 
should  fail.  Straining  his  eyes  for  two  years  to  read  in 
the  dark,  had  overtaxed  them.  Father  Garnet  got  intelli- 
gence of  him  about  this  time,  and  wrote  ^  under  date 
January  14th,  160",  "I  am  in  hand  to  get  out  our 
cousin  William  Weston.  If  it  be  done,  it  will  cost  well. 
His  eyes  are  not  well  yet,  and  one  he  thinketh  he  shall 
never  use."  But  all  attempts  to  procure  his  release  were 
unavailing,  and  as  long  as  Elizabeth  lived.  Father  Weston 
lingered  on  in  his  dark  prison,  and  the  eyesight  did  not 
improve.  Wlien  he  was  set  free,  after  her  death,  Father 
Garnet  wrote  again,-  May  14th,  1603,  "Yesterday  went 
from  London,  Father  Weston,  a  man  beloved  and 
admired  of  his  enemies.  He  hath  almost  lost  his 
eyes." 

It  may  well  be  imagined  how  the  eye  was  turned 
inward  all  that  time.  If  the  life  was  to  be  borne  at  all, 
it  could  only  be  by  the  exercise  of  the  most  fervent  piety. 
To  the  practice  of  an  ascetic  life  Father  W'eston  devoted 
himself  in  the  spirit  of  one  of  the  Fathers  of  the  Desert. 
At  Wisbech  his  life  had  been  one  of  great  severity  to 
himself,  and  of  it  we  have  the  testimony^  of  Giles  Archer, 
the  priest  who  was  immured  with  him  in  the  Tower.  "I 
have  continued  and  daily  conversed  with  him  for  the  space 
of  ten  years.  He  was  first  committed  to  the  Clink ;  after 
some  time  sent  down  to  W^isbcch.     It  is  well  known  to  all 

1  Stonyhurst  MSS.,  P.  fol.  546. 

■■'  Jbid.  fol.  547. 

'  Stonyhurst  MSS.,  Father  Grene's  Collcctan.  M.  fol.  201. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  275 

that  company  that  for  the  space  of  seven  years  together 
he  never  came  into  any  bed  to  repose  his  wearied  body, 
ever  rising  from  the  ground,  where  he  couched,  at 
four  of  the  clock,  and  never  lay  down  again  until  eleven 
at  night.  The  whole  space  of  the  said  seven  years,  he 
used  only  one  meal  in  the  day,  which  was  also  very 
temperate.  He  never  drank  wine,  but  only  at  the  altar, 
nor  any  strong  drink,  if  possibly  any  small  might  be 
gotten." 

In  the  Tower  he  took  to  soaking  all  that  they  brought 
him  to  eat  in  cold  water,  to  make  it  tasteless  and  insipid, 
but  he  discontinued  this  when  he  found  it  was  injuring  his 
health.  His  nights  were  passed  on  the  damp  floor.  Once 
the  lieutenant,  from  compassion,  sent  him  a  bed.  Father 
Weston  slept  in  it  the  following  night,  and  in  the  morning, 
turning  to  his  Bible,  the  first  verse  that  met  his  eye  was 
that  in  the  twenty-sixth  chapter  of  Proverbs :  "  As  the 
door  turneth  upon  its  hinges,  so  doth  the  slothful  upon 
his  bed,"  and  he  did  not  feel  encouraged  to  persevere 
in  abandoning  his  former  practice. 

The  Earl  of  Essex  came  one  day  to  visit  the  Tower, 
and  Father  de  Peralta  remembered  the  name,  for  it  was 
that  of  the  general  who  led  the  expedition  against  Cadiz. 
He  happened  to  visit  some  tower  that  commanded  a  view 
of  the  leads  where  Father  Weston  spent  so  many  hours. 
He  saw  him  on  his  knees  and  motionless  in  prayer.  The 
Earl  turned  to  his  companions,  after  observing  him  for 
a  while,  and  said  to  them,  "  I  should  not  think  that  he  was 
the  great  traitor  they  make  him  out  to  be."  Another  story 
Father  de  Peralta  tells  is,  that  a  gentleman  once  seeing 
him  there,  sent  him  some  crown  pieces  as  an  alms. 
Father  Weston  declined  them,  on  which  the  giver  sent 
him  the  message :  Domijic,  air  71011  accipis  has  pccimiasf 
His  appearance  on  his  little  tower  was  not  always,  how- 
ever, the  signal  for  compassion.  Bigotry  was  strong 
enough,  even  among  those  who  were  in  the  same  con- 
S  2 


276  Life  of  Father  Willia7n  Wesion. 

demnation,  to  cause  them  to  throw  stones  at  him  from  one 
or  two  places  where  his  position  was  overlooked. 

The  all  but  unbroken  solitude,  and  the  continual  tension 
of  the  mind  on  spiritual  subjects,  was,  as  might  be  expected, 
injurious  to  the  bodily  health.  Uninterrupted  prayer  is 
said^  to  be  like  a  fine  saw,  that  imperceptibly  cuts  through 
the  frail  frame  of  man.  It  is  the  sharp  sword  cutting  its 
own  scabbard.  Father  Weston's  effort  was  undistractedly 
to  maintain  the  actual  sense  of  the  Divine  Presence.  Six 
hours  he  devoted  daily  to  prayer  by  a  rule  that  he  laid 
down  for  himself,  and  this  was  often  increased.  His  belief 
was  that  he  had  conflicts  with  evil  spirits,  not  interiorly 
only,  but  physically.  He  believed  that  they  appeared  to 
him  visibly,  and  that  the  temptations  they  suggested  to 
him  were  audibly  uttered.  Their  importunities  for  a  time 
were  incessant  day  and  night,  that  he  should  put  an  end 
to  it  all  by  his  own  hand,  and  his  belief  was  that  they 
offered  him  the  rope  with  which  to  hang  himself  or  the 
knife  to  cut  his  throat.  He  thought  they  roused  him  from 
his  sleep  by  blows,  and  he  said  himself  that  for  a  space  of 
fifty  days  he  had  not  more  than  ten  hours'  sleep. 

But  his  spirit  was  far  from  being  always  in  desolation 
and  temptation.  At  one  time  in  particular,  while,  absorbed 
in  prayer,  he  offered  to  God  his  eyesight,  his  hearing,  and 
his  mental  powers,  all  of  which  he  expected  to  lose,  he 
thought  he  saw  a  bright  ray  of  light  descending  like  a 
thread  from  heaven,  and  a  voice  saying,  "  By  this  thread 
thou  dost  depend  on  My  Providence :  I  am  with  thee ; 
abandon  not  thyself"  The  temptation  in  all  great  trouble 
is  to  think  one's-self  forgotten  by  God.  And  His  goodness 
never  fails  then  to  bring  home  to  the  soul  that  it  has  a 
loving  Father  in  heaven. 

This  was  his  own  account  of  his  feelings  afterwards, 
but  he  could  hardly  ever  be  induced  to  allude  to  that 
terrible  time.      To  one  or  two  most  intimate  friends,  of 

^  Rodriguez,  Christiatt  Perfection,  part  2,  treatise  i,  ch.  l. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  277 

whom  De  Peralta  was  one,  he  told  a  little  of  what  he  had 
suffered,  and  where  he  had  found  comfort.  A  fellow- 
student  of  his  at  Cordova,  Father  Juan  de  Pineda,  who, 
when  he  came  there,  was  at  Rome  as  Procurator  of  the 
Province  of  Andalusia,  gathered  some  insight  into  his 
interior  life,  and  spoke  of  him  always  as  a  man  who  had 
a  particular  light  from  heaven  and  lived  in  singular  close- 
ness with  God. 

Every  effort  to  procure  his  liberation  failed,  and  the 
weary  time  went  on.  At  last  Queen  Elizabeth  died,  and 
the  prison  doors  opened.  Framlingham,  and  Wisbech, 
and  the  Tower  gave  up  their  captives,  but  liberty  in 
their  native  land  was  linked  with  a  condition  that  Weston 
for  one  could  not  accept.  To  remain  in  England  Catholics 
must  attend  the  services  of  the  Protestant  Church  ;  if 
they  would  not  do  so,  they  must  exchange  their  imprison- 
ment for  exile. 

James  was  proclaimed  March  24,  i6of,  and  a  royal 
pardon  was  at  once  granted,  but  it  was  a  month  after  the 
liberation  of  the  other  prisoners  that  its  benefits  were 
extended  to  Father  Weston.  The  Lieutenant  of  the 
Tower  then  showed  the  impression  that  had  been  made 
on  him  by  the  patience  of  his  prisoner.  He  invited 
him  to  dine,  gave  him,  says  Father  Bartoli,  eighty  reals 
[2/.],  lent  him  a  place  to  live  in  within  the  Tower,  and 
gave  him  full  liberty  to  see  his  friends.  And  of  his 
keeper  a  saying  is  recorded  that  he  had  had  Norton,  the 
rack-master,  for  a  prisoner  as  well  as  Father  Weston, 
and  that  "  the  Calvinist  was  a  devil,  while  the  Jesuit  was 
a  saint."  Father  Thomas  Garnet^  used  to  tell  his  fellow- 
novices  at  Louvain  that  the  Constable  of  Wisbech,  Medeley 
we  must  suppose,  reading  Watson's  Quodlibets  when  they 
appeared,  after  Father  Weston's  transfer  to  the  Tower, 
and  coming  on  the  calumnies  against  his  old  prisoner, 
flung   the   book   from   him,  affirming  with  an   oath  that 

^  More,  Hist.  Prov.  lib.  iv.  c.  24,  p.  154. 


278  Life  of  Father  William  Weston 

all  that  was  said  about  Weston  was  false,  and  that  the 
life  that  he  had  led  at  Wisbech  had  been  so  innocent 
and  holy  that  he  would  be  glad  to  get  a  place  in  such 
a  man's  prayers. 

Father  Weston  left  the  Tower,  May  13,^  1603.  A 
crowd  of  persons  assembled  on  the  Tower  Quay  to  see 
him  embark.  Protestants  were  moved  by  curiosity,  and 
Catholics  by  devotion  to  see  the  famous  Jesuit,  Father 
Edmonds,  who  had  been  seventeen  years  in  prison.  The 
Catholics  made  no  secret  of  their  veneration.  They  fell 
on  their  knees  about  him,  kissed  his  hands  and  begged 
his  blessing,  feeling  sure,  like  those  of  Ephesus  when 
St.  Paul  left  them,  that  they  should  see  his  face  no  more. 
God,  who  often  shows  His  acceptance  of  a  generous  will 
by  the  sacrifice  of  the  very  proferred  service  itself,  and 
the  substitution  of  a  cross  to  be  borne  in  union  with  the 
Prince  of  Pastors,  had  allowed  Father  Weston  to  be 
actively  engaged,  in  behalf  of  the  souls  for  Avhom  he  risked 
his  life,  for  two  years  only  at  liberty  of  the  nineteen  that 
he  had  now  spent  in  England.  The  coveted  palm  of 
martyrdom  was  not  bestowed,  and  Father  Weston  must 
now  go  into  exile,  after  a  missionary  career  that  the 
Avorld  would  regard  as  a  failure,  but  which  was  as  accept- 
able to  God  as  if  the  goodwill  had  been  crowned  by 
the  most  brilliant  success.  All  that  our  Master  asks  of 
us  is  to  be  content  with  the  lot  that  He  assigns  to  us,  and 
thus  he  who  succeeds  and  he  who  fails,  the  reaper  and 
the  sower,  may  rejoice  together. 

There  was  a  boat  waiting  on  the  Thames,  and  four 
priests  with  three  royal  pursuivants  for  travelling  com- 
panions. They  left  the  river  at  Gravesend,  thence  passed 
to  Canterbury,  and  on  to  Dover,  and  it  was  not  till  they 
reached   Calais  that  Father  Weston  was  left  free  by  his 

^  Bartoli  is  wrong  in  saying  that  the  day  on  which  Father  Weston  left  the 
Tower  was  May  3,  X.S.  May  13,  O.  S.  was  May  23,  N.S.  He  is  still 
further  wrong  in  naming  Monday  before  Whit  Sunday  (June  6)  as  the  date 
of  the  order  for  his  liberation  {Inghilterra,  lib.  vi.  cap.  I,  p,  466). 


Life  of  Father  William  Westo7i.  2  79 

guards  to  go  his  way.  He  went  straight  to  St.  Omers, 
where  his  brethren  in  religion  made  him  welcome,  almost 
blind,  half  broken  down,  prematurely  old — a  venerable 
confessor  for  the  cause  of  Christ.  Three  or  four  lines 
of  a  letter  to  Father  Persons  were  as  much  as  either  his 
weakened  eyesight,  or  his  impaired  power  of  attention 
would  permit  him  to  write. 

The  scrap  of  a  letter^  from  Father  Garnet,  from  which 
a  few  words  have  been  already  quoted,  written  the  day 
after  Father  Weston's  departure,  runs  thus  :  "  May  14, 
1603.  Yesterday  went  from  London  Father  Weston, 
a  man  beloved  and  admired  of  his  enemies.  He  hath 
almost  lost  his  eyes.  I  wish  first  he  go  to  Flamsted 
for  his  rest,  and  then  to  Joseph  [Father  Joseph  Cress- 
well  in  Spain.  Father  Grenes  marginal  notc\  for  he 
came  from  that  place  and  hath  the  language.  There 
went  with  Father  Weston,  Mr.  Wright,  Friar  Baily,  &c. 
All  broke  away  but  poor  Father  Weston."  The  Douay 
Diary  gives  the  names  of  those  sent  into  banishment  with 
Weston  as  Thomas  Wright,^  Andrew  Bailey,  a  Dominican, 
John  Roberts,  a  Benedictine,  and  a  priest  named  James 
West,  of  whom  the  Diary  says,  "  lunaticus  si  non  demens." 
Father  John  Roberts,  O.S.B.,  called  in  religion  Father 
John  de  Mervinia,  died  a  martyr's  death  at  Tyburn, 
December  10,  16 10. 

Whether  by  "  Flamsted "  Father  Garnet  meant  St. 
Omers  or  Rome  is  not  certain,  but  it  most  probably  was 
the  former.  However  to  Rome  Father  Weston  went,  at 
Father  General's  request,  after  he  had  rested  himself  a  little 
in  Flanders.  Some  months  were  spent  by  him  there,  and 
his  health  soon  showed  the  benefit  of  the  change.  At 
first  it  had  seemed  as  thoueh  he  could  not  live  half  a 


1  Stonyhurst  MSS.,  P.  fol.  547. 

*  This  Thomas  Wright  was  seventeen  years  in  the  Society,  and  was 
dismissed  about  1597.  He  is  well  distinguished  from  the  Dean  of  Courtrai, 
by  Dr.  Jessopp  in  his  edition  of  Father  IVal/ole's  Letters,  p.  55. 


2 So  Life  of  Father  Willimn  Wcsio7i. 

year,  and  as  if  his  work  on  earth  were  done.  However, 
he  soon  rallied,  and  becoming  fit  to  resume  work,  he  was 
sent  to  Spain,  for  which,  as  Father  Garnet  had  noted, 
his  knowledge  of  the  language  and  familiarity  with  the 
place,  fitted  him.  He  went  first  to  Valladolid,  and  thence 
in  1605  to  Seville,  where  he  remained  nine  years. 

He  was  received  in  Spain  by  his  old  companions  with 
open  arms.  Wherever  he  went  he  found  the  fathers  who 
had  been  with  him  in  the  Novitiate  or  Scholasticate,  now 
Rectors  and  Superiors.  His  prudence,  his  sanctity,  his 
afifability  were  not  forgotten,  and  those  who  had  known 
him  twenty  years  before  were  delighted  to  have  him 
amongst  them,  his  virtues  matured  by  the  constancy 
with  wdiich  he  had  suftcred  for  the  Faith.  And  not  only 
was  he  welcome  amongst  his  brethren  in  religion,  but 
in  Seville  in  particular  there  were  many  gentlemen  in 
the  world  and  ecclesiastics,  even  among  the  members  of 
both  Chapters,  who  had  been  his  penitents,  and  were  glad 
again  to  put  themselves  under  his  guidance. 

The  warm  dry  climate  of  Seville  suited  his  health 
perfectly,  so  that  he  soon  recovered  his  eyesight  and 
hearing,  and  lost  the  habit  of  sleeplessness.  He  was 
thus  able  to  undertake  a  full  share  of  work.  Besides 
being  confessor,  he  was  made  Spiritual  Father  of  the 
English  College,  giving  his  exhortations  to  the  students 
in  English,  and  to  the  lay-brothers  in  Spanish.  He  spoke 
with  great  facility,  Father  de  Peralta,  who  was  now  his 
Rector,  tells  us,  and  with  such  unction  and  fervour  that 
his  words  kindled  a  fire  in  the  hearts  of  his  hearers. 
Besides  these  more  spiritual  duties,  he  gave  lectures  of 
moral  theology,  and  resumed  his  old  classes  of  languages, 
teaching  alternate  Hebrew  and  Greek.  In  this  occupation 
he  continued  for  nine  years,  "edifying  us,  encouraging 
us,  consoling  us,"  says  his  biographer,  till  in  June,  16 14, 
Father  General  thought  well  to  make  him  Rector  of  the 
English  College  at  Valladolid. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  281 

He  felt  the  change  very  much,  for  both  the  chmate 
of  Seville  and  his  occupations  there  were  exactly  adapted 
to  him.  The  cold  of  Valladolid  he  thought  would  kill 
him,  and  he  told  Father  de  Peralta  that  he  went  there 
to  die.  But  he  bowed  his  head  to  the  judgment  of  his 
superiors,  and  as  he  had  done  all  his  life,  showed  himself 
to  be  a  good  and  obedient  religious.  What  an  excellent 
choice  the  General  had  made  was  visible  in  the  peace 
and  contentment  that  reigned  in  the  College  while  he 
was  its  Superior.  Father  Anthony  Hoskins  was  then 
Vice-President  of  the  mission,  living  at  Madrid,  and 
having  charge  of  the  English  Jesuit  houses  in  Spain, 
and  he  often  told  Father  de  Peralta  that  he  had  never 
seen  a  College  so  peaceful  or  so  united  with  its  Rector, 
and  he  attributed  it  as  a  special  blessing  from  heaven, 
merited  by  the  holiness  of  Father  Weston's  life.  It 
lasted,  however,  but  a  short  time,  for  the  good  Father's 
anticipations  were  verified,  and  as  he  died  when  he  had 
been  at  Valladolid  but  nine  months,  he  may  well  be  said 
to  have  given  his  life  as  a  martyr  to  obedience.  That 
transfer  cost  him  more,  says  Father  de  Peralta,  than 
anything  he  had  been  called  upon  to  do  since  he  entered 
the  Society.  Father  Weston  was  brought  up  in  the  same 
school  of  virtue  as  Blessed  Father  Peter  Favrc,  and  he 
may  well  have  said,  as  the  first  priest  in  the  Society 
had  learnt  from  St.  Ignatius  to  say,  that  whether  his  life 
was  long  or  short  mattered  little,  but  whether  his  soul 
was  obedient  mattered  much. 

William  Weston  died  at  Valladolid  on  the  9th  of 
April,  161 5,  at  two  o'clock  in  the  morning.  At  first  his 
illness  seemed  to  be  of  little  importance,  but  a  malignant 
fever  manifested  itself  which  the  doctors  could  not  subdue. 
The  words  he  used  when  told  that  he  would  die  were, 
Lcetatus  sum  in  his  quce  dicta  sunt  inihi,  in  domuvi 
Domini  ibimus.  By  a  remarkable  phrase  used  by  him 
as  death  came  near,  he  showed  the  confidence  in   God 


282  Life  of  Father  Willi a7n  Weston. 

that  had  always  distinguished  him.  Non  timco,  Dominc, 
non  timco;  tu  scis  quia  non  timco — "  I  do  not  fear,  O  Lord, 
I  do  not  fear ;  Thou  knowest  that  I  do  not  fear."  These 
little  traits  of  the  last  dispositions  of  Father  Weston, 
together  with  details  of  the  virtues  manifested  by  him, 
are  mentioned  in  the  Circular  sent  round  to  the  Houses 
of  the  Society  on  the  occasion  of  his  death  by  Father 
Thomas  Silvester,  then  Minister  of  St.  Alban's  College  at 
Valladolid.  In  the  corridor  of  that  College  a  picture  of 
its  saintly  Rector  hangs,^  surrounded  by  pictures  of  the 
noble  sons  of  St.  Alban,  who,  like  the  English  proto- 
martyr,  gave  their  lives  for  their  Faith.  Another  picture 
of  him  there  is,  or  until  lately  there  was,  on  the  walls 
of  the  Roman  Novitiate  of  St.  Andrew's  on  the  Ouirinal, 
a  copy  of  which,  made  by  Mr.  Charles  Weld,  of  Chideock, 
serves  as  the  frontispiece  to  this  Life. 

Father  Weston  died  in  his  sixty-fifth  year,  and  in 
the  fortieth  of  his  religious  life.  His  last  vows — the  four 
solemn  vows  of  a  professed  Father  of  the  Society — he  had 
the  consolation  of  taking  on  the  2nd  of  August,  1598, 
while  still  at  Wisbech.  This,  Father  Nathaniel  Southwell' 
has  taken  from  the  Catalogue  of  the  Professed,  and  he 
is  the  only  writer  who  has  mentioned  it.  Father  Weston's 
Requiem  was  performed  not  only  at  the  English  College, 
but  also  at  the  Professed  House  of  the  Society  at  Valla- 
dolid, and  was  numerously  attended.  A  Spanish  preacher 
of  renown.  Father  Francis  Labata,  preached  his  funeral 
sermon,  and  in  it  he  told  a  capital  story.  He  said  that 
in  the  midst  of  an  exorcism  Father  Weston  was  asked 
by  a  devil  for  leave  to  enter  into  Queen  Elizabeth.  "  No," 
said  Father  Weston,  "she  is  my  Queen,  though  .she  is 
not  of  my  religion.  I  would  do  her  a  service,  but  I 
wish  her  no  harm."  "  Well,  then,"  the  devil  asked,  "  may  I 

^  The   inscription    calls    Father   Weston    "  a    native    of    Durham,"   but 
apparently  without  reason. 

*  Stonyhurst  MSS.,  Catalogus pri?>ionim  Patntm,  p.  15. 


Life  of  Father  William  Weston.  283 

come  into  you  ? "  "  As  God  pleases,"  the  Father  replied. 
"  I  had  as  soon  go  into  a  holy  water  pot,"  said  the 
devil.^ 

The  head  of  Father  Weston  is  reverently  kept  at 
Roehampton,  in  the  sacristy  of  the  Novitiate  of  the 
English  Province  of  the  Society  of  Jesus.  It  was  restored 
to  us  in  a  singular  manner. 

On  the   scull  itself  there   has  been  written :    Para  el 

Provincial   de    Inglaterra   y    su    Provincia.      Cabeza  del 

Venerable  Padre   Guillermo    Wes/on,    de  la    Compafiia   de 

Jesus.      A  si  lo  testifico  yo  que  la  vi  sacar  de  su  sepidtura. 

Juan  Friman.    Jorge  Garnet.    Notario  Apostolico. 

After  the  revolution,  early  in  this  century,  the  house 
which  up  to  the  suppression  of  the  Society  had  been 
the  English  Tertianship,  the  foundation  of  Anne,  Countess 
of  Arundel,  had  become  the  residence  of  the  Bishop  of 
Ghent.  In  18 17,  Father  Charles  Waldack,  whose  recent 
loss  we  deplore,  often  saw  a  scull  on  the  mantel-piece 
of  the  room  occupied  by  the  Bishop's  secretary,  the 
Chanoine  Boussen,  in  that  house.  It  was  kept  by  him 
simply  as  a  memento  viori,  and  when  the  worthy  Canon 
was  made  Bishop  of  Bruges,  he  gave  the  tete  de  inort  to 
one  of  the  religious  of  a  community  in  Ghent,  of  which 
he  had  been  the  director.  Some  years  afterwards  Father 
Waldack  had  given  a  retreat  in  the  convent,  and  the 
Superioress  told  him  that  one  of  the  religious,  who  was 
now  very  old,  wanted  to  make  him  a  present.  When 
he  learnt  what  the  present  was,  he  accepted  it  and  carried 
it  away  to  his  room.  One  day  reading  the  History  of 
the  Society  by  Jouvency,  his  eye  was  struck  by  the  name 
of  Weston,  which  he  remembered  to  have  seen  written 
upon  the  scull.  Somewhat  later,  Father  Waldack,  being 
Socius  to  the  Belgian  Provincial  and  Procurator  of  that 
Province,  was  thrown  into  relations  with  Father  Randal 
Lythgoe,  the  English  Provincial,  on  his  visits  to  Belgium. 

^  More,  Hisl.  Prov.  lib.  iv.  c.  25,  p.  155. 


284  Life  of  Father  Willia77i  Westoji. 

To  Father  Lythgoe,  at  his  earnest  request,  Father  Wal- 
dack  gave  the  head  of  Father  Weston,  and  by  him  it 
was  immediately  sent  to  Father  Connell,  then  Master 
of  Novices  at  Hodder ;  and  from  that  time  it  has  been 
kept  with  affection  and  veneration  by  the  Enghsh  Novices 
of  the  Society.  The  Roman  Novices  had  his  picture 
among  them  ;  those  of  his  own  Province  are  encouraged, 
by  the  possession  of  this  precious  relic,  to  bear  in  honoured 
remembrance  this  man  of  austerity  and  prayer. 


\ 


II. 

THE 

FALL  OF  ANTHONY  TYRRELL. 


28; 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell  was  prepared  for  the  Press  by 
Father  Persons.  Probably  the  news  of  first  one  and  then  another 
relapse  of  the  man  whose  "fall"  was  thus  multiplied,  prevented 
its  publication.  The  relapses  of  the  subject  of  the  narrative 
would  certainly  have  spoiled  the  edification  of  the  story,  and  it 
would  no  longer  have  carried  all  the  warning  to  the  Catholics  of 
England  that  it  was  written  to  convey.  With  us  it  is  otherwise. 
Our  wish  is  to  ascertain  the  historical  features  of  a  very  interest- 
ing period,  and  we  wish  to  learn  not  only  what  was  done  by  the 
strong  and  brave,  but  also  by  the  weak  and  cowardly.  The  sort 
of  pressure  that  was  brought  to  bear  on  Catholics  who  fell  into 
the  hands  of  Elizabeth's  Ministers,  the  conduct  of  those  Ministers, 
the  instruments  that  they  used,  and  indeed  created;  all  this  con- 
cerns us  much,  if  we  would  form  for  ourselves  a  true  idea  of 
the  "  Troubles  of  our  Catholic  Forefathers." 

The  main  staple  of  the  following  pages  is  Father  Persons* 
narrative.  It  is  illustrated  by  the  original  papers  in  the  Public 
Record  Office  and  the  British  Museum,  which  fall  naturally  into 
their  places  and  bear  out  the  story. 

Two  copies  exist  of  Father  Persons'  work,  both  of  which  are 
in  the  English  College  at  Rome.  Both  are  in  quarto  and  are 
bound  in  white  vellum.  The  first  consists  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty-seven  pages,  well  and  clearly  wTitten,  and  in  excellent 
preservation.  It  is  on  English  paper,  in  a  contemporary  English 
binding,  and  is  revised  and  corrected  by  a  contemporary  hand. 

The  other  copy  is  in  fifty-four  pages,  and  on  the  side  there  is 
written  in  Father  Christopher  Grene's  well-known  hand,  "P.  Rob. 
Personii."  This  also  is  a  contemporary  manuscript,  but  in  bad 
condition,  in  some  places  nearly  destroyed  by  the  action  of  the 


288  The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyr^'ell. 

acid  in  the  ink.     It  was  probably  written  in  Rome,  and  copied 
from  the  other  manuscript. 

The  Reverend  Joseph  Stevenson  lias  sent  home  a  transcript 
to  the  Public  Record  Office,  and  Sir  Thomas  iJuffus  Hardy, 
Deputy-Keeper  of  the  Public  Records,  has  kindly  allowed  it  to 
be  used  for  the  present  publication. 


I 


THE    FALL   OF   ANTHONY   TYRRELL. 


-      INTRODUCTION. 

Lord  Acton,  in  a  letter  to  the  Times  newspaper  of 
November  24th,  1874,  expressed  himself  in  the  following 
words.  "The  case  of  Tyrrell,  in  the  time  of  Gregory  XIII., 
resembles  that  of  Ridolfi,  but  Mr.  Froude  gives,  I  think, 
good  reason  to  doubt  the  evidence  on  which  it  rests." 
Mr.  Froude  has  had  some  severe  things  said  of  him,  but 
nothing  so  severe  as  this  has  been  said  before.  It  can 
have  no  sense  if  it  is  not  ironical.  "  The  case  of  Ridolfi," 
in  Lord  Acton's  language,  signifies  that  Pope  St.  Pius  V. 
sanctioned  Ridolfi's  plan  for  the  murder  of  Queen 
Elizabeth,  "  The  case  of  Tyrrell,"  signifies  that  Pope 
Gregory  XIII.  approved  of  a  similar  plan  which  Tyrrell 
is  supposed  to  have  put  before  him.  In  Lord  Acton's 
judgment  Mr.  Froude  gives  "  good  reason  to  doubt  the 
evidence "  on  which  Tyrrell's  case  rests.  Yet  Mr.  Froude 
calmly  relates  it  as  though  it  were  undoubtedly  and 
undeniably  true. 

"  It  was  towards  the  close  of  the  Pontificate  of 
Gregory  XIII.,"  we  read  in  his  pages,^  "that  two  young 
English  Jesuits,  Anthony  Tyrrell,  who  tells  the  story,  and 
Foscue  or  Fortescue,  better  known  as  Ballard,  and  con- 
cerned afterwards  in  the  Babington  conspiracy,  set  out 
upon  a  journey  to  Rome  on  a  noticeable  errand."  The 
footnote  contains  a  reference  to  "  Confessions  of  Anthony 
Tyrrell,  made  in  the  Tower."     To  readers  who  arc  accus- 

*  History  of  England,  vol.  xi.  chap.  xxv.  p.  302. 
T 


290  The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell. 

tomed  to  Mr.  Froudc's  habitual  inaccuracy  in  the  statement 
of  facts,  it  is  hardly  needful  to  say  that  they  must  not 
think  because  Mr.  Froude  thinks  well  to  say  so,  either 
that  Tyrrell  was  ever  in  the  Tower,  or  that  he  or  Ballard 
were  Jesuits.  The  one  is  as  false  as  the  other.  And  it 
is  not  less  false,  that  Gregory  XIII.  approved  of  a  proposal 
for  the  assassination  of  Queen  Elizabeth.  But  Mr.  Froude, 
who  gives  such  "  good  reason  to  doubt  the  evidence  "  on 
which  the  story  rests,  not  only  tells  it  as  Tyrrell's  story, 
but  he  repeats  his  calumny  without  any  mention  of 
Tyrrell's  name,  at  a  later  stage  of  his  "History,"^  when 
he  introduces  John  Ballard  as  "one  of  the  two  Jesuits  who 
had  sought  and  obtained  the  sanction  of  Gregory  XIII. 
to  the  Queen's  murder,  and  who  had  since  clung  to  his 
purpose  with  the  tenacity  of  a  sleuth-hound." 

Tyrrell  wrote  his  story  when  he  wanted  to  purchase 
Lord  Burghley's  favour ;  and  when  he  was  out  of 
Burghley's  reach,  he  wrote  to  Queen  Elizabeth  in  these 
words.  "As  for  Pope  Gregory,  I  protest,  as  I  hope  to 
be  saved,  I  never  heard  him  speak  anything  unto  your 
Majesty's  prejudice  or  harm  ;  but  I  have  heard  him  with 
my  own  ears,  and  seen  with  mine  own  eyes  to  shed  tears 
for  your  Majesty,  wishing  that  all  the  blood  in  his  body 
were  spilt  to  do  you  any  good.  And  so  far  he  hath  been 
from  persuading  us  to  any  treachery  towards  your  person, 
as  he  hath  by  his  own  mouth  commanded  us  to  pray 
for  you,  and  not  to  intermeddle  in  anything  but  that 
directly  concerned  our  profession  ;  and  this  is  the  worst 
that  ever  I  did  know  Pope  Gregory  to  wish  you,  whom 
I  have  most  falsely  accused  in  many  things." 

In  a  note  Mr.  Froude  refers  to  this  passage  as  it 
stands  in  the  pages  of  Strype,^  but  only  to  reject  it 
as  having  been  written  when  Tyrrell  had  "fallen  again 
into  the  hands  of  the   priests."      Mr.  Froude  adds,  what 

^  History  of  England,  vol.  xii.  chap,  xxxiv.  p.  227. 
2  Annals,  vol.  iii.  part  ii.  p.  431. 


The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell.  291 

is  quite  true,  that  when  Tyrrell  was  in  custody  once 
more  he  "  withdrew  his  recantation."  But  how  often 
the  poor  creature  changed  his  religion  and  recanted 
his  recantations  Mr.  Froude  does  not  say.  In  that  which 
follows  respecting  him,  we  have  to  put  before  the  reader 
the  story  of  a  man  who  was  four  times  a  Catholic  and 
three  times  turned  Protestant.  The  case  is  singular 
enough,  and  the  story  very  instructive,  for  it  lets  us 
see  what  influence  was  brought  to  bear  on  any  priests 
in  Queen  Elizabeth's  prisons  who  showed  signs  of 
weakness,  and  what  work  was  expected  of  them  in 
return  for  the  gift  of  their  lives.  As  for  that  which 
comes  from  his  pen,  the  reader  must  judge  for  himself, 
from  the  circumstances,  when  the  man  is  telling  the 
truth,  and  when  he  is  telling  lies.  He  wrote  equally 
well,  saving  the  prolixity  in  which  that  age  delighted, 
on  either  side.  When  he  was  free  he  wrote  one  way, 
when  in  duress  another ;  but  at  the  end,  as  Father 
Weston  has  already^  told  us,  he  showed  on  which  side 
he  thought  it  best  to  die. 

"George  Tyrrell"  is  noted  by  Dr.Bridgewater^  as  having 
"left  England  with  his  two  sons,  in  order  that  he  might 
continue  faithful  to  the  Church  of  God."  Anthony  Tyrrell 
was  one  of  those  sons.  The  family  was  of  knightly  rank, 
and  since  that  time  it  has  had  two  baronetcies  conferred 
on  it.  It  claimed  descent  from  Sir  Walter  Tyrrell,  who 
shot  William  Rufus.  Historians  might  express  their 
doubts,  the  heralds  felt  none ;  and  one  of  them,^  in  his 
Visitation  of  A  rms,  places  at  the  top  of  the  family  pedigree 
the  following  quaint  note  of  the  event,  of  the  antiquity  of 
which,  at  least,  the  family  was  probably  proud.  "  This 
Sir  Walter  Tyrrell,  shooting  at  a  deer,  unaware  hit  King 
William  Rufus  in  the  breast,  that  he  fell  down  dead  and 

^  Sttpra,  p.  207.  '  Concertatio :  Brevis  descriptio,  fol.  3. 

3  Harleian  MSS.  1398,  fol.  4. 

T   2 


292  The  Fall  of  AntJiouy   Tyrrell. 

never  spake  word  :  the  Kinc,^  at  that  time  being  hunting  in 
the  New  Forest,  being  the  morrow  after  Lammas  day, 
anno  iioo,  ajino  rcgni  sui  13.  His  body  was  laid  upon 
a  collier's  cart,  and  drawn  with  one  silly  lean  beast  to  the 
City  of  Winchester,  and  there  buried." 

The  eighth  in  descent  from  Sir  Walter  was  Sir  James 
Tyrrell,  who  married  the  daughter  of  Sir  William  Heron, 
by  whom,  in  the  time  of  Edward  H.,  the  estate  of  Heron 
in  Essex  came  to  the  family.  Their  great  grandson.  Sir 
John,  was  Treasurer  of  the  Household  to  King  Henry  VI., 
and  his  three  sons  were  founders  of  three  branches  of  the 
family,  the  eldest  son  of  Heron,  the  second  of  Gypping 
in  Suffolk,  and  the  third  of  Beeches.  Of  Sir  Thomas, 
the  eldest  of  these  three,  descended  in  the  third  degree 
Sir  Thomas,  who  married  Constance,  daughter  of  John 
Blount,  Lord  Mountjoy.  He  had  six  sons  and  three 
daughters,  the  fourth  son  being  George,  the  father  of 
Anthony  Tyrrell.  The  eldest  son,  John,  married  Anne, 
daughter  of  Sir  William  Browne,  Lord  Mayor  of  London. 
He  left  no  son,  but  Sir  Henry  Baker  of  Kent,  Bart,  was 
descended  from  his  daughter.  He  died  April  3,  1540, 
and  his  widow  married  Sir  William  Petre,  by  whose  death, 
January  13,  157'?,  she  a  second  time  became  a  widow. 
Their  son.  Sir  John  Petre,  was  created  Baron  Petre  of 
Writtle,  July  21,  1603.  Sir  William  Petre's  first  wife,  by 
whom  he  had  two  daughters,  also  connected  him  with 
the  Tyrrell  family.  She  was  Gertrude,  daughter  of  Sir 
John  Tyrrell  of  Warley. 

John  Tyrrell  dying  without  male  heirs,  the  family 
estate  of  Heron  came  to  his  brother.  Sir  Henry.  The 
third  son  was  Sir  William,  a  knight  of  Rhodes  ;  then  came 
George,  Thomas,  and  Charles,  a  physician.  The  daughters 
were  Ada,  Avho  was  drowned,  Catharine,  who  married 
George  Keble  of  Newbottle,  co.  Northampton,  and  Anne, 
whose  first  husband  was  named  Knight,  and  the  second 
Knighton. 


The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell.  293 

The  family  were  Catholics,  and  stood  well  with  Queen 
Mary.  Charles  was  recommended  to  Sir  William  Petrc 
by  Lord  Rich  for  a  vacant  pensionership^  in  1554,  and 
later,  Lord  Rich  wrote  to  express  to  the  Queen  Charles 
Tyrrell's  desire  to  serve  her.  Queen  Mary  appointed 
Edward  Tyrrell  Warden  of  the  Fleet  prison :  he  was 
probably  a  cadet  of  the  same  family.  Their  Catholicity 
was  less  useful  in  Elizabeth's  reign,  and  when,  combining 
persecution  and  diversion,  in  one  of  her  royal  progresses 
in  1578,  the  Papists  of  Essex  were  summoned-  "to  be 
dealt  withal  by  my  lords  in  this  progress,"  one  entry  made 
was,  "  Sir  Henry  Tyrrell  is  sick  ;  his  two  sons  come  to  the 
church."  The  steadiest  to  his  faith  of  all  the  family  was 
George  Tyrrell,  the  father  of  Anthony,  and  we  accidentally 
get  an  insight  into  the  state  of  destitution  to  which  he  was 
reduced  by  his  constanc}'  in  his  faith. 

At  Michaelmas,  1573,  George,  then  an  old  man,  left 
his  wife  and  daughter  at  Cambray  in  Belgium,  and  went 
on  foot,  accompanied  by  his  other  son,  carrying  such 
luggage  as  they  took  with  them,  to  implore  aid  of  the 
King  of  Spain.  That  his  journey  was  not  in  vain  we 
may  gather  from  a  note^  among  the  State  Papers  of 
"Englishmen  entertained  by  the  King  of  Spain,"  dated 
in  November,  1573.  "Tyrrell,"  it  says,  "Cotton,  Pet, 
Tichborne,  Strodlen,  Swinborn,  Greffy,  and  Smith,  1300 
ducats;  and  some  20  ducats,  some  15  ducats  a  month 
in  Flanders  or  Milan." 

At  this  time  Anthony's  only  sister,  Gertrude,  entered 
religion.  There  was  then  but  one  English  convent  on  the 
Continent,  though  St.  Ursula's  Convent  of  the  Canonesses 
of  St.  Augustine,  at  Louvain,  might  almost  deserve  the 
name  under  Mother  Margaret  Clement's  government.  The 
first  house   of  Benedictinesses  was  founded   in    1598   by 

^  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Mary,  vol.  ii.  n.  4;  vol.  iii.  n.  5. 

2  Cotton.  MSS.,  Titus  B.  iii.  n.  60. 

2  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Addenda,  Elizabeth,  vol.  xxiii.  n.  61. 


294  T^^^  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell. 

Lady  Mary  Percy.  In  1574,  therefore,  there  was  hardly 
a  religious  house  for  English  ladies  besides  the  venerable 
Convent  of  Sion  of  the  Order  of  St.  Bridget,  which  had 
been  driven  from  place  to  place,  and  was  now  temporarily 
sojourning  at  Rouen.  In  1580  a  "Supplication  for  poor 
Sion  "  was  addressed  by  the  Brethren  and  Sisters  to  the 
Catholics  of  England,-^  and  among  the  good  old  Catholic 
names  of  the  Community  who  sign  it  is  that  of  Sister 
Gertrude  Tyrrell. 

In  1574  Anthony  had  taken  his  Bachelor's  degree 
in  one  of  the  universities,  and  all  that  he  wanted  was  10/. 
for  two  years  to  enable  him  to  proceed  to  his  Master's 
degree  also.  Not  being  able  to  raise  the  money,  he  had 
to  "  take  another  condition  not  so  commodious."  He  was 
in  the  service  of  some  one  on  the  Continent,  whom  he 
seems  to  have  left  without  warning  to  accompany  Christo- 
pher Dryland,-  then  a  young  man  "  but  new  come  over," 
and  not  having  yet  commenced  his  studies  for  the  priest- 
hood. Tyrrell  started  with  a  crown  in  his  pocket,  thinking 
it  enough  to  take  him  to  Dunkirk,  but  when  they  got 
there,  instead  of  returning  they  started  for  England  in  the 
same  reckless  way  that  later  on  was  to  bring  Tyrrell  into 
such  grave  danger  to  his  soul.  In  England  he  went  about 
living  on  his  friends  and  relations,  and  of  these  the  one 
that  seems  to  have  made  him  most  welcome  was  his  cousin 
Mary,  the  daughter  of  George  Keble,  and  wife  of  John 
Paschall  of  Much  Baddow  in  Essex. 

There  was  a  John  Paschall  who  entered  the  English 
College  of  Rome  in  the  year  of  its  opening,  1579,  and  was 
there  with  Anthony  Tyrrell.  He  was  of  this  family,  and 
was  one  of  the  first  companions  of  Persons  and  Campion 
on  their  first  coming  to  England  in  1580.  He  was  the 
only  one  of  that  company  who  fell  away  when  his  courage 
was  put  to  the  test ;  but  leather  Persons  adds,   "  It  was 

^  P.R.O.,  DotJiestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  cxlvi.  n.  114. 

*  Dryland  was  ordained  priest  at  Chalons,  March  30,  1582. 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  295 

only  of  frailty  and  upon  fear  of  torments  that  were 
threatened  unto  him."  His  case  is  thus  described  by 
Father  Persons/  who  of  course  knew  him  well.  "  This 
young  man  was  named  John  Paschall,  a  gentleman  as  I 
take  him,  born  in  Essex,  who  had  been  scholar  to 
Mr.  Sherwin  [Ralph  Sherwin  the  martyr]  in  Oxford,  and 
dearly  beloved  of  him  ;  and  being  young  and  sanguine  of 
complexion,  and  fervent  in  his  religion,  would  oftentimes 
break  forth  into  zealous  speeches,  offering  much  of  himself 
(as  St.  Hierome  noteth  also  of  St.  Peter  before  his  denial 
of  Christ),  but  Mr.  Sherwin  would  always  reprove  him, 
saying,  *  O  John,  John,  little  knowest  thou  what  thou 
shalt  do  before  thou  comest  to  it'  And  so  it  fell  out 
with  no  little  grief  of  the  martyr,  who  had  been  in  the 
same  prison  with  his  scholar,  to  wit  in  the  Marshalsea, 
and  was  no  sooner  removed"  from  him  to  the  Tower  but 
that  the  other  fell." 

When  Tyrrell  was  in  England  he  took  occasion  to 
present  some  petition  to  the  Lord  Treasurer.  His  father, 
as  we  shall  shortly  see,  thanked  Lord  Burghley  for  his 
kindness  to  his  son.  In  all  probability  he  means,  not  that 
Burghley  granted  the  petition,  whatever  it  was,  but  that 
when  Anthony  was  arrested  he  gave  him  his  liberty.  For 
the  first  of  Anthony  Tyrrell's  numerous  apprehensions 
took  place  now,  while  he  was  devising  ways  and  means  to 
return  to  his  family  abroad.  He  was  taken  at  Milton, 
probably  Milton  next  Sittingbourne,  in  Kent,  a  town 
situated  at  the  head  of  a  creek  which  opens  into  the 
Channel  between  the  Isle  of  Sheppey  and  the  coast  of 
Kent.  He  was  sent  by  his  captor  to  Lord  Rich,  with 
the  following  letter,-  which  will  show  how  sharp  a  look- 
out was  kept  on  fugitives,  long  before  a  Jesuit  had 
landed  in  England  or  the  Spanish  fleet  had  threatened 
her  shores. 

1  Stonyhurst  MSS.,  P.  fol.  107. 
2  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  xcviii.  n,  20. 


296  The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell. 

"  It  may  please  your  good  lordship  to  be  signified 
that  upon  Tuesday  at  night  last  past,  I  had  advertisement 
that  one  Anthony  Tyrrell,  as  he  calleth  himself,  was  come 
to  Milton  shore,  and  as  he  hath  declared,  which  will  be 
justified  [proved]  that  he  would  go  over  either  to  Dunkirk 
or  else  to  Brydgys  [Bruges],  whom  I  have  apprehended, 
examined  and  searched,  and  so  found  about  him  certain 
writings,  which  I  do  send  with  him  to  your  lordship  by 
this  bearer,  Poulter,  Constable  of  Milton,  and  also  his 
examination  taken  before  me  and  other ;  among  which 
writings  I  found  one  wherein  was  written  the  Queen's 
Majesty's  style,  as  you  may  perceive  by  the  said  writing, 
which  I  have  sent  you  herein  inclosed,  desiring  you  to 
note  well  the  placing  of  his  words,  whether  it  be  Regina 
or  TJiegina,  besides  Fidei  devastatrix,  which  as  I  think 
is  much  to  be  noted.  And  the  same  morning  that  the 
said  Tyrrell  was  brought  to  me  being  Wednesday,  he 
wrote  one  letter  which  I  do  also  send  you  here  inclosed, 
directed  to  Mr.  Robert  Tempest,  and  yet  he  saith  in  his 
examination  that  his  name  is  Nicholas  Tempest,  and  is 
all  one  person  as  he  saith,  which  is  also  meet  to  be  noted. 
Further  it  may  please  your  good  lordship  to  peruse  over 
all  the  rest  of  his  writings  with  good  deliberation,  for 
that  there  be  some  of  them  in  Latin,  which  I  do 
not  well  understand ;  and  some  of  them  that  be  in 
English  do  import  as  I  take  it,  that  some  aid  is  sent 
to  them  in  Flanders  by  some  in  this  country,  which 
I  do  refer  to  your  lordship's  good  discretion,  and  so 
thought  good  to  advertise  you  thereof  And  so  com- 
mitting you  to  the  Almighty  God,  who  preserve  and 
keep  you  with  much  increase  of  honour.  From  your 
late  park  of  Raighlye,  this  9th  of  September,  amto 
Domini  1574. 

"Yours  most  bounden  to  command, 

"Edward  Burye. 


The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell.  297 

"  It  may  please  your  lordship  to  understand  that  I  am 
lame  of  my  right  hand,  so  that  I  am  forced  to  have  one  to 
write  for  me. 

Addressed — "To  the  right  honourable  and  my  singular 
good  lord,  the  Lord  Ryche,  give  these. 

Endorsed — "Examination  of  Anthony  Tyrrell  [priest 
added  in  another  hand\" 

Of  the  papers  that  still  accompany  this  letter,  the 
only  one  remaining  of  those  mentioned  in  it  is  the 
following. 

"  Cousin  Robert  Temp.,  I  have  been  here  according 
to  my  promise  to  meet  you.  I  am  returned  back  again 
upon  earnest  occasions.  I  pray  you  either  come  or  send 
to  me  to  my  cousin  Paschall's  of  Much  Baddow,  and  if 
you  have  any  carriage  [anything  to  carry]  leave  it  with 
your  hostess,  and  bring  certain  word  when  you  think  to 
find  passage,  inquiring  the  same  of  the  goodman  Curteis, 
of  whom  you  shall  learn  if  he  be  hither  come.  Ask  mine 
hostess  of  him,  and  she  will  tell  you  where  he  dwelleth. 
Fare  ye  well,  in  haste,  this  Wednesday  morning. 

"  Yours  as  you  know, 

"Anthony  Tyr ." 

Addressed — "  This  be  delivered  to  Mr.  Robert  Tempest, 
if  he  come  to  Milton  shore,  or  to  any  one  that  shall  inquire 
for  a  letter." 

Of  the  other  papers  two  are  religious,  notes  of  sermons 
apparently,  one  is  a  short  copy  of  poor  verses,  the  rest 
either  letters  prepared  to  be  sent  or  rough  drafts,  all  in 
Tyrrell's  writing.     The  verses  are  these — 

Like  as  the  merchant,  which  on  surging  seas 
In  beaten  bark  hath  felt  the  grievous  rage 

Of  yEolus'  blasts,  till  Neptune  for  his  ease 
By  princely  power  their  cholers  did  assuage  : 
Even  so  my  muse 


298  The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell. 

Doth  seem  by  Fortune's  cruel  spite 

To  feel  her  cup  so  mixt  with  bitter  gall 
As  no  conceit  could  make  her  to  delight, 

Until  she  chanced  in  scholarship  to  fall 

With  you,  my  friend, 
Whom  mighty  Jove  hath  sent  me  for  relief 

When  heavy  cares  would  seek  for  to  appease 
My  pensive  mind,  and  slyly  as  a  thief 

Hold  me  captive  still  in  sore  distress. 

To  one  cousin  by  marriage,  whom  he  calls  "  good 
cousin  Moore,"  he  writes  that  he  "  dare  not  boldly  repair 
unto  his  presence  for  angering  the  old  knight."  To 
another  he  says  : 

"  Had  I  thought,  dear  cousin,  that  I  should  thus  long 
have  been  delayed  in  my  suit,  I  would  not  have  kept 
secret  my  necessity  at  my  last  being  with  you,  for  the 
which  I  am  constrained  as  now  to  trouble  you,  not  having 
to  my  knowledge  any  friend  now  living  here  in  England 
unto  whom  I  dare  sooner  complain  my  case  than  unto 
you,  of  whom  I  have  always  found,  besides  a  natural 
good  will,  most  evident  proofs  of  godly  piety.  Know 
you,  therefore,  that  I  have  delivered  unto  my  Lord 
Treasurer  a  supplication,  declaring  the  cause  of  my  suit, 
who  having  received  the  same  of  me  hath  given  me  yet 
no  manner  of  answer,  and  yet  do  I  repair  unto  him  from 
day  to  day,  sometimes  to  the  Court,  and  sometimes  to 
Westminster,  but  by  reason  of  some  earnest  affairs  I  must 
be  fain  as  yet  to  dance  a  longer  attendance.  Most  humbly 
desiring  you  (for  that  I  am  driven  very  bare  of  money), 
to  stand  my  good  friend  with  some  small  matter  as  you 
may  easily  pleasure  me.  I  do  lie  at  Gray's  Inn  with 
Mr.  Tempest,  and  am  in  commons  also  with  him,  having 
hitherto  discharged  all  of  mine  own  purse,  and  now  shall 
be  fain  to  run  off  tlie  score,  unless  it  shall  please  your 
courtesy  to  minister  unto  my  distress  some  remedy.  Thus 
not  having  farther  to  trouble  you,  until  my  business  be 
brought  to  good  end,  which  I  hope  shall  be  shortly,  I  am 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  299 

with  my  humble  commendations  unto  yourself,  my  dear 
cousin,   your   bedfellow,  et  sic  de  reliquis,  do  take  most 
humbly  my  leave.     From  Gray's  Inn  on  Midsummer  day. 
"  Your  poor  cousin  and  faithful  beadsman, 
"Anthony  Tyrrell." 

He  had  with  him  the  draft  of  a  long  letter  to  one 
of  his  uncles,  dated  from  Cambray,  January  24,  addressed 
to  his  cousin,  "  Mr.  Thomas  Tyrrell,  esquire."  In  it  he 
says  that  his  father  and  brother  "  have  taken  that  journey 
in  hand,  of  the  which  I  informed  you  when  I  was  last 
in  the  country.  Their  constraint  was  such  for  want  of 
friends,  as  the  poor  old  man  was  fain  to  go  on  foot,  and 
his  son  to  bear  the  burden.  I  pray  God  be  their  good 
speed  and  comfort,  and  send  them  a  safe  return.  .  .  .  Your 
niece  my  sister  hath  bequeathed  herself  unto  God,  and 
hath  forsaken  this  miserable  world,  wherein  she  perceived 
nothing  else  but  care  and  misery,  and  hath  taken  up 
her  cross,  as  this  bearer  can  tell  you,  by  whom  I  commend 
you  the  residue,  if  you  desire  to  know.  My  mother 
remaineth  all  desolate,  deprived  of  husband  and  children, 
not  having  where  to  disburden  her  sorrows  but  only  to 
God.  .  .  ,  Most  humbly  beseeching  you  with  weeping 
tears  (most  dearly  beloved)  to  send  by  this  bearer  unto 
my  poor  desolate  mother  some  comfort,  and  to  solicit 
her  cause  towards  my  good  Lady,  whose  friendly  promise 
as  yet  remaineth  in  her  Ladyship's  hands  to  perform.  .  .  . 
I  have  by  the  help  of  God  and  good  friends  gone  so 
far  in  my  study  as  I  have  taken  the  degree  of  a  Bachelor 
in  Art,  and  now  for  want  of  assistance  I  am  forced  to 
forsake  the  University,  and  take  another  condition  not 
so  commodious  unto  me.  If  among  all  the  friends  that 
I  have  in  the  world  I  could  make  but  10/.  for  two  years, 
I  should  go  forth  graduate  a  Master,  and  be  then  able 
to  pleasure  myself  and  recompense  my  friends.  4/.  for 
two  years  I  am  promised   in   these  parts.     I  stand   but 


300  The  Fall  of  AntJiony   Tyn^rcll. 

now  destitute  for  6/.,  the  which  among  a  number  of  good 
ability  were  no  hindrance,  and  unto  me  a  perpetual 
benefit.  .  .  .  Commend  me,  I  pray  you,  unto  my  good 
Lady,  giving  her  in  my  behalf  most  humble  thanks  for 
her  benevolence  towards  me,  unto  yourself,  unto  good 
Mrs.  Margaret  your  wife,  Bcnytt,  Elenor,  Avys,  Tomeson, 
Sandell,  and  to  the  residue  of  my  friends  at  your  dis- 
cretion. ...  I  hope  by  Easter  to  hear  some  news  of  my 
father  and  brother,  who  departed  from  Cambray  on 
St.  Michael's  day  last.  Hitherto  I  have  heard  no  manner 
of  word  from  them,  how  they  speed.  In  their  return  you 
shall  be  informed.  I  hope  they  shall  have  good  success, 
and  that  pity  will  arise  in  the  heart  of  so  noble  a  prince 
to  hear  an  aged  man's  complaint.  .  .  .  Your  token  that 
you  sent  by  me  at  my  last  being  in  the  country,  for 
want  of  money  I  was  constrained  to  sell  by  the  way.  .  .  . 
I  am  not  ashamed  to  crave  some  of  your  cast  apparel, 
whatsoever  you  could  spare." 

In  another  letter  he  asks  "the  right  worshipful  and 
his  singular  dear  friend  and  cousin,  Mrs.  Mary  Paschall," 
to  send  him  letters  "  unto  his  cousin  White  for  a  cloak 
cloth,  the  which  he  would  not  crave  as  a  gift." 

He  went  on  a  begging  excursion  apparently  to  his 
aunt,  Lady  Petre,  who  was  then,  after  Sir  V/illiam  Petre's 
death,  living  at  Ingatestone.  He  sent  a  letter  before 
him,  the  following  sentence  from  which  shows  the  turn 
for  writing,  of  which  we  shall  have  many  specimens  in  the 
sequel.  "Pity  me,  therefore,  good  Mrs.  Petre,  if  not  for 
myself  unacquainted,  yet  for  my  friends,  with  whom  per- 
adventure  you  are  better  acquainted ;  if  not  for  my 
friends,  yet  for  the  love  of  Him  from  whom  all  charity 
proceedeth." 

However,  his  eloquence  did  not  avail  him,  as  we  learn 
from  the  fragment  of  another  letter.  "Now  remaineth 
nothing  else  but  to  declare  unto  you  the   entertainment 


The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell.  301 

which  we  had  at  Ingerstone,^  the  which  because  it  was 
not  very  good  beshrew  Mrs.  Jhones.  We  came  in  I  think 
a  saturnical  hour,  for  the  old  drab  began  upon  us  so  to 
lower,  that  although  she  were  my  aunt  Rebecca's  maid, 
her  look  would  have  made  the  devil  himself  afraid.  Mine 
aunt  she  said  plainly  we  might  not  see,  by  reason  her 
mistressship's  pleasure  would  have  it  so  to  be." 

The  mention  of  "  Mrs.  Jhones "  has  been  the  induce- 
ment to  insert  the  young  gentleman's  doggrell,  and  that 
because  there  was  a  Mr.  Jhones,  or  Johnes,  whose  letters, 
with  or  without  excuse,  must  be  inserted  here.  This 
Mr.  Johnes — Davy  Johnes — was  a  minister,  who  having 
got  into  the  Marshalsea  prison,  found  many  Catholic 
priests  there,  and  was  reconciled  to  the  Catholic  Church. 
He  thus  came  to  be  looked  upon  as  a  Catholic,  and 
the  following  letters ^  written  by  him  to  Francis  Mills, 
Walsingham's  secretary,  show  the  use  he  made  of  the  in- 
formation he  acquired  in  houses  where  he  was  kindly  used. 

"  Mr.  Mills,  I  do  commend  me  unto  you.  This  shall 
be  to  let  you  understand  that  I  was  confessed  in  the 
Marshalsea,  and  twain  more  with  me  were  confessed, 
which  were  Mr.  Blewitt,  of  the  sign  of  the  Hanging 
Sword,  in  Fleet  Street ;  he  doth  keep  an  ordinary  tavern 
for  gentlemen,  and  one  David  Sadler  of  Fleet  Street  also. 
I  do  give  you  to  understand  that  there  shall  be  upon 
Sunday  sennight  a  Mass  at  my  Lord  Bishop  Hethe 
[Nicholas  Heath,  Archbishop  of  York],  which  was  Bishop 
of  York,  and  he  doth  dwell  within  a  little  way  of 
Windsor  as  I  heard  say,  but  I  will  see  afore  it  be  long. 
Also  there  doth  come  thither  a  great  sort.  Also  there 
is  a  Mass  upon  Sunday  next  at  one  Mr.  Tyrrell's,  which 

*  The  true  name  is  Ingatestone,  i.e.  the  tug,  or  the  meadow  at  the 
Roman  milestone.  It  formerly  belonged  to  St.  Mary's  Barking,  and 
Domesday  notes,  "Ingam  tenet  semper  Sancta  Maria."  The  omen  has 
been  good. 

'  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  xcvii.  nn.  27,  39;  vol.  xcviii.  n.  10. 


302  The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell. 

doth  dwell  in  a  place  called  Rawlc  in  Essex,  and  he 
hath  a  priest  which  Mr.  George  Tyrrell  did  send  over, 
which  was  gentleman  usher  to  the  Queen's  Grace,  and  I 
do  know  well  the  place  where  it  shall  be  said,  for  I  did 
carry  a  letter  from  the  Marshalsea  thither,  and  possibly 
to  have  Master  George  Tyrrell's  man  there,  who  doth  use 
to  come  over.  That  house  is  from  London  thirty-eight 
miles,  and  I  am  weak.  I  would  fain  have  your  counsel. 
I  shall  be  going  thither  two  days,  and  Mr.  Archdeacon 
Walker  is  the  next  justice  that  is  to  the  place.  Also  of 
the  20S.  I  had  of  you  I  did  owe  for  my  board  i^s. 
Also  I  have  not  wherewith  to  carry  my  cost  but  2s.  which 
Dr.  Feckenham  gave  me.  Also  you  would  not  think  what 
they  of  the  Marshalsea  doth  draw  unto  them,  and  men 
doth  come  unto  them  daily.  Thus  I  have  said  my  mind. 
I  desire  you  to  send  word  what  is  best  for  me  to  do, 
whether  to  go  to  IMr.  Tyrrell  or  not,  for  there  is  to  the 
number  of  ten  which  doth  ride  thither,  and  rich  men. 
Thus  I  will  cease  to  trouble  you.  I  pray  Jesus  Christ 
to  preserve  my  good  master  and  you.  By  me,  yours  to 
command  to  his  power, — Davye  Johnes,  clerk.     July  6." 

Archbishop  Heath  died  in  1579  at  Cobham,  in  Surrey, 
where  he  spent  the  latter  years  of  his  life  "  with  such 
freedom  as  is  commonly  allowed  to  a  prisoner  at  large."^ 
The  Nappers,  Nappiers  or  Napiers,  mentioned  in  the  next 
letter,  were  an  Oxford  family.  The  old  manor-house  in 
which  they  lived  may  still  be  seen  in  the  outskirts  of 
Oxford  in  the  parish  of  HolyAvell.  Amongst  Anthony 
Tyrrell's  letters  there  is  one  to  "gentle  Mr.  Napper." 
George  Napper,  who  was  martyred  at  Oxford  in  1610, 
was  ordained  priest  in  1596.  There  must  have  been 
another  priest  of  the  family,  for  Johnes  evidently  means 
that  it  was  a  priest  of  whose  presence  in  Mr.  Tyrrell's 
house  he  had  given  notice  to  the  Justice. 

^  Dodd,  Church  History,  vol.  i.  p.  498. 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  303 

"  Mr.  Mills,  I  have  forgotten  to  let  you  understand  that 
I  did  give  intelligence  unto  the  Justice  of  Napper's  being 
in  Mr.  Tyrrell's  house,  and  if  he  did  not  take  him,  the 
blame  was  not  in  me,  for  I  told  what  manner  of  man  he 
was.  This  I  do  let  you  understand,  that  there  is  a  gentle- 
man named  Booking  beyond  Colchester,  and  there  is  an 
old  priest  named  Latymer,  which  was  prisoner  in  the  Clink 
last,  but  he  was  in  prison  this  fifteen  or  fourteen  years,  and 
as  Mr.  Webster  doth  tell  me  of  the  Marshalsea  that  there 
is  a  certain  of  outlandish  men  and  Englishmen  there,  and 
it  is  from  London,  eight  [miles]  beyond  Colchester.  I  do 
know  Latymer  well,  but  if  it  would  please  you  to  send 
some  man  there  that  were  of  Latymer's  acquaintance,  he 
should  see  all,  but  I  do  let  to  understand  that  I  do  not 
stir,  and  if  I  do  not  come  any  more  to  Essex,  because 
they  will  use  a  traveller  surlily  if  he  have  not  some 
certificate  with  him,  and  in  especial  a  poor  man  as  we  are. 
Thus  I  do  let  you  to  understand  that  my  feet  and  my 
fellow's  are  very  sore  with  the  stocks,  and  I  am  fain  to 
leave,  an  you  would  give  me  leave  at  this  time  [to  go  to] 
Doctor  Hethe's  house,  because  I  would  not  put  you  in 
charge,  for  I  have  no  money  left.  It  stood  his  bower  and 
mine  as  good  as  16s.  beside  our  charges  going  down. 
Thus  I  pray  God  be  with  my  good  master  that  did  help 
me  out  of  prison.  I  told  the  Justice  of  Napper's  being 
upon  Sunday  after  dinner.  I  desire  you  to  send  me  a 
word  what  your  pleasure  is  afore  Saturday  at  three  o'clock 
afternoon,  whether  I  shall  go  to  Doctor  Hethe  or  not,  for 
I  will  travel  all  night  an  if  you  will.     July  20,  I574-" 

What  Davy  Johnes  had  done  to  be  so  surlily  used, 
or  who  his  fellow  was,  whose  feet  like  his  own  were 
"very  sore  with  the  stocks,"  we  do  not  know.  But  the 
ingratitude  of  the  man  is  remarkable.  In  his  first  letter 
he  said  that  he  had  not  wherewith  to  carry  his  cost  but 
2s.  which  Dr.  Feckenham  gave  him ;  and  in  the  last  we 


304  The  Fall  of  AntJioiiy   Tyrrell. 

give,  he  acknowledges  that  he  might  starve  but  for  a 
gentlewoman  of  the  Tyrrell  family,  whom  he  calls  "  his 
mistress,"  and  yet  he  proposes  to  send  Walsingham  word 
"when  she  doth  receive,"  that  she  and  her  priest  may 
be  taken,  and  he  desires  "  the  benefit  of  that  she  doth 
lose  by  the  statute,  if  it  be  but  the  chain  that  she  doth 
wear."  The  "  statute "  he  alludes  to  is  probably  the 
"Statute  of  Apparel  of  wives  and  keeping  of  horses," 
33   Henry  VIIL,  by  which  gold  chains  were  forbidden. 

"  Mr.  Mills, — I  do  heartily  commend  me  unto  you,  and 
I  pray  God  to  save  my  good  master  and  yours.  I  have 
written  to  know  your  mind  as  concerning  my  going  to 
the  Charterhouse  and  of  my  going  out  of  the  town,  for 
I  have  no  living  here  to  tarry,  for  the  Papists  and  friends 
are  come  abroad  and  some  gone  that  were  of  my  acquaint- 
ance, .  .  .  but  I  might  starve  but  for  a  gentlewoman 
named  Mistress  Cawkon,  a  notorious  Papist.  She  was 
aforetime  named  Mistress  Tyrrell.  He  was  warden  of 
the  Fleet,  and  she  was  one  that  was  greatly  in  favour 
with  Queen  Mary,  and  she  doth  dwell  in  Reed  Boffrett, 
and  she  doth  wear  a  chain  of  gold,  and  I  have  seen 
more  books  in  her  house  of  Papistry  than  any  place 
else ;  but  concerning  the  Papists  that  doth  come  to  her 
Mass  at  the  Charterhouse,  they  be  to  the  number  of  ten 
the  last  Sunday,  and  outlandish  men  a  great  number. 
In  all  there  was  there  that  received  about  forty,  and  to 
let  you  understand  I  have  many  to  let  you  know  of 
since  I  have  sent  unto  you,  but  this,  my  mistress  as  I 
do  call  her,  named  Cawkon,  afore  Tyrrell,  confessed  unto 
me  that  she  was  in  no  church  this  fifteen  years.  Mr.  Mills, 
I  will  send  you  word  when  she  doth  receive.  I  pray 
you  to  desire  my  master  [Walsingham]  that  I  may  have 
the  benefit  of  that  she  doth  lose  by  the  statute,  an  if  it 
be  but  the  chain  that  she  doth  wear.  There  is  a  certain 
priest  named  Rand  come  from  beyond  the  seas,  and  he 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  305 

is  in  one  Mr.  Randoll's  house  in  Wood  Street.  Thus  I 
have  not  to  write  unto  you  more  when  the  Court  doth 
come  nearer,  but  to  let  to  understand  where  the  Ambas- 
sador was  confessed  upon  his  knees,  and  wearing  about 
a  garment  Hke  a  parliament  robe,  with  a  red  flower  de 
luce  upon  his  breast,  and  there  was  the  Pope's  pardon 
too,  to  absolve  us.  Thus  I  desire  I  may  hear  of  my 
two  letters  before  this.  Fare  you^v/ell,  by  me, — Davy 
JOHNES.     13th  of  August,  1574." 

In  another  letter  signed,  "  Davy  Johnes,  minister,"  he 
says  to  Mills,  "  If  you  do  so  much  as  to  send  me  to  the 
George  the  sum  of  2s.  until  I  do  speak  with  you,  you 
may  do  me  a  good  pleasure,  but  not  by  the  bearer." 

It  was  to  such  espionage  as  this  that  the  Catholics 
were  exposed,  and  it  is  not  surprising  that  many  left 
the  country.  However,  we  have  learnt  from  this  unusually 
disgraceful  specimen  of  a  spy  that  there  were  other 
Tyrrells,  good  Catholics,  besides  Anthony's  father.  The 
State  Papers  have  one  letter  from  that  brave  gentleman, 
who  faced  exile  and  poverty  in  his  old  age,  that  he  might 
live  "  in  the  fear  and  true  faith  and  service  of  God,  in 
the  unity  of  His  Catholic  Church."  The  letter,^  which 
is  addressed  to  Lord  Treasurer  Burghley,  is  worth  reading. 

"  I  have  hitherto  abstained  to  write  unto  any  man  in 
my  country,  right  honourable  and  my  very  singular  good 
lord  ;  and  so  purposed  with  myself  to  continue,  fearing 
thereby  to  incur  in  contempt  and  misliking  with  my  dis- 
cretion, notwithstanding  trusting  that  wisdom  and  piety 
with  rare  virtues  united  together  I  have  observed  always 
to  abound  in  your  honour,  I  thought  now  to  give  some 
attempt  and  render  unto  your  honour  most  humble  thanks 
for  my  poor  son,  who  if  your  honour  had  not  extended 
your  pitiful  hand,  had  drunk  of  a  sour  and  bitter  cup. 

^  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  cviii.  n.  65. 
U 


3o6  The  Fall  of  AntJioiiy   Tyrrell. 

As  your  lordship  hath  dealcd  mercifully  with  us,  so  my 
continual  prayer  shall  be  that  you  may  find  mercy  with 
the  Omnipotent  Majesty  in  your  necessity.  What  is  done 
to  him  for  my  sake  I  must  take  it  done  to  myself  Your 
lordship  shall  have  the  poor  boy  your  bond-servant,  to 
pray  for  your  honour  all  his  life,  and  to  do  nothing  that 
may  offend  the  same  as  he  will  avoid  my  displeasure,  and 
upon  so  just  occasion  I  have  enterprised  to  write  to  your 
honour,  I  shall  instantly  desire  the  same  to  bear  further 
with  my  boldness. 

"  I  am  reported,  as  I  hear,  to  be  a  traitor  to  my  prince, 
an  enemy  to  my  country,  which  are  very  grave  enormities 
and  heinous  crimes,  and  require  of  my  part  some  purga- 
tion, as  I  shall  answer  before  the  Divine  Majesty  when 
He  shall  sit  in  His  glorious  and  terrible  throne  to  judge 
and  reward  our  doings. 

"  As  I  did  depart  thence,  so  in  like  manner  I  remain 
here,  for  no  other  cause  than  for  quieting  and  satisfaction 
of  my  conscience,  and  to  end  this  my  old  age  in  penance 
for  my  former  iniquities,  in  the  fear  and  true  faith  and 
service  of  God  in  the  unity  of  His  Catholic  Church ;  and 
so  to  pray  for  her  Grace's  Majesty,  my  country,  and 
among  others  your  good  lordship  and  my  Lord  of 
Leicester. 

"  For  what  other  thing  could  move  me  .''  I  freely  con- 
fess I  served  a  most  royal  prince,  and  for  her  wisdom  far 
excelling  my  place  of  service.  By  so  much  of  more  honour 
the  meeter  it  was  unto  her  Majesty,  her  favour  and 
bountiful  liberality  towards  me  I  [acjknowledge  and  con- 
fess not  a  little,  I  found  your  honour  always  my  good 
lord,  and  ready  in  all  times  to  further  any  reasonable  suit, 
the  which  courtesy  I  may  not  forget  while  I  live. 

"  Here  I  do  remain  in  great  misery  concerning  corporal 
necessaries,  destitute  of  sufficiency  to  relieve  my  neces- 
sities, yet  the  quietness  of  conscience  which  causeth  a 
continual  gladness    of  heart,  and  abundance  of  spiritual 


The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell.  307 

riches  far  passingly  supplieth  the  lack  of  the  other. 
Wherefore  I  shall  most  humbly  request  your  honour  to 
continue  my  good  lord,  and  as  occasion  and  opportunity 
may  serve,  to  report  unto  her  Grace's  Majesty  that  I 
remain  her  humble  servant  and  true  subject,  the  care  of 
my  soul  and  my  duty  to  God  only  reserved  ;  yea,  the 
very  same  I  was  in  my  old  mistress'  time,  Queen  Mary. 
Assure  your  honour  nothing  can  be  proved  against  me  to 
the  contrary. 

"  Concerning  my  journey  into  Spain,  this  necessity, 
that  hath  no  law,  forced  me  thereunto.  I  was  driven  on 
every  side  to  straits  for  money  here,  and  there  was  no  man 
that  would  lend  me  any.  My  charge  was  great  for  myself, 
my  wife,  three  children.  I  foresaw  that  we  should  all 
perish  for  lack  of  necessaries.  I  had  no  other  refuge  to 
remedy  my  extreme  necessity.  Wherefore  your  honour, 
according  to  your  customary  piety,  will  rather,  I  doubt 
not,  lament  my  miserable  case  so  destitute  in  a  strange 
land,  than  be  offended  with  that  fact ;  for  the  Apostle 
saith.  He  that  taketh  not  care  to  provide  for  his  own, 
especially  for  his  own  family,  denieth  his  faith,  and  is 
worse  than  an  infidel.  Wherefore,  right  honourable,  enter 
not  in  judgment  and  think,  as  St.  Thomas  saith.  Presuppose 
and  think  always  thus.  Everything  is  good  where  the  con- 
trary is  not  proved  manifestly  and  open. 

"  And  so,  fearing  to  trouble  your  honour,  I  shall  most 
humbly  desire  to  take  this  my  boldness  in  writing  in  good 
part,  considering  the  occasion.  And  my  prayers  are  daily 
unto  Almighty  God  to  preserve  the  Queen's  Majesty  [and] 
your  lordship  with  increase  of  honour  and  all  prosperity. 

"From  Louvain,  the  27th  of  July  [1576]. 

"  Your  honour's  to  command  during  life, 

"George  Tyrrell." 

The  merciful  dealing  with  Anthony  Tyrrell  for  which 
his  father  thanks  Lord  Burghley  in  this  letter,  was  probably 
U  2 


3o8  The  Fall  of  AntIio7iy   Tyrrell. 

his  release  from  prison.  Tliis  was  the  first  of  the  many- 
occasions  that  made  Tyrrell  acquainted  with  the  interior 
of  an  English  prison  house.  He  was  about  twenty-two 
when  captured  by  Edward  Bury  and  sent  to  Lord  Rich, 
and  the  date  of  his  father's  letter  would  lead  to  the  con- 
jecture that  he  was  about  a  year  and  a  half  in  prison  this 
first  time. 

The  second  time  was  when  he  was  a  priest,  and  it  must 
have  been  very  shortly  after  his  arrival  in  England.  He 
went  to  Rome  and  entered  the  English  College  there, 
when  it  first  opened  in  1579.  His  name  is  the  fourteenth 
in  the  list  of  the  fifty  who  took  the  College  oath  with 
Ralph  Sherwin,  on  the  23rd  of  April,  1579,  but  no  other 
information  is  given  in  the  College  register,^  except  that 
he  was  then  twenty-seven  years  of  age  and  was  a  student 
of  theology.  His  course  of  theology,  and  his  prepara- 
tion for  the  priesthood  must  have  been  dangerously 
short,  for  we  find  him  in  England  a  priest  within  two 
years  of  that  date.  The  news  of  his  capture  at  that  time 
we  learn  from  a  letter  in  the  Record  Ofifice  addressed  to 
Father  Agazzari,  the  Rector  of  the  English  College  at 
Rome,  by  Dr.  Allen,  which  information  is  fully  corroborated 
by  Father  Persons'  notes."  Dr.  Allen's  intercepted  letter^ 
said,  after  speaking  of  Father  Bryant's  apprehension,  which 
was  on  the  28th  of  April,  1581  :  "Next  day  John  Nichols, 
that  apostate,  met  in  the  street  Father  Tyrrell,  a  student 
of  your  College,  and  as  soon  as  he  saw  him  exclaimed, 
'  Traitor,'  and  so  arrested  him ;  but  he  is  thrown,  not  into 
the  Tower,  but  into  another  prison  called  the  Gatehouse, 
and  there  he  and  Father  Rishton,  also  a  student  of  your 
College,  are  living  in  joy."     This,  which  was  Anthony's 

^  "(i)  Antonius  Tirellus,  annorum  27,  laicus,  Sacra'  Theologuie  studens 
juravit  ut  supra.  (2)  Missus  est  in  Angliam.  (3)  Proditorem  egit  postea  ad 
tempus,  sed  postea  publice  eum  panituit,  idemque  declaravit  ex  suggestu 
1588."     In  three  several  hands.     English  College,  Rome;  Liber  rubns. 

*  Stonyhurst  MSS.,  /'.  fol.  16. 

'  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  c.xlix.  n.  51. 


The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell.  309 

second  imprisonment,  did  not  last  long,  for  he  contrived 
to  break  prison  and  make  his  escape.  A  spy,  who  signed 
his  notes  with  the  initials  P.  H.  W.,^  wrote  under  date 
January  5th,  158^  "Tyrrell,  who  broke  out  of  the  Gate- 
house, arrived  the  morning  next  following  at  Drayton, 
where  he  was  four  days  with  the  old  Lady  Paget." 

Anthony  Tyrrell's  third  imprisonment  was  in  1586, 
as  we  have  already  seen  in  Father  Weston's  narrative. 
He  had  a  good  reputation  among  the  Catholics,  and  on 
his  apprehension  Father  Robert  Southwell  wrote  to  Father 
Agazzari  in  a  letter,  an  abstract-  of  which  was  sent  by 
some  agent  to  Walsingham,  "  that  Father  Tyrrell,  a  man 
that  hath  done  much  good  is  taken,  and  two  days  before 
the  writing  hereof  two  others  ;  as  also  Martinus  Arraius, 
who  (as  he  hears)  hath  procured  by  money  to  be  pardoned 
his  life,  but  shall  be  banished." 

Having  now  brought  him  to  the  prison  respecting 
which  we  have  already  had  Father  Weston's  account, 
we  may  leave  him  to  his  confessions.  The  document  as 
left  by  Father  Persons  is  given  in  its  integrity,  and  the 
only  case  in  which  it  will  be  necessary  to  interrupt  it, 
will  be  when  interesting  details  may  be  drawn  from 
original  letters  still  existing. 

^  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  cxlvii,  n.  2  ;  misdated  in  the  Calendar 
1581. 

*  Ibid.  vol.  cxcv.  n.  119. 


3IO 


THE  TRUE  AND  WONDERFUL  STORY  OF  THE 
LAMENTABLE  FALL  OF  ANTHONY  TYRRELL, 
PRIEST,  FROM  THE  CATHOLIC  FAITH,  WRITTEN 
BY  HIS  OWN  HAND,  BEFORE  WHICH  IS  PRE- 
FIXED A  PREFACE  SHOWING  THE  CAUSES  OF 
PUBLISHING  THE  SAME   UNTO   THE  WORLD. 


THE   PREFACE 

TO  THE  CHRISTIAN  READER,  CONCERNING  THE  CAUSES 
OF  PUBLISHING  THIS  CONFESSION  OF  ANTHONY 
TYRRELL. 

There  came  into,  my  hands  some  months  past  a  certain 
roll  of  papers  that  had  been  sent  me  out  of  England  not 
long  before,  and  for  that  they  seemed  somewhat  of  a  stale 
date,  and  I  was  occupied  at  that  time  in  divers  other 
businesses,  I  let  them  lie  by  me  for  the  space  of  two  or 
three  months  without  reading  them  over ;  but  at  last, 
taking  time  to  peruse  the  particulars,  I  found,  among 
other  things,  a  very  large  narration  and  confession  made 
by  Anthony  Tyrrell,  priest,  which  contained  six-and-fifty 
sheets  of  paper  written  all  with  his  own  hand,  in  a  very- 
small  letter,  and  his  name  subscribed  in  divers  places,  to 
the  same.  Which  hand  and  letter  of  his  I  well  remembered 
of  old,  and  was  so  much  grieved  for  his  cause  in  reading 
the  contents  as  I  cannot  well  express  ;  for  I  ever  loved  the 
man  with  sincere  affection  since  our  first  acquaintance, 
which  hath  been  for  fifteen  or  sixteen  years,  as  well  for  his 
own  sake  and  for  the  gifts  of  God,  which  appeared  to  be 
in  him,  as  also  for  his  Catholic  friends  and  kindred,  who 
are  well  known  to  be  both  worshipful  and  very  virtuous, 


The  Fall  of  Antho7iy   Tyrrell.  311 

and  consequently  they  cannot  but  remain  extremely 
afflicted  with  this  so  lamentable  a  fall  of  him  whom  they 
hoped  to  be  their  special  comfort.  But  there  is  no  remedy 
in  these  accidents  and  successes,  for  the  words  of  our 
Saviour  must  needs  be  fulfilled  which  say  that  not  only 
out  of  the  self-same  family  and  kindred,  but  even  out  of 
the  same  house  and  bed  also,  one  shall  be  taken  and 
St.  Matt.  xxiv. ;  sl  Luke  xvii.  another  rcjectcd,  one  chosen  and 
another  cast  off  for  a  reprobate,  and  this  separation  and 
opposition  between  good  and  bad,  respecteth  no  kindred, 
affinity,  friendship,  or  acquaintance.  The  father  shall  fall 
from  the  son,  and  the  son  impugn  his  father.  No  greater 
conjunction  of  kindred  can  be  imagined  than  was  at  the 
beginning  between  the  good  and  wicked  spirits,  between 
Michael  the  Archangel  and  Lucifer  the  dragon,  being  all 
created  at  the  self-same  instant,  by  the  self-same  hands  of 
one  Creator,  and  ordained  to  the  self-same  end  of  ever- 
lasting glory,  if  equally  they  had  persevered  in  the  love 
and  obedience  of  their  said  Lord  and  Master ;  but  one 
part  falling  from  that,  there  ensued  presently  the  enmity, 
hatred,  and  everlasting  war  between  them  which  St.  John 
the  Evangelist  describeth  in  his  Revelations.  The  like 
contemplation  may  be  made  of  the  nearness  of  kindred 
between  Cain  and  Abel,  Jacob  and  Esau,  that  were  born 
in  one  belly,  as  also  of  the  familiar  acquaintance  between 
Judas  and  St.  Peter  and  the  rest  of  the  Apostles,  whilst 
they  lived  jointly  in  the  service  and  daily  company  of  one 
and  the  same  so  blessed  a  Master ;  but  yet  afterward 
when  the  one  would  fall  and  ruin  himself  wilfully  and 
desperately  to  the  devil,  truth  it  is  that  the  other  remained 
much  afflicted,  humbled,  and  terrified  thereby,  but  yet 
neither  discredited  nor  disanimated  in  the  service  of  Him 
whom  Judas  had  forsaken. 

The  like  happeneth  daily  among  us,  and  will  to  the 
world's  end,  whilst  this  conflict  and  combat  endureth,  for 
winning   or  losing   the  immortal  garland  proposed,  one 


312  The  Fall  of  AntJiony   Tyrrell. 

will  stand  and  another  will  fall,  and  another  will  rise  and 
another  \\'\\\  faint.  Domino  suo  stat  ant  cadit,  saith 
St.  Paul.  Every  one  standeth  or  falleth  to  his  Lord,  who 
is  to  judge  him,  and  either  to  condemn  or  reward  him 
according  to  his  fight,  so  as  kindred,  friendship  or  acquaint- 
ance hath  no  part  in  this,  further  than  his  carnal  friends 
or  kindred  should  be  movers  or  persuaders  to  any  man's 
fall,  which  I  know  to  be  far  off  from  the  case  that  we 
now  handle  of  Anthony  Tyrrell,  and  therefore  it  shall  not 
need  that  we  speak  any  more  of  this  point,  but  to  return 
unto  the  narration  from  which,  we  have  digressed. 

After  I  had  read  over  and  perused  the  whole  story 
set  down  by  Anthony  Tyrrell,  of  his  living  in  England, 
his  going  to  Rome,  his  return,  his  acquaintance  with 
Ballard,  his  apprehension,  his  examinations,  confessions, 
fictions,  accusations,  slanders,  spiery,^  recantation  and 
the  like,  and  had  with  some  attention  weighed  not  only 
the  things  themselves,  but  also  the  time  wherein  they 
happened,  the  horrible  and  bloody  effects  that  ensued 
thereupon,  and  the  persons  that  had  been  actors  and 
authors  therein,  with  the  manner  of  their  proceeding  and 
other  such  circumstances,  I  had  many  thoughts  and 
deliberation  with  myself  what  it  were  best  to  do  with 
the  book,  either  to  publish  or  to  suppress  it  and  let  it 
die  in  oblivion. 

And  for  the  latter  part,  which  is  to  conceal  it,  or  at 
best  not  to  divulge  the  same  no  further  than  already  it 
is  known,  there  offered  themselves  divers  reasons  and 
considerations,  as  that  it  was  a  most  scandalous  fact,  and 
very  opprobrious  to  the  universal  name  and  function  of 
priesthood,  that  many  good  men  would  be  afflicted  there- 
with and  disedified,  and  the  enemy  would  scorn  and 
rejoice  for  that  it  seemeth  he  had  his  will,  and  that 
many  in  England,  and  especially  abroad  in  other  countries, 
would  come  to  know  and  understand  of  this  foul  scandal 

^  Spicry,  the  work  of  a  spy. 


The  Fall  of  A7ithony   Tyrrell.  313 

which  otherwise  perhaps  would  never  have  heard  thereof, 
and  therefore,  as  wounds  and  sores  and  loathsome  infir- 
mities, they  were  rather  to  be  covered  and  shifted  aside, 
than  to  be  displayed  to  the  sight  of  the  world :  and  these 
were  reasons  that  seemed  of  moment  on  this  side. 

But  on  the  contrary,  there  represented  themselves  first, 
the  perpetual  custom  of  God  and  His  Church  to  have 
these  events  known,  and  so  we  see  that  Almighty  God 
caused  the  fall  of  the  first  Angels  to  be  revealed  and 
published  to  us  in  Scripture,  which  having  happened 
before  any  memory  of  man  might  have  been  kept  secret 
if  God  had  been  so  pleased  ;  and  the  like  we  may 
consider  of  the  fall  and  scandal  given  by  our  first  parents 
in  Paradise,  and  of  all  human  flesh  almost  afterwards, 
which  God  would  have  published  and  recorded  to  posterity, 
together  with  His  severe  punishments  upon  the  same ;  and 
after  them  again,  the  grievous  falls  of  three  Kings  together, 
the  first  that  ever  He  chose  by  His  own  mouth,  Saul, 
David,  and  Solomon,  the  two  everlastingly,  as  it  may  be 
feared,  and  the  third  raised  up  again  by  His  holy  grace: — 
all  which  falls  and  scandals  His  Divine  Majesty  appointed 
to  be  revealed  and  uttered,  without  respect  of  any  offence 
that  thereof  might  be  taken,  or  of  disgrace  as  it  were 
unto  His  own  works  that  made  and  elected  them. 

The  like  course  took  our  Saviour  Christ  with  His  two 
Apostles  that  fell,  the  one  to  his  proof  the  other  to  his 
perdition,  the  one  of  frailty  the  other  of  malice,  both  which 
He  would  have  pubUshed  by  His  holy  historiographers, 
the  Evangelists ;  as  also  the  scandalous  fall  of  Nicholas, 
one  of  the  seven  first  deacons  elected  by  His  Apostles; 
and  the  glorious  Apostle  St.  Paul  himself  discovered  divers 
persons  by  name  in  his  Epistles  that  had  fallen  from  Christ 
in  his  days  and  had  played  the  traitors ;  and  the  like  after 
him  did  St.  John  the  Evangelist,  St.  Polycarp,  St.  Ignatius, 
and  other  of  the  first  Christian  Fathers;  and  St. Cyprian, 
that  holy  bishop,  doctor,  and  martyr,  who  lived  some  time 


314  The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell. 

after  them,  again  wrote  a  whole  book,  Dc  Lapsis,  of  such 
as  had  fallen  in  his  time  and  had  denied  their  faith,  whereof 
he  saith  some  were  so  impudent  and  wicked  as  at  the  very- 
first  word  of  the  persecutor  they  yielded  to  do  whatever 
he  required  at  their  hands,  and  some  others  hearing  of 
the  persecution,  cowards,  prevented  the  matter  and  went 
privily  and  offered  themselves  beforehand  ;  and  by  which 
other  such  things  recorded  by  Eusebius  in  the  beginning 
of  the  persecutions  of  Maximinus,  Diocletian,  and  others, 
it  is  evident  that  as  our  Saviour  had  many  valiant  soldiers 
in  those  days  that  fought  most  faithfully  and  conquered  in 
His  cause,  so  there  were  then  also  as  now  many  weaklings, 
and  divers  false  and  traitors  to  the  same;  all  which,  though 
it  might  seem  as  in  our  case,  it  would  be  very  offensive 
and  scandalous  to  have  it  uttered  to  the  world,  yet  those 
holy  Fathers  took  the  contrary  course  and  divulged  the 
same  even  in  the  very  face  of  so  potent  and  rigorous 
enemies,  as  were  the  emperors  of  those  days  and  their 
wicked  ministers.  I  take  the  cause  to  have  been  for 
that  albeit  those  foul  facts  of  themselves  in  respect  of 
those  that  commit  them  be  very  loathsome  and  abomi- 
nable and  worthy  to  be  suppressed,  yet  in  respect  of 
God's  most  sweet  and  holy  providence  that  permitteth 
them  and  directeth  them  ever,  though  never  so  evil  of 
themselves,  to  some  good  end  for  the  profit  of  many, 
beyond  the  intention  of  the  doers  or  procurers,  they  are 
most  profitable  and  to  be  conserved  in  memory;  and  this 
may  serve  for  the  first  and  principal  reason  for  publishing 
of  this  treatise,  if  we  respect  the  custom  of  God's  holy 
providence  in  like  affairs. 

But  to  leave  this  general  consideration  and  to  descend 
to  some  particulars,  a  second  reason  offered  itself  for  the 
publishing  of  their  confession  in  respect  of  the  Catholics 
themselves  of  our  nation  who  otherwise  might  be  doubted 
to  receive  grief  and  scandal  thereby.  And  this  reason 
consisteth  in  two  points  :  first,  that  all  priests  and  others 


The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell.  31 

that  are  called  to  confession  of  their  faith  in  England 
at  these  days  may  learn  by  this  man's  horrible  fault  to 
humble  themselves,  and  not  to  presume  overmuch  of  their 
own  forces,  and  beholding  the  particular  causes  of  this 
man's  overthrow,  the  beginnings,  proceedings,  and  increase 
of  the  same,  together  with  the  manner  of  dealing  of  the 
adversary,  they  may  the  better  look  into  themselves,  and 
hold  a  preparation  fit  for  such  a  combat;  and  this  perhaps 
may  be  pronounced  to  be  one  of  the  chief  and  most 
principal  causes  that  moveth  Almighty  God  both  to  permit 
those  ruins  of  some  for  benefit  of  others,  as  also  for  the 
same  end  to  have  them  known  and  punished. 

What  Catholic  priest  is  there  that  will  not  look  more 
diligently  unto  himself,  and  have  a  more  attentive  care 
to  conserve  the  rigour  of  holy  discipline,  both  towards 
his  body  and  his  soul,  when  he  shall  consider  the  disso- 
lution that  crept  into  this  man  by  little  and  little,  and 
brought  him  at  length  to  so  dangerous  a  shipwreck  ? 
What  Christian  is  there  of  discretion,  that  having  to  come 
to  appear  before  such  examiners  or  judges  as  Tyrrell  did, 
will  not  arm  himself  beforehand  with  a  holy  purpose  of 
great  patience,  constancy,  and  resolution  to  proceed 
plainly,  simply,  and  sincerely  in  matters  of  his  conscience, 
without  opening  any  one  door  or  chink  unto  them,  whereby 
the  devil  may  enter,  considering  the  depth  of  all  iniquity 
whereunto  they  won  this  unhappy  and  miserable  man, 
and  were  never  satisfied,  when  once  he  began  to  yield 
in  any  one  point  to  serve  their  turns  ? 

This  then  is  one  commodity  that  may  come  to 
Catholics  by  divulging  this  confession.  Neither  is  this  of 
small  importance ;  but  yet  another  is  there  of  no  less 
moment,  which  is,  that  hereby,  and  by  these  notorious 
events,  all  Catholics  may  easily  gather  the  truth,  assurance, 
and  dignity  of  their  cause,  and  this  not  only  by  those 
examples  that  I  have  shown  before  of  all  antiquity, 
wherein  is  seen  that  those  that  fell  did   commonly  fall 


o 


1 6  The  Fall  of  A7itho7iy   Tyrrell. 


from  the  better  cause  to  the  worse — to  wit,  from  God 
and  from  His  true  Church,  according  to  the  saying  of 
St.  John  the  Apostle  concerning  such  miserable  people, 
I  St. John  ii.  "They  went  from  us  and  were  not  of  us," 
but  also  and  much  more,  if  we  consider  rightly  and  truly 
the  causes,  reasons,  and  motives  of  such  as  fall  in  these 
our  own  days  in  England,  which  are  evidently  seen  to 
be  fear,  frailty,  desire  of  life,  looseness  of  behaviour, 
wicked  appetites  of  honour,  riches,  pleasure,  or  of  human 
favour:  or  on  the  other  side,  spite,  malice,  envy,  hatred, 
pride,  revenge,  contempt  of  God,  lack  of  devotion ;  and 
that  contrariwise,  other  cogitations  of  rising  again  and 
returning  unto  us,  and  of  their  voluntary  confessing  of 
their  faults  is  upon  the  plain  contrary  motions  to  these, 
that  is  to  say,  upon  scruple  of  conscience,  fear  of  God's 
judgments,  hope  of  salvation,  terror  of  eternal  condem- 
nation, love  of  justice,  zeal  of  truth,  and  for  defence  of 
innocency,  which  in  their  passion  they  had  slandered ; 
all  which  particulars  when  they  are  duly  considered  to 
Catholics,  as  they  may  be  commonly  in  all  falls  of  such 
as  have  been  shaken  in  these  years  of  our  English  perse- 
cution set  down  by  their  own  pens  and  free  declarations, 
I  mean  such  as  have  fallen,  and  after  have  recanted  and 
recalled  the  same,  as  this  of  Anthony  Tyrrell,  and  that 
of  John  Nichols,  of  Laurence  Caddy,  of  Richard  Bayne, 
Edward  Osborne,^  and  some  others,  which  are  yet  extant 
under  their  own  hands,  oaths,  and  voluntary  confessions, 
and  do  plainly,  sincerely,  and  resolutely  confess  and 
discover  in  the  same  the  very  causes  of  their  falls  that 
I  have  here  rehearsed, — when  things  I  say  are  considered, 
they  cannot  but  confirm  greatly  any  reasonable  man  in 
the  truth  and  comfort  of  the  Catholic  cause  which  works 
these  effects ;  and  this  is  the  sum  of  the  second  reason 
for  publishing  Tyrrell's  confession  to  the  view  of  many. 

^  The  retractations  of  Nichols,    Caddy,    Bayne,  and   Osborne  are  given 
in  the  Concertatio,  fol.  231 — 242. 


The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell.  317 

A  third  reason  there  is  in  respect  of  the  Protestants 
and  enemies  themselves,  who  may  be  counted  in  two 
sorts,  the  first  of  such  as  for  conscience  and  opinion  of 
religion  do  follow  that  cause,  and  these  beholding  the 
shameful  practices  that  have  been  used  in  this  affair  of 
Tyrrell's  and  that  in  truth  nothing  less  is  sought  in  these 
turmoils  about  religion  than  religion  itself,  and  nothing 
less  executed  than  justice  in  all  these  late  executions  of 
justice  against  Catholics  ;  when  they  shall  see,  I  say, 
and  consider  attentively  what  devices,  practices,  and 
treacheries  have  been  used  for  the  entrapping  and  over- 
throw of  so  many  as  in  this  confession  are  named,  they 
cannot,  being  otherwise  men  of  judgment  and  good  nature, 
but  take  great  compassion  of  the  afflicted  state  of  Catholics 
in  England,  although  they  were  not  of  their  own  blood 
and  country  as  these  be,  to  see  them  used  so  contrary 
to  all  order  of  common  justice,  which  this  land  itself 
observeth  unto  very  thieves,  murderers,  and  malefactors, 
who  are  not,  nor  ought  not,  guilefully  to  be  drawn  into 
snares  as  Catholics  are,  and  that  this  should  be  the  fruits 
of  their  new  religion  in  so  few  years,  to  pervert  the 
common  course  of  all  ordinary  justice,  which  even  under 
the  Turk  or  Sophie^  is  permitted  to  Christians  that  live 
under  their  dominion,  it  seemeth  that  these  men  cannot 
but  blush  thereat,  if  reason  and  wisdom  have  any  place 
at  all  and  this  for  them  ; 

But  for  others  who  do  sit  at  the  stern  and  govern,  and 
their  ministers  under  them,  whose  profession  perhaps  is 
to  follow  rather  policy  than  justice  or  religion  (though 
events  daily  do  show  that  policy  without  equity  and 
conscience  is  more  damnable  indeed  than  durable),  yet 
even  in  respect  of  this  their  policy  they  may  be  warned 
by  this  confession  of  Anthony  Tyrrell,  as  also  by  that 
of  John  Nichols  before  set  forth  already  in  divers 
languages,   that   these  proceedings  of  theirs  cannot  turn 

^  Sophi,  the  Emperor  of  Persia.  Johnson. 


o 


1 8  The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell. 


to  their  credit  in  the  sight  of  any  discreet  man  in  the 
world.  I  mean,  to  prosecute  matters  so  deeply  upon  so 
small  grounds,  induced  by  themselves,  for  as  John  Nichols 
confesseth  that  he  was  persuaded  by  Sir  Owen  Hopton 
and  others  to  cast  out  those  slanders  of  invasions  and 
killing  the  Queen,  for  which  afterwards  Father  Campion, 
Mr.  Sherwin,  and  so  many  other  learned,  grave,  worshipful, 
and  holy  men  were  made  away,  so  here  you  shall  see 
Anthony  Tyrrell  to  confess  the  like  that  upon  his  own 
malice,  and  Justice  Young's  and  others'  allurements,  he 
devised  all  these  odious  accusations  of  intention  to  invade 
and  kill  the  Queen  against  both  the  Queen  of  Scots, 
Ballard,  Babington,  and  the  rest  that  were  put  to  death 
about  these  broils — which  is  a  pitiful  and  lamentable  matter, 
and  never  heard  of  I  dare  say  in  our  Commonwealth 
before  in  such  number  and  quality  of  persons  since  the 
first  habitation  thereof  by  the  Britons.  And  that  a  new 
Gospel  should  breed  such  stirs  in  so  few  days  is  a  matter 
worthy  consideration,  as  also  it  is  that  God  should  provide 
that  the  actors  and  first  authors  commonly  of  these 
bloody  tragedies,  like  new  Judases,  should  come  and  cry 
mercy  of  the  persons  betrayed  when  their  blood  was 
already  sold,  as  John  Nichols  did,  first  to  Mr.  Kirby  in 
his  chamber  in  the  Tower  after  his  condemnation,  and 
afterwards  openly,  and  the  same  you  shall  see  Anthony 
Tyrrell  do  here  in  this  confession  of  the  souls  of  many 
a  one  already  executed  upon  his  false  impeachments, — and 
thus  much  of  this  third  reason  in  respect  of  the  Pro- 
testants. 

There  remain  yet  other  three  reasons  and  consider- 
ations that  moved  me  also  to  the  publishing  of  this 
confession,  whereof  the  first  was  in  respect  of  foreign 
countries,  which  having  heard  much  of  the  present  conflict 
and  persecution  of  England  and  martyrdoms  of  such  as 
have  stood,  reason  it  is  that  they  understand  also  of  the 
frailty  of  such  as  do  fall,  to  the  end  they  may  perceive  that 


The  Fall  of  Anthoity   Tyrrell.  319 

we  deal  plainly  and  sincerely  in  this  cause,  confessing 
as  well  our  wounds,  hurts,  and  losses  as  our  victories,  as 
all  true  and  grave  historiographers  do  in  describing  of 
any  war,  whereby  it  shall  appear  also  that  our  proceeding 
is  not  different  from  that  of  the  primitive  Church,  as  our 
case  is  the  same. 

The  other  consideration,  which  is  the  fifth,  is  in  respect 
of  posterity,  to  the  end  they  may  truly  know  what  passed 
with  us  in  these  our  days  of  new  reformation.  And  the 
last  is  in  respect  of  them  and  their  posterity  that  have 
been  touched  or  made  away  upon  these  false  inventions 
made  by  Tyrrell,  to  the  end  that  albeit  that  for  the  present 
there  be  no  remedy,  yet  that  their  memory  hereafter 
may  be  relieved  so  far  forth  as  it  may  deserve  from  the 
opprobrious  crimes  of  treasons  and  conspiracies,  by  the 
confession  and  clearing  of  him  that  first  of  all  as  it 
seemeth  did  falsely  charge  them  with  the  same. 

All  these  reasons  therefore  remaining  together  for  the 
setting  forth  of  this  confession  of  Tyrrell's,  they  did  easily 
answer  and  overcome  the  other  reasons  alleged  before, 
in  the  beginning  of  the  preface,  to  the  contrary;  and  so 
I  resolved  to  do  it,  though  somewhat  abridged,  by  leaving 
out  some  narrations  that  seemed  over  long  and  not  so 
important  as  the  rest,  yet  have  I  noted  the  sum  thereof 
even  when  I  pass  over  the  words  themselves,  so  as  this 
that  is  here  set  down  is  the  chief  and  most  effectual  part 
thereof,  which  I  doubt  not  (gentle  reader)  will  seem  very 
strange  unto  thee,  and  cause  in  thee  marvel  and  divers  other 
cogitations  and  effects  in  reading  it  over. 


320 


CHAPTER    I. 

HIS  ACCUSING  OF   HIMSELF,  SET  DOWN   IN  THE   PREFACE 
TO   THE   READER. 

Anthony  Tyrrell  before  he  cometh  to  the  particular 
declaration  of  his  sinful  enormities,  he  maketh  a  vehement 
accusation  of  himself  and  his  wicked  doings  in  a  preface 
to  the  Christian  reader,  which  is  as  followeth  word  for 
word. 

"  When  as  a  man  through  sin  hath  once  lost  the  grace 
of  Almighty  God  and  wilfully  yielded  himself  unto  the 
wicked  suggestions  and  temptations  of  the  enemy,  it  is 
a  thing  almost  incredible  (but  yet,  God  wot,  we  see  it  by 
daily  experience),  how  suddenly  a  man  descendeth  down 
by  no  small  degrees  from  sin  to  sin,  until  at  the  last 
he  falleth  down  into  the  very  gulf  and  depth  of  all  sin, 
and  when  a  sinner  is  once  thrown  down  into  the  profundity 
and  bottom  of  sin,  what  other  thing  doth  he  but  contemn, 
according  as  it  is  written  :  Peccator  cum  in  profimdiim 
venerit  cojitannit,  Sec?  I  will  for  this  matter  go  seek  no 
further  example  than  from  my  own  self  the  most  miserable 
.    . ., ,         ,    ^    wretch  and  caitiff,  of  all  others  unworthy 

A  pitiuil  example  of  '  ' 

myself.  ^j^^|.  J  ^j^^^  worthy  of  a  thousand  deaths  if 

it  were  possible  in  this  life,  and  after,  most  worthy  of  eternal 
damnation  in  the  world  to  come. 

"  To  set  down  the  number  of  God's  graces  and  benefits 
bestowed  upon  me,  by  the  memory  whereof  the  enormities 
of  my  heinous  and  grievous  offences  would  appear  the 
more  monstrous  and  detestable  it  were  too  long  a  thing, 
and  I  should  not  (I  fear  me)  find  leisure  and  time  sufficient 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  321 

to  discover  another  matter,  far  more  important,  which  is 
this,  that  concerneth  my  contempt  of  the  majesty  of 
Almighty  God,  the  dishonour  of  His  Catholic  Church,  the 
horrible  slanders  of  His  Supreme  Pastor  or  Vicegerent 
under  Christ  upon  earth,  the  innocence  of  His  most  holy 
and  virtuous  priests  falsely  by  me  accused,  Judasly  by  me 
betrayed,  besides  the  most  vile,  false,  and  slanderous 
accusations,  not  only  against  great  princes,  but  a  number 
also  of  most  honourable,  worshipful,  and  worthy  persons : 
whereof  some  have  been  by  my  most  wicked  and  sinful 
means  most  innocently  condemned,  and  most  lamentably 
cast  away  in  this  life  (although  their  happiness  no  doubt 
through  the  great  mercy  and  providence  of  Almighty 
God  be  now  exceeding  great  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven), 
unto  the  great  grief  and  discomfort  of  all  good  and  godly 
men,  not  only  in  this  realm  of  England,  but  throughout 
all  other  nations  of  Christendom,  unto  whom  the  fame 
thereof  hath  or  shall  spread ;  and  many  also  that  be  yet 
living,  who  have  been  or  may  be  called  in  question  and 
grievously  endangered  through  my  most  vile  and  slan- 
derous accusations,  and  not  unlikely  (as  many  others 
before  them)  most  unjustly  to  be  made  away  and 
executed,  with  lamentable  and  pitiful  case  of  their 
parts  (although  on  my  part  the  author  and  original  of 
these  horrible  tragedies  most  damnable  and  execrable 
and  worthy  of  all  temporal  and  eternal  punishment).  God 
of  His  infinite  mercy  and  goodness  who  is  the  only  true 
Defender  and  Purger  of  the  innocent,  the  only  Punisher 
and  heavy  Paymaster  of  the  nocent,  would  not  that  the 
guiltless  blood  of  His  dear  and  loving  servants  so  unjustly 
spilt,  should  be  kept  secret,  but  made  manifest  unto  the 
God's  mercy  and  pro-  world  who   hath  held   them   to  be  most 

vidence    in    discovering  .  .  .  j       i  •        i_1 

my  wickedness.  hcmous  traitors,  gricvous  and  abommaDle 

conspirators,  whereas  in  truth  and  verily  they  are  found 
before  God,  and  to  be  proved  also  unto  the  world  to  have 
been  far  otherwise.     And  surely  were  it  not  for  this  only 
V 


322  The  Fall  of  A7itho7iy   Tyrrell. 

cause,  I  sec  no  other  reason  on  my  part,  how  any  way  I 
might  have  deserved  the  least  drop  or  sparkle  of  God's  grace 
to  repentance,  but  rather  might  have  looked  every  moment 
when  the  ground  should  have  opened  to  have  swallowed 
me  up  quick  into  hell,  or  else  some  other  strange  and 
wonderful  or  horrible  event,  to  the  terror  of  all  such 
apostates  and  traitors  as  myself  unto  God  and  His  Church, 
suddenly  to  have  happened  unto  me.  But  lo  !  the  prayers 
of  that  holy  and  blessed  martyr,  St.  Stephen,  how  much 
they  prevailed  before  the  mercy  of  Almighty  God  it  is 
manifest  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  whereby  Saul  being 
a  great  and  famous  persecutor  of  the  flock  of  Jesus  Christ 
became  notwithstanding  repentant,  and  an  elect  Apostle 
of  Jesus  Christ;  and  although  his  persecution  was  but 
of  ignorance,  and  mine  of  malice,  who  knoweth  yet 
whether  the  prayers  of  those  three  most  glorious  and  worthy 
The  blood  of  martyrs   martyrs,  Mr.  Dibdale,   Mr.  Loe,  and  Mr. 

by  me  shed  hath   made 

intercession  for  rac.  Adams,^  whosc  innoccnt  blood  I  think 
verily  to  have  been  shed  through  my  most  wicked  and 
malicious  means,  with  the  blood  I  fear  me  of  many  other 
persons;  who  knoweth  I  say  whether  they  have  procured 
this  favour  of  the  Omnipotent  Majesty  of  God  to  bring 
me  unto  the  confession  of  my  fault,  and  to  cry  with 
David  in  the  bitterness  of  heart,  Pcccavi!  and  not  with 
Judas  miserable  to  go  and  hang  myself  .-* 

"To  their  prayers  I  do  impute  this  grace  obtained  at 
God's  hands,  and  in  no  wise  unto  my  own  deserving, 
for  I  felt  myself  so  clearly  gone  from  God  and  fallen 
so  far  into  His  contempt,  that  my  soul  abhorred  all 
goodness,  myself  I  suffered  to  be  drowned  in  all  impiety, 
and  wilfully  or  rather  monstrously  bended  myself  against 
God  and  His  Catholic  Church,  accounting  myself  the  most 
desperate  of  all  others,  and  so  most  wickedly  had  deter- 
mined to  have  ended  my  days. 

"If,  therefore,  I  have  any  repentance,  if  I  be  brought 
^  Supra,  p.  I  So. 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  323 

unto  the  true  acknowledging  and  confession  of  my  crimes, 
if  I  crave  effectually  all  shame  and  confusion  in  this  world, 
so  as  my  soul  may  find  mercy  in  the  world  to  come,  if 
yet  I  desist  from  sin  and  turn  unto  God  with  all  my 
heart,  in  fasting,  weeping,  and  mourning,  if  all  the  days 
of  my  life  I  bewail  my  fault,  my  most  grievous  fault, 
and  crave  mercy  of  Almighty  God,  who  is  rich  in  mercy, 
who  forgiveth  more  than  human  malice  can  offend,  who 
only  by  His  Almighty  power  and  grace  can  pluck  me- 
out  of  the  jaws  of  Satan,  unloose  his  fetters  wherewith 
he  hath  me  so  long,  so  sore  and  surely  fastened,  unto 
Him  I  say  and  His  eternal  mercy  be  all  honour  and 
glory  for  the  same,  and  to  His  aforesaid  blessed  martyrs 
and  saints,  that  have  by  their  especial  prayers  procured 
me  this  grace,  be  praise  and  thanks  for  ever." 

Thus  far  are  his  own  words,  wherein  he  layeth  down 
(as  you  see)  his  own  sinful  proceedings  and  grief  for  the 
same,  and  then  turning  himself  to  the  Queen  and  Council 
he  asketh  them  pardon  for  abusing  them  with  lies,  and 
then  to  the  Catholics  afflicted  by  his  falsehoods,  to  whom 
he  saith  as  followeth.  "The  enormities  of  my  offences 
by  myself  truly  laid  open,  your  innocencies  showed,  your 
false  and  slanderous  accusations  purged  by  me  your  former 
malicious  accuser,  and  now  your  humble,  repentant,  and 
sorrowful  suppliant,  I  know  not  possibly  how  I  may  make 
A  etitiontothe    y°^  ^"^  better  satisfaction  than  this,  unless 

Catholics.  jj.  i^g  i^y  giving  my  neck  unto  the  halter, 
my  quarters  to  be  divided,  in  a  perpetual  memory  for 
the  injuries  done  you  and  wrongs  that  by  me  you  have 
sustained,  and  I  would  to  God  my  future  punishments 
may  unloose  so  many  as  by  my  means  are  unjustly 
detained,  and  that  all  other  griefs,  calamities,  smarts, 
anguishes  both  of  body  and  mind  were  cast  upon  me 
altogether,  so  as  you  might  be  freed,  delivered,  and  be 
thought  of  by  our  prince  and  country  no  otherwise  than 
you  deserve.  But  alas !  since  I  have  with  great  falsehood 
V  2 


324  The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell. 

and  facility  brought  you  into  the  briars,  and  by  no  sorrow, 
complaint,  punishment,  or  penance  of  mine  own  I  can 
help  you  out  again,  to  the  mercy  of  Almighty  God  I  must 
commend  you,  with  whose  infinite  goodness,  if  the  tears 
of  a  wretched  sinner  daily  shed  for  you  may  any  prevail, 
or  repentance  for  my  fault,  by  confessing  my  crime  and 
doing  penance,  in  sacco  et  cincre,  for  the  same  all  the  days 
of  my  life,  may  procure  the  eyes  of  His  holy  pity  to 
be  inclined  towards  you,  by  the  help  of  His  heavenly 
grace  I  will  not  let  to  do  it."  Thus  far  Tyrrell.  And 
finally,  to  omit  other  long  lamentations  of  his  which  are 
here  in  this  preface  set  down,  he  endeth  the  same  in  these 
words.  "Read  the  sequel  of  this  story  with  patience, 
lament  my  present  estate  and  afflictions,  pray  for  my 
amendment,  pardon  my  trespass,  and  refuse  not  to  help 
me  to  be  received  again  into  the  grace  and  favour  of 
Almighty  God  by  repentance,  for  which  I  am  ready  to 
sustain  all  worldly  shame  and  punishment,  and  with  this 
I  cease  to  trouble  you  further,  and  will  enter  into 
the  narration  of  the  story  itself,  how  it  happened." 
Hitherto  are  his  words,  and  there  followeth  his  sub- 
scription thereunto,  which  is  thus  : 

"  Unworthy  abject  of  all  others, 

"  Anthony  Tyrrell." 

And  after  his  subscription  he  giveth  this  title  to  the 
beginning  of  his  narration — 

"  The  lamentable  confession  of  Anthony  Tyrrell,  priest, 

unworthy  of  that  holy  name  and  sacred  profession,  as  by 

the  most  pitiful  discourse  following  shall  plainly  appear, 

^^  ^      •,    r.u-     wherein  to  the  honour  of  Almighty  God, 

The  true  title  of  this  °       •' 

confession.  whose  majcsty  I  have  most  grievously 
offended,  to  my  own  temporal  shame  and  confusion, 
worthily  of  all  the  world  to  be  contemned,  and  to  the 
help  of  all  other  sinful  and  wretched  sinners,  that  by  true 
repentance  their  lives  may  be  amended,  I  have  set  down 


The  Fall  of  Antho7iy  Tyrrell.  325 

with  as  much  sorrow  of  heart  as  it  pleased  Almighty  God 
to  yield  me,  although  nothing  comparable  to  the  quality 
of  my  crime,  such  offences  as  I  have  committed  and  are 
necessary  of  the  world  to  be  known,  beseeching  God  of 
His  infinite  mercy  to  pardon  me,  and  all  good  and 
charitable  people  with  compassion  to  pity  me  and  pray 
for  me,  that  my  deserved  confusion  here  on  earth  may, 
through  the  sweet  merits  of  our  Saviour's  Passion,  procure 
the  last  spark  of  His  grace  to  deliver  my  soul  from 
everlasting  torments,  which  worthily  I  have  deserved." 


CHAPTER    H. 

OF  HIS  APPREHENSION  AND  BEHAVIOUR  IN  PRISON, 
BEFORE  HIS  FALL,  WITH  HIS  EXAMINATIONS  AND 
ANSWERS   TO    THE   SAME. 

In  the  sixth  page  of  his  confession  he  beginneth  to  set 
down  largely  and  very  particularly  his  manner  of  appre- 
hension, examinations,  answers,  and  whole  demeanour 
until  his  fall,  which  I  shall  repeat  in  his  own  words 
most  truly  and  faithfully  as  all  the  rest,  without  altering 
anything,  as  near  as  I  can,  as  also  I  shall  add  his  own 
marginal  notes.     Thus,  then,  he  beginneth. 

"In  the  year  of  our  Lord  God,  1586,  I,  Anthony 
Tyrrell,  priest,  by  the  permission  of  Almighty  God  was 
My  apprehension,  apprehended  and  taken  prisoner  in  my 
chamber  at  Lambert  Hill,  the  4th  day  of  July,  by  two 
pursuivants,  Newall  and  Worsley,  and  by  them  carried 
unto  the  Counter  in  Wood  Street,  and  there  was  com- 
mitted close  prisoner.  From  thence  the  same  day  in  the 
afternoon,  by  the  foresaid  pursuivants,  I  was  carried  unto 
the  Court,  her  Majesty  lying  then  at  Greenwich,  my  arms 
,      being  fast  pinioned,   as  if  I  had  been  a 

My  carr>'ing  to  the  o  r" 

court.  thief  or  traitor  (for  so  commonly  now-a- 


326  TJic  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell. 

days  are  all  priests  accounted  until  they  forsake  God), 
where  being  arrived  I  was  then  carried  unto  the  Council 
chamber  and  there  to  be  presented  before  Mr.  Secretary 
Walsingham,  who  being  then  for  other  affairs  of  the  Queen 
at  London,  I  was  for  the  time  entertained  by  Mr.  Bell, 
,-       ,  . ,     one  of  the  clerks  of  the  Council,  who  took 

My  conference  with  ' 

^"'""  Upon  him  to  dispute  with  me  in  matters  of 

divinity,  whose  arguments  and  speeches  as  they  were  most 
foolish  and  ridiculous,  so  as  they  are  not  worthy  the 
setting  down,  but  to  be  passed  over  with  silence,  only 
this  I  say  in  respect  of  the  comfort  that  I  felt  in  myself  of 
the  benefit  of  God  His  grace,  who  saith,  'When  you  shall 
stand  before  kings  and  princes  do  you  not  fear  nor  fore- 
think  what  you  may  say  or  speak,  for  it  shall  be  given 
you  in  the  same  hour  what  you  shall  speak';  and  so  I 
was  nothing  at  that  time  (I  thank  God)  appalled  or  afraid 
at  the  threatenings  or  opprobrious  speeches  of  the  enemy, 
but  rather  found  in  myself  courage  sufficient  to  contradict 
their  blasphemies,  to  contemn  their  taunts,  and  thought 
myself  much  honoured  to  be  scorned  at  their  hands  for 
Christ  His  sake: — and  I  would  to  God  I  had  never  swerved 
from  that  mind,  for  then  those  heavy  desolations  could 
never  have  chanced  unto  me  that  after  ensued. 

"  To  be  short,  nothing  they  gained  at  my  hands  by 
that  arrival,  but  only  shame  and  discredit,  as  by  their 
objecting  unto  me  their  exorcisms,  or  dispossessing  of 
devils  from  three  poor  maids  and  two  men,  the  which 
Bell  and  the  rest  in  scornful  manner  termed  conjurations, 
witchcrafts,  sorceries,  and  illusions  to  deceive  the  world, 
Myspeechofthe  ^^^^^  ^^^  ^^  whlch  mattcrs,  forasmuch  as 
exorcisms.  ^^^^^  thcmsclves  had  entered  into  parti- 
cular mention  thereof,  I  that  had  been  an  eye-witness  of 
most  of  those  wonderful  things,  being  moved  with  the 
zeal  of  God's  honour,  could  not  choose  as  then  but  say 
something.  Wherefore  replying  my  speech  upon  Mr.  Bell's 
most  malicious  and  false  inveighings,  I  think  I  said  thus. 


The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell.  327 

or  to  like  effect  'Mr.  Bell,  you  do  not  well  to  breathe 
out  blasphemies  against  the  power  and  hand)rvvork  of 
Almighty  God,  or  to  seek  to  suppress  by  falsehood  a 
most  known  truth.  These  things  that  you  speak  of  are 
no  conjurations,  witchcrafts,  sorceries,  or  illusions,  as  you 
term  them,  but  the  wonderful  work  of  God,  shown  some- 
times extraordinarily,  and  mainly  in  these  our  days,  for 
the  subversion  of  heresy  and  confirmation  of  the  Catholic 
cause.  It  is  not  your  malicious  and  uncertain  speech  that 
can  convince  a  known  and  certain  truth,  and  therefore 
I  pray  you  give  me  leave  with  patience  to  tell  you  no 
more  than  I  myself  did  see  with  mine  own  eyes,  and 
•  many  more  that  were  present  can  witness  against  you.' 

"  I  did  see  upon  commandment  of  the  exorcist  the  devil 
to  cast  up  out  of  the  bowels  of  a  man  a  hooked  pin,  a 
Wonderful  things  done  pi^ce  of  lead,  and  a  shirt  string,  all  being 
at  the  exorcisms,  fastened  together,  not  without  great  and 
grievous  pain  of  the  possessed  party,  and  this  was  done 
mattgre  the  malice  of  the  devil,  that  did  seek  still  by  all 
means  possible  to  retain  them  in  the  body  of  the  party 
for  his  destruction,  but  by  the  invincible  power  of  Almighty 
God  giving  authority  unto  His  Catholic  priests  to  command 
as  I  said  the  wicked  spirit  to  deliver  it,  within  my  presence, 
and  in  the  presence  of  divers  others,  I  did  see  accomplished. 

"  And  not  only  this,  but  the  next  day  following,  one  of 
the  maidens  (there  being  three  in  all  possessed  in  one 
house,  besides  the  man),  whose  name  was  Friswolde  Owen, 
dwelling  in  the  parish  of  Denham,  and  in  the  county  of 
Buckingham,  and  in  the  house  of  Sir  George  Peckham, 
Knight,  being  exorcised  the  devil  appeared  most  sensible 
in  her  body,  and  talked  by  the  maiden's  tongue,  confessing 
that  he  had  brought  into  her  body  two  needles  and  other 
filthy  stuff  for  the  destruction  of  the  party;  but  God,  which 
suffereth  none  of  His  creatures  to  perish  that  putteth  their 
trust  in  Him,  was  not  wanting  unto  His  poor  maiden, 
as  hereafter  shall  appear,  for  the  devil  being  commanded 


328  The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell. 

to  render  up  all  such  sorceries  and  witchcrafts  as  he  had 
brought  unto  the  maiden's  body,  refused  a  great  while 
(as  always  his  custom  is  to  be  loth  to  surcease  from 
hurting),  but  at  the  last  it  pleased  Almighty  God  to 
make  him  yield  unto  the  authority  of  His  Church,  to  the 
which  the  devil  cannot  but  obey.  The  wench  being  cast 
into  a  slumber,  and  the  exorcist  being  departed  out  of 
the  chamber  for  giving  the  maid  repose,  the  maiden  sud- 
denly awaked  crying  out  that  a  thing  came  running  up 
her  side  and  pricked  her.  I  being  then  present  there 
myself  came  presently  to  assist  her  and  besought  Almighty 
God  to  help  her  ;  and  so  calling  upon  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ,  forthwith  the  devil  came  up  into  her  tongue,  blas- 
pheming the  holy  name  of  Jesus,  and  called  for  the  priest 
by  name  that  had  immediately  before  exorcised  her,  but 
he  being  at  that  time  not  present  I  asked  the  devil  myself 
what  he  would  with  the  exorcist,  whose  name  was  Dibdale, 
and  now  no  doubt  a  blessed  martyr  in  heaven  triumphing 
over  them  that  then  so  much  tormented  and  vexed  him, 
threatening  him  full  oft  that  they  would  bring  him  to 
the  gallows,  the  which  in  the  end  they  performed,  unto 
their  own  shame  and  confusion.  The  devil  answered,  'A 
plague  on  him,  let  him  come  and  take  his  needle  that  he 
commanded  me  to  give  him,  and  I  would  it  were  in 
him.'  *  Why,'  quoth  I,  '  where  is  the  needle  t '  '  Dost 
not  thou  see  it  .'* '  quoth  the  devil.  With  that  I  did  behold, 
and  lo  !  contrary  to  nature  or  reason,  that  the  handiwork 
of  God  might  appear  plain  to  the  sight  of  the  world  for 
the  manifestation  thereof  unto  others,  the  needle  came 
peering  out  on  the  side  of  her  left  cheek,  and  being  half 
out  and  half  in  I  took  it  between  my  fingers  and  my 
thumb,  the  point  of  the  needle  being  outward,  and  verily 
before  God  I  protest  I  could  not  by  any  force  pluck  it 
out  of  the  maiden's  cheek,  and  the  devil  perceiving  me 
to  use  some  violence  egged  me  on,  saying,  'Why  dost 
thou  not  pluck  it  out.''     I  would  have  thee  to  tear  the 


The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell.  329 

wench's  cheek.'  *  No,'  quoth  I,  '  I  command  thee  to  let  it 
come  forth  without  the  maiden's  hurt.*  And  so  it  pleased 
God  that  it  came  to  pass,  for  the  needle  then  came  forth 
with  great  ease  and  without  all  pain  to  the  party. 

"  At  this  and  the  fore-mentioned  action  I  was  present 

myself  and  did  see  them,  and  out  of  the  same  maiden 

afterwards  was  fetched  forth  by  the  like  means  a  great 

blunt  nail  all  rusty,  and  out  of  another  maiden  named 

Other  things  extorted  Ann   Smith  z.  picce  of  a  rusty  knife,  of 

from  the  devil  by  exor-         ,   .    ,        ,   .  _ 

cisms.  which  thmgs  I  make  mention  here  in  this 

place,  not  that  I  had  opportunity  given  me  at  the  Court 
in  the  presence  of  Bell  and  the  rest  thus  largely  to  express 
all  these  things,  but  only  to  set  down  here  the  truth,  for 
the  world  to  judge  whether  these  things  could  be  illusions, 
as  it  pleased  Bell  to  term  them,  and  as  at  the  arraignment 
of  good  Mr.  Dibdale  it  liked  Justice  Young  to  account 
them,  and  exaggerate  against  him  for  effusion  of  his  blood. 
But  to  proceed. 

"All  these  things  that  I  here  have  mentioned,  both 
that  which  was  fetched  out  of  the  man  and  the  two 
maidens  possessed,  were  in  my  trunk  at  what  time  I  was 
taken,  and  being  found  there  by  the  pursuivants  were 
brought  with  me  to  the  Court ;  which  putteth  me  now 
in  remembrance  of  another  thing,  the  which  I  think 
requisite  to  make  mention  of  in  this  place,  although  at 
that  time  I  did  not  utter  it,  yet  of  truth  as  I  shall  answer 
before  God  thus  it  was. 

"  After  the  devil  had  been  forced  by  the  Omnipotent 
power  of  God,  in  the  virtue  of  the  holy  exorcism,  to  yield 
out  of  the  possessed  creatures  the  fore-mentioned  things, 
and  that  I  had  gotten  them  all  into  my  keeping,  the  devil 
maligning  thereof  asked  me  what  I  intended  to  do  with 
them,  whether  that  I  would  show  those  wares  of  his  (as 
he  termed  them),  and  sell  them.  'Look  to  it,'  quoth  he, 
and  swearing  a  great  oath  he  said  he  would  have  them 
again,  do  what  I  could.      Wherewith  I  thinking  that  he 


330  The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell. 

would  steal  them  from  me,  as  things  enchanted,  I  blessed 
them  with  a  prayer  of  the  Church  and  cast  holy  water 
upon  them,  not  knowing  the  devil's  mystery  ;  but  after 
I  perceived  it,  for  within  a  short  time  after  I  was  appre- 
hended, and  then  Ncwall  and  Worsley  got  them,  and  then 
The  devil  as  good  as  ^  pcrceivcd  how  the  devil  was  as  good  as 
his  word.  j^jg  ^\ox<^,   for   that   he   had   gotten   them 

again  by  his  ministers,  and  so  he  said  truly  that  he  would 
have  them,  for  from  the  devil  they  came  and  to  him  by 
his  two  devilish  pursuivants  they  were  brought  and  so 
given  to  Justice  Young  his  treasurer,  who  for  his  sake 
keepeth  them. 

"  All  these  things  being  found,  taken,  and  brought 
with  me  to  the  Court  by  the  pursuivants,  as  hath 
been  said,  together  with  a  little  book  written  by  myself 
as  touching  all  these  strange  and  wonderful  events,  and 
the  book  being  delivered  into  the  hands  of  Bell,  he  chal- 
lenged me  for  writing  and  publishing  such  notorious  lies, 
saying  they  were  all  counterfeit  things  and  illusions,  where- 
upon I  answered  that  they  were  wonders  most  true  and 
such  apparent  miracles  as  were  able  to  convert  the  most 
obstinate  heretic  in  the  world  ;  and  withal  I  recited  what 
things  had  been  brought  out  by  the  power  of  God  from 
these  possessed  creatures,  willing  the  pursuivants  that  had 
them  to  shov/  them  unto  the  company  that  were  many, 
but  for  shame  they  would  not.  And,  furthermore,  I 
requested  Bell,  for  that  he  seemed  so  incredulous,  that 
he  would  inform  the  Council  and  procure  that  Catholic 
priests  might  make  public  exorcisms,  in  the  face  and 
The  ministers  challenged   ^Jcw  of  the   world,   and   their   ministers 

to  exorcisms.  might   bc   also   present,    to    the    end    it 

might  be  seen  which  of  them  had  the  most  power  to 
make  the  devil  obey,  for  the  trial  of  the  cause.  This 
was  the  holy  courage  that  it  pleased  God  to  give  me 
then,  and  I  would  to  God  I  had  been  so  gracious  as  to 
have  conservad  it  still,  but   forsaking    His   divine   grace 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  331 

I   was   also   by    Him   right   worthily   forsaken.       But   to 
proceed. 

"After  I  had  been  kept  in  the  Council  chamber  the 
space  of  an  hour  and  more,  I  was  carried  unto  the  Lord 
Treasurer's  chamber,  but  Justice  Young  being  there  present 
sent  me  away  back  again  unto  London  without  speaking 
to  the  Treasurer  at  all.  So  came  I  to  my  former  prison 
of  the  Counter  again,  where  I  remained  until  the  next  day, 
and  then  I  was  carried  unto  Justice  Young,  before  whom 

His  first  examination  be-    ^    ^^^S    examined,  and    first    of   all    he    ten- 
fore  Just.ce  Young,      ^g^g^  ^g  ^^  ^^^^^  ^^^  J  directly  refused 

to  be  sworn  unto  anything,  unless  I  might  have  knowledge 
of  the  matter  that  I  should  be  sworn  unto  first" 

Hitherto  are  Tyrrell's  own  words,  which  here  I  break 
off ;  for  the  large  narration  following,  of  examinations  with 
Justice  Young,  and  then  of  his  letter  written  to  the  Treasurer, 
and  his  order  from   him   to  be  examined   by  Topcliffe, 

His  first  examination  by  ^S    hc    WaS    in    the    Lord    Rich   his  hoUSC  ill 

Young  and  Topchflfe.  5^  Bartholomcw's,  is  not  needful  to  be 
set  down  here  at  length.  The  sum  of  all  is  that  both 
Young's  and  Topcliffe's  speeches,  which  he  setteth  down  with 
his  own  answers  thereunto,  tended  to  no  other  end,  but 
partly  by  sweet  prayers  and  promises  and  partly  vigorous 
threats,  to  induce  him  unto  that  which  at  the  last  he  fell 
unto,  albeit  not  now,  which  was  to  utter  some  matter 
prejudicial  to  others  as  touching  the  State,  which  when 
neither  of  them  could  procure  they  caused  him  to  write 
again  to  the  Treasurer,  to  see  what  advantage  might  be 
picked  out  thereof,  but  finding  none  of  importance  they 
denounced  to  him  his  arraignment,  of  which  at  that  time 
he  was  very  glad,  and  writeth  as  foUoweth. 

"After  the  sending  of  the  two  letters  to  my  Lord 
Treasurer  I  heard  no  news  of  anything  but  that  I  and 
„     ,      , ,       -      Mr.  Dryland  were  against  the  next  day's 

News  brought  me  of  my  j  &  J 

arraignment.  ^ssizcs  allotted  out  unto  the  gallows.  And 
God  be  honoured  for  His  goodness,  my  cause  being  then 


332  The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell. 

directly  for  religion,  it  is  incredible  the  comfort  that  I  found 
therein,  thinking  myself  far  unworthy  for  so  great  a  benefit 
and  favour  at  God's  hands,  respecting  my  sinful  loose  life 
which  I  had  led  before,  not  following  the  fear  of  God  in 
my  profession,  but  rather  vanities,  having  led  a  licentious 
and  riotous  life,  that  had  deserved  a  greater  punishment 
than  so  happily  to  be  called  away  by  martyrdom,  so  that 
then  the  memory  of  death  was  comfortable  unto  me,  and  I 
had  no  other  thoughts  in  that  my  imprisonment  but  to 
prepare  for  death,  and  I  would  God  ten  thousand  times 
that  I  had  so  happily  gone. 

"  But  alas  !  my  wretchedness  did  not  deserve  it.  I 
was  spared  for  a  further  ruin.  I  was  left  to  live,  as  since  I 
have  thought,  to  be  a  vessel  of  perdition,  wherein  Almighty 
God  (to  the  example  of  all  others  that  have  no  better  care 
in  their  priestly  vocation  to  lead  a  sincere  and  pure  life) 
might  pour  out  the  fulness  of  His  indignation,  which  He 
seemeth  to  have  done,  for  otherwise  I  could  never  so 
deeply  have  fallen  as  I  have  done ;  which  now  I  shall 
endeavour  to  set  down  with  all  the  truth,  sincerity,  humility, 
and  grief  of  mind  that  Almighty  God  shall  yield  me  grace 
to  do." 


333 


CHAPTER   III. 

OF   THE  BEGINNING   AND   SECRET   OCCASION   OF   HIS 
FALL  AND  YIELDING. 

The  first  and  principal  occasion  of  his  overthrow  he 
attributed  to  the  delay  of  his  arraignment,  though  the 
inward  cause  thereof  he  confesseth  to  have  proceeded  of 
his  negligence  in  governing  his  life  as  he  was  accustomed 
in  virtue.     His  words  be  these  : 

"  But  now  let  me  proceed  to  confess  my  fault  God 
grant  me  grace  hereafter  to  have  a  fit  time  to  make  some 
amends.  News  was  brought  me  one  night  that  the  next 
day  I  was  to  repair  to  the  Sessions  House,  which  news 
nothing  at  all  dismayed  me,  but  gladly  and  joyfully  I 
performed  those  actions  that  became  me  against  such  a 
banquet ;  and  the  next  morning  I  expected  every  hour 
when  I  should  be  called  forth.  But  in  fine,  the  case 
altered  ;  I  was  not  so.  Then  whereas  before  I  assured 
myself  of  a  most  happy  death,  I  began  to  hope  again 
after  an  unhappy  life,  and  so  I  lingered  a  few  weeks 
after  a  close  prisoner,  and  through  the  procurement  of  my 
friends   I   got  the   liberty  of   the  house,  which  cost   me 

My  arraignment  de-     lO/.  And       if      it      had       plcaScd      God,       I 

ferred,  and  the  liberty  iitii  i-J'j.  1  T 

of  the  prison  granted,  would  I  had  ncvcr  obtamecl  it,  unless  i 
could  have  used  it  better,  for  then  I  verily  think  I  never 
had  been  in  such  an  estate  as  now  I  am  in. 

"  For  after  that  I  had  gained  the  liberty  of  the  house, 
so  withal  my  mind  and  affections  grew  more  large 
and  loose.  I  served  God  less,  I  delighted  in  profane 
pastimes  and  exercises.     I  pampered  more  my  belly,  and 


334  '^^^^  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell. 

cocked  myself  a  great  deal  more  than  I  was  wont.  The 
devil  also  espying  his  advantage,  brought  back  again 
into  my  mind  the  memory  of  my  former  pleasures  and 
delights,  wishing  sometimes  with  myself  that  I  might 
enjoy  such  corruptible  follies  again. 

"  Thus  by  little  and  little  sensuality  creeping  into  me, 
and  less  armed  with  the  defence  of  God's  grace  than  I 
was  for  the  resisting  of  sin,  I  upon  the  sudden  was  sent 
for  to  Justice  Young,  and  although  I  determined  all  the 
way  I  went  not  to  speak  anything  that  should  be  either 
offensive  to  God  or  to  my  conscience,  yet  by  reason  of 
my  indisposition  and  former  carelessness  for  such  events, 
when  it  came  to  the  point  I  somewhat  faltered. 

"Mr. Young,  calling  me  up  into  an  upper  parlour,  where 
My  second  examination  ^as  nonc  but  he  and  I  and  his  man 
before  Justice  Young.  Yi2.xx\^,  hc  began  vcry  smoothly  to  frame 
his  speech  in  this  manner,  as  near  as  I  can  guess.  'Mr, 
Tyrrell,  I  have  been  with  her  Majesty,  with  whom  I  have 
had  some  speech  of  you,  she  calling  your  father  to 
remembrance,  whom  she  loved  well,  would  of  her 
exceeding  clemency  extend  some  favour  upon  you,  if  so 
be  there  be  any  grace  in  you  as  yet  left  to  deserve  it. 
Her  will  and  pleasure  therefore  is,  that  you  deal  plainly 
with  her,  and  discover  all  such  noblemen  and  ladies 
within  her  realm  with  whom  you  are  acquainted,  that 
have  given  you  entertainment,  or  that  you  know  to  have 
been  reconciled  either  by  yourself  or  by  any  other.  In 
so  doing,  I  can  assure  you  of  her  Majesty's  favour  and 
mercy.     Otherwise,  you  must  look  for  all  extremities.' 

"  His  speech  thus  ended,  '  I  am,'  quoth  I,  '  most 
My  answer  to  Justice  ^umbly  to  thank  her  Majesty  for  her 
"Voung.  gracious  clemency,  but  surely  as  I  shall 

answer  before  God,  there  is  no  nobleman  within  this 
land  that  ever  I  conferred  withal,  my  Lord  Darcy  of 
the  North  excepted,  to  whose  house  I  came  as  a  guest 
with  other  friends  of  my  lord's  acquaintance,  and  departed 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  335 

from  thence  again,  not  known  unto  my  lord  what  manner 
of  person  I  was,  and  more  than  Avith  him  I  talked  not 
since  my  coming  into  England.' 

"  With  this  fell  Mr.  Young  into  very  hot  language, 
saying  that  I  lied  loudly,  and  that  he  would  deal  with 
me  another  way — that  is,  swear  me  on  a  book  to  answer 
truly.  For  oaths  I  told  him  I  had  taken  none,  nor  would 
not  take  any,  and  therefore  I  desired  him  to  pardon  me. 
He  never  rested  urging  me  on  my  allegiance,  or  other- 
wise he  would  inform  her  Majesty  of  my  stoutness,  and 
how  little  I  deserved  the  favour  I  refused,  and  to  take 
the  oath.  Then  I  began  to  fear  lest  he  should  grow 
into  some  cruelty  against  me,  and  inform  worse  of  me 
than  I  wished  he  should,  and  my  mind  being  more  set 
upon  liberty  again  than  it  was,  and  I  now  less  constant 
in  God's  cause  than  I  should,  did  fondly  yield  unto  an 
oath,  so  far  forth  that  he  would  not  ask  me  any  question 
that  might  prejudice  my  conscience.  And  so  he  brought 
me  a  book  of  common  prayer  (as  they  term  it),  at  the 

My  frailty  in  taking  ^hich,    although    my   conscicnce    pricked 
an  oath.  j^g    ^^    ^^^    ^^^    ^^^    upon    such    an 

unlawful  book,  yet  for  fear  of  increasing  his  displeasure, 
I  yielded,  laying  one  of  my  fingers  upon  it — God 
knoweth  with  a  full  evil  will  at  that  time — at  which 
he  took  exceptions  because  I  laid  not  my  whole 
hand.  But  his  man  Harris  answered  the  matter,  saying 
there  could  be  no  dissimulation  before  God,  for  as  good 
was  a  finger  as  a  fist.  And  in  that  he  said  truly,  for  as 
soon  may  we  go  to  the  devil  for  an  inch  as  for  an  ell. 
God  forgive  me  for  it, 

"  After  that  I  had  taken  this  ungodly  oath  upon  an 
ungodly  book,  and  kissed  that  with  my  lips  which  I 
detested  with  my  heart,  he  began  to  examine  me  after 
this  manner :  First  of  all  he  inquired  what  talk  Edmonds 
He  meant  by  Edmonds  the  Jcsuit,  Comdius  the  priest,  and  I  had 
F.William  Weston.     ^^  touching  the  Earl  of  Arundel,  by  the 


33^  The  Fall  of  Antho7iy   Tyrrell. 

oath  that  I  had  taken.  I  answered,  by  the  virtue  of 
the  same  oath  (if  there  were  any  virtue  in  it  as  other 
could  be  but  little),  that  I  never  to  remembrance  talked 
with  them  of  the  Earl  of  Arundel  in  my  life,  as  I 
protest  before  God  and  the  salvation  of  my  soul  to  my 
knowledge  I  did  not.  Note  that  which  foUoweth  here- 
after. '  No,'  quoth  he,  *  will  you  deny  that ;  did  not  you 
and  Edmonds  no  time  talk  of  the  Earl  of  Arundel  ? 
Beware  what  you  say,'  quoth  he,  'and  remember  that 
you  are  sworn.'  I  beginning  then  to  seem  somewhat 
religious  of  an  irreligious  oath,  did  somewhat  study  with 
myself,  saying  at  the  last  in  good  faith,  'I  do  not 
remember  that  ever  I  talked  with  Father  Edmonds  of  the 
Earl  of  Arundel,  more  than  once  riding  by  the  way,  I 
asked  Father  Edmonds  a  question,  what  he  thought  would 
become  of  the  Earl  now  after  he  had  made  his  appearance 
in  the  Star  Chamber,  and  had  been  put  to  his  fine, 
whether  he  should  now  remain  in  the  Tower  or  no } 
And  that  Father  Edmonds  should  answer,  if  so  be  he 
would  but  yield  to  confer  with  my  Lord  of  Canterbury, 
that  he  should  be  released  from  the  Tower.  And  I  asked 
again  whether  he  might  not  so  do  .-*  And  Father  Edmonds 
Mr.  Young  his  good  should   auswcr  that   he  might  not,  for  it 

affection    towards    the  111,       r\^ 

Earl  of  Arundel.  was  botli  daugcrous  and  scandalous.    'Oh! 

quoth  Justice  Young,  *  then  the  Earl  sent  some  messenger 
unto  Edmonds  to  know  his  opinion  .-• '  '  No,'  quoth  I, 
'  I  do  not  say  so,  for  then  I  should  say  falsely  by  the 
oath  that  I  have  sworn.'  Fain  Mr.  Young  would  have 
inferred  in  so  much  by  my  words,  but  as  the  truth  was, 
I  did  still  swear  unto  the  contrary,  and  when  he  could 
get  no  more,  he  did  write  the  rest  with  his  own  hand, 
and  because  it  concerned  a  nobleman,  I  besought  him 
to  set  down  the  matter  as  I  had  spoken  it.  And  so  he 
did,  as  I  did  read  myself  And  no  more  passed  from  me 
as  touching  my  lord  at  that  time, 

"  Then  did  he  hunt  about  after  the  names   of  such 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  337 

persons  in  whose  houses  I  had  frequented  sithence  my 
coming  into  England.  I  answered  it  that  was  no  parcel 
of  my  oath  to  accuse  or  appeach  any,  for  that  should 
offend  God,  and  it  was  directly  against  my  conscience. 
He  did  swear  by  God  I  must  tell,  for  that  her  Majesty 
would  know  where  and  how  I  had  lived. 

"  Upon  that,  to  yield   him  some  satisfaction,  and   so 

When  a  man  hath  "^"^  ^^^^  myself  from  him,  I  bcgan  to  tell 
fi.1owhe'isSn  him  how  that  at  my  first  coming  over, 
in  further.  beforc  the  statute  made  that  it  should  be 

felony  for  every  person  wittingly  to  harbour  a  priest,  I 
conversed  one  while  in  Essex  with  a  kinswoman  of  mine, 
called  Mrs.  Paschall,  the  which  to  speak  truly  was  an 
untruth.  And  after,  I  travelled  into  the  north,  and 
kept  with  the  widow  Babthorpe,  who  after  married  into 
Suffolk  unto  one  Mr.  Suliard.  I  lay  there  so  long  until 
by  the  statute  it  grew  dangerous  unto  them  to  give  me 
entertainment.  And  so  ever  after  I  conversed  up  and 
down,  conversing  amongst  strangers  until  the  time  of  my 
apprehension.  Then  was  he  at  me  for  my  coming  into 
England,  who  came  with  me,  &c.  I  told  him  the  time, 
the  port,  and  that  none  came  in  with  me  but  one  Mr. 
Ballard  and  Mr.  Bray,  the  one  then  a  prisoner,  namely 
Bray,  the  other  was  I  know  not  where.  We  came  together 
to  London,  and  parted  at  the  Bell  in  Smithfield.  And 
this  was  the  effect  of  my  examination  at  that  time,  and 
of  my  confession,  I  being  heartily  sorry,  both  for  my  folly 
for  taking  of  an  unlawful  oath,  and  of  my  more  folly 
in  confessing  anything  which  might  seem  offensive  and 
slanderous  unto  any.     And  to  conclude  this  matter  with 

.     ,     ,  ,    a  thinff  that  was  more  than  all  the  rest,  at 

Another  degree  unto  <=>  ' 

the  devil.  jjjy.  departure  from  Justice  Young  Harris 

his  man  asked  me  if  I  would  be  content  to  confer,  and  I 
answered,  that  I  would  not  refuse  it.  And  all  was  to  procure 
so  much  favour  for  my  wretched  carcase  as  I  might,  not 
remembering  the  hurt  I  received  thereby  in  my  poor  soul. 
W 


33S  The  Fall  of  A7itJiony  Tyrrell. 

"  Thus  did  I  depart  at  that  time  from  Justice  Young 
Mr.   Ballard  appre-  to  the  prisoii  from  whence  I  came.     After 

hendcd,   and   my   fears  -n.^      t>    11        1  1  1      ■•  , 

increased.  a  whilc  was  Mr.  Ballard  apprehended  and 

taken,  which  news  when  I  did  hear  did  sore  appall  me, 
not  (I  take  God  to  witness)  that  I  ever  had  in  heart 
consented  to  any  crime,  or  that  I  knew  anything  certain 
that  did  import,  whereof  I  might  be  accounted  faulty  for 
keeping  of  his  counsel,  saving  only  that  former  speech 
that  he  talked  of,  of  an  invasion  like  to  be,  the  which 
I  took  to  be  both  vain  and  foolish,  and  therefore  far  from 
my  thought  to  believe  it.  Yet  because  I  knew  he  had 
been  but  lately  in  France,  and  was  now  lately  returned 
back  again,  contrary  to  the  expectation  of  all  his  friends, 
and  knowing  that  he  had  a  mind  that  somewhat  savoured 
of  ambition,  and  that  he  was  too  forward  in  matters  above 
his  compass,  I  feared  that  he  being  charged  with  some 
great  crime  or  other,  and  that  I  being  known  to  have 
so  much  conversed  with  him,  as  in  going  over  the  seas 
together,  in  travelling  into  Italy  as  far  as  Rome  together, 
in  coming  over  back  again  together,  in  lodging  for  a 
long  season  in  one  chamber  together,  in  riding  of  many 
journeys  together,  and  now,  since  his  last  coming  over, 
having  met  oftentimes  together,  I  feared,  I  say,  that  if 
perhaps  he  were  to  be  charged  with  any  heinous  matter, 
I  should  be  made  partaker  of  his  punishment,  though  I 
deserved  it  not. 

"  From  thence  began  the  cause  of  all  my  ruin,  although 
I  am  not  to  blame  him  or  any  other  but  my  own  self 
and  my  own  wilful  malice,  as  by  God  His  grace,  to  my 
own  confusion,  I  mind  hereafter  truly  to  set  down. 

"  And  because  that  upon  this  man,  Mr.  Ballard,  depend 

great  things,  as   he   being    accounted   a   monstrous    and 

Tt,  f.u  A  .1,   capital  traitor,  a  seeker  of  the  destruction 

The  cause  of  the  death  ^  ' 

lse'>ho'""^ffer"ed  of  hcr  Majcsty  and  the  ruin  of  the  realm, 

and  one  that  was  the  chief  and  principal 

cause  of  the  decay  and  spoil  of  so  many  proper  gentle- 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  339 

men,  as  hath  not  been  seen  cast  away  together  in  our 
age,  I  thought  good  before  I  go  any  further  truly  to  set 
down  as  near  as  I  can  the  beginning  of  our  first  acquaint- 
ance, with  the  continuance  thereof,  the  places  of  our 
meeting,  and  winning  together  unto  friendship,  the  causes 
of  our  going  over  beyond  the  seas,  our  whole  continuance, 
progress,  and  return,  our  actions  in  England,  until  the 
time  of  his  departure  into  France,  and  after  his  coming 
back  again,  our  meetings,  and  the  causes  thereof,  with 
the  full  substance  of  all  the  matters  that  ever  I  knew 
concerning  these  supposed  heinous  enterprises  of  his,  or 
of  every  of  them  that  conversed  or  suffered  with  him  for 
the  same.  Whereby  it  shall  appear  manifested  unto  the 
world  what  I  knew  truly  by  that  man,  and  what  I  have 
falsely  reported  of  him,  to  his  utter  overthrow  and  ruin, 
and  not  only  of  him,  but  of  divers  other  gentlemen  which 
were  accounted  actors  with  him,  whereof  some  be  dead, 
and  divers  be  yet  living :  wherein  I  protest,  as  I  hope 
through  the  infinite  mercy  of  God  to  be  saved  at  the 
dreadful  Day  of  Judgment,  not  to  say  anything  but  the 
truth :  wherein  I  go  not  about  to  excuse  any  traitorous 
person  from  the  guilt  of  treason,  but  to  clear  the  innocent, 
to  tell  whom  I  have  hurted  and  harmed,  whom  I  have 
falsely  accused,  what  lies  I  have  invented,  what  detestable 
actions  I  have  committed,  how  grievously  in  my  con- 
science I  have  offended  in  seeking  the  overthrow  of  God's 
Church,  the  perturbation  of  Christendom,  the  ruin  of  all 
Catholics,  and  therefore  worthy  to  be  pulled  in  pieces  with 
hot  irons,  and  to  die  ten  thousand  deaths,  if  it  were 
possible.  How  far  those  persons  or  any  of  them  offended 
God  or  the  Prince  I  know  not,  but  sure  I  am  that  I  have 
most  grievously  offended  them  in  charging  them  with 
such  matters,  which  I  protest  upon  my  soul  were  as  false 
as  God  is  true."     Thus  far  Tyrrell's  w^ords  of  these  affairs. 


W  2 


540 


CHAPTER   IV. 

OF  HIS  ACQUAINTANCE  AND  PROCEEDING  WITH  MR.  BAL- 
LARD THE  PRIEST,  AND  HOW  AFTER  BALLARD'S 
APPREHENSION    THE    DEVIL   TEMPTED   HIM   TO   FALL. 

He  maketh  a  very  long  narration  of  his  acquaintance 
and  proceeding  with  Mr.  Ballard,  for  three  or  four  sheets 
of  paper  together,  the  principal  points  whereof  are  these 
truly  taken  out  of  his  own  words.  First — That  his 
acquaintance  and  first  friendship  with  Mr.  Ballard  was 
in  the  Gatehouse  of  Westminster,  while  himself  (I  mean 
Mr.  Tyrrell)  was  there  prisoner,  which  afterwards  was 
confirmed  in  Norfolk,  where  Ballard  went  by  the  name 
of  Turner. 

Secondly — About  three  years  after,  meeting  at 
London,  they  concluded  to  go  together  into  France 
and  thence  to  Rome  to  see  their  friends,  and  so  they 
did,  and  returning  to  England  were  chamber-fellows  in 
„  „    ,,       ...        ,  London  until  Lent,  in  the  year   1586,  in 

Ballard  s  conditions  and  '  j  j        j 

qualities.  ^ij  which  time  he  professeth  never  to  have 

seen  any  evil  in  the  man,  nor  the  least  intention  against 
the  Queen  or  Estate,  nor  other  evil,  but  that  he  was 
naturally  lofty  of  condition,  seeming  ambitious  in  putting 
himself  into  great  company  and  loth  to  be  contradicted, 
very  liberal  in  spending  and  sumptuous  in  apparel,  wherein 
this  man  saith  also  that  he  followed  him  over  much,  and 
was  a  great  occasion  of  his  loss  of  spirit  and  fall. 

Thirdly — That  in  the  year  1586,  being  both  of  them 
weary  of  this  following  the  company  of  young  gentlemen  in 
England,  without  attending  to  their  function,  they  treated 
together  to  go  over  into  France  to  study,  and  to  retire 
themselves  to  a  more  strait  life;  but  that  Tyrrell  for  lack  of 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  341 

maintenance  stayed  in  England  and  Ballard  went  over, 
but  within  three  months  after  he  returned  again  under  the 
name  of  Fortescue,  and  being  misliked  and  much  mar- 
velled at  by  his  friends  for  the  same,  he  told  Tyrrell  in 
his  chamber  in  Lambert  Street,  in  the  month  of  June, 
„  „    ,,  ,  ,  that  it  should   be   good   for   him   to   get 

B^ilard  s  news  out  of  <=>  o 

France.  j^j^^  ^^^  ^^  England,  for  that  there  would 

be  great  stirs  in  England  before  Michaelmas  next  ensuing 
of  that  year  1586,  for  that  the  Pope  had  made  the  Kings 
of  Spain  and  France  friends,  and  all  three  had  agreed  to 
make  an  invasion  upon  England  out  of  hand. 

Fourthly — Being  asked  of  Tyrrell  how  he  knew  this 
and  what  ground  he  had  thereof,  he  answered  that  such 
an  Englishman  in  France  (whom  Tyrrell  saith  that  for 
some  causes  he  will  not  name  now)  had  assured  him  of 
it,  and  had  willed  him  to  return  into  England  to  advertise 
the  same,  which  Tyrrell  saith  he  believed  not,  partly  for 
that  in  itself  it  was  improbable,  and  chiefly  for  that  the 
man  he  named  was  not  much  to  be  credited  in  like 
matters,  and  lastly,  for  that  he  suspected  that  Ballard 
made  this  tale  for  colour  of  his  vain  and  inconstant 
proceedings  in  returning  again  so  quickly  out  of  France; 
yet  for  that  the  other  told  him  that  he  was  to  go  to 
the  French  Ambassador  and  to  receive  letters  of  the  same 
from  his  said  friends  in  Paris  that  sent  him  into  England, 
who  had  also  (as  he  said)  sent  his  picture  to  the  said 
Ambassador  the  better  thereby  to  know  him,  he  was 
content  to  go  with  Ballard  thither,  as  he  desired  him  to 
be  his  interpreter  in  the  French  tongue ;  but  yet,  as  he 
saith,  he  went  with  intention  to  discover  the  whole  matter 
to  the  Council  if  it  should  fall  out  to  be  anything  of 
importance  against  the  State. 

Fifthly — He  saith  that  going  with  him  to  the  Ambas- 
T^  ,.      ...  .,       sador  he  found  all  as  he  suspected,  that 

Dealing  with  the  -^  ' 

French  Ambassador,     j^^  ^^    ^^    ^    ^^^    ^^j^    ^^^    ^^^^^^  ^^^^^    ^f 

Ballard  for  the  most  part  for  his  own  credit,  for  neither 


342  The  Fall  of  A^itJwny   Tyrrell. 

the  Ambassador  knew  him  or  had  his  picture  or  any 
relation  of  him,  or  letter  or  matter  for  him,  but  only 
his  secretary  had  two  little  letters  of  the  party  in  France, 
which  had  been  by  him  a  good  while,  and  were  only  for 
a  simple  plain  priest  in  England,  whom  Tyrrell  saith  he 
well  knew  to  be  far  off  from  all  matters  of  estate,  so  as 
those  letters  could  not  import  anything  more  than  some 
exhibition  sent  from  the  party  to  the  said  priest,  where- 
fore Tyrrell  saith  that  in  his  heart  he  condemned  much 
the  vanity  of  Ballard  in  this  action. 

Sixthly — He  saith  that  Ballard  and  he  being  together 
in  one  lodging,  and  Mr.  Edward  Windsor,  brother  to  the 
Baron,  by  chance,  not  knowing  of  them,  took  a  lodging  also 
in  the  same  house,  and  to  him  resorted  Mr.  Edward  Tilney, 
Mr.  Henry  Dunn,  and  other  gentlemen  afterwards  executed, 
with  all  whom  Ballard  came  acquainted  by  this  occasion, 
and  moreover  he  continued  his  acquaintance  begun  with 
The  French  secre-    thc   Frcncli    Ambassador's  secretary,  who 

tarys  coming  to  Bal- 
lard's chamber,  one  evening  by  mere  chance  passing  that 

way  entered  into  their  lodging  to  see  Ballard  when  the 
English  gentlemen  were  all  together,  whom  Ballard  desired 
to  entertain  the  said  secretary  and  cause  him  to  drink 
a  cup  of  wine,  without  any  more  talk  of  matters  of  estate 
in  the  world,  but  only  to  ask  his  master  the  King  of 
France  how  he  proceeded  against  his  heretics  in  France, 
which  talk  endured  not  half  an  hour,  and  so  the  secre- 
tary departed.  Tyrrell's  own  words  of  this  meeting  are 
these  that  follow.  "  He  stayed  with  us  I  think  for  the 
space  of  one  half  hour,  or  somewhat  more,  all  which  time 
(as  I  shall  answer  before  God)  I  heard  no  manner  of 
speech  uttered  by  any  man,  more  than  that  we  inquired 
cf  him  the  estate  of  France,  and  how  the  King  did  pro- 
secute the  Huguenots,  and  what  hope  there  was  of  their 
overthrow;  not  one  word  was  there  (I  take  God  to  witness) 
of  the  Queen's  Majesty  or  estate,  or  any  other  nobleman: 
and  so  after  he  had  drank  a  cup  of  wine  the  secretary 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  343 

departed  and  I  did  never  see  him  since,  or  any  other  of 
my  acquaintance  to  my  knowledge.  This  meeting  and 
conference  I  have  set  down  as  perfectly  as  I  could,  together 
The  ground  whereupon  ^^^^h  the  cause  thercof,  for  that  out  of  this 
coined  all  my  hes.  j  havc  forged  most  false  and  monstrous 
matter,  as  that  that  should  have  been  a  meeting  of  set 
purpose  for  the  contriving  of  some  notable  treason,  as  the 
destroying  of  her  Majesty's  person,  the  consultation  how 
and  in  what  manner  it  might  be  done,  with  the  invasion 
of  the  realm,  &c.  If  therefore  there  were  any  more  harm 
or  hurt  intended  than  that  which  I  have  already  set  down, 
or  anything  by  any  person  more  spoken  of  than  I  have 
already  mentioned,  I  pray  God  I  may  never  enjoy  the 
kingdom  of  heaven." 

Thus  much  saith  Tyrrell  of  that  point,  and  afterwards 
showeth  how,  not  believing  the  report  of  Ballard  to  be 
true,  he  never  uttered  the  same  to  any  man  but  to  one 
Mr.  Barnwell,  who  neither  would  believe  it  nor  was  willing 
to  hear  it,  though  after  he  was  put  to  death  for  it.  And  the 
reasons  why  Tyrrell  discovered  not  this  to  the  Council 
at  that  time  were  three,  as  he  saith,  which  you  shall  hear 
in  his  own  words  that  ensue. 

"  Those  things,"  quoth  he,  "  I  did  at  that  time  conceal, 

for  these  three  causes  that  do  follow.     First :  Because  I 

The  causes  moving    believcd  them  not,  for  I  thought  it  a  thing 

me    not    to     disclose  .    ,         , 

Mr.  Ballard's  news.  impossible  that  any  such  matter  could  be 
attempted,  but  that  it  must  needs  be  known  otherwise 
than  by  his  private  report.  Secondly  :  I  being  myself  a 
priest,  and  in  danger  of  my  life  by  the  laws  to  offer  myself 
to  the  Council  for  the  revealing  a  thing  which  in  my 
conscience  I  deemed  untrue,  I  thought  it  mere  folly  so 
far  to  endanger  myself  for  nothing.  Thirdly  :  Mr.  Ballard 
also  being  a  priest,  for  me  to  play  the  spy  and  to  seek 
his  death  for  a  matter  that  he  did  but  utter  to  me  in  secret, 
whereof  there  was  no  hurt  done,  nor  any  to  my  judgment 
that  might  come  thereof,  I  thought  I  might  not.     So  that 


344  ^^^^  7^^//  of  Anthony   Tyrrell. 

these  were  the  causes  that  moved  me  not  to  be  known 
of  anything.  So  long,  therefore,  as  this  matter  came  not 
to  light,  and  I  well  hoped  that  it  would  have  been  utterly 
extinguished,  and  so  I  feared  nothing  ;  but  so  soon  as  I 
heard  say  Mr.  Ballard  was  apprehended  and  brought  to 
prison,  my  sorrows  were  redoubled,  for  then  I  looked  every 
day  when  I  should  be  called  into  question.  But  alas  ! 
what  do  I  mean,  to  go  about  to  excuse  my  fault  through 
Mr.  Ballard's  apprehension,  or  why  do  not  I  rather  accuse 
myself,  most  detestable  wretch  of  all  others,  of  mine  own 
folly  and  wilfulness  in  falling  into  so  grievous  sins  .''  Was 
it  not  mine  own  fault  .-*  Was  it  not  mine  own  corruption.-' 
Could  any  man  constrain  me  to  that  impiety  had  I  not 
wilfully  yielded  of  myself  .-*  No,  verily :  why  then  unto 
mine  own  shame  and  confusion  it  must  needs  redound  ; 
no  other  person  can  justly  be  accused  of  my  fault  but 
Mr.  Ballard's  appre-  mysclf,    altliough    iudircctly   Mr.  Ballard's 

hension     the      indirect 

cause  of  my  fall.  apprclicnsion  may  seem  some  occasion  ; 
but  yet  Justice  Young  his  malice,  together  with  the  devil's 
somewhat  more,  but  mine  own  I  must  confess  to  be  most 
of  all,  and  therefore  what  punishment  am  I  worthy  to  have 
that  so  highly  have  offended  the  majesty  of  God,  dis- 
honoured His  Church,  occasioned  such  stratagems  against 
so  many  of  my  dearest  friends  and  innocents ;  what  amends 
can  I  now  make  }  Surely  no  other  but  in  all  humility  to 
confess  my  wickedness,  to  crave  pardon  both  of  God  and 
the  world,  and  patiently  to  sustain  what  punishment  soever 
it  shall  please  God  and  His  ministers  to  inflict  upon  me, 
the  which  that  I  may  do  I  beseech  His  Divine  Majesty  of 
His  infinite  mercy  and  goodness  to  assist  me  with  His 
grace. 

"  To  return,  therefore,  whence  I  came.   After  the  appre- 

My  sending  for  to    ^cnsion  of  Mr.  Ballard,  within  few  days,  I 

][ir."Baikrd"r^  appre-    was  scut  for  again  to  Justice  Young,  who 

examined  me  afresh,  as  if  I  had  not  been 

examined  until  then.     He  required  many  things  of  me  as 


The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell.  345 

touching  Mr.  Ballard,  telling  me  first  how  dangerous  a 
man  he  was,  and  of  what  heinous  matters  he  was  to  be 
charged,  and  how  that  I  being  so  long  and  well  acquainted 
with  him  could  not  but  be  privy  to  most  of  his  practices, 
the  which  unless  I  would  show  myself  a  dutiful  subject 
in  revealing  of  them,  I  should  be  sure  to  abide  the  smart ; 
whereat,  I  being  overcome  with  a  present  fear,  I  professed 
I  would  keep  nothing  secret  that  I  knew  ;  whereupon  I 
began  briefly  to  reveal  what  Mr.  Ballard  had  informed  me 
of  at  his  return  from  France,  and  disclosed  in  effect  all 

Fear  made  me  first      *^^^  ^^  ^^^  ^^Id  me.      At  the  which  JusticC 

shnnk.  Young,  seeming  to  be  very  glad,  gave  me 

great  commendation  for  my  plain  dealing,  and  promised 
me  that  he  would  procure  me  what  favour  he  could.  Where- 
upon I  liberally  offered  myself  by  pen  to  set  down  more  at 
large  such  matters  as  would  not  a  little  import,  if  so  be  he 
would  not  fail  to  stand  my  good  friend,  and  that  if  it  might 
please  her  Majesty  to  be  so  gracious  unto  me,  I  would  do 
her  such  service  as  few  of  my  condition  had  done  the  like. 
Whereupon  he  gave  me  his  hand,  and  willed  me  to  assure 
Shaking  hands  with  mysclf  that  I  should  find  favour,  and  that 

Justice   Young    is   one 

step  to  the  devil.  it  was  her  Majesty's  pleasure  to  use  me, 

and  therefore  willed  me  not  to  fail,  but  to  send  my  letters 
unto  him  by  my  keeper  the  next  morning. 

"  After  I  had  made  him  promise  so  to  do  and  was  de- 
parted home  to  my  prison,  good  Lord !  what  a  conflict  had 
I  in  my  conscience  to  think  what  I  had  done  !  How  often 
did  I  condemn  myself  for  my  offence,  refusing  to  go  any 

The  combat  between    further,  and  how  ofteu  gave  I  consent  back 
my  good  angel  and  bad.  ^^^j^^  ,      ^j^^  ,    ^^^^^    weakened    by    my 

former  fault,  and  plunged  now  further  in  than  I  could  tell 
how  to  wind  myself  out,  fearing  that  unless  I  would  dis- 
cover somewhat  further,  that  which  I  had  already  spoken 
would  very  likely  cast  me  away,  and  not  having,  in  truth, 
any  further  true  matter  of  importance,  yet  for  saving  myself 
I  thought  that  I  must  enter  into  somewhat;  and  so  suddenly 


346  The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell. 

in  this  wicked  discourse,  yielding  too  much  to  the  tempta- 
tion of  the  enemy,  and  not  lifting  up  my  thoughts  and  heart 
unto  Almighty  God,  from  whence  I  should  have  received 
„     . , ,.    .  ,,       assistance   of  grace   and  comfort,   in  one 

My  yielding  to  the  o  ' 

*^^''''"  moment  I  threw  myself  down   headlong 

into  sin,  whereby  the  devil  seized  upon  me  with  his  power 
altogether.  That  night  before  I  went  to  bed  I  did  set 
down  by  pen  as  much  against  Mr.  Ballard  as  I  did  know, 
I  mean  of  his  own  speeches  since  his  last  coming  out 
of  France,  how  he  revealed  them  unto  me,  and  how  I 
revealed  them  again  unto  one  Mr.  Barnwell,  an  Irish  gentle- 
man, and  so  much  I  did  set  down  of  this  Mr.  Barnwell 
as  I  was  sure  was  enough  to  cast  him  away ;  and  yet 
in  conscience  I  was  persuaded  that  he  never  in  heart 
consented  to  any  traitorous  attempt  in  his  life. 

"  I  did  sit  up  that  night  I  think  until  ten  of  the  clock 
My  good  angel  was  ending   of    that  letter,   and   when    I   had 

loth  yet  that   1  should      -  ,  ,  1        1     t  11 

perish.  finished  and  was  gone  to  bed,  1  could  not 

sleep  for  anguish  of  mind  in  thinking  I  should  be  the 
cause  of  the  casting  away  a  gentleman  upon  my  report, 
he  never  assenting  unto  harm  :  for  when  I  first  began  to 
make  relation  unto  Mr.  Barnwell  of  the  aforementioned 
speeches  of  Ballard,  I  remembered  well  with  what  heavi- 
ness and  sorrow  of  heart  the  good  honest  gentleman  did 
listen  unto  my  tale,  saying  that  if  it  came  so  to  pass  as 
M  deaiin  with  Mr  ^^^  would  puuish  our  country  by  sending 
Barnwell.  jj^  ^  foreign  power,  and  that  the  Catholic 
religion  could  not  be  established  otherwise  but  by  the 
sword,  *  I  pray  God,'  quoth  he,  '  give  me  grace  to  spend 
my  life  in  that  quarrel  that  I  may  please  Him  best.'  And 
this  was  the  worst  word  that  I  ever  did  hear  the  gentle- 
man say,  only  this  he  added,  that  the  news  was  to  be 
spoken  very  sparingly,  and  but  to  a  very  few,  for  that 
they  imported  such  danger  if  they  should  be  known  ;  yet 
I  in  my  letter  had  set  down  his  speeches  in  such  sinister 
manner  as  though  willingly  he  had  condescended  to  have 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  347 

played  the  traitor,  which  I  protest  upon  my  soul  was  not  so. 

Full  sore  was  I  troubled  all  that  night  for  the  writing 

of  this,  so  that  in  the  morning  I  did  rise  very  early  and 

did  tear  it  all  to  pieces,   and   framed  another  wherein  I 

My  conscience  cried  out  Specified  somc  matter  of  Ballard,  and  left 

against  my  first  letter.    ^^^  ^^  Bamwcll  altogether,  thinking  that 

I  would  not  lay  his  innocent  blood  upon  my  shoulders. 
And  that  letter  being  made  1  set  it  away  to  Justice  Young, 
but  this  would  not  so  content  him,  for  when  he  had 
perceived  I  had  once  began  to  dip  my  finger  in  blood 
he  would  not  leave  until  that  I  had  wet  my  whole  fist, 
wherefore  he  sendeth  me  a  note  of  divers  gentlemen's 
names,  and  requireth  me  to  make  answer  unto  them  the 
next  morning.  All  that  night  I  was  wonderful  perplexed 
what  I  should  do,  and  in  the  end  the  devil  getting  the 
upper  hand,  I  fell  into  a  most  desperate  discourse  with 
myself,  for  I  began  to  think  that  I  had  now  gone  further 
than  I  could  call  myself  back  again,  and  therefore  since  I 
had  already  offended  God  so  deeply,  and  given,  as  I 
thought,  my  soul  into  the  possession  of  the  devil,  I  would 
set  up  my  rest  for  some  worldly  gain,  and  from  that  time 
A  desperate  resoiu-  ^  S^vc  my  conscnt  fulIy  to  become  a 
"""^  Judas   in  kind,   or  rather  a  most  unkind 

beast,  to  betray  [my]  Master,  my  friends,  my  brethren,  my 
countrymen,  and  in  one  moment  of  time  to  abandon 
myself  of  all  grace  and  goodness  that  ever  I  had  obtained 
in  my  life  before,  and  plunged  myself  headlong  into  the 
bottomless  pit  of  hell." 

This  much  writeth  Tyrrell  of  his  own  good  disposition 
when  he  determined  to  change  his  religion  and  serve 
Justice  Young's  turn  in  all  things,  whereof  you  shall  hear 
the  particulars  in  the  chapter  following. 


348 


CHAPTER   V. 

OF  HIS  DESPERATE  RESOLUTION  TO  DENY  HIS  RELIGION 
AGAINST  HIS  OWN  CONSCIENCE,  AND  OF  HIS  ACCUSING 
INNOCENT  MEN  WRONGFULLY  AND  MALICIOUSLY  : 
AND  OF  JUSTICE  YOUNG  AND  THE  LORD  TREASURER'S 
MANNER  OF  PROCEEDING  WITH  HIM  IN  THESE 
AFFAIRS. 

After  his  most  impious  and  desperate  determination  to 
break  with  all,  and  to  have  no  more  respect  to  truth, 
honesty,  or  religion,  nor  to  God  or  His  judgments,  as  in 
the  end  of  the  form.er  chapter  himself  hath  declared,  there 
followeth  a  declaration  of  his  damnable  course  in  that 
behalf,  which  shall  be  laid  down  altogether  in  his  own 
words,  which  are  these  that  ensue. 

"  After  that  I  had  condescended  to  play  the  miscreant 
and  to  lose  my  title  and  interest  to  God's  everlasting 
kingdom  for  less  than  a  mess  of  potage,  I  began  to  think 
what  I  might  do  to  prolong  this  wretched  life  and  carcase 
of  mine  to  make  some  temporal  gain. 

"  And  first  I  considered  that  my  state  stood  upon  very 

The  devil  suggesteth  slippcry  points,  for  that  I  being  a  priest, 
divers  cogitafons.     ^j^^^  ^^^^  j  ^^^g  -^^  hazard  of  my  life,  unless 

I  would  recant.  Secondly,  the  matters  that  I  had  begun 
to  mention  were  no  less  than  treasonable,  and  the  further 
that  I  waded  in  uttering  my  knowledge  of  them,  the 
further  I  should  bemire  myself  And  moreover,  to  put 
myself  into  Justice  Young's  hands  I  thought  it  a  very 
unwise  part,  and  to  make  him  privy  unto  all  my  secrets, 
I  imagined  that  he  would  use  them  all  to  his  own  benefit 
and  credit  only,  and  I  might  chance  to  be  fairly  rewarded 
at  last  with  a  hempen  halter,  as  Judas  was  for  betraying 


The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell.  349 

his  Master,  wherefore  I  liking  not  any  of  these  courses, 
I  rather  made  choice  of  this  other  way,  that  now  I  will 
tell. 

"  And  to  begin,  the  devil  thought  that  he  would  work 
surely  with  me,  which  was  to  overthrow  the  very  tower 
of  my  soul,  and  utterly  to  undermine  me  at  the  very  root 
and  foundation,  and  so  persuaded  me  altogether  to  forsake 
Noway  to  purchase  "^7  rcHgion  and  to  become  on  the  sudden 
S^Tbutl^fors^/ke"  a  zealous  Protestant,  as  brought  unto  it 
"^  ^'  ■  without  all  conference  or  study,  only  by 

revelation :  for  otherwise,  thought  I,  in  all  my  intended 
mischiefs,  if  I  keep  my  Catholic  religion  still  and  play 
such  parts  as  I  now  purposed,  I  should  be  most  odible 
unto  God  and  unto  all  Catholics,  and  be  but  contemned 
also  of  the  Protestants  for  my  labour,  and  hardly  of  them 
be  beloved. 

"  Therefore  to  work  surely  I  must,  thought  I,  relinquish 
utterly  my  faith  and  religion,  and  upon  a  devilish  ground 
go  forward  with  all  mischief  without  remorse,  as  I  have 
begun.  It  shall  suffice,  therefore,  thought  I,  to  write  to 
Justice  Young,  that  his  orderly  proceedings  with  me  and 
godly  persuasions  had  prevailed  so  much  as  that  they  had 
gained  a  soul  (from  God  to  the  devil  in  truth  was  my 
meaning),  and  that  he  had  been  a  great  motive  unto  my 
conversion,  especially  the  grace  of  God  so  working  there- 
A  devilish  purpose,  with.  And  thus  in  these  terms  I  thought 
to  flatter  him  up,  but  notwithstanding  for  matters  that 
concerned  the  State,  whereof  I  thought  I  would  yield  him 
great  store,  if  I  did  see  any  cause,  I  would  not  be  too 
busy  with  him,  but  rather  I  thought  it  best  by  them  to 
curry  favour  with  my  Lord  Treasurer  himself,  and  there  • 
fore  I  craved  that  I  might  come  to  the  speech  of  the  said 
Treasurer,  as  if  I  had  matter  far  more  important  than  ever 
I  spoke  of  yet  to  Young  to  utter  unto  him.  After  that  I  had 
thus  wickedly  invented,  I  did  write  a  letter  unto  Justice 
Young,  the  contents  thereof  were  too  miserable ;  for  can  it 


350  The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell. 

enter  into  any  man's  mind  that  ever  had  knowledge  before 
of  my  Hfe  and  conversion  that  I  should  become  of  such  a 
horrible  mind,  of  such  a  monstrous  intention,  being  a 
Catholic  priest,  to  write  so  abominably  as  I  did,  contrary  to 
mine  own  knowledge,  contrary  to  my  conscience,  against 
the  majesty  of  Almighty  God  and  my  sweet  and  tender 
mother  the  Catholic  Church,  that  so  carefully  had  fostered 
me  up ;  yet  so  it  was,  and  what  did  I  write  ?  I  quake  now 
to  repeat  it.  Alas!  I  did  write  with  great  impudency  that  I 
acknowledged  myself  by  reason  of  my  Romish  religion 
highly  to  have  offended  God  and  her  Majesty,  and  did 
My  abominable  letter  not  Ict  to  affirm  that  our  TcHgion  Catholic 

to  Justice  Young  upon     ,        .         r     .^  i   •    i       t     i  .1  1 

a  Sunday.  (out  oi    the  which   i  kncw  there   can   be 

no  salvation),  was  both  false,  wicked,  and  damnable,  that 
all  Catholics  were  traitors,  that  I  had  too  long  traced 
their  accursed  steps,  that  I  desired  now  on  my  knees  to 
be  delivered,  that  I  submitted  myself  unto  her  Majesty's 
mercy,  that  I  was  weary  to  live  under  the  servitude  of 
Pharao,  that  I  desired  now  to  become  a  true  Israelite  and 
a  perfect  member  of  Jesus  Christ,  or  rather  an  accursed 
limb  of  Satan,  as  my  conscience  still  told  me :  but  yet 
thus  damnably  did  I  write,  and  in  the  end  I  concluded 
with  this  petition,  that  if  I  might  come  unto  my  Lord 
Treasurer's  presence  that  then  I  would  show  the  fruits 
of  a  true  and  perfect  subject  (which  were  indeed  to  betray 
innocents  and  to  seek  the  effusion  of  guiltless  blood). 
Thus  then  I  wrote,  and  much  more.  This  letter  sealed 
and  sent,  I  made  no  doubt  of  a  speedy  answer,  and  forth- 
with the  very  same  day,  in  the  afternoon,  being  Sunday, 
I  was  sent  for  unto  Justice  Young,  and  as  soon  as  I  was 
come  hither  he  carried  me  up  into  his  upper  parlour 
all  alone,  and  pinning  fast  the  door  did  then  embrace  me 
One  devil  embraceth  i"  ^is  arms,  as  who  should  say.  Welcome 
another.  homc,    gentle    brother.      Now   I   was   no 

more  accounted  a  traitor  or  a  practiser  of  treasons ;  all 
were  gone  with  the  bare  name  of  Papist,  notwithstanding^ 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  351 

that  I  intended  to  become  a  traitor  in  the  highest  degree  in 
betraying  of  Christ  and  His  servants,  I  was  now  as  honest 
a  Protestant  as  the  best.  But,  alas !  small  cause  had  I 
to  comfort  myself  with  such  a  courtesy.  This  new  friend- 
ship exiled  me  quite  from  my  wonted  glory.  Oh,  that  I 
been  the  veriest  abject  in  the  world,  so  as  I  had  con- 
tinued the  servant  of  God  still !  After  that  he  had  in 
his  arms  embraced  me,  'Oh,'  quoth  he,  'how  I  rejoice, 
Mr.  Tyrrell,  to  see  this  day  ! '  (Oh,  Lord,  thought  I,  how 
many  good  men  in  the  world  would  bitterly  lament  to  hear 
Young's  speech  at  my  ^^  ^his  day.?)  '  I  havc  peruscd  your  letter/ 
turning.  quoth  he,  '  and  I  have  showed  it  unto  the 

Lords  of  the  Council,  and  it  is  incredible  what  joy  they 
have  conceived  upon  the  hearsay  of  your  conversion.  My 
Lord  Treasurer  will  speak  with  you  some  time  this  day ; 
there  is  an  hour  appointed,  when  you  and  I  shall  go  to 
him.'  In  the  meantime  he  told  me  many  ridiculous  [stories] 
of  himself,  how  he  being  once  an  earnest  Papist  it  pleased 
God  to  open  his  eyes  by  reading  of  the  Scriptures,  and  how 
he  [came]  to  be  a  perfect  Protestant ;  but  he  yielded  me 
such  blind  reasons,  notwithstanding  his  eyes  were  so 
opened,  as  he  said,  that  had  I  not  of  purpose  before  wil- 
fully given  myself  over  to  the  devil,  it  had  been  surely- 
enough  to  have  called  me  back  again  to  hear  him,  but  in 
truth  in  my  sleeve  I  laughed  his  vain  speeches  to  scorn. 
No  comfort  or  taste  could  I  find  at  all  in  his  words,  but 
to  my  conscience  they  were  as  bitter  as  gall,  although  out- 
wardly I  seemed  to  savour  them  as  sweet  as  honey.  To 
be  short,  the  time  coming  that  we  were  to  go  to  my  lord 
he  made  me  put  off  my  gown,  and  to  put  on  a  cloak 
of  his,  and  so  taking  water  at  Allhallows,  we  landed 
at  the  Strand,  and  coming  about  on  the  back  of  my 
lord's,  by  the  fields,  we  were  let  into  his  garden,  where 
my  lord,  in  one  of  his  walking  alleys,  expected  our 
coming,  and  entering  into  a  banqueting-house,  I  came 
before  his  presence,  and  prostrating  myself  at  his  feet  he 


352  The  Fall  of  Anthotiy  Tyrrell. 

My  Lord  Treasurer  bade  me  anse,  and  with  unctuous  words 

his  speeches  at  my  first 

coming.  began  to  tell  me  now  glad  he  was  to  hear 

of  my  penitent  mind,  and  should  be  much  gladder  if  I 
meant  that  I  had  written  unfeignedly.  He  told  me  as 
he  doubted  not  but  that  God  could  call  a  man  home  at 
all  times  miraculously,  as  He  called  Paul  and  others,  yet 
my  conversion  could  not  be  but  strange,  both  by  reason 
of  my  bringing  up  and  long  conversation  ;  adding  that 
subitcB  imitationes  were  valdc  pcriculosce,  or  at  least  sus- 
piciosce,  which,  as  I  remember,  were  then  his  words,  and 
therefore  he  willed  me  to  deal  sincerely  and  plainly  in 
everything.  I  protested  unto  him  that  so  I  would,  and 
that  I  would  halt  in  nothing,  and  protested  moreover  that 
th^d^^iUn^ "string  to  ^  would  bccome  a  conformable  man  in  all 
thing."^^^  """  ^"^"  respects  unto  her  Majesty,  and  was  sorry 
with  all  my  heart  that  I  had  swerved  from  her  Majesty's 
laws,  which  Avas  only  by  reason  of  my  perverse  opinions, 
and  therefore  most  humbly  craved  pardon  for  that  which 
was  past,  and  I  did  swear  to  be  true  and  obedient  for  the 
time  to  come.  '  Deceived,'  quoth  I,  '  I  might  be  in  my 
religion,  but  traitor  in  my  heart  I  was  never.  But  well 
I  perceived  how  hard  a  thing  it  was  to  be  a  Papist,  and 
no  traitor,  and  therefore  I  was  fully  minded  to  relinquish 
both  the  one  and  the  other.' 

"  My  speeches  seeming  well  pleasing  unto  my  lord,  he 
began  to  inquire  many  things  of  me  as  touching  Ballard, 
Barnwell,  Babington,  Tichborne,  Tilney,  E.  Windsor 
Abington,  and  others,  of  whom  I  did  speak  fully  as  much 
as  I  did  know  and  more,  with  hard  and  bitter  speeches 
against  each  of  them  ;  what  evil  members  they  were,  what 
evil  practices  they  went  about ;  objecting  more  against 
them  than  was  true,  the  particulars  whereof  shall  be 
showed  anon. 

"  My  lord  hearing  me  to  accuse  them  so  frankly,  and 
The  courtesy  a  man  pcrcciving  that  I  did  spcak  it  with  a  mind 

shall   find   for    playing  i  i  •   i 

the  knave.  resolutc   to   dcspatch  them,  thought  with 


The  Fall  of  AntJiony   Tyrrell.  353 

himself  that  I  was  likely  to  prove  a  man  fit  for  their 
commonwealth,  and  therewithal  promised  me  that  I  should 
lack  nothing ;  and  as  he  was  entering  to  a  further  discourse 
with  me,  one  of  his  gentlemen  informeth  him  of  the  coming 
of  the  Earl  of  Huntingdon,  whereupon  my  lord  said  he 
would  talk  with  me  more  at  large  another  time. 

"  In  the  parting,  for  my  farewell  I  maliciously  appeached 
two  honest  gentlemen;  the  one  was  Mr.  Bold  of  Lanca- 

Mr.  Hold,  first  ac-  shirc,  the  other  was  one  Captain  Jacques, 
f^a^k^^^Z  Mr.  Vice-Chamberlain's  man.    As  touching 

am  rami  mm.  -^^^^  Bold,  I  told  my  lord  that  sithence  his 
coming  out  of  Flanders  both  myself  and  Edmonds 
the  Jesuit  had  been  at  his  house  ;  how  he  purposed  to  be 
reconciled  ;  how  there  was  Mass  said  there  ;  how  he  heard 
a  sermon ;  what  company  were  at  it ;  what  vile  words  he 
should  speak  against  the  Earl  of  Leicester,  and  that  he 
intended  to  do  some  mischief  in  the  camp,  with  other 
notorious  lies  of  the  gentleman,  as  hereafter  I  shall  more 
in  particular  set  down.  In  like  manner  I  told  many 
perilous  and  dangerous  things  against  I\Ir.  Jacques,  whereas 
I  protest  before  God  I  never  heard  or  saw  any  hurt  by  the 
man  ;  what  my  words  were  of  him  I  shall  declare  anon. 

"  My  Lord  Treasurer  not  having  any  longer  leisure  to 
talk  with  mc  as  then  by  reason  of  the  Earl  of  Huntingdon's 
coming,  called  for  Justice  Young,  and  willed  him  that  he 

The  policy  they  prac-  should  kccp  all  things  conccming  mc  vcry 

tise   to    conserve   their  ,  ,  ,  .  i      i_     t 

spies.  secret,    and    colourably   give    out    that   i 

showed  myself  very  stubborn  and  obstinate ;  and  the 
better  to  blind  the  Catholics  from  the  knowledge  of  my 
doings,  whereas  before  I  had  the  liberty  of  the  prison,  I 
was  now  to  be  kept  as  close  prisoner  again,  as  if  by  reason 
of  my  stout  answers  some  further  displeasure  had  been 
conceived  against  me.  Thus  was  I  brought  back  again 
unto  Justice  Young's  house,  with  whom  I  supped  that 
night,  and  after  supper  he  sent  me  unto  the  Counter, 
accompanied  with  one  of  his  men,  who  was  willed  to  tell 

X 


354  ^^^  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell. 

the  keeper  that  I  must  have  a  good  chamber  and  good 
lodging,  and  be  very  well  used,  saving  that  the  liberty  of 
the  house  must  be  taken  from  me  again. 

"All  my  Catholic  friends  in  the  Counter  marvelled 
what  became  of  me  all  that  day,  and  hearing  the  next 
morning  that  I  was  come  home  again,  and  shut  up  closely 
in  my  chamber,  they  marvelled  much  more,  insomuch  as 
they  being  desirous  to  know  how  the  world  went  with  me, 
they  sent  me  by  some  means  a  little  note,  requesting  me 
to  inform  them  the  cause  of  my  close  imprisonment.  I 
made  them  an  answer  quite  from  the  truth,  for  that 
the  spirit  of  lying  had  now  possessed  me,  and  made 
them  believe  that  I  was  very  straitly  examined  about 
Mr.  Ballard,  and  that  I  cleared  myself  and  hurt  not  him ; 
and  because  I  would  not  confess  that  which  I  knew  not, 
I  was  shut  up  close  again. 

"  This  answer  contenting  them,  I  remained  in  my 
chamber,  close  in  body,  but  having  a  mind  enlarged  unto 
all  mischief  I  had  no  other  thoughts  but  how  to  gain 
favour  and  credit  in  the  world,  not  regarding  how  dis- 
honestly I  behaved  myself,  nor  what  falsehoods  I  did 
devise  so  I  might  obtain  the  liberty,  favour,  and  pleasure 
that  I  desired." 


355 


CHAPTER  VI. 

OF  A  LETTER  WRITTEN  UNTO  HIM  BY  THE  TREASURER, 
AND  OF  HIS  MOST  WICKED  AND  LYING  ANSWER  TO 
THE  SAME,  CONTAINING  THE  GROUNDS  OF  MANY 
men's   UNJUST   DEATHS   AFTERWARDS. 

Tyrrell  being  so  far  gone  now  as  himself  hath  confessed 
in  the  former  chapter,  and  so  bent  to  all  mischief  as  he 
might  be  bade  to  say,  swear,  and  feign  whatsoever  might 
be  in  prejudice  of  any  Catholic  whatsoever,  it  seemed  to 
the  Treasurer  and  Young  that  they  had  a  fit  man  to  labour 
upon,  and  so  the  Treasurer  wrote  unto  him  out  of  hand  to 
that  effect,  and  for  the  effects  which  you  shall  hear  Tyrrell 
report  with  his  own  pen  ;  for  thus  he  saith — 

"  The  next  day  after  I  was  sent  for  again  unto  Justice 
Young  in  great  haste.  When  I  came  thither  he  delivered 
me  a  letter  sent  from  my  Lord  Treasurer,  the  which  I 
must  answer  with  all  speed  I  could ;  and  so  being  ready 
to  depart  back  again  for  the  more  speedy  answering  of 
this  letter,  before  my  departure,  because  I  would  have 
Justice  Young  to  think  that  I  began  to  be  somewhat 
Notable  dissimulation,  zcalous  iu  my  ncw  rcHgion,  I  desired  him 
to  lend  me  some  virtuous  book  to  comfort  me  now  in  the 
beginning  of  my  conversion,  for  that  I  minded  no  more 
for  that  time  to  use  either  my  breviary  or  any  other  Catholic 
prayers,  as,  God  forgive  me,  I  did  not,  except  sometimes 
by  way  of  dissimulation.  He  was  very  glad  of  my  request, 
and  said  that  I  should  have  anything,  and  he  sent  me  a 
wholesome  and  a  comfortable  piece  of  work,  to  bring  a 
man  headlong  unto  the  devil,  forsooth,  Calvin's  Jiistifica- 
tions,  in  English,  the  which  I  received  as  a  book  of  great 

X    2 


356  The  Fall  of  Ajithony   Tyrrell. 

price,  and  I  liked  it  so  well,  as  ever  when  I  read  it 
mcthought  I  drew  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  devil  and 
mine  own  damnation :  such  monstrous  blasphemies  and 
absurdities  I  found  that  I  wished  mine  own  knowledge  to 
have  been  much  less,  that  I  might  the  more  easily  have 
believed  them.  But  let  Calvin  rest  in  the  devil's  name, 
with  whom  no  doubt  he  dwclleth  for  ever,  and  let  me 
return  to  the  answering  of  my  lord's  letter. 

"When  I  was  come  home  I  perused  the  letter  over  and 
over,  and  that  my  answer  thereunto  may  the  better  be 
known,  I  shall  set  down  my  lord's  letter  verbatim  as  it 
was,  the  which  he  did  write  unto  me  with  his  own  hand, 
and  sealed  it  with  his  seal  of  arms,  the  true  original  whereof 
I  have  yet  to  show. 

"  TJie  copy  of  a  letter  luriticn  Jtnto  inc  by  my  Lord  Treasurer,  at  what 
time  I  was  prisoner  in  the  Counter  in  Wood  Street,  the  day  after 
I  had  been  with  him  at  his  house  in  the  Strand. 

"  I  pray  you  deal  plainly  with  me,  for  I  mean  chari- 
tably towards  you,  both  for  compassion  of  your  adversity 
and  for  your  father's  sake,  whom  I  loved  entirely,  as  I 
am  sure  he  did  me.  There  is  a  God  that  only  seeth  the 
cogitations  of  our  hearts.  He  cannot  be  deceived,  and 
c  ■  .        „      ,-  ,  therefore    remember   what    was    said    by 

Scripture  well  applied  •' 

by  the  Treasurer.        St.  PctCr     in     the     ActS    of   thc     ApOStlcS     tO 

Ananias  and  Saphira.  They  both  pretended  to  bring  to 
thc  Apostles  the  price  of  their  goods,  but  they  brought 
but  a  part,  concealing  the  rest.  You  may  apply  this  to 
beware  in  your  offer  to  me,  that  you  deliver  not  to  me 
a  portion  and  keep  back  the  greater  portion.  I  am  surely 
in  hope  that  you  will  not  so  do.  Therefore  I  earnestly 
pray  you,  enlarge  your  letter  and  writing  unto  me  with 
matters  of  importance  and  not  of  unnecessary  circum- 
stances. And  though  a  short  time  cannot  serve  to  repeal 
actions  of  long  time,  which  yet  hereafter  I  will  desire,  I 
pray  you  for  this  present  to  begin  to  show  your  know- 


The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell. 


00/ 


ledge  of  the  needful  circumstances  of  these  late  actions 
intended  sithcnce  Fortescue's  last  return.  Omit  not  to 
name  to  me  the  parties  as  well  taken  or  discovered  as 
not  taken  nor  discovered.  Explicate  the  matter  of  Bold 
of  Lancashire,  which  you  touched  briefly,  but  I  did  not 
hear  you.     August  28,  1586. 

"  Yours  assured  to  acquite  [requite]  you  for  your  pains. 

"William  Burghley." 

This  was  the  Treasurer's  letter,  whereby  it  well 
appeareth  what  store  he  meant  to  draw  out  of  this  man, 
seeing  that  by  authority  of  Scripture  also  he  urgeth  him 
to  utter  more  than  he  had  told  him  the  day  before,  though, 
as  Tyrrell  affirmeth,  his  own  asseverations  and  accusations 
to  him  had  been  so  many,  so  sharp,  and  so  furious,  as  in 
reason  he  must  needs  suspect  they  were  of  passion,  and 
upon  intention  only  to  please  him,  and  so  the  Treasurer 
his  speech  to  Tyrrell  himself  did  import  that  he  mistrusted 
him,  yet  now  he  desired  more  of  that" mine  and  forge,  and 
Tyrrell  was  as  ready  to  serve  his  turn,  for  thus  he 
writeth,  page  4L 

"  I  would  to  God  I  had  answered  this  letter  of  my 
lord's  according  to  the  ground  that  he  himself  had  set 
down,  I  would  to  God  I  had  truly  performed  my  duty 
according  unto  my  lord's  own  request  of  dealing  plainly, 
for  then  had  not  I  feigned  so  much  false  matter  unto  him 
as  I  did,  and  as  it  pleased  him  to  vouchsafe  me  his  charitable 
compassion  then  for  my  temporal  adversity,  I  would  to 
God  it  would  please  his  honour  now  to  have  compassion  on 
me  in  the  damnable  estate  that  I  am  fallen  into  for  the 
recovery  again  of  God  His  grace  [lost]  so  wilfully  through 
sin.  And  whereas  he  put  me  in  consideration  of  a  God 
that  seeth  the  cogitations  of  our  hearts,  if  I  had  truly 
considered  that,  I  should  no  doubt  have  trembled  in  the 
uttering  of  my  foul  and  damnable  cogitations  fraught 
full  of  malice,  sin,  and  impiety.     And  whereas  he  putteth 


358  The  Fall  of  AntJiony  Tyrrell. 

me  in  remembrance  of  the  severe  judgments  of  Almighty- 
God  against  Ananias  and  Saphira  for  bringing  but  a  part 
of  their  substance  that  before  was  their  own,  and  were 
stricken  with  sudden  death  for  concealing  of  the  rest,  I 
would  I  had  been  so  gracious  as  to  have  remembered  the 
like  severity  towards  myself,  bringing  in  a  great  deal 
more  than  was  my  mine  own  against  a  number  of  inno- 
cents whom  I  accused  with  most  horrible  slanders,  of 
the  which  I  now  do  bitterly  repent,  and  shall  while  life 
doth  last. 

"If  I  had  had  the  grace  to  have  followed  the  counsel  of 
my  lord,  which  he  gave  me  in  these  his  letters,  truly  I 
had  not  committed  so  great  and  grievous  sins  as  I  did. 
But  leaving  my  complaint  until  another  time,  I  will  set 
down  as  near  as  I  can  the  effect  of  mine  own  answer  unto 
this  letter  received,  and  unfold  the  untruths  and  misreports 
that  I  therein  did  make.     As  I  remember,  thus  I  began.^ 

"  '  Right  honourable  and  very  good  Lord, — If  I  should 
,,     . ,   ,  ,    use  any  dissimulation,  or  not  deal  plainly. 

My  wicked  answer  Xo  J  '  r  J  > 

the  'ireasurer.  j  j-^q^jj-g  {q^  j^y  descfts  the  samc  rcward 
that  Ananias  and  Saphira  had.'  Thus  was  the  beginning, 
but  for  brevity  sake  I  will  omit  to  put  down  in  all  points 
my  letter  as  I  did  then  write,  only  I  will  touch  here  the 
principal  contents  whereof  I  discoursed,  as  of  Mr.  Fortes- 
cue's  going  out  of  England  and  mine  together  unto  Rome, 
and  how  that  Mr.  Fortescue  being  at  Rome  should  desire  the 
Rector  of  the  English  Seminary  named  AlphonsusAgazzarus, 
to  move  unto  his  general  and  to  other  learned  men  of  the 

^  The  original  letter  is  endorsed  by  Lord  Burghley,  "30  Aug.  1586. 
Tyrrell's  second  confession."  P.R. O.,  Mary  Quccii  of  Scols,  vol.  xix.  n.  67. 
Tyrrell's  first  letter  to  Burghley  is  dated  July  6,  1586,  and  is  in  the  British 
Museum,  Laiisti.  Jl/SS.  50,  n.  73.  An  extract  from  it  will  be  given  later.  In 
another  letter  written  by  him  on  the  27th  of  August  (Hid.  n.  74)  he  says,  "The 
residue  of  my  life,  if  it  may  please  her  Majesty  to  accept  it,  shall  make  such 
satisfaction  as  never  any  of  my  condition  hath  done  in  her  Majesty's  time. 
When  I  come  before  your  honour,  you  shall  find  that  I  do  not  feign,  and  shall 
be  able  to  certify  your  honour  of  that,  of  the  which  you  shall  be  full  fain." 
His  "first  confession,"  which  was  addressed  to  Young,  is  not  preserved. 


1 


The  Fall  of  AiitJwny   Tyrrell.  359 

Society,  this  question,  whether  it  were  not  a  lawful  thing 
to  kill  the  Queen,  she  standing  excommunicate,  and  they 
giving  their  answers  affirmatively,  that  then  he  desired  the 
Rector  at  what  time  we  were  to  be  brought  before  the 
Pope  his  presence  that  he  would  in  our  behalfs  make  suit 
unto  His  Holiness  that  he  would  give  us  leave  to  attempt 
that  enterprise,  and  how  the  Pope  should  much  rejoice  at 
our  request,  and  grant  our  desired  petition,  and  promise 
Against  the  Pope,  a  great  rcward  unto  the  doer :  which  I 
protest  before  God  and  His  angels  to  have  been  most 
false,  for  there  was  no  such  matter  intended  or  spoken  of ; 
yet  I  devised  a  horrible  speech  that  the  Rector  should 
frame  unto  the  Pope  in  our  behalfs,  and  of  an  answer 
that  the  Pope  should  make  unto  the  same  again,  most 
false  and  abominable,  the  effect  whereof  I  shall  set  down 
anon,  when  I  come  to  the  answering  of  my  lord's  second 
letter,  and  particular  interrogatories  which  [I]  shall  put 
down  in  the  chapter  following. 

"  I  did  write  moreover  that  Mr.  Ballard  told  me  that 
Against  Ballard,  he  would  vcnturc  his  life  for  to  accomplish 
his  enterprise  in  procuring  of  her  Majesty's  death,  and 
that  very  shortly,  which  I  protest  before  God  to  have  been 
most  false,  for  I  never  heard  him  in  my  life  talk  of  any 
such  matter. 

"  I  did  moreover  appeach  Mr.  Edward  Windsor  for 
keeping  Ballard  company,  protesting  that  to  my  knowledge 
I  never  knew  Mr.  Windsor  converse  with  Mr.  Ballard  for 
any  harm.  I  did  inform,  notwithstanding  that  Mr.  Windsor 
brought  Mr.  Ballard  to  view  the  secrets  of  Whitehall,  as 
men  that  had  conspired  her  Majesty's  death,  and  devised 
a  plot  how  to  perform  that  enterprise,  which  I  protest 
upon  the  salvation  of  my  soul  to  have  been  most  false 
unto  my  knowledge  and  a  thing  only  of  my  own  inventing. 

"I  accused  in  the  same  letter  Mr.  Ed. Windsor  as  one  that 
should  conspire  with  others  her  Majesty's  death,  and  the 
matter  to  been  have  debated  on  in  my  chamber  in  the  com- 


360  The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyi-rell. 

pan)'of  Ballard,  Charles  Tilncy,  Edward  Windsor  and  myself, 
and  that  Charles  Tilncy  his  device  was  to  deal  with  some 
lady  or  gentleman  of  her  Majesty's  Privy  Chamber  for  the 
Poisoning  the  Queen,  poisoning  of  the  Ouccn,  and  how  that 
Edward  Windsor  should  altogether  mislike  that,  as  not 
thinking  it  wisdom  to  commit  his  life  unto  the  hazard 
of  a  woman,  but  thought  it  better  to  procure  it  by  pistol : 
all  the  which  I  protest  to  have  been  most  false,  and  that 
there  was  never  talk  of  any  such  matter. 

"  I  did  moreover  accuse  Ballard  for  repairing  unto 
many  noblemen  in  this  land,  as  to  the  Lord  Windsor,  the 
Lord  Stourton  and  others :  which  I  protest  was  contrary 
unto  my  knowledge,  and  that  I  did  speak  it  altogether  of 
malice. 

"  I   mentioned  in  the  same  letter  a  horrible  practice 

Murder  in  the  Star  ^hat   should  havc  bccn  attempted  in  the 

Chamber.  g^^^  Chamber:  which  was  a  thing   most 

false  and  untrue,  as  I  did  report  it ;  the  particulars  whereof 

I  shall  have  occasion  to  mention  in  the  answer  that  I  made 

unto  my  lord's  articles  that  he  sent  me. 

"  In  the  same  matter  I  falsely  accused  the  Earl  of 
Arundel,  the  Queen  of  Scots,  Davy  Ingleby  and  others. 

"  I  amplified  Ballard's  being  at  the  French  Ambas- 
sador's with  me ;  and  falsely  accused  Charles  Tilney  in 
that  action,  and  that  he  also  should  conspire  her  Majesty's 
death  :  which  as  I  shall  answer  at  the  dreadful  day  of 
doom,  I  never  knew  any  such  thought  or  inclination  in 
the  man. 

"  As  touching  Mr.  Ballard's  going  into  France,  I  did 
most  falsely  set  down  his  purpose  and  intent  to  have  been 
most  wicked  and  traitorous,  and  that  many  gentlemen  of 
great  worship  were  privy  to  the  same  :  which  is  as  false  as 
all  the  rest.  The  names  of  the  gentlemen  that  I  informed 
I  shall  set  down  hereafter. 

"In  the  same  letter  most  maliciously  and  slanderously 
I   did  set  down  Ballard's  being  in  the  north,  and  of  his 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  361 

acquaintance  with  Mr.  Thomas  Metham,  Ralph  Craythorne, 
Mr.  Babthorpe,  Typping,  Dynnington,  Crosslands,  with 
other  gentlemen  of  the  north.  The  particulars  of  each 
person  I  shall  set  down  hereafter.  I  impeached  the  two 
Wisemen  \sic\  of  Essex,  and  Thorogood  of  the  Temple  ot 
matters  that  I  never  knew. 

"I  impeached  the  Countess  of  Arundel  for  receiving 
of  Gilbert  Gififord,  and  for  conveying  a  message  that  he 
brought  unto  the  Earl  from  the  Duke  [of]  Guise,  which  I 
protest  to  my  knowledge  to  have  been  most  false :  and 
that  George  Gifford  should  have  been  one  of  the  con- 
spiracy, which  man  neither  did  I  know  nor  ever  heard  him 
spoken  of  in  those  matters. 

"  I  accused  the  Earl  of  Arundel  for  delivering  of  sums 
of  money  unto  Ballard  and  Grately  of  Burlace,  his  man : 
which  I  protest  to  be  most  false  and  untrue  to  my  know- 
ledge, as  I  shall  answer  before  God. 

"  I  accused  the  Countess  of  Arundel  for  entertaining  of 
one  Baily,  and  of  secret  repair  unto  her :  the  which  I  spake 
maliciously,  not  knowing  any  such  matter. 

"  I  accused  Mr.  Bold  of  Lancashire  of  many  untruths, 
as  in  my  answer  to  my  lord's  next  letter  shall  appear. 

"  I  accused  Jacques,  Mr.  Vice-Chamberlain's  man,  of 
conspiring  treasons,  never  knowing  the  man  but  to  be  a 
most  loyal  subject  unto  her  Majesty. 

"  Of  all  these  matters  and  persons  I  did  write  unto  my 
lord  a  letter  at  large,  which  contained  nought  else  but 
false  reports,  malicious  inventions  of  mine  own  pernicious 
head,  that  according  to  my  lord's  request  in  his  letters, 
he  might  be  assured  that  I  brought  forth  all  the  provision 
that  I  had,  or  rather  more,  and  all  to  gain  credit  and  to 
make  him  think  that  I  did  know  much,  and  could  discover 
much,  whereof  as  it  seemed  my  lord  stood  persuaded,  as 
by  his  next  writing  unto  me  may  appear." 


362 


CHAPTER  VII. 

HOW  THE  LORD  TREASURER,  UPON  SIGHT  OF  THE  FORMER 
LETTER,  SENT  TWENTY-EIGHT  NEW  INTERROGATORIES, 
AND  TYRRELL'S  ANSWERS  TO  THE  SAME. 

Albeit  it  might  seem  that  by  the  former  letter  Avhich 
Tyrrell  sent  unto  the  Treasurer  of  accusations,  he  should 
have  satisfied  his  appetite  in  that  kind,  yet  it  proved  not 
so,  for  that  he  was  pressed  presently  to  utter  more,  as  may 
appear  by  the  twenty-eight  articles  which  here  do  ensue, 
sent  by  the  said  Treasurer  out  of  hand  upon  the  receipt  of  the 
former  letter,  whereof  Tyrrell  himself  writeth  as  followeth. 

"  This  letter  being  ended,  sealed,  and  sent,  the  next 
day  my  Lord  Treasurer  sendeth  me  a  catalogue  drawn  out 
into  articles  to  answer  unto,  which  he  gathered  out  of  the 
contents  of  my  former  letters,  which  I  have  here  set  down 
verbatim  as  I  have  it  written  with  my  lord's  own  hand." 

Thus  saith  Tyrrell,  and  then  he  setteth  down  the  said 
twenty-eight  articles  in  order,  after  which  all  the  Treasurer's 
words  in  his  letter  are  these — 

"  I  pray  you  consider  all  these  articles,  and  the  sundry 
circumstances  thereof,  and  make  answer  to  them  as  parti- 
cularly as  you  can,  answering  every  article  particularly  as 
they  are  divided  in  numbers,  and  what  you  think  conve- 
nient for  to  be  discovered  for  the  safety  of  the  Queen  and 
for  continuance  of  peace  in  her  realm  ;  for  which  you  may 
be  assured  of  God's  favour  for  discharge  of  your  own 
conscience,  and  shall  not  lack  all  necessary  maintainance 
of  the  Queen  by  my  means. 

"  Yours  assured, 

"William  Burghley." 


The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell.  363 

Upon  which  articles  Tyrrell  writeth  in  this  manner. 
"  When  I  had  received  all  these  foresaid  articles  to  answer 
unto  as  they  are  before  set  down,  it  is  a  thing  almost 
incredible  that  a  man  having  received  the  grace  of  God, 
could  be  so  far  forgetful  of  himself  as  to  convert  His 
mercies  into  such  malice,  hatred,  and  contempt  as  I  did. 
O  sin  most  execrable,  that  driveth  a  man  into  all  abomi- 
nation, far  worse  than  any  beast,  and  to  become  as  odious 
unto  God  as  the  very  devil  himself,  for  otherAvise  how 
could  it  possibly  have  been,  that  a  man  of  my  quality  and 
condition  should  have  framed  such  monstrous  answers  as 
here  you  shall  see,  contrary  to  all  truth,  conscience,  and 
honesty,  thereby  to  seek  the  ruin  and  overthrow,  if  it  had 
been  in  my  power,  of  God  Almighty  Himself,  His  Church, 
and  saints,  and  of  so  many  worthy  persons  as  by  me  were 
injured  in  these  my  answers,  whereby  I  think  verily  that 
God  in  this  our  age  would  permit  me  to  be  an  example 
for  all  posterity,  by  His  severe  justice.  I  beseech  you  all 
that  shall  be  hearers  of  my  grievous  crimes,  abhorring  my 
evil  mind,  pity  my  lamentable  estate,  remember  that  I  am 
flesh  and  blood,  pray  for  my  true  repentance,  for  now  I 
do  begin."     Thus  Tyrrell. 

And  hitherto  in  his  preface  to  his  answers  that  he 
made  to  the  Treasurer's  articles,  which  he  did  set  down 
altogether  and  after  repeated  them  again  for  their  answering, 
but  I  for  more  brevity  and  distinction's  sake,  will  put  down 
every  article  asunder  with  the  answers  somewhat  abbre- 
viated, for  that  oftentimes  they  are  very  large,  and  do 
repeat  that  which  sufficiently  hath  been  uttered  in  other 
places  before. 

Article  I — Trcastirer. 
"  Before   your  going  out  of  England  with  Fortescue 
{alias  Ballard)  to  Rome,  how  many  and  who  were  privy 
to  both  your  goings  out  of  England  .''  " 


364  The  Fall  of  AntJiony   lyrrcll. 

.  1  nsxjer  ^ — Tyrrell. 

"In  this  article  I  accused  so  many  Catholics  in  England, 
gentlemen  or  otherwise,  as  I  could  call  to  remembrance 
had  ever  upon  any  occasion  yielded  any  relief  to  Ballard 
Liesa^instmybcnc-  ^i"  mc,  adding  also  vcry  malicious  causes 
fuctors.  ^Q  ^j^^  same  ;  which  for  that  I  know  not 

what  matter  of  prejudice  my  lord  may  infer  thereof,  I  do 
here  protest,  first,  that  it  Avas  before  the  statute  made  for 
relieving  of  banished  priests  ;  and  secondly,  that  it  was  to 
no  other  end  but  that  we  should  serve  God,  continue  at 
our  books,  and  pray  for  them,  and  therefore  I  ask  them 
most  humbly  forgiveness,  on  my  knees,  for  so  abusing 
their  charities." 

[Tyrrell's  list  of  his  ill-requited  benefactors,  as  given 
in  his  original  letter,  is  as  follows. 

"  There  were  privy  to  my  departure  out  of  England 
Edward  SuHard  of  Wetherden,  the  Lady  Babthorpe 
his  wife,  with  whom  I  was  then  resident,  Thomas  Suliard, 
brother  to  Edward,  the  Lady  Waldegrave,  married  to  Sir 
William  of  Smalbridge,  to  whom  I  was  brought  secretly 
at  her  house  at  Stoke  in  Sir  William's  absence,  where  I 
said  Mass,  made  a  sermon  before  herself,  Mr.  Nudygatt, 
and  others  whom  I  know  not,  should  have  reconciled  her 
daughter,  but  that  I  thought  her  scarce  fit.  At  my 
departure  she  earnestly  entreated  me  to  remember  her 
to  the  lord  her  brother,  to  Charles,  and  to  tell  him  that 
he  should  not  take  care  for  want,  hoping  he  would  so 
employ  himself  as  always  he  had  promised.  There  were 
privy  to  my  going  besides  Mr.  Mannock  her  neighbour, 
Mr.  Harr}'-  Drury  of  Losell,  Rookwood  of  Coldham  Hall 
and  their  wives,  old  Martyn  of  Melford,  the  Lady  Paulett 
of  Borley,  Danyell  of  Acton  and  h'is  mother,  Yaxley  of 
Yaxley,    Bedingfield     of    Bedingficld,    INIichell    Hare     of 

'  The  original  is  endorsed  by  Buighley,  "31   Aul;.  1586.     Ant.  Tyrrell's 
answer  to  the  Articles."     P.R.O.,  Mary  Qttccit  oj  Siot:,  vol.  xix.  n.  68. 


The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell.  365 

Brustyard  Everatt,  widow  Rowse,  Nicholas  Temperley  of 
Boyton  Hall  and  his  wife,  with  many  other  inferior 
persons  within  that  shire  too  long  here  to  repeat  In 
Norfolk  there  were  privy  to  my  departure  the  Lady 
Lovell,  Mrs.  Woodhouse  of  Breckells,  Philip  Audley  and 
his  wife,  Ferdinando  Parys  and  his  wife.  No  more  in  that 
county  were  privy  to  my  departure,  although  I  was  most 
familiarly  acquainted  with  all  the  rest. 

"  Fortescue  came  not  at  that  time  into  those  countries 
but  only  to  Nicholas  Temperley's  and  to  Harry  Drury's 
of  Losell,  who  I  think  were  privy  in  those  parts  of  his 
departure.  Before  he  determined  this  voyage  he  had 
travelled  the  west  parts,  Hampshire,  and  other  countries 
which  I  know  not.  In  London  from  whence  we  rid  [rode] 
together  to  the  sea-coast,  v/ere  acquainted  with  his  departure 
Sir  John  Arundell,  with  whom  he  was  then  very  great,  and 
all  his  house,  Trcmaine  and  all  his  house,  many  gentlemen 
of  the  Inns  of  Court,  whom  I  as  then  knew  not.  His 
provision  was  100/.  and  mine  60/.  We  rid  directly  into 
Hampshire,  took  many  houses  of  his  acquaintance  by  the 
way,  whose  names  I  do  not  now  remember,  came  to 
Dymock's,  hard  by  the  Earl  of  Southampton's,  he 
himself  being  not  at  home,  but  there  by  his  consent  we 
were  entertained  by  Wright  and  his  wife,  lay  there  five  or 
six  days,  there  we  met  Bray,  who  made  our  passage 
for  5^.,  and  had  brought  other  company  for  to  travel  over, 
namely  three  priests,  two  old  men  and  a  young ;  the 
old  men  were  named,  the  one  Greene,  the  other  Hawkins, 
that  had  been  Sir  John  Arundell's  priest  in  Cornwall,  the 
third  was  called  John  Long,  alias  IVIytton,  that  had  been 
resident  with  the  Countess  of  Arundel.  There  were 
besides  in  our  company  Harry  Hubbard,  son  and  heir 
to  Hubbard  of  Hales'  Hall  in  Norfolk,  who  fleeing  his 
country  when  the  stirs  were  at  Norwich,  ventured  himself 
with  mc.  Another  gentleman  called  Harrison,  cousin 
either    to    my    Lord    Vaux    or    Sir    Thomas    Tresham, 


366  The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell. 

Fortcscue's  man  whom  he  brought  out  of  Cornwall,  and 
a  little  boy,  which  was  Henry  Wells  his  son,  lying  then 
in  Southampton  House,  and  so  we  in  one  night  took 
shipping."] 

Article  2 — Treasurer. 
"  What  were  the  intentions  and  purposes  of  you  both 
for  your  going  out  of  England,  and  who  in  England  were 
acquainted  therewith  ? " 

A  nswer —  Tyrrell. 
"  To  this  article  I  framed  my  answer  as  I  thought 
might  serve  best  my  own  turn  ;  for,  having  excused  my 
own  going  over  as  only  for  cause  of  study  (as  in  truth  it 
was),  and  Ballard's  also,  I  fell  presently  most  maliciously 
to  slander  him  and  others,  saying  that  he  being  arrived 
Liesagains.Mr.Bai.  bcyond   the    scas,    opcucd    unto    me    his 

lard  and  his  friends.       ^^j^^     ^^^    ^^j^^^    ^^    "^om^,    with    intCntioH 

to  procure  a  dispensation  of  the  Pope  for  killing  the 
Queen,  and  that  he  needs  would  have  me  go  with  him  for 
that  purpose,  and  I  accused  as  many  by  name  in  England 
as  I  knew  to  be  of  his  acquaintance,  as  though  they  had 
been  privy  of  this  his  mind  and  errand  :  all  which  I  do 
protest  to  have  been  a  most  notorious  .slander,  and  I  am 
to  ask  God  and  his  soul,  that  is  now  dead,  pardon  for  the 
same,  for  I  never  heard  him  speak  word  of  any  such 
matter,  or  perceived  any  least  intention  of  him  or  any  of 
his  friends  that  way." 

Article  3 — Treasurer. 
"With  whom  did  any  of  you  confer  beyond  the  seas 
afore  your  going  to  Rome .''    and  how  were  your  charges 
borne  to  go  out  of  England  and  to  Rome  ? " 

A  nswer —  Tyrrell. 
"To  this  article  I   answered  almost  not  a  true  word, 
Lies  of  Rouen.       but  tliought   to  take  au  occasion  out  of 
this  to  coin  many  a  notorious  lie,  telling  some  true  things 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  367 

withal  which  might  seem  to  bolster  out  and  give  some 
colour  to  the  lies  which  I  framed. 

"  For  first,  I  told  truly  that  at  our  coming  to  Rouen  in 
Normandy,  we  found  there  one  George  Stoker,  which  in 
time  past  had  served  the  Earl  of  Northumberland,  and 
then  I  framed  that  Ballard  and  this  Stoker  fell  into  great 
conferences  of  treason,  and  to  write  and  receive  letters 
from  the  Lord  Seaton,  Ambassador  at  that  time  for  the 
King  and  Queen  of  Scots  in  Paris,  whereof  I  made  long 
tales  and  set  down  many  particularities,  all  of  my  own 
inventing,  and  without  any  truth  at  all,  as  God  is  my 
Judge. 

'■  Secondly,  I  told  of  our  going  hence  to  Eu, 
where   there   was   an    English  Seminary  of  some  twelve 

Lies  of  Eu.  English  gentlemen's  sons  or  more,  main- 
tained by  the  Duke  of  Guise,  which  was  true ;  but  here- 
upon I  framed  many  conferences  of  treason  for  putting 
down  the  Queen  and  advancing  the  Queen  of  Scots, 
between  Ballard  and  Mr.  Mann  {alias  Chambers),  President 
of  that  College,  and  the  Duke  of  Guise :  all  which  was 
most  false,  and  no  such  thing  at  all,  and  I  do  ask  the 
parties   most    humbly   forgiveness.       Hence   we   went   to 

Lies  of  Rheims.  Rlicims,  whcrc  I  framed  the  like  con- 
ferences with  Dr.  Allen  and  others  for  killing  her  Majesty, 
that  all  should  like  well  thereof,  and  that  we  heard  many 
seditious  sermons  made  there,  and  namely  by  Dr.  Gififord, 
calling  the  Queen  tyrant,  usurper,  and  other  like  odious 
terms  :  whereof,  God  forgive  me,  no  one  word  was  true. 

"From  hence  we  passed  to  Mussipont  in  Lorraine,  where 
LiesofMussipont.  I  Said  wc  had  the  like  conferences  and 
devised  a  great  number  of  lies  besides,  as  that  the 
Rector  of  the  Jesuits  there  should  tell  us  of  great  pre- 
parations in  hand  against  England,  and  that  two  Scotch 
Jesuits,  named  Edmund  Hay  and  James  Gordon, 
should  speak  odious  words  against  the  Queen,  and 
pronounce  Mary  Queen  of  Scotland  to  be  the  true  Queen 


368  The  Fall  of  AntJiony    Tyrrell. 

of  England,  with  such-like  other  inventions  which  were 
all  false:  and  I  ask  God  and  those  good  fathers'  forgiveness 
who  treated  us  far  better  than  we  deserved. 

"From  Mussipont  we  went  to  Milan,  where  I  framed 
Lies  of  Milan.  mucli  worsc  mattcr  yct  against  Dr.  Lewis, 
setting  down  particulars  how  he  did  lead  Ballard  and 
me  into  his  study,  and  having  heard  the  proposition  of 
killing  the  Queen,  should  say,  '  Aye,  marry,  Mr.  Ballard,' 
taking  him  by  the  hand, '  now  you  touch  the  quick  indeed, 
and  you  and  I  are  of  one  opinion,  and  I  being  a  lawyer 
can  resolve  you  dc  jure,  that  it  is  most  lawful,  but  I  dare 
not  utter  this  to  every  one,  though  many  from  England 
have  asked  me  this  question.' 

"  Moreover,  I  feigned  that  I  disputed  with  Ballard 
against  this  opinion,  and  was  like  to  fall  out  with  him  for 
the  same  :  all  which  from  the  beginning  unto  the  last  period 
I  protest  before  God  to  have  been  most  untrue,  and  a  mere 
invention  of  my  own  pernicious  brain,  to  get  credit  with 
my  Lord  Treasurer  ;  and  so  I  ask  both  Dr.  Lewis  and 
Mr.  Ballard's  soul  forgiveness  as  the  rest." 

ylrticlc  4 — Tfcasurcr. 
"What  Englishmen  were  acquainted  with  your  negotia- 
tion in  Rome  with  Alphonsus  Agazzarius  for  killing  the 
Queen,  and  what  was  the  General's  name  unto  whom 
Alphonsus  moved  the  matter  propounded  by  you  and 
Fortescue .'  Whom  do  you  know  to  have  proposed  like 
matters,  and  what  answers  were  given  thereunto.''" 

A  nsivcr —  Tyrrell. 
"  To  this  article  I  answered  by  prosecuting  my  former 
Lies  of  our  Roman    ^^c,  making  a  long  talc  how  at  our  coming 
negotiation.        ^^  Romc^  I  was  rcqucstcd  by  Ballard,  as 

^  "  Pater  Joannes  Tirellus  presbyter  Londiniensis,  Tater  Joannes  Balardus 
difccesis  Londiniensis,  Pater  Joannes  Longiis  dioccesis  Bathoniensis,  e-xcepti 
fuerunt  hospitio  77  Septembris  [1584],  manscmnt  per  dies  24."  Pilgrivn^ 
Register  of  the  Englisli  College,  Rome. 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  369 

one  best  acquainted  with  F.  Alphonsus,  whose  scholar  I  had 
been,  to  break  the  matter  of  kilhng  the  Queen  to  him  in 
his  chamber,  and  that  he  did  not  rejoice  a  httle  to  see 
that  priests  were  come  to  that  perfect  zeal  as  to  offer 
the  making  away  of  the  Queen,  for  that  this  was  as  he 
said,  vesci  solido  cibo,  and  not  to  be  younglings  still,  qiiibiis 
lade  opus  est,  as  the  Apostle's  words  are,  and  that  he  em- 
braced us  both  for  joy,  imparted  the  matter  with  one  Father 
William  Good,  confessor  of  the  College,  and  that  they  two 
did  break  it  with  their  General,  named  Claudius  Aquaviva, 
who  took  the  matter  joyfully  also,  and  as  I  feigned,  made 
a  long  odious  speech  unto  us  against  the  Queen,  which 
I  did  set  it  down  to  my  lord  at  large,  as  also  Father 
Alphonsus  his  speech  unto  the  Pope  in  our  presence,  and 
the  Pope's  answer  and  determination,  w^hich  I  framed  in 
the  most  hateful  sort  against  the  Queen  that  I  could 
devise,  thereby  to  put  her  in  rage  against  the  Catholics, 
with  a  hundred  spiteful  circumstances,  which  here  are  too 
Abominable  wickedness,  long  to  bc  put  down ;  as  that  wc  Conferred 
this  resolution  of  the  Pope  for  killing  the  Queen  with  the 
Bishop  of  St.  Asaph,  and  that  he  should  greatly  rejoice 
also  thereof,  and  give  us  twenty  crowns,  and  Dr.  Lewis 
the  like,  giving  us  thirty,  and  Dr.  Allen  the  like,  at  our 
return  by  him,  but  yet  with  such  recommendations  of 
secrecy,  as  if  we  should  fall  into  the  enemy's  hands  and 
be  put  to  torments  we  should  not  in  any  case  reveal  it, 
for  that  he  should  assure  us  that  it  would  be  martyrdom 
to  die  in  the  denial  thereof:  which  malicious  clause  I  did 
put  in,  for  the  more  torment  of  Mr.  Ballard,  and  to  the 
end  that  albeit  he  did  deny  it  upon  the  rack  (as  I  knew 
he  must  needs,  except  he  would  confess  a  mere  fable  never 
heard  or  thought  of),  yet  should  they  never  believe  him, 
but  rather  only  me  that  confessed  I  cared  not  what  against 
myself,  being  assured  of  my  lord's  favour  so  I  might 
hurt  others. 

"  Thus  have  you  heard  a  long  and  monstrous  tale,  most 
Y 


370  The  Fall  of  AiitJio7iy  Tyrrell. 

untrue  as  I  desire  to  be  holpeii  of  Almighty  God  in  all  my 
miseries  either  here  or  in  the  world  to  come  ;  for  neither 
was  there  ever  any  such  speech  or  negotiations  with  the 
foresaid  persons  in  any  of  the  places  named,  neither  ever 
would  we  have  durst  to  have  proposed  any  such  thing 
unto  them,  if  Ballard  or  I  had  been  so  wicked  as  to 
conceive  it,  as  I  thank  God  we  never  were :  and  therefore  I 
cry  mercy  with  all  my  heart  as  in  the  rest." 

Article  5 — Treasure}'. 
"What  other  request  made  you  to  the  Pope  Gregory 
besides  that  of  the  Queen's  death  ?  What  communications 
passed  between  you  and  the  General,  or  the  Pope,  or  any 
other,  after  the  Pope's  censure  given  you  ?  For  the  manner 
of  the  prosecution  of  the  Queen's  death,  how,  and  how 
soon  that  might  be  attempted  ? " 

A  iisTocr —  Tyrrell. 
"  The  most  part  of  that  w^hich  toucheth  this  article  is 
set  down  in  my  answer  to  the  former,  namely,  concerning 
our  conferences  and  communications  with  the  Pope, 
General,  Rector,  Bishop  of  St.  Asaph,  Dr.  Lewis,  Dr.  Allen, 
and  the  rest,  whereunto  I  added  here  a  foul  lie,  saying  that 
for  the  manner  of  execution  of  killing  the  Queen,  Ballard 
, .         .   .  had  told   me   that   divers  young   Catholic 

Lies    against    young  •'  '^ 

gtnikmcn.  gentlcmcn  in  England  had  given  him  their 
word  to  offer  up  their  lives  in  adventuring  the  same,  when- 
soever the  Pope  should  determine  it  to  be  lawful,  and  that 
Mr.  Edward  Windsor  should  be  one  of  the  principal:  which 
being  most  false,  as  it  was,  I  ask  God  and  him  pardon  for 
the  injury." 

Article  6 — Treasurer. 

"When  Fortescue  told  you  he  would  venture  his  life 
to  procure  this  act  very  shortly,  in  what  sort  did  he  imagine 
to  attempt  this  ? " 


The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell.  371 

Answer —  Tyrrell. 

"  Here  I  feigned  a  new  lie,  saying  that  Ballard  grew  to 
be  zealous  after  the  Pope's  declaration,  as  he  did  not  stick 
to  say  that  if  all  other  means  failed,  he  would  kill  the 
Queen  with  his  own  hands,  not  declaring  the  particular 
manner,  but  giving  only  to  understand  that  he  would  do 
it  in  some  desperate  manner :  which  I  take  God  to  witness 
was  most  false  like  the  rest." 

Article  7 — Treasurer. 

"  In  what  month  of  the  last  year  were  you  at  Rome  ? 
How  long  did  you  tarry  there  ?  With  what  Englishmen 
did  Fortescue  confer  there,  and  where  did  he  lodge  ?  What 
reward  did  the  Pope,  or  any  other  there  or  on  the  way, 
give  you,  or  cither  of  you  ?  By  what  places  did  you  return, 
and  to  whom  was  this  your  answer  of  the  Pope  known  at 
any  place  or  time,  before  your  arrival  in  England  ? " 

A  nsTver —  Tyrrell. 

"  The  answer  to  this  is  contained  in  that  I  have  said 
before  to  the  third  and  fourth  articles,  only  I  added  here 
some  new  lies,  as  upon  every  occasion  I  was  ready  to 
furnish  my  lord's  store;  to  wit,  that  the  Pope  gave  us  two 
hundred  crowns,  the  Rector  sixty.  Dr.  Lewis  thirty,  the 
Bishop  of  St.  Asaph  twenty.  All  which  was  false,  except 
only  ten  crowns,  which  the  Bishop  sent  us  at  our  departure, 
desiring  us  to  pray  for  him." 

["  Of  the  time  that  we  came  to  Rome,  which  was  in 
the  middle  of  September  was  two  years  ;  we  departed 
from  thence  in  the  middle  of  October.  Our  tarrying  and 
conference  that  we  had  there  was  only  among  the  scholars, 
and  chiefly  Fortescue's  company  in  Rome  was  Bagshawe 
now  in  the  Tower,  but  his  material  practices  are  yet  to 
come."  Orig^ 
Y  2 


372  The  Fall  of  AntJiony   Tyrrell. 

Article  8 — Treasurer. 

At  what  time  and  what  port  did  Fortescue 
and  you  come  into  li^ngland,  and  Avhat  places  did 
Fortescue  haunt  after  his  return  into  England,  and 
what  company  did  he  keep,  and  where,  until  he  re- 
turned again  into  France  ?  " 

A  iisxuer —  Tyrrell. 

"  To  this  article  I  answered  truly  about  the  time,  place, 

and  port  where  we  entered,  but  I  lied  grievously  in  saying 

Licsa  ainst  Sir  John  ^^^^^  presently  after  our  return  we  repaired 
Arundeii.         ^^^^^  ^^  ^^  ^^  gjj.  j^j^^^  Arundcll's  house, 

and  were  joyfully  received  by  him  ;  whereas  I  protest 
before  God  that  I  never  saw  Sir  John  Arundeii,  to  my 
knowledge,  in  my  life,  nor  never  knew  that  Ballard  had 
seen  him.  I  dilated  also  much  upon  the  company  that 
Ballard  kept  more  than  now  I  can  remember,  but  sure  I 
am  that  if  I  spoke  one  true  word,  I  uttered  tv/enty  false 
in  the  same,  for  which  God  forgive  me." 

["  I  departed  from  Rheims  alone  to  Rouen,  left 
Fortescue  behind  me,  who  after  me  a  fortnight  came  by 
Paris  and  Eu,  acquainted  with  C.  Paget,  C.  Arundeii, 
Morgan,  and  the  rest,  consulted  with  them  of  many 
devices,  and  was  instructed  how  he  should  lay  his  plot, 
and  being  come  to  Rouen,  he  and  I  with  Bray  that  had 
caused  a  ship  to  come  out  of  Hampshire  of  purpose  to 
fetch  us  home,  wc  travelled  upon  Christmas  Eve  was 
twelvemonth  from  Rouen  towards  Dover,  where  after 
a  little  expecting,  our  boat  came  and  were  landed  by 
Southampton  upon  St.  Stephen's  day,  as  it  fell  out  in 
England.  From  thence  we  went  directly  to  Winchester, 
lodged  at  one  Cook's  that  keepeth  an  inn,  where  Fortescue 
was  well  acquainted,  and  provided  all  things  necessary 
for  his  journey  to  London.  We  stayed  by  the  way  a 
night   or  two  at  Mapledurham   with    the  widow  Shelley. 


The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell.  373 

There  we  found  John  Ffoscue/  of  the  Wardrobe,  and  his 
wife,  to  whom  with  the  rest  we  made  presents  of  such 
stuff  as  we  brought  from  Rome,  received  thanks  and 
rewards,  and  so  came  directly  to  London,  where  first  we 
took  inn  at  the  Bell  in  Smithfield,  Bray,  Fortescue,  and 
myself  Presently  Fortescue  repaired  unto  Sir  John 
Arundell's,  received  money  for  himself  and  for  me  with 
other  rewards.  We  made  presents  to  Sir  John  and  to 
all  the  house  of  such  matters  as  we  had  (for  wc  brought 
all  our  stuff  from  Rome  into  England  safely).  Then 
after  a  while,  Fortescue  and  I  did  ride  into  Essex  to 
Mr.  Mannock's,  and  so  into  Suffolk  to  Mr.  Martyn's  of 
Melford,  to  Mr.  Drury's  of  Losell,  Mr.  Rookwood's  of 
Coldham  Hall,  and  so  to  Nicholas  Tymperley's,  when  we 
parted,  not  meeting  one  another  until  we  came  to  London. 
After  that  I  had  visited  my  own  friends,  I  came  to 
London,  found  Fortescue  who  lodged  sometime  at  the 
Plough  by  Temple  Bar,  sometime  in  Vine  Alley,  some- 
time in  one  place  and  sometime  in  another.  His  acquaint- 
ance increased  daily,  and  outwent  me  in  countenance 
and  credit.  Then  became  he  great  with  Edward  Windsor, 
who  carried  him  into  the  country  sometimes  for  a  fortnight 
or  three  weeks  together.  And  his  chief  friends  then  were 
Harry  Dunne,  Gerard  Maryne,  Browning  his  lewd  follower, 
Thurgood  of  the  Temple,  with  many  other  gentlemen  of 
the  Inns  of  the  Court,  especially  of  Grays  Inn,  whose 
names  in  truth  I  do  not  know. 

"  Then  upon  occasion  of  a  message  that  he  had  from 
Fuljambe,  that  lieth  now  at  Paris  or  at  Rouen,  to  his 
brother  in  Leicestershire,  Harry  Fuljambe,  whom  he  met 
at  London,  he  travelled  with  him  as  also  myself  into  those 
countries,  where  we  got  great  acquaintance,  as  with  Harry 
Palmer  of  Kegworth,  &c."     Orig?[ 


^  Lord  Burghley  has  written  all  the  proper  names  in  the  margin,  except 
Sir  John  Fortescue's.    See  Trotcbles,  First  Series,  p.  144. 


374  '^^^^  /vz//  of  AntJiony  Tyrrell. 

Article  9 — Treasurer. 
"  Into  what  counties  did  Fortescue  travel  in  England, 
and  with  what  company  did  he  pass,  and  how  had  you 
money  to  bear  your  charges  ?  " 

A  nsiucr —  Tyrrell. 
"  To  this  article  I  answered  truly  in  very  few  points, 
but  falsely  in  many.  I  said  truly  that  we  had  passed 
through  many  shires  after  our  return,  which  I  protest  upon 
my  soul  was  partly  upon  pleasure,  and  partly  for  safety 
Lies  about  our  jour-  ^^  ^void  scarchcs  in  London  ;  yet  did  I 
nies in  England,  j^vgnt  infinite  malicious  lies  of  our  nego- 
tiations in  this  journey,  as  though  all  had  been  for  treason, 
and  having  gone  to  St.  Anne  of  Buckstone  [Buxton],  Mr. 
Ballard  and  I  to  take  the  waters  there  upon  pleasure,  I 
feigned  that  we  were  sent  thither  by  general  consent,  and 
common  charges  of  all  the  Catholics  of  the  south,  to  settle 
intelligence  betwixt  Scotland  and  London,  and  that  we 
two  should  have  passed  from  thence  to  the  Court  of  Scot- 
land, and  have  lain  there,  to  have  brought  the  Scottish 
nobility  into  a  league  with  English  Catholics  for  advancing 
the  Queen  of  Scots,  and  that  our  devices  should  be  sent 
to  Father  Edmonds  the  Jesuit,  in  London,  and  that  we 
had  great  sums  of  money  allov/ed  us  ;  which  I  made  more 
probable  by  the  store  of  money  which  I  had  in  my  purse 
when  I  was  taken,  which  in  truth  I  had  gotten  by  evil 
means,  for  that  a  gentleman  having  delivered  me  a  hundred 
pounds  to  make  over  to  another  good  man,  I  deceived 
them  both,  and  kept  the  money  to  myself;  which  naughty 
dealing  was  a  preface  to  my  falling  afterwards,  yet  now 
I  affirmed  that  this  money  was  given  to  me  to  the  end 
which  I  before  have  mentioned :  for  which  and  all  the  other 
lies  so  devised  as  I  have  rehearsed,  I  ask  God  and  all 
good  men  forgiveness,  and  namely,  Mr.  Edward  Windsor, 
Mr.  Dinnington,  and  divers  other  gentlemen  whom  falsely 
I  accused  to  have  accompanied  us  in  this  journey." 


The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell.  375 

[ "  From  thence  he  and  I,  with  another  priest  named 
Brincborne,  alias  Dryland  (who  of  that  company  I  dare 
swear  is  one  honest  man  and  innocent  of  all  these  prac- 
tices), did  ride  towards  St.  Anne  of  Buckstones,  where 
there  should  have  been  a  gradual  meeting  of  priests  out 
of  all  counties,  to  know  how  matters  went  abroad ;  and 
coming  first  to  Kingston  to  Harry  Fuljambe's  in  Leicester- 
shire in  the  Whitsun  holidays,  there  we  stayed  a  week,  and 
there  met  us  Edward  Windsor ;  and  so  riding  into  Derby- 
shire to  Anthony  Babington's,  who  then  was  not  at  home, 
we  came  to  Dethick  to  his  house  and  lay  there  three  or 
four  nights,  where  we  heard  news  that  our  coming  to 
Buckstones  had  been  discovered,  which  made  us  afraid 
to  ride  thither,  and  so  we  altered  our  course.  Only 
Mr.  Dryland  did  ride  thither,  for  no  other  cause  but  for 
his  health  as  I  can  assure.  Fortescue  and  I  with 
Mrs.  Fuljambe,  did  ride  unto  my  Lord  Dacres,  her 
brother,  with  Edward  Windsor,  and  lay  at  my  lord's 
four  or  five  days  never  suspected  ;  and  so  to  Justice  Roades, 
he  himself  being  in  his  circuit,  had  good  entertainment 
of  his  sons,  who  took  us  for  gentlemen  of  their  own 
quality  and  condition ;  and  so  we  rode  from  thence  to 
Doncaster,  and  so  farther  into  Yorkshire  to  Typping's, 
Crossland's,  and  so  up  by  Newark  unto  Cambridge,  where 
Fortescue  and  I  parted,  he  going  into  Suffolk  to  Nicholas 
Tymperley's,  carrying  him  a  couple  of  hounds  that  he 
had  given  him  of  John  Crossland,  and  I  directly  to 
London.  After  a  week  or  thereabouts,  it  being  about 
Bartholomew-tide,  we  met  together  at  London,  where 
Fortescue  had  his  attendants  as  thick  as  might  be,  every 
gentleman  calling  him  Captain,  insomuch  that  in  every 
tavern  and  inn  in  London  he  was  called  Captain  Fortescue, 
and  every  man  thought  that  knew  him  not,  that  he  with 
a  great  band  should  have  gone  over  with  my  Lord  of 
Leicester.  Many  journeys  he  made  with  Edward  Windsor, 
but  whither  of  my  troth  I  know  not     His  charges  were 


2)']6  The  Fall  of  AntJiony   Tyrrell. 

maintained  first  as  I  heard  by  the  Earl  of  Arundel,  for 
Burlacc  his  secretary  had  brought  him  acquainted  with 
the  Earl.  I  myself  rid  with  him  one  journey  unto  Romford 
before  my  lord's  apprehension  not  long,  of  purpose  to 
speak  with  Burlace  about  business  that  he  had  to  do  for 
the  Earl ;  where  we  lodging  at  the  inn  over  against  the 
Cock,  at  one  Hall's  as  I  take  it,  Burlace  was  in  a  chamber 
at  the  Cock,  whither  Fortescue  went  to  him  and  had  great 
talk  with  him,  and  should  have  received  as  he  said  a 
lOo/.  When  he  had  it  I  know  not  well.  At  supper  at 
our  lodging  there  came  to  us  Burlace,  Moyle,  Kemp, 
Medler,  and  others  of  my  lord's  men  ;  whereas  I,  Moyle, 
and  Kemp  falling  in  to  talk,  we  being  but  strangers, 
Burlace  gave  me  a  caveat  to  beware  what  I  did  speak. 
For  the  rest  of  his  maintenance  he  had  it  chiefly  by 
Edward  Windsor,  very  much  of  Harry  Dunne.  He  was 
always  so  bold  with  gentlemen  that  apparel  should  cost 
him  nothing.  There  came  Davie  Ingleby  and  he 
acquainted,  who  of  all  that  are  [not]  taken  yet,  I  take  to 
be  the  perilous  man  and  the  only  practiser  in  the  north 
parts  of  England.  He  lieth  secretly  at  one  of  his  sisters', 
as  I  heard.  Then  began  Fortescue  and  Babington 
acquainted,  C.  Tilney,  the  Abingtons,  the  Wiseman  of 
Essex,  with  Jacques,  Sir  Christopher's  man,  with  divers 
others.  Then  a  great  meeting  being  at  our  foresaid 
chamber  where  at  supper  were  Babington,  D.  Ingleby, 
H.  Dunne,  Transom  alias  Barber  that  suffered,  P[riest] 
Fenell,  P.  Fortescue,  and  myself  with  others  that  I  do 
not  well  remember.  After  supper  Babington  began  to 
enter  in  with  me  for  the  Star  Chamber  practice,  and 
did  as  it  were  but  insinuate  the  matter  to  feci  my  liking 
or  consent,  I  being  a  P[riest].  I  gave  him  the  hearing, 
inquired  how  such  a  thing  could  be  done.  He  told  me, 
'  with  great  facility,'  and  then  began  to  discommend  the 
weakness  of  some  men  that  had  neither  courage  nor 
valour.      I   still  hearkened   unto  the  drift.      'At  a  time,' 


The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell.  ^j'] 

quoth  he,  'when  we  may  be  certainly  assured  that  all 
the  chief  councillors  of  the  realm  are  there  assembled, 
naming  the  Earl  of  Leicester,  the  Lord  Hunsdon,  the 
Lord  Treasurer,  Sir  Francis  Knollys,  Sir  Francis  Walsing- 
ham  and  others,  a  dozen  lusty  gentlemen  well  picked 
out  with  double  pistols  under  their  cloaks  shall  before- 
hand get  every  man  his  room,  every  man  take  his  man 
as  he  sitteth  most  convenient  for  him,  and  discharge  upon 
the  sudden.  The  act  shall  seem  so  terrible  and  will  so 
amaze  the  company,  that  we  shall,'  quoth  he,  'with  small 
danger  get  down.  Besides,  if  any  resistance  be,  we  have 
each  man  another  pistol  to  defend  us,  and  not  only  that 
but  also  our  men,  who  shall  not  be  fewer  in  number,  with 
swords  and  bucklers,  shall  make  our  defence  that  we  may 
have  passage  either  by  water  or  by  land.  Nay,  what  say 
you,'  quoth  he,  'if  at  that  instant  we  have  as  many  chosen 
men  as  some  of  them  by  fine  policy  shall  make  errands 
at  the  Tower,  other  some  approach  near  unto  the  gates, 
murder  the  guard,  recover  an  entrance,  and  then  a  sufficient 
number  upon  Tower  Hill  to  make  the  supply  and  surprise 
the  Tower,  make  our  captain  the  E[arl]  of  Arun[del].  So 
having  the  full  force  of  the  Tower,  money  and  munition, 
the  Council  all  slain,  what  shall  let  us  to  have  as  many 
more  in  twenty-four  hours  as  shall  take  all  London,  and 
then,  think  you,  what  may  become  of  the  Q[ueen]  and  the 
rest  of  the  realm  ^ '  When  I  had  heard  this  discourse,  '  In 
good  sooth,'  quoth  I,  '  this  is  a  wonderful  conquest  in  so 
short  a  time.  It  is  pity  that  such  heads  as  yours  is,  should 
be  left  unoccupied.'  But  the  man  was  in  veiy  good  earnest 
and  I  say  he  did  not  feign.  This  matter  was  talked  after- 
wards by  him  and  Davy  Ingleby,  with  one  more  whom 
I  know  not  in  Grays  Inn  Fields,  and  canvassed  to  and 
fro,  but  in  the  end  it  was  thought  expedient  that  Fortescue 
should  [go]  into  France,  and  upon  his  return  things  should 
be  attempted  that  were  most  strange.  By  reason  of  the 
just  time  and  place,  all  this  being  before  Fortescue's  last 


2,yS  The  Fall  of  AntJiony   Tyrrell. 

going  into  France.  I  thought  best  to  answer  those  articles 
which  your  honour  hath  made  the  14th,  15th,  and  i6th, 
for  more  of  these  there  than  this  I  cannot  say, 

"  Hitherto  afore  Fortescue's  last  going  into  France." 
/;/  BurgJilcys  liand.     Origi\ 

A  7-iiclc  I  o —  Treasurer. 

"  In  what  places  did  Fortcscuc  frequent  Edward 
Windsor's  company,  and  at  what  place  was  he  with  the 
Lord  Windsor  now  deceased,  or  with  him  that  now  is 
lord  ? " 

A  nswer —  Tyr)-ell. 

"To  this  I  answered  very  falsely  also  in  very  many 
things,  feigning  Mr.  Edward  Windsor  and  Ballard  to  have 
made  many  progresses  together,  and  that  Ballard  had  been 
with  the  Lord  Windsor  deceased,  in  Cannon  Row  Street, 
in  London,  and  oftentimes  also  with  the  lord  that  now  is, 
but  that  I  could  not  learn  the  place :  all  which  was  falsely 
devised  by  myself" 

Article  11 — Trcasjirer. 
"  With  what  other  gentlemen  did  Fortescue  converse, 
and  in  what  places,  and  what  reports  did  he  make  to  you 
from  time  to  time  how  he  found  men  disposed,  and  of 
whom  did  he  make  best  account  for  their  wit  and  for 
their  activity?" 

A  nsiver —  Tyrrell. 

"  Upon  this  article  did  I   discourse  very  maliciously, 
naming  many  gentlemen  that  should  be  companions  with 
Bloody  lies  against   Ballard  iu  all  his  purposcs,  as  Mr.  Edward 
•^°y-  Windsor,  Mr.  Davy  Ingleby,  Mr.  Anthony 

Babington,  Mr.  Barneweil,  Mr.  Jacques,  Mr.  Charles  Tilney, 
young  Mr.  Gage,  Mr.  Henry  Dunne,  and  divers  other 
gentlemen  of  the  Inns  of  Court,  which  now  I  do  not 
remember,  but  these  were  the  principal,  whereof  the  most 
part  hath  been  since  put  to  death  by  this  my  wickedness : 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  379 

of  whose  souls  I  crave  pardon,  and  of  the  rest  that  are 
alive,  protesting  that  I  devised  all  this  of  mere  malice,  and 
not  of  anything  that  I  knew  against  them." 

Article  12 — Treasurer. 
"What  noblemen  or  women  did  Fortescue  repair  unto, 
and  at  what  places,  and  how  many  do  you  know  that  he 
reconciled  unto  Rome  at  any  time  ?  " 

A  fiswer —  Tyrrell. 

"Here  I  protest,  as  I  hope  to  be  saved,  I  could  not 
truly  accuse  any  nobleman  or  woman  in  this  land,  to  whom 
Ballard  did  repair,  and  yet  most  falsely  did  I  accuse  the 
Earl  of  Arundel  and  the  Countess  his  wife,  with  the  Lord 
William  Howard  his  brother  and  the  Lady  Margaret,  the 
Lord  Compton,  the  Lord  Windsor,  the  Lord  Stourton  and 
his  lady ;  adding  further  that  I  doubted  not  but  that  he 
reconciled  divers,  though  I  could  not  come  to  know  their 
names." 

["  His  repair  unto  noblemen  was  partly  known  and 
partly  unknov/n.  He  had  great  concourse  unto  Burlace, 
my  Lord  of  Arundel's  secretary,  but  how  he  came  to  his 
person  I  could  never  tell.  And  since  the  Earl's  appre- 
hension and  Fortescue's  last  coming  home,  it  was  himself 
that  told  me  how  that  Gilbert  Gifford  came  secretly  in  a 
night  to  the  Countess  at  the  Spital,  brought  letters  and 
news  from  Gratley,  messages  to  my  lord,  and  that  he 
should  be  put  in  comfort  of  his  short  delivery.  With 
others,  as  with  our  Viscount  and  his  wife,  I  heard  him  say 
he  hath  been  often  with  them,  but  never  known  of  them 
when  he  hath  been.  He  was  with  the  Lord  Stourton  and 
his  wife  at  home  at  their  house,  with  the  Lord  Windsor, 
with  the  Countess  of  Northumberland  brought  acquainted 
by  Giles  Green  and  Mrs.  Bruton,  her  gentlewoman,  with 
the  Countess  of  Southampton,  the  young  lady  her  daughter, 
with  Matthew  Arundell  that  hath  married  her.     The  Lord 


o 


80  The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell. 


Montague  and  his  brethren.  With  Baron  Chnch,  as  I  take 
it,  a  Lancashire  man,  who,  although  I  never  heard  Fortescue 
acknowledge  his  acquaintance,  yet  I  know  that  he  is  recon- 
ciled, and  by  whom.  With  the  Lords  Harry  and  Thomas, 
and  the  Lady  Margaret,  with  whom  also  Harry  Dunne  hath 
been  so  great,  that  they  commending  the  man  unto  the 
Earl  of  Arundel,  the  Earl  not  knowing  him,  hath  caused 
him  to  be  brought  to  the  Tower  Hill,  that  he  might  see 
him  but  off  the  leads."     Orig^ 

A}- tide  13 — Treasurer. 
"Who  showed  the  secrets   of  Whitehall  to   Fortescue 
for  killing  the  Queen,  and  who  were  in  his  company,  and 
what  speeches  had  he  thereof .''  " 

Answer — Tyrrell. 
"  Here  I  feigned  that  Mr.  Edward  Windsor,  with 
Charles  Tilney,  did  spend  a  whole  day  in  carrying  Ballard 
up  and  down  Whitehall  for  this  purpose,  and  all  being 
viewed,  the  garden  or  one  of  the  galleries  seemed  the  fittest 
place  for  the  exploit :  which,  as  I  shall  answer  before  God, 
was  a  mere  fiction  of  my  own,  and  never  intended  or 
spoken  to  my  knowledge  by  any  of  them." 

Article  14^ — Treasurer. 
"Remember  more  particular  such  plots  as  were  pro- 
pounded for  mischief,  as  that  to  be  done  at  the  Star 
Chamber  upon  the  lords,  and  by  whom  were  they  pro- 
pounded, and  at  what  places  and  times,  and  who  were 
present  thereat." 

Ansiver —  Tyrrell. 

"  To  this  article  I  answered  very  maliciously  against 
Mr.  Anthony  Babington,  now  dead,  though  upon  some 
small  ground,  as  you  shall  hear ;    for  that  he  coming  one 

^  Tyrrell's  memory  or  his  notes  were  inaccurate  here.  In  the  original, 
the  articles  here  numbered  14,  15,  and  16  do  not  occur.  The  articles  here 
numbered  17 — 28  are  there  numbered   14 — 25. 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  381 

day  to  Mr.  Ballard  and  me  at  our  lodging,  much  discon- 
tented   against    his    father-in-law,    Mr.   Henry    Fuljambe, 
Divers  lies  about  a  whcn  he  labourcd  to  make  friends,  leaving 

murder     in     the     Star 

Chamber.  at  length  Mr.  Ballard,  and  coming  to  my 

chamber  alone,  cast  out  to  me  by  way  of  discontentment 
against  such  as  governed  the  State  and  corrupted  justice, 
as  he  said  certain  words  of  anger ;  and  after  that  again, 
half  jesting  and  smiling,  he  said  that  if  three  or  four  of 
the  Council  were  taken  away,  such  as  the  Earl  of  Leicester, 
the  Lord  Treasurer,  the  Vice  -  Chamberlain,  and  the 
Secretary,  Sir  Francis  Walsingham,  all  would  be  well 
quickly,  adding  further  (as  he  was  oftentimes  vain  and 
light  in  his  speeches),  that  upon  a  Star  Chamber  day  a 
few  resolute  gentlemen  might  despatch  them  all ;  and  so 
smiling,  broke  off  that  speech,  and  at  that  time  I  took  it 
but  for  a  jest  and  light  word  of  a  young  gentleman  to  his 
familiar  friend,  as  he  took  me  to  be  :  but  now  most  mali- 
ciously I  made  a  most  odious  and  heinous  tale  thereof, 
adding  many  false  circumstances  of  my  own  invention, 
as  that  he  should  propound  the  matter  seriously,  and  with 
intention  to  execute  the  same,  and  that  he  should  propose 
it,  first  in  my  own  chamber,  and  then  again  in  Grays  Inn 
Fields,  in  an  evening,  Ballard  and  Mr.  Davy  Ingleby  being 
present,  coining  many  other  notorious  lies  and  circum- 
stances besides,  all  which  I  protest  upon  my  salvation 
were  most  false." 

Article  1 5 — Treasurer. 

"Who  should  have  been  the  persons  that  should  have 
been  the  attempters  of  the  act  at  the  Star  Chamber,  when 
that  should  have  been  achieved  for  killing  of  the  coun- 
cillors .'*  What  should  have  followed  thereupon  concerning 
the  Queen's  person,  and  the  Scottish  Queen?" 

A  nsiuer —  Tyrrell. 

"  Here,  upon  the  false  ground  laid  in  the  former 
article,  I   heaped    up  a  whole   mount   of  lies,  for   I   said 


382  The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell. 

that  Babington  had  told  me  that  a  dozen  well-appointed 
A  long  feigned  laie.  gentlemen,  closely  wrapped  in  coats  of 
proof,  might  convey  themselves  into  the  Star  Chamber, 
with  each  of  them  a  couple  of  daggs  [pistols]  in  their 
pockets,  and  discharging  every  man  one  of  them  upon 
the  aforesaid  councillors  at  a  watchword  given,  and 
with  the  other  make  themselves  way  down  again,  having 
fifty  or  sixty  tall  serving-men  beneath,  with  swords  and 
bucklers  to  rescue  them,  and  some  hundred  more  to 
enter  the  Tower  upon  the  sudden,  killing  the  warders, 
and  letting  free  the  prisoners,  and  making  the  Earl  of 
Arundel  their  captain,  and  turning  the  artillery  of  the 
Tower  upon  the  city,  and  besieging  the  Queen,  and  pro- 
claiming the  Scottish  Queen,  and  displaying  a  banner 
for  all  Catholics  to  come  unto  them.  This  tale  I  devised 
only  of  mine  own  head,  to  feed  my  Lord  Treasurer's 
humour,  as  God  is  my  Judge,  and  by  the  grossness  thereof 
he  might  easily  have  descried  me,  but  he  received  it 
gratefully,  and  thanked  me  for  my  pains ;  which  pains 
was  only  in  forging  lies,  God  forgive  me  for  it." 

Article  16 — Treasurer. 
"What  device  was  there  at  any  time  propounded  to 
have  surprised  London,  the  Tower,  or  any  other  place  for 
money  or  wealth?" 

A  Jiswer —  Tyrrell. 
"  This  article  is  answered  in  the  former,  but  yet  being 
loth  that  any  of  my  lord's  demands  should  return  empty, 
I  devised    many  circumstances  and   particularities  to  the 
lies  before  set  down." 

A  rticle  1 7 —  Treasurer. 

"  How  often  were  Fortescue  and  Tilney  at  the  French 
Ambassador's,  and  in  what  place  did  the  French  Ambas- 
sador then  lodge,  and  where  have  yourself  been  in 
company  with  Charles  Tilney,  and  who  have  been  more 


The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell.  383 

then  present,  and  where  was  your  chamber  whereunto 
Charles  Tilney  or  the  Ambassador's  secretary  did  repair, 
and  how  often  came  they  th?ther,  and  when  was  the  last 
time?" 

A  nsivcr —  Tyrrell. 

"This  article  I  answered,  partly  telling  truth,  how  I 
was  once  with  Mr.  Ballard  at  the  French  Ambassador's, 
for  the  causes  that  before  I  have  recited,  as  also  that  his 
secretary  was  at  my  chamber,  but  I  added  divers  false 
causes  and  feigned  circumstances,  as  though  all  had  been 
for  treasonable  practices,  which  before  God  was  nothing 
so.  I  belied  also  Mr.  Ballard  and  Tilney,  saying  that  they 
had  oftentimes  repaired  to  the  French  Ambassador's ; 
which  I  protest  to  be  more  than  ever  I   did  know." 

A  rticle  18 — Treasurer. 
"What  time  did  Fortescue  last  go  into  France,  and 
how  many,  as  you  think,  were  privy  thereto,  and  what 
do  you  think  was  the  cause  and  purpose  of  his  journey, 
and  whether  was  not  Babington  acquainted  with  him 
before  his  last  going  over?" 

A  nswcr —  Tyrrell. 
"  To  this  article  I  answered  first,  saying  that  Ballard's 
departing  towards  France  was  in  Lent  last  this  year  of 
1586,  and  that  at  the  day  of  his  departure,  I  and  divers 
gentlemen  dined  with  him  at  the  King's  Head,  in  Fish 
Street ;  which  was  true,  though  I  remember  not  now 
whether  I  added  any  more  names  than  were  there  present : 
but  sure  I  am  that  I  said  maliciously,  that  I  thought 
Babington  and  the  rest  to  have  sent  him  over  to  confer 
with  the  confederates  in  France,  and  to  see  whether 
anything  would  be  done  by  foreign  forces  against  England 
or  not ;  and  if  not,  then  that  their  former  designments 
for  killing  the  Queen,  should  be  put  in  execution 
presently." 


384  The  Fall  of  Anthony  TyrrelL 

Article  19 — Treasurer. 
"With  how   many  did   Fortcscuc   confer    in    England 
after  his  last  coming  back  from  France  ?  And  do  you  set 
down  their  particular  names." 

A  iiswcr —  Tyrrell. 

"  The  answer  of  this  is  contained  before  in  that  I  said 
to  the  Sth  and  9th  articles,  as  also  the  lie  I  made  of 
Sir  John  Arundell,  his  sons  and  daughters,  and  divers 
others  which  now  I  do  not  remember,  and  I  cry  them 
all  mercy,"  &c. 

["  The  chiefest  persons  that  he  conferred  withal  before 
his  going  over  were,  with  Babington,  Davy  Ingleby.  They 
had  sent  a  little  before  into  the  north  C.  Tilney,  Jacques, 
Tipping,  Dinnington,  Henry  Dunne,  Thorogood,  and  the 
two  Wisemen  "  {sic).     Orig?^ 

Article  20 — Treasitrer. 

"  How  many  priests  and  Seminary  men  do  you  know 
to  have  been  in  England  within  this  twelvemonths,  and 
what  were  their  names,  and  variety  of  surnames,  and  what 
counties  do  they  haunt,  and  by  whom  are  they  relieved  ? 
How  many  of  them  are  departed  out  of  the  realm,  to 
your  knowledge  ? " 

A  iisiuer —  Tyrrell. 

"  I  was  very  long  and  large  in  answering  of  this  article, 
and  did  impeach  and  bewray  so  many  of  my  dear  brethren 
priests  as  any  way  I  could  call  to  memory,  adding  their 
names,  surnames,  relievers,  the  places  and  counties  where 
they  haunted  ;  and  to  make  the  number  seem  more  great, 
I  feigned  divers  of  myself  that  were  not,  so  that  all  the 
injuries,  vexations,  and  apprehensions  that  hereof  ensued 
to  them  or  their  friends,  is  my  fault,  and  I  ask  them  all 
humbly  forgiveness." 

["  For  priests  and  Seminary  men  whom  I  know  to  be 


The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell.  385 

in  England,  with  their  names  and  surnames,  are  Edmonds, 
alias  Hunt,  now  prisoner,  his  being  hath  been  in  many- 
places  and  with  divers  persons,  but  chiefly  with  Francis 
Browne.  One  Barnes.  Cornelius,  who  goeth  by  that 
name,  his  being  hath  been  most  with  Sir  John  Arundell, 
Mrs.  Cresswell,  widow,  and  is  now  in  Oxford.  Barloe,^  alias 
Chester,  that  liveth  about  London,  frequenteth  Essex, 
Norfolk,  Suffolk,  and  sometimes  Wales,  but  mostwhat 
keepeth  at  Mrs.  Mompesson's  at  Clerkenwell.  Fenell,  I 
know  no  other  name,  keepeth  Hampshire,  Oxfordshire, 
Berkshire,  sometimes  London.  He  is  most  entertained,  I 
think,  by  the  Lady  Copley,  young  Shelley,  and  I  know  not 
who  else.  Felps,  alias  Nicholas  Smith,  still  resident  with 
my  Lady  Copley.  Gray,-  I  know  no  other  name,  most 
resident  with  Mrs.  White  of  Westminster.  Wynckfeld, 
alias  Davies,  who  was  dismissed  the  Counter,  and  not 
known  to  be  P[riest],  a  politic,  wise  fellow,  and  had  in  great 
account :  who  be  his  chief  maintainers  and  where  he 
keepeth  I  know  not.  Ithell,^  alias  Woodhall,  keepeth 
most  about  London,  and  relieved  by  the  Inns  of  Court. 
This  article  would  be  so  long  if  I  should  go  through, 
that  I  shall  crave  pardon  for  this  time  of  your  honour. 
You  shall  have  a  scroll  of  all  that  I  know  at  more 
leisure."     Orig.'\ 

^  "  Lewis  Barlow,  a  Seminary  priest,  was  in  company  with  the  Abingtons 
when  they  were  sought  for,  and  was  privy  of  their  conspiracy,  and  escaped 
from  them  the  same  day  they  were  apprehended,  and  lived  almost  half  a  year 
amongst  the  outlaws  in  Monmouthshire,  and  did  after  gi'eat  hurt  about  London 
until  he  was  taken,  and  then  was  the  causer  of  Mr.  Tyrrell  his  revolt." 
Wisbech  report  (P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  cxcix,  n.  91). 

*  In  the  ninth  chapter  Tyrrell  calls  him  Greene.  He  is  probably  John 
Greene  (supra,  p.  266),  of  whom  the  Wisbech  report  says,  "John  Greene,  a 
Seminary  priest,  a  very  obstinate  perverse  man,  and  a  traitorous  seducer  of  her 
Majesty's  subjects,  and  a  great  defender  of  the  Pope's  supremacy."  Before 
being  sent  to  Wisbech,  he  was  in  the  Counter  in  Wood  Street.  Supra,  p.  231. 

'  The  Wisbech  report  says  of  him,  "  Ithell,  alias  Udall,  a  condemned 
priest  for  Babington's  conspiracy.  A  most  dangerous  man,  who  corrupted 
many  young  gentlemen  in  the  Inns  of  Court,  and  did  practise  with  young 
Abington  to  say  Mass  in  the  Tower." 

Z 


386  The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell. 

Article  21 —  Treasurer. 
"In  what  place  and   company  did   Edward  Windsor 
seem    to    mislike   to   have    any   woman    dealt  withal    for 
poisoning  of  the  Queen  for  fear  of  uttering  ? " 

A  nswer —  Ty7-rcll. 
"  I  answered  that  he  dealt  with  me  alone  in  this  matter' 
at  my  chamber  at  Lambert  Street :  but  as  I  hope  to  be 
saved,  he  never  at  any  time  in  all  his  life  talked  with  me 
about  any  such  matter,  nor  with  any  such  person  to  my 
knowledge,  and  therefore  on  my  knees  I  ask  this  innocent 
gentleman  pardon." 

Article  22 — Treasurer. 
"What  have  you  heard  of  one  Charnock  concerning 
any  of  these  actions  ?  " 

A  nswer —  Tyrrell. 

"  My  answer  to  this  was  brief,  and  truest  of  any  other, 
for  I  said  plainly,  I  knew  not  the  man,  nor  had  anything 
to  say  of  him." 

["  Of  Charnock  I  never  heard  anything."     Orig^ 

Article  23 — Treasurer. 
"  What  were  Fortescue  his  doings  in  Norfolk  with 
Metham  and  Cratliorne,  with  Babthorpe,  Tipping,  Din- 
nington,  Crossland  and  his  brother,  in  the  north  ;  what 
several  times  was  he  in  these  parts,  and  who  kept  him 
company  in  those  voyages  .-'  " 

Ansioer — Tyrrell. 
"I    confess    that   upon    this    article    I    founded   many- 
Mischievous  iics  against    unjust  and  mischievous   lies   against    all 
"'''"^'"  these   gentlemen    named    in    this  article, 

as  though  they  should  be  privy  to  Ballard's  treasons 
which  I  had  feigned,  and  do  call  God  to  witness  I  never 
knew  any ;  and  moreover  to  my  knowledge  Ballard  had 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  387 

not  seen  Mr.  Metham  nor  Crathorne  in  five  years  before. 
Young  Mr.  Babthorpe  also  I  never  knew,  nor  can  tell  that 
.Ballard  had  ever  speech  with  him,  though  I  accused  him 
bitterly ;  as  for  Mr.  Tipping,  Dinnington,  and  Crossland, 
I  persuade  myself  they  are  as  innocent  in  these  things 
as  the  child  new  born,  neither  had  they  ever  practice 
with  us,  or  knew  us  to  be  priests ;  yet  did  I  most  wilfully 
accuse  them,  as  also  Mr.  Davy  Ingleby,  whom  I  accused 
to  be  privy  to  the  Star  Chamber  matter,  for  killing  the 
lords,  which  before  I  have  set  down  in  the  fourteenth 
and  fifteenth  articles,  whereas  I  protest  before  God  he 
was  never  to  my  knowledge  privy  thereof.  I  did  accuse 
also  two  gentlemen  named  Wiseman  of  Essex,  and  one 
Mr.  Thorogood  of  the  Temple  :  all  which  was  false,  and 
of  a  mischievous  mind  only  to  hurt,  for  we  never  met 
with  them  but  only  at  ordinary  tables  in  London." 

["  Foscue  was  not  with  Metham  or  Craythorne  in 
Norfolk  of  a  long  time.  Then  he  meddled,  I  think,  in 
none  of  these  matters.  Then  his  dealing  with  them  hath 
been  in  Yorkshire  within  this  twelvemonth,  and  so  with 
Babthorpe,  Crosslands,  and  Typping.  In  those  voyages 
sometimes  I  did  accompany  himself,  sometimes  with 
Edward  Windsor,  sometimes  with  Wood,  that  was  my 
Lord  of  York's  man,  and  sometimes  with  others,  I  know 
not  whom.  His  conversing  with  the  Wiseman  was  at  the 
Plough  without  Temple  Bar,  with  Thurgood  at  his  chamber 
in  the  Temple."     Orig?^ 

Article  24 — Treasurer. 
"  In  what  places    was  Fortescue  conversant  with  the 
Lord  Stourton  and  his  wife,  and  at  what  times  ^ " 

Atiswer —  Tyrrell. 
"  Here,    as    I   had  falsely  feigned  before  that  Ballard 
had  conversed  with  the  Lord   Stourton  and  his  wife,  so 
now  being  pressed  to  make  up  the  talc,  I  added  also  that 
z  2 


388  The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell. 

it  was  at  my  lord's  house  in  the  country,  a  thing  of  my 
own  inventing  only." 

Article  25 — Treasurer. 
"How  often  did  you  see  Gilbert  Gifford  in  England, 
and  in  whose  company,  and  in  what  places,  and  by  what 
means  was  his  message  sent  to  the  Earl  of  Arundel ;  when 
was  he  with  the  Lady  of  Arundel,  and  in  what  place; 
what  surnames  had  he,  where  did  he  lodge,  with  whom 
was  he  conversant,  how  long  did  he  tarry  in  England? 
Do  you  know  George  Gifford  of  the  Court,  and  how  was 
he  disposed  in  these  actions  ?  What,  and  of  whom  have 
yoq  heard,  that  he  was  directed  to  kill  the  Queen  ? " 

A 11510  cr —  Tyrrell. 

"All   these   interrogatories  of   my   lord  as  they  were 

gathered   out  of  my  former  lying  letter  written   to  him 

and  fraught  full  with  devices  of  my  own,  as  before  I  have 

signified,  so  now  they  did  bind  me  to  go  for\vard  with 

oneiiebindethaman  ^hc  samc,  and  to  fcign   many  particulari- 

to  make  two.  ^j^^  ^^^  probability  thereof ;  as  that  Gilbert 
Gifford  should  be  sent  over  with  a  message  from  the  Duke 
of  Guise  to  the  Earl  of  Arundel,  willing  him  to  be  of  good 
cheer,  for  that  he  hoped  to  come  and  visit  him  before  it 
were  long,  and  that  the  said  Gilbert  went  in  a  coach  to 
speak  with  the  Lady  Countess  of  Arundel  at  the  Spital. 
I  accused  also  Mr.  George  Gifford  to  have  spoken 
dangerous  words  against  the  Queen  and  State  upon 
discontentment ;  that  he  was  a  principal  man  with  Ballard 
In  all  his  treasons :  all  which  I  protest  to  have  been  most 
false,  and  of  my  own  inventing  only." 

["For  Gilbert  Gifford  I  never  saw  him  but  once,  and 
that  in  Holborn.  I  spake  not  to  him  then.  How  he  was 
brought  in  to  my  lady  I  know  not,  but  I  heard  very 
secretly.  How  the  message  was  sent  in  to  the  Earl  I 
cannot  certainly  set  down.     When  Gilbert  was  also  last 


The  Fall  of  Anthony   TyrrelL  389 

with  my  lady  I  am  not  able  to  say,  nor  where  he  lodged. 
I  never  inquired  as  yet  of  the  variety  of  his  names ;  and 
as  for  his  tarriance  out  of  England,  he  is  not  gone  yet  for 
aught  that  I  know,  for  within  these  eight  weeks  he  was 
sure  in  the  realm.  For  George  Gifford  I  know  not  the 
man,  but  Foscue  brought  him  a  message  from  his  brother, 
and  was  to  persuade  him  to  forsake  his  allegiance  to  the 
Queen,  and  to  fall  into  some  enterprise  among  them. 
Foscue  said  that  he  hoped  by  that  man  to  work  much,  but 
what  I  cannot  tell,  your  honour  may  easily  guess."     Orig?[ 

Article  26 — Treasurer. 
"What  sums  of  money  had  Gratley  from  the  Earl  of 
Arundel,  and  by  what  means,  and  when  did  you  see  Bailey 
last,  that  attended  on  the  Countess  .-•    When  were  you  or 
Fortescue  with  the  Countess,  and  in  what  place } " 

A  nsiver —  Tyrrell. 

"  Here  I  answered  most  falsely  as  in  the  rest,  affirming 
that  Gratley  had  received  divers  sums  of  money  from  the 
Earl,  and  carried  letters  from  him  to  Dr.  Allen,  promising 
his  coming  over,  and  to  join  willingly  with  the  Duke  of 
Guise  in  setting  up  the  Queen  of  Scots ;  how  Dr.  Allen 
rejoiced  to  write  thereof  to  the  Duke  :  all  which  was  feigned 
by  myself  Moreover,  I  said  that  Ballard  and  I  being  one 
day  at  Romford,  in  the  inn  of  the  Crown,  one  Burlacy 
should  come  to  us  there,  which  was  true,  and  bring  us  a 
hundred  pounds  from  the  Earl,  which  was  a  stark  lie ;  I 
said  also  that  the  aforesaid  Bailey  was  placed  with  the 
Countess  by  Gratley,  which  was  a  mere  fiction  :  and  whereas 
I  said  that  Ballard  had  been  often  to  speak  with  the  said 
Countess,  I  dare  protest  before  God  she  never  spoke  with 
His  lies  against  the  him  in  all  hcr  life,  for  if  she  had  I  am  sure 

Earl  and   Countess   of 

Arundel.  that  hc  would  havc  told  me  of  it,  which  in 

truth  he  never  did." 

["  For  sums  of  money  Gratley  had  Frandic  carte,  and 


390  Tkc  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell. 

by  his  means  at  one  time  a  lOO/.,  at  another  time  50/.  The 
first  FortescLie  brought  word  of  the  receipt ;  of  the  other 
Baily  carried  it  over.  He  was  at  my  chamber  where  I  lay 
at  Temple  Bar  in  May  last,  and  I  did  see  him  again  in 
June.  I  was  never  with  the  Countess  but  once,  a  great 
while  since,  when  she  lay  at  Weld  Hall,  in  Essex.  Where 
Fortescue  was  with  her  I  cannot  truly  tell."     Origi\ 

Article  27 — Treasurer. 
"  I  pray  declare  the  circumstances  of  your  journey, 
when  you  and  Father  Edmonds  spake  with  Mr.  Bold,  and 
when  and  where  you  spake  last  with  him,  and  in  whose 
companies.  What  manner  of  speeches  did  Bold  utter 
against  the  Earl  of  Leicester  .''" 

A  nswer—  Tyrrell. 
"  To  this  article  I  did  feign  much  malicious  matter  of 
mine  own  invention,  against  this  good  gentleman,  who 
I  protest  was  innocent  of  the  same ;  for  as  touching  our 
going  to  his  house  in  Berkshire  (I  mean  F.  Edmonds  and 
mine),  it  was  by  the  entreaty  of  one  Mr.  Edmund  Peckham, 
to  see  a  certain  gentlewoman  that  was  near  of  kin  to 
Mr.  Bold,  and  dearly  beloved  by  him,  and  was  suspected 
to  be  possessed ;  but  when  Father  Edmonds  in  our  presence 
had  talked  with  her,  he  judged  that  there  w^as  no  such 
matter,  and  therefore  exhorting  both  her,  and  Mr.  Bold 
and  his  wife  to  patience,  and  to  procure  good  men's 
prayers  for  her  recovery,  he  departed  presently;  and  albeit 
Mr.  Bold  of  courtesy  came  with  us  to  London,  yet  do 
Lies  against  Mr.  Bold,  not  I  know  that  hc  undcrstood  what  we 
were  :  but  sure  I  am  that  he  was  utterly  innocent  of  all 
those  vile  slanders  which  I  devised  as  spoken  by  him 
against  the  Earl  of  Leicester,  and  of  all  the  other  slanders 
that  I  made  against  him  ;  and  yet  was  the  gentleman 
apprehended  and  straitly  examined,  and  my  Lord 
Treasurer  sent  his  answers  unto  me  to  sec  what  I  could 


J 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  391 

pick  out  against  them,  and  I  stretched  my  wits  what  I 
could  to  do  him  hurt,  but  I  could  not,  whereof  I  most 
humbly  ask  him  forgiveness."^ 

Article  28 — Treasurer. 
"Where  did  you  know  Jacques,  Mr.  Vice-Chamberlain's 
man,  and  what  do  you  know  of  him,  meet  to  be  under- 
stood ? " 

A  nswer —  Tyrrell. 

"  Here  I  heaped  many  false  accusations  against 
Mr.  Jacques,  and  his  servant  William  Warmford,^  affirming 
the  first  to  be  a  heinous  traitor,  a  principal  confederate 
with  Ballard,  intending  to  stir  up  a  great  rebellion  in 
Ireland,  his  man  also  to  be  an  egregious  traitor,  and 
privy  to  many  things,  and  retained  by  him  and  Ballard 
to  execute  some  great  mischief:  whereas  I  protest  before 
God  upon  my  salvation,  that  I  never  knew  any  one  point 
of  disloyalty  in  either  of  them  both,  and  therefore  I  ask 
them  both  most  heartily  forgiveness,  and  all  the  rest  by  me 
injured  or  offended.^ 

"And  thus  God  knoweth,  and  the  world  perceiveth,  how 
The  conclusion.  traitorously  I  have  behaved  myself  towards 
God,  slandering  the  just,  condemning  the  innocent,  and 
thereby  heaping  up  God's  heavy  judgments  upon  my  own 
head,  for  which  I  ask  His  Divine  Majesty  and  all  the 
world  pardon;  and  of  my  Lord  Treasurer  in  particular, 
whom  I  have  abused  by  so  many  false  informations,  to 
the  undoing  and  condemning  of  divers  innocent  persons; 
and  most  of  all  of  her  Majesty,  into  whose  head  I  have 
put  so  many  horrible  false  conceits  of  treason  against  her 


^  The  answer  to  this  article  has  been  already  given  from  the  original. 
Supra,  p.  140. 

^  In  the  original  the  name  of  William  Warmford  does  not  occur.  This 
man  must  not  be  mistaken  for  Father  William  Wamford  or  W^arford,  who 
entered  the  English  College  at  Rome  in  1583,  and  in  1588  was  living  with 
Cardinal  Allen. 

•*  In  the  margin  of  this  article  Burghley  has  Aratten, "Jacques  the  Italian." 


392  The  Fall  of  AtitJiony  Tyrrell. 

loving  subjects  :  for  all  which  1  am  most  heartily  sorry, 
and  further  am  content  to  receive  all  manner  of  punish- 
ment in  this  life,  so  my  miserable  soul  may  find  mercy 
and  favour  in  the  world  to  come." 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

WHAT  COURSE  HE  HELD  AFTER  THE  GIVING  UP  OF 
THE  AFORESAID  ACCUSATIONS,  OF  HIS  IMPIOUS 
WRITING  TO  THE  QUEEN,  AND  TALK  WITH  THE 
TREASURER,  AND  HOW  HE  PROCURED  TO  CHANGE 
PRISON  FROM  THE  COUNTER  TO  THE  CLINK,  TO 
DO   MORE   HURT. 

He  having  given  up  the  false,  conscienceless  accusations 
before  mentioned,  by  which  he  well  knew  that  divers 
should  lose  their  lives,  he  writeth  these  words  in  his 
Torment  of  conscience,  confcssiou.  "I  caunot  cxprcss  what  a 
hell  and  torment  I  found  in  my  own  conscience,  the 
devil  fully  possessing  me."  Moreover  he  saith  that  he, 
growing  into  suspicion  with  the  Catholics  of  the  Counter 
by  his  often  repair  to  Justice  Young  and  to  the  Treasurer, 
and  by  his  much  writing,  he  desired  to  be  changed  to 
another  prison,  where  he  should  not  be  known,  holding 
still  his  wicked  mind  to  proceed  in  the  way  already  begun, 
which  shall  be  here  delivered  by  his  own  words,  which 
be  these. 

"After  that  my  malice  was  thus  complete,  and  my 
mind  determined  to  run  desperately  into  sin  (he  must 
needs  run  swift  whom  the  devil  driveth),  I  devised  all 
the  means  possible  that  I  could  to  make  my  Lord 
Treasurer  and  Justice  Young  to  think  that  the  name 
of  a  Catholic  was  most  odious  unto  me,  and  how  that 
I  desired  nothing  more  than  to  be  discharged  from  their 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell. 


OVJ 


servitude.  I  framed  now  invectives  against  Catholics  to  my 
lord,  affirming  that  to  my  own  knowledge  there  were  few 
or  none  that  in  their  inward  hearts  and  affections  were 
not  traitors,  and  that  I  assured  his  honour  that  there 
were  few  priests  in  England,  howsoever  outwardly  in 
words  they  dissembled,  but  inwardly  in  their  hearts  they 
assented  to  her  Majesty's  spoil  and  destruction,  and  did 
not  let,  as  they  did  find  the  humours  of  her  subjects 
inclinable  that  way,  to  persuade  them  all  that  they  might 
Abominable  and  bloody  thereunto,  and  that  all  their  endeavours 
suggestions  to  a  prince,  henccforth  should  be  to  remove  the  minds 
of  her  Majesty's  subjects,  and  to  settle  their  affection  for 
the  establishment  of  the  Scottish  Queen,  against  whom 
I  made  most  sharp  and  bitter  invectives,  especially  in 
Three  malicious  points,  a  letter  which  I  did  •Write  to  the  Queen's 
Majesty,  wherein  I  principally  warned  her  Highness  to 
have  a  special  regard  unto  three  things. 

"  The  first,  to  extirpate  and  weed  out  all  Seminary 
priests  with  all  the  speed  and  means  possible  that  might  be, 
as  men  most  pernicious  and  dangerous  to  her  Majesty  and 
to  the  State,  who  went  about  no  other  thing  in  all  places 
wheresoever  they  came  but  to  bring  her  Majesty  in 
contempt,  and  to  persuade  her  subjects  that  no  act  were 
so  pleasant  and  acceptable  unto  God  as  to  bereave  her 
Majesty  of  her  life. 

"The  second  was,  that  her  Majesty's  only  danger  was 
the  life  of  that  wicked  woman  the  Queen  of  Scots,  who 
sought  by  all  means  she  could,  not  only  by  foreign 
powers,  but  by  domestic  attempts,  to  shorten  and  end 
her  Majesty's  days  that  she  herself  might  be  advanced 
to  the  Crown. 

"The  third  point  was,  that  her  Majesty  had  now 
crushed  the  necks  of  the  conspirators  by  apprehending 
so  many  of  them,  and  that  she  had  her  enemies  now  at 
such  advantage,  as  well  at  home  as  abroad,  that  she  should 
not  let  to  prosecute  the  same,  and  to  make   such  laws 


394  ^-^^  Fall  of  AniJiony   Tyrrell. 

against  recusants  that  every  one  should  be  sworn  to  with- 
stand the  Pope  and  his  proceedings  against  the  realm, 
or  otherwise  to  account  of  him  no  better  than  an  arrant 
traitor. 

Recalling  of  my  former  "^     mind,    fraUght    fuU    of   malicC,  what 

wicked  suggesfon.       ^^^^^    j^^j     j     ^^     ^^^-^^^    ^j^^^^    ^j^j^^^.    ^gainSt 

Pope,  priest,  Queen  of  Scots,  Catholic,  or  other  ?  From 
The  Pope.  Pope  I  never  heard  hurt  or  harm  against 
our  Queen  or  country;  I  have  seen  him  shed  tears,  and  have 
heard  him  wish  that  all  the  blood  in  his  body  were  spilt 
to  do  our  country  good.  For  Catholic  priests,  I  protest  on 
Priests.  my  soul,  that  since  the  time  I  have  con- 

versed with  them  myself  in  England,  which  is  now  more 
than  six  years,  I  never  heard  of  any  of  them  but  that  he 
wished  as  well  to  her  Majesty  as  to  his  own  soul,  and  would 
willingly  bestow  his  own  life,  to  the  loss  of  the  uttermost 
drop  of  his  blood,  for  the  preservation  and  safety  of  her 
Majesty,  and  that  in  all  their  sermons  and  exhorta- 
tions, as  well  public  as  private,  they  persuade  her  subjects 
to  all  obedience,  and  to  pray  for  her  Majesty,  as 
also  to  suffer  the  infliction  of  her  penal  laws  with  all 
patience,  and  not  to  resist  or  move  sedition  for  any  cause 
whatsoever.  This  is  all  I  know  of  all  priests,  I  protest 
before  Almighty  God,  and  no  other,  wherefore  I  most 
deeply  have  slandered  them,  and  am  on  my  knees  to 
ask  them  pardon  and  forgiveness. 

"  As  for  the  Queen  of  Scots,  whom  I  have  many  ways 

Queen  of  Scots  inno-  deeply  and  maliciously  touched,  as  I  shall 

centofmyaccu.sations.  ^^^^^^^  b^foj-^  Q^^  at  the  latter  day,  when 

I  shall  give  an  account  of  these  my  doings,  I  was  never 
acquainted  with  the  woman,  neither  do  I  know  anything 
directly  of  her  nature  or  disposition.  I  never  heard  of 
any  treasonable  practice  that  she  .should  attempt  with  any 
of  her  Majesty's  subjects  for  the  destroying  of  her  real 
[royal]  person  and  annoying  of  her  realm,  more  than  I  have 
heard  by  the  public  edicts  set  out  in  England  against  her, 


The  Fall  of  Ajithony   Tyrrell.  395 

which  how  true  or  false  they  were,  it  is  not  in  me  to 
determine.  I  will  therefore  neither  accuse  nor  excuse  her 
further  than  appertaineth  to  my  own  particular  malice, 
wherein  I  cannot  but  acknowledge  myself  most  deeply 
to  have  slandered  her,  and  that  all  that  ever  I  did  speak 
to  hurt  or  harm  her,  was  only  of  mere  malice,  with  inten- 
tion to  flatter  the  Queen,  no  one  word  being  true  to  my 
knowledge  thereof,  and  therefore  I  crave  most  humble 
pardon  of  her  soul,  which  I  hope  be  in  heaven,  and 
what  cause  or  occasion  I  did  give  to  her  destruction  I 
know  not,  but  I  fear  it  was  too  great. 

"  Not  long  afterwards  I  was  desirous  to  speak  with 
my  Lord  Treasurer  again,  for  now  I  had  desperately 
endangered  myself  in  opening  such  matters,  as  the  least 
of  them  might  have  cost  me  my  life  for  concealing  them, 
if  either  they  had  been  true,  or  I  a  man  in  whom  any 
crime  of  treason  might  stick  as  now  it  could  not.  But  that 
they  were  so  notoriously  false  also,  as  they  might  have 
easily  been  discovered  by  my  lord's  wit,  I  could  not  tell 
how  his  honour  would  take  them  ;  misdoubting  that  he 
would  at  least  suspect  me  to  have  feigned  much,  and 
therefore  I  was  desirous  (to  the  end  I  might  come  to  the 
knowledge  thereof),  to  devise  by  all  the  cunning  I  could 
to  relieve  myself  to  his  lordship  of  all  suspicion.  For  now 
I  must  let  all  the  world  understand  that  I  was  become 
The  virtues  that  brought  ^  Hian  void  of  all  gracc,  goodness,  truth, 
me  to  be  a  Protestant,  houesty,  faith,  or  rcligion,  onc  that  cared 
not  what  Catholics  should  think  of  me  through  all  the 
States  of  Christendom,  so  as  I  might  gain  either  favour 
or  credit  of  our  Protestants  at  home ;  and  therefore  I  made 
no  space  of  my  conscience  to  enlarge  it  out  to  anything, 
were  it  true  or  false,  so  it  might  be  to  the  benefit  of  my 
temporal  preferment,  for  all  hope  of  God's  favour,  or 
recovering  of  my  portion  in  His  heavenly  kingdom,  was 
clean  extinguished  and  gone.  My  full  meaning  and 
purpose  was   still  to   persevere   in  this  mind,  and   never 


396  The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell. 

to  turn  back  again,  and  therefore  I  had  not  cared  how 
soon  I  had  been  brought  forth  to  the  open  show  of  the 
world,  and  loudly  to  have  exclaimed  against  Catholics 
and  Catholic  religion,  but  that  my  lord  as  it  seemed 
thought  it  policy  otherwise,  or  God  would  not  permit  it, 
meaning  by  His  mercy  yet  to  call  me  back  again  to 
repentance.  Desirous,  therefore,  as  I  said,  to  see"  my 
Lord  Treasurer,  after  that  I  had  made  so  large  detection, 
,,  . .  and  inventing  every  day  in  my  chamber, 

My  new  spirit   was  i>  J  J  J  > 

never  unoccupied.  ^^^  putting  morc  lics  to  the  forgc,  that  I 
might  have  something  to  present  my  lord  with  against 
my  next  coming,  amongst  the  rest  I  remembered  this 
notorious  falsehood  for  one,  to  wit — That  I  feigned  a 
.\  notorious  lie.  grcat  and  solemn  meeting  to  have  been  at 
Paris  when  Ballard  was  last  in  France,  between  English 
and  Scots,  and  that  the  Bishop  of  Ross  should  make  a 
solemn  oration  at  that  meeting,  the  Earl  of  Westmoreland, 
the  Lord  Dacres,  and  others  being  present,  declaring  the 
preparation  of  all  Catholic  princes  that  would  be  shortly 
in  readiness  to  invade  England,  and  that  the  English  for 
their  parts,  and  the  Scots  for  theirs,  should  endeavour  to 
make  away  with  the  Queen  of  England,  and  set  up  the 
Queen  of  Scots,  and  that  for  preparation  of  this,  Ballard 
was  appointed  and  sent  into  England  :  all  v/hich  I  protest 
to  have  been  most  false  and  untrue,  and  every  word  of  my 
own  inventing. 

'T  framed  also  complaints  against  Sir  Thomas  Gerard, 
„.  „.        r-      ,     I  knight,  how  he  .should  from  time  to  time 

Sir  1  nomas  Oeraril  and  "       ' 

others  I  slandered.  ^^^^  intelligence  to  thc  King  of  Spain 
of  the  practices  and  devices  of  England,  and  how  they 
might  be  prevented.  I  framed  also  a  device  against  a 
number  of  gentlemen  Catholics  in  the  county  of  Lancashire, 
Derbyshire,  Yorkshire,  and  other  confines  (though  to  my 
remembrance  I  named  them  not)  for  their  meetings  to 
remove  the  Scottish  Queen,  and  others  to  defend  her  by 
force,  or  else  to  convey  her  out  of  the  realm,  and  many 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  397 

other  things  of  which  my  memory  now  serveth  me  not 
to  make  a  particular  mention.  All  which  I  had  briefly 
set  down  in  notes ^  to  gratify  my  lord  withal  against  my 
next  meeting :  and  it  came  to  pass  that  in  few  days  after 
My   tutor,    Justice  that  Justice  Young  Sent  for  me  to  repair 

Young,  instructeth   me         .  -      -   . 

to  more  malice.  With  him  unto  my  lord,  who,  by  the  way, 

gave  me  matter  to  inform  my  lord  of,  against  my  Lord 
Windsor,  as  touching  his  marriage,  also  against  the  Lord 
Compton  and  others  willing  me  to  say,  that  they  were 
very  dangerous  men,  and  against  some  of  the  Privy 
Chamber,  also  he  gave  me  notes  of  others  whose  names 
in  truth  I  have  now  forgotten ;  and  thus  my  lesson  being 
given  me  (which  God  knoweth  needed  not,  for  I  was 
too  forward  a  scholar  of  myself  in  lying  and  inveighing 
against  any  man),  at  last  we  arrived,  and  I  came  to  my 
lord,  where  he  lay  then  in  the  Strand,  where  I  being  led 
,,  ,      .    ,    up  by  a  back  way  into  a  chamber  where 

My  second  commg  to       -t^       ^  -' 

my  Lord  Treasurer,      j^y    J^j-^J    ^^.^g    pcrUSing     of    wHtlngS,    I    WaS 

brought  in,  and  after  my  duty  yielded,  my  lord  entered 
into  familiar  communication  with  me  of  many  things, 
saying  that  I  had  taken  a  great  deal  of  pains  (indeed 
I  had  taken  a  great  deal  of  pains  to  go  to  the  devil)  and 
that  he  perceived  my  dealing  to  be  without  any  dissimu- 
lation. No  fault  he  seemed  to  find  at  all  with  any  of  my 
former  informations  as  deeming  any  of  them  to  be  un- 
truths, though  in  reason  he  could  not  but  suspect  them ; 
only  he  said  that  many  of  my  sayings  were  very  general, 
„        , ,    .„  ,        asking  me  if  I  could  not  set  them  down 

He  would  still  have  o 

"'°''^'  more  particular.     But  I  answered  that  I 

had  set  them  down  according  to  my  knowledge,  and 
that  as  touching  the  privy  and  important  matters,  they 
were  always  so  warily   handled  of  the  Catholics  that  I 

^  Mary  Queen  of  Scots,  vol.  xix.  n.  8i,  endorsed  by  Burghley,  "3  Sept., 
1586,  Anthony  Tyrrell's  4th  declaration."  It  is  a  little  book  of  twelve  pages, 
neatly  written,  and  in  this  respect  very  unlike  the  preceding  papers.  The 
"third  confession"  {^ibid.  n.  76),  from  which  an  extract  is  given  in  the  next 
chapter,  is  dated  September  2. 


398  TJlc  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell. 

could  get  no  further  notice  of  things  than  I  had  done, 
and  what  I  had  commonly  from  one  man,  I  could  not 
get  the  same  again  confirmed  of  another ;  which  I  added 
for  excusing  the  lack  of  witnesses  when  I  could  have 
none  (the  matters  being  false)  but  the  devil  himself  that 
helped  to  devise  them.  Then  my  lord  asked  me  many 
other  questions,  whereof  some  I  answered,  and  some  I 
said  I  was  ignorant  of  He  told  me  of  many  things 
himself  that  he  had  found  out  against  the  conspirators, 
and  against  the  Queen  of  Scots,  whereof  some  they  had 
confessed,  and  some  they  seemed  to  deny ;  and  I  was  very 
glad  when  I  heard  him  say  so,  hoping  thereby  that  my 
own  reports  against  them  would  carry  the  more  credit 
with  him. 

"Although  he  told  me  that  he  would  inform  her  Majesty 
of  my  well-doing,  and  so  with  favour  dismissed  me  for 
that  time,  and  of  any  other  matter  important  I  do  not 
remember  more,  but  then  that  I  did  present  him  with 
my  former  notes.  He  asked  Justice  Young  how  I  was 
used.  He  answered,  '  Well,'  only  he  said  that  for  colour 
How  CathoHcs  are  sakc  to  bHud  the  Catholics  I  was  kept  close 

abused    by    dissimula-  .  •  r    t  .      1      r 

tion.  prisoner,  an  ii  1  were  reputed   lor  a  very 

dangerous  man;  and  withal  Justice  Young  told  my  lord 
how  comfortably  I  proceeded  in  my  damnable  course  that 
I  had  then  taken  in  hand,  and  how  that  he  had  lent  me 
a  book.  Whereupon  my  lord  asking  me  what  book  it  was, 
I  told  him  that  it  was  Mr.  Calvin's  InstiUitions,  a  learned 
piece  of  work  in  my  conceit  (but  in  truth  I  never  had 
read  a  more  beastly  piece  of  work  in  all  my  life).  'No,' 
quoth  my  lord,  '  that  is  not,  Tyrrell,  for  thy  appetite,  I 
My  lord  rejecteth  Gal-  would  havc  thcc  to  rcad  Blusius,'  willing 

vin,  and  commendelh  to  .  .  i  i  i 

meBinsius.  Justicc  Young  to  providc  me  that  book; 

but  I  never  did  see  that  heretic  yet,  and  I  hope  never 

I  was  sure  for  my  to   be   troublcd    with    him    hereafter,   for 

part  lliey  were  knaves  .  , 

»'oth-  sure  I   was   m    my   own   conscience,  that 

neither  Calvin,  Blusius,  nor  all  the  heretics  in  the  world 

\ 


The  hall  of  AiitJtony   Tyrrell.  399 

could  convince  my  knowledge,  or  plant  any  other  religion, 
that  I  could  effectually  embrace,  but  only  the  Catholic. 
As  well  my  lord  might  have  persuaded  me  to  have  read 
the  Alcoran  to  become  a  Turk,  and  as  soon  I  should 
have  assented,  as  to  have  been  in  heart  any  of  these 
heretics.  And  thus  departed  I  again  from  the  Treasurer, 
and  went  back  with  Justice  Young  again  home  to  his 
house,  where  he  and  I  fell  to  new  conferences,  and  I 
gave  him  advisements  how  to  order  and  handle  things  for 
the  better  conservation  of  my  credit  among  Catholics, 
and  for  the  finding  out  of  greater  matters  and  accusations 
against  them."     Thus  far  Tyrrell's  words. 

And  this  was  the  holy  agreement  between  Justice  Young 

and  him,  for  which  cause  he  was  sent  to  be  prisoner  in  the 

Clink,  where  meeting,  as  he  saith,  with  a  most  blessed  man 

His  meeting  with  Mr.  ^nd  godly  pricst  named   Lowe,  who  had 

Lowe  in  prison.  heard  mauy  great  suspicions  of  Tyrrell's 
doings.  He  said  Mr.  Lowe  began  after  some  hours  being 
together  to  utter  them,  and  to  require  satisfaction  at  his 
hands,  who  gave  it  by  swearing  and  forswearing,  and 
more  than  that,  went  to  confession  hypocritically  to  the 
said  Mr.  Lowe,  the  more  to  deceive  him,  and  in  his 
confession,  being  pressed  much  by  his  said  ghostly 
father  upon  his  salvation  and  damnation  to  deal  plainly 
and  sincerely,  he  did  quite  the  contrary,  and  with  the 
same  sacrilege  he  said  Mass  the  next  day  within  the 
prison,  the  more  thereby  to  deceive  Catholics :  after 
which  narration  ended,  he  saith  thus  of  himself.  "The 
dreadful  threat  of  damnation  uttered  by  the  holy  Apostle 
St.  Paul  to  him  that  received  the  Body  of  his  Saviour 
unworthily,  and  the  example  of  Judas  that  hanged  himself 
and  went  to  hell  upon  the  like  fault,  might  have  warned 
and  terrified  me,  but  it  did  not.  And  behold  the  boldness 
of  a  desperate  mind,  although  the  horror  of  God's  justice 
made  me  inwardly  to  quake ;  although  I  feared  that  I 
should  presently  have  perished  in  my  great  impiety,  yet 


400  The  Fall  of  Aiithony   Tyrrell. 

forward  I  went,  so  far  was  my  malice  increased,  so  much 
was  my  desperate  mind  emboldened,  that  though  I  went 
without  all  semblance  of  staggering  or  dismay  no  doubt 
the  heavens  with  all  the  celestial  powers  were  amazed  at 
my  heinous  enterprise,  the  earth,  with  the  infernal  parts, 
wondered  at  my  boldness,  and  were  most  greedy  of 
revenge  upon  so  loose  and  vile  a  wretch,  that  did  rage 
against  the  majesty  of  so  great  a  God,  and  yet  His 
endless  patience  did  endure  it." 

[Tyrrell  was  moved  from  the  Counter  in  Wood  Street 
on  the  13th  of  September,  1586,  and  on  the  17th  he  was 
committed  to  the  Clink.^  The  following  letter  ^  from 
Secretary  Davison,  dated  October  4,  was  therefore  written 
after  the  interviews  in  the  preceding  chapter.  The  journey 
which  Lord  Burghley  was  about  to  undertake,  of  which 
Davison  speaks,  was  to  Fotheringay  for  the  trial  of  the 
Queen  of  Scots,  respecting  the  terms  of  whose  indictment 
Elizabeth  here  gives  her  Minister  some  instructions.  A 
similar  letter  written  to  Walsingham  drew  from  him  the 
following  comment^  addressed  to  Burghley.  *'  I  find  by 
Mr.  Secretary  Davison  that  her  Majesty  doth  not  rest 
satisfied  with  the  form  of  commission  drawn  by  her  learned 
counsel  with  the  advice  of  the  judges,  in  the  point  of  the 
Scottish  Queen's  title.  I  would  to  God  her  Majesty  would 
consent  to  refer  these  things  to  them  that  are  best  judges 
of  them,  as  other  princes  do." 

"My  especial  good  Lord, — I  have  received  two  letters 
of  your  lordship  addressed  to  Mr.  Secretary  Walsingham, 
■with  another  to  myself  concerning  Tyrrell,  accompanied 
with  another  of  his  own  to  your  lordship,  all  which  I 
did   communicate    with    her    Majesty,  who    is   very  well 


^  Supra,  pp.  179,  204. 

"  P. R.O.,  Mary  Queen  of  Scois,  vol.  xx,  n.  2. 

*  P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  cxciv.  n.  14;  dated  Barnelms,  Oct.  6, 
1586 ;  holograph. 


The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyi^rell.  401 

pleased  that  the  Commission  should  be  reformed  in  such 
sort   as   your    lordship    by   advice    of    the    judges    hath 
directed,  though  she  think  the  words  of  the  statute  did 
not  necessarily  exact  the  adding  of  Mr.  Woolley's  name 
and  my  own.      For  the  style  to  be  given  to  the  Sc[ottish] 
Q[ueen],  her  Majesty  doth  very  well  allow  that  the  words 
communiter  vocata,  or,  appellata  Regina  Scotorum,  mentioned 
in   your   lordship's   letters,  be   also    inserted    if  you  find 
it  material,  as  also  that  the  Commission  be  drawn  and 
sent  there  for  prorogation  of  Parliament  according  to  the 
precedent  in  atmo  prima  of  her  Majesty's  reign  touched 
in  your  said  letters.     The  day  she  could  be  content  to 
be  the  24th,  if  it  be  not  too  short  for  the  return  of  my 
lords,  which  she  doubteth  can  hardly  be  so  soon  ;    and 
therefore  could  wish  rather   it  were  stretched  some  few 
days  longer,  which  notwithstanding  she  commits  to  your 
lordship's  judgment. 

"The  letter  from  Tyrrell  was  very  agreeable  to  her, 
both  for  the  style  and  afifection  of  the  man,  which  she 
greatly  commendeth,  allowing  your  lordship  and  Mr. 
Secretary  to  take^  what  course  with  him  you  shall  think 
fittest  for  her  service. 

"  Other  matter  I  have  not  presently,  but  to  pray  God 
to  bless  this  journey  of  your  lordship's  with  such  happy 
issue  as  may  be  most  to  His  glory,  the  security  of  her 
Majesty,  and  peace  of  this  commonwealth. 

"At  the  Court  at  Windsor,  this  4th  of  October,  1586. 

"  Your  lordship's  most  humbly  at  commandment, 
"  W[ILLIAM]   D[AVIS0N]." 

Endorsed — "4th  of  October,  1586.  Minute  to  my 
L.  Treasurer."] 


AA 


402 


CHAPTER   IX. 

OF  HIS  DISSIMULATION,  TREACHERY,  AND  SPIERY  IN 
THE  CLINK,  AND  JUSTICE  YOUNG  HIS  DISPENSATION 
FOR  THE  SAME,  AND  WHAT  PERSONS  HE  BETRAYED 
THERE,  AND  OF  THE  DEATH  OF  MR.  BALLARD  AND 
HIS   FELLOWS. 

As  the  principal  and  only  cause  of  Tyrrell's  sending  to 
the  Clink  was  to  betray  priests  and  Catholics  that  were 
there,  or  that  frequented  thither,  as  hath  appeared  by 
that  which  before  hath  been  said,  so  he  having  given 
them  satisfaction  and  deceived  them  by  means  especially 
of  his  ghostly  father,  Mr.  Lowe,  and  other  priests  to  whom 
he  had  in  confession  forsworn  himself,  he  saith  that  his 
whole  study  was  to  give  advertisements  from  time  to  time 
to  Justice  Young  and  to  the  Treasurer  against  his  brethren 
and  fellows,  with  whom  he  lived,  which  you  shall  hear 
recounted,  as  all  the  rest,  in  his  own  words  that  ensue. 

"  This  passed  on,  and  I  every  day  began  to  be  more 
bold  than  other,  and  had  well  near  worn  out  all  former 
suspicions,  and  had  seen  and  learned  the  whole  state  of 
the  house  in  everything,  when  Justice  Young  sent  for 
me  again,  to  inquire  of  the  place,  of  the  persons,  of  their 
practices,  and  what  good  there  was  likely  to  be  done. 
'  O  sir,'  quoth  I,  '  I  thought  myself  very  hardly  beset  with 
Papists  when  I  was  in  the  Counter,  and  thought  myself 
troubled  with  one  priest.  Dryland,^  but  now  I   am  fallen 

^  If  there  was  but  one  priest  with  Tyrrell  in  the  Counter,  the  number  there 
soon  increased  when  he  became  informer.     A  list  in  which  he  is  mentioned  as 
still  in  tlie  Clink  [supra,  p.  234),  gives  the  following  names. 
*^ Counter  in  Wood  Street.  Christopher  Southworth. 

Christopher  Dryland.  John  Cabell. 

Thomas  Smyth.  Edward  Braddock. 

John  Strawbridge.  Thomas  Swynnerton,  alias  Strang^vayes. 

Nicholas  Gellebrand.  John  Maddox." 

(P.R.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  ccii.  n.  61.) 


The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell.  403 

This  speech  is  used  iiito   hcU  mouth   itsclf '    (this   speech  you 

when    devils    talk    to-  .  . 

gether.  must    imagine    to    be   used    when   devils 

talk  together),  *  for  now  I  cannot  turn  any  way  for  Popish 
priests.  Such  Masses,  such  confessions,  such  trumperies'  (so 
devilishly  did  I  then  term  them),  'such  concourse  of  comers, 
such  goers,  as  you  would  wonder  to  hear  it,  and  verily,' 
quoth  I,  '  unless  I  should  dissemble  in  the  highest  degree, 
there  can  be  no  long  tarrying  for  me  there.'  '  Dissemble,' 
quoth  Justice  Young,  'marry,  what  else,  Mr,  Tyrrell? 
This  was  his  spiritual  Disscmblc,  and  spare  not,  remember  always 

counsel  to  me  his  young  . 

convertite.  the  causc  AX  liercfore  and  why  you    do  it. 

You  can  do  God  no  better  service  than  in  hunting  and 
deciphering  out  traitors  ;  and  as  for  their  works  of  abomi- 
nation that  you  are  forced  to  exercise,  remember  always 
the  example  of  Naaman  Syrus,  that  when  you  are  in  the 
midst  of  all  idolatry,  as  hearing  or  saying  of  Mass,  lift 
Justice  Young's  counsel-  up  your  heart  to  the  only  Lord  of  Israel 
although  you  suffer  your  knees  to  bow  before  this  wicked 
Baal' 

"  Such  were  his  abominable  persuasions,  such  were  his 
damnable  counsels,  scarce  beseeming  a  Turk  or  infidel, 
much  less  one  that  beareth  the  name  of  a  Christian,  and  one 
that  professeth  a  new  Gospel,  one  that  laboureth  to  reduce, 
as  he  saith,  strayed  sheep  home  to  their  fold,  and  to  help 
souls  fallen  into  damnable  state  to  recover  again  the  way 
of  salvation ;  but  in  truth  there  is  no  such  matter,  nor  any 
such  inclination  in  him  and  his  like,  nor  religion  nor  piety 
at  all,  no  wholesome  or  godly  persuasion  shall  you  ever 
hear  at  their  mouths,  but  rather  wickedness,  deceit,  and 
dissimulation  ;  yea,  and  what  dissimulation  .''  Such,  truly, 
as  themselves  protest  to  take  and  account  for  supreme 
abomination,  which  they  make  high  treason  by  the  laws, 
to  wit,  to  say  Masses,  to  hear  Masses,  to  reconcile  to  the 
Church  of  Rome,  and  the  like ;  whereunto  Justice  Young 
persuading  me,  I  see  not  why  he  committed  not  treason, 
and  deserved  not  to  be  hanged  more  than  any  other :  but 
AA  2 


404  The  Fall  of  AjitJiony   Tyrrell. 

nothing  is  cared  for  or  respected,  so  that  their  turns  may- 
be served  against  the  CathoHcs,  let  body  and  soul  run 
headlong  to  the  devil.  And  these  be  the  comforts  that 
a  man  shall  have  that  will  admit  himself  into  their  congre- 
gation. God  deliver  all  good  minds-  from  entering  into 
such  friendships ;  but  my  mind  then  was  not  so  well 
inclined,  although  I  was  not  so  blind  but  that  I  could 
easily  perceive  the  course  and  comforts  of  their  religion, 
yet  I  would  not  behold  the  deformities  thereof,  but  was 
content  to  be  hail  fellow  well  met,  and  to  go  to  the  devil 
with  them  for  company.    God  be  merciful  unto  me  for  it. 

"  But  to  proceed.  When  Justice  Young  had  ended  his 
wholesome  counsel,  '  O  sir,'  quoth  I,  '  but  what  if  I, 
having  made  a  vow  to  relinquish  their  abominable  religion, 
both  to  God  and  my  Lord  Treasurer,  what  and  if  it  should 
chance  that  I  should  be  taken  at  Mass  again  ? '  '  Why,' 
quoth  he,  '  if  you  should,  we  would  dispense  with  you  ;  we 
would  not  think  ever  the  worse  of  you  ;  we  would  make  a 
certain  outward  show  of  displeasure,  and  so  seem  to  trouble 
you,  but  we  would  soon  bring  you  into  your  former  good 
terms  again.'  '  Dispense,'  thought  I,  '  from  whom  received 
.    .     ,,  , .     he  that  authority  .-*      Surely,'  I    imagined. 

Justice   Young :     his  -'  -^  '  o  ' 

dispensation.  .  f^.^j^  ^j^^  ^^^jj  himsclf.'  But  I  thought  his 
dispensation  good  enough  for  my  case  and  condition,  and 
so  smiled  in  my  sleeve,  and  went  on  telling  him  (as  little 
devils  are  wont  to  do  to  Lucifer  when  they  have  been 
abroad  to  work  knavery)  such  matters  as  I  had  found  in 
the  Clink.  I  told  him  of  the  number  of  priests,  of  their 
daily  saying  Mass,  their  several  places  and  chambers,  all 
their  orders,  doings,  times,  and  hours,  as  also  all  their  con- 
veyances that  they  had  for  conveying  away  their  Church 
stuff. 

"  And  thus  I  betrayed  all  the  house  at  the  very  first, 
,,    ,.  .   T        and,    moreover,    discovered    from   time   to 

My  discoverj- to  Jus-  '  ' 

lice  Young  of  the  Clink,  ^j^^^  2\\  \}^Q  comcrs  and  goers  thither,  the 
causes  of  their  coming,  and  to  whom  they  came  as  near  as 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  405 

I  could  learn.  I  told  him  that  it  was  the  only  place  to  get 
good  intelligences,  and  therefore  he  must  keep  secret  and  let 
it  alone,  and  not  meddle  with  it  until  such  time  as  I  were 
despatched  and  gone  from  thence,  and  that  so  I  doubted 
not  but  Avithin  a  short  time  I  should  come  to  the  knowledge 
Such  a  servant  the  thcrc  of  great  things.  He  seemed  very  glad 

devil  had  not  gotten  of 

many  years.  of  my  spccchcs,  and  promiscd  me  not  to 

meddle  in  that  place  until  I  should  be  free  from  all  sus- 
picion. 

"  He    inquired   of    me    if    I     could    get    no    matter 
Young's  appetite  to  against  Father  Edmonds  that  was  prisoner 

entrap  Father  Edmonds 

rt/iax  Weston.  thcrc  (for  the  better  a  man  is,  and  more 

holy,  the  more  spited  he  is,  and  undermined  by  the  devil 
and  his  servants).  I  told  him  that  in  time  I  was  very  like 
to  get  somewhat,  but  as  yet  I  durst  not  be  too  bold 
because  of  his  close  keeping.  I  discovered  notwithstanding 
to  him  the  means  that  Catholics  had  made  to  write  unto 
him,  and  who  were  the  greatest  dealers  with  him,  and 
promised  further  that  I  would  take  an  occasion  to  write 
unto  him  touching  Mr,  Bold's  matter,  and  procure  by  all 
the  means  I  could  to  have  his  answer.  Justice  Young  liked 
very  well  of  my  device,  and  gave  me  great  thanks  and 
many  sweet  words,  and  so  I  came  to  the  Clink  again,  and 
being  returned,  Mr.  Lowe  and  the  rest  of  my  brethren 
priests  were  desirous  to  know  the  cause  of  my  sending  for; 
and  to  be  short,  I  answered  every  one  smoothly,  and  won 
I  had  now  taken  de-  ^ysclf  from  all  susplclon,  imputing  all  to 
greeofcosening.      ^^^  ^^jj^^  ^f  Young,  and  that  his  troublc- 

some  head  could  not  let  me  alone.  Howbeit  I  did  forthwith 
write  to  him  a  letter  back  again,  advertising  him  that  he 
must  send  for  me  very  sparingly,  and  that  upon  colourable 
causes,  and  for  some  others  also,  as  well  as  for  me,  the 
Notable  knavery,  which  advicc  hc  obscrvcd,  and  sent  so  long, 
now  for  me,  and  now  for  another,  as  he  sent  two  of  the 
most  worthy  priests  of  all  the  house  shortly  after  to  the 
gallows,  of  whom  I  shall  speak  more  anon  ;  and  all  this  to 


4o6  The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell. 

colour  my  sending  for,  but  sometimes  he  came  himself  to 
the  Clink,  with  other  commissioners,  to  examine  certain 
gentlemen  upon  causes  ;  and  politicly,  as  he  termed  it, 
he  would  take  an  occasion  to  speak  of  me,  what  a  dangerous 
fellow  I  was,  and  a  man  in  whom  he  neither  found  grace 
nor  goodness,  wherein  he  said  most  truly,  albeit  he  intended 
it  otherwise." 

Thus  writeth  Tyrrell  of  Justice  Young,  and  his  own 
deceitful  manner  of  dealing,  and  of  their  complots  together 
to  ruinate  innocent  men  ;  and  after  this  he  showed  a  mul- 
titude of  innocent  and  good  people  betrayed  by  him, 
Many  men  betrayed  ^s  Mr.  Smith.^  thc  pricst  in  the  Lady 
^^"'^'  Copley's  house;    Mr.  Green,"  in  the  house 

of  Mrs.  White,  which  gentlewoman  afterwards  was  con- 
demned to  death  for  receiving  so  good  a  guest,  and  after 
all  this  he  saith  thus. 

"  I  caused  great  stirs  to  be  made  in  Suffolk  and 
Norfolk ;  Mr.  Suliard  his  house  to  be  searched,  and 
Mr.  Drury's  of  Losell ;  I  betrayed  Mr.  Braddock,^  priest, 
that  was  resident  at  Hull,  and  caused  him  to  be  appre- 
hended and  imprisoned,  as  also  Mr.  Gelibrand  ;*  and 
finally,  I  detected  as  many  places  in  those  counties  as  I 
did  know,  especially  where  I  knew  that  any  priests  fre- 
quented ;  for  few  I  spared  that  either  one  way  or  other  I 
did  not  touch  :  to  report  their  names  it  were  but  over  long 
and  tedious.  Let  every  one  know  that  I  have  most 
grievously  offended  me,  especially  my  dearest  friends,  to 
whom  I  was  most  beholden  ;  but  I  that  was  become  false 
and  cruel  unto  God  Himself,  how  could  I  be  sparing  unto 
any  man }  And  therefore,  leaving  to  make  any  mention  of 
any  particular  person  further  than  the  cause  of  his  parti- 

^  Nicholas  Phipps,    alias   Smith,    was   committed    September   19,    1586. 
Supra,  p.  179. 

'  The  name  is  given  as  Gray,  supra,  p.  385. 

*  lie  was  in  the  Counter  in  Wood  Street  {supra,  pp.  231,  402),  and  at 
Wisbech  with  Father  Weston  (supra,  p.  266). 

*  Nicholas  Gellebrand  was  committed  October  9,  1586.     Supra,  p.  179. 


The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell.  407 

cular  hurt  requireth,  let  it  suffice  that  I  spared  no  county, 
person,  or  place,  that  was  within  the  compass  of  my  know- 
ledge, and   I  was  not  ignorant  of  a  few,  I  did  set  down 

Three  wicked  catalogues,  all  their  namcs  and  dwelling-places,  and 
made  of  them  three  catalogues,  whereof  one  I  sent  to 
the  Queen,  another  I  gave  to  my  Lord  Treasurer,  and 
Justice  Young  hath  the  third. 

"After   that    I    had    betrayed    Mr.   Smith   and   these 
injuriesdone  to  Father  pcrsons  that  I  havc  mentioned,  I  began 

Edmonds,  the  Jesuit.  ^^  ^^^^^  ^^  YzSh^x  Edmonds,  who,  like  an 

innocent  lamb,  never  suspected  that  such  a  ravening  wolf 
had  been  so  near  him,  especially  when  I  seemed  to  be 
covered  with  a  lamb's  skin;  of  whom,  because  I  am  now 
entered  to  talk,  I  think  it  not  amiss  if  I  confess  in  what 
manner  before  I  had  bitten  him  at  my  being  with  my  Lord 
Treasurer,  where,  talking  with  him  of  this  man,  I  told  him 
that  he  and  I  did  ride  together  to  Mr.  Bold's  of  Lanca- 
shire, what  a  dangerous  man  he  was,  how  earnestly  he  had 
persuaded  Mr.  Bold  to  be  reconciled  to  the  See  of  Rome; 
whereas  of  truth  I  knew  no  such  matter,  yet  said  I  that 
he  preached  at  his  house,  and  had  done  much  hurt,  which 
I  protest  was  only  spoken  of  malice,  without  all  truth. 
Also  that  he  was  a  great  man  with  Mr.  Francis  Browne,  and 
a  secret  dealer  with  divers  noblemen,  and  that  he  was  a 
man  very  secret  and  politic,  and  therefore  to  be  looked 
unto,  and  to  be  taken  heed  of;  wherein  I  did  but  show  my 
devilish  nature,  to  speak  the  worst  of  the  best,  and  the  best 
of  the  worst,  for  all  my  speeches  were  but  invectives  of 
spite,  not  having,  in  truth,  any  just  matter,  although  I 
desired  to  accuse  him.     My  lord  then  asked  my  opinion 

what  I  did  think  of  the  man's  learning. 

I  told  my  lord  that  if  his  honour  would 
follow  my  counsel,  he  should  never  be  permitted  to  make 
any  public  appearance,  or  to  be  disputed  withal,  for  that  he 
had  such  a  pestilent  wit  and  deceitful  utterance,  that  he 
would  do  more  hurt  than  his  adversaries  should  be  able  to 


I  knew  the  devil,  fear- 
ful of  the  learned. 


4o8  The  Fall  of  Anlhony   Tyrrell. 

do  any  good  :  and  thus  much  of  my  speeches  of  Father 
Edmonds  before  my  coming  to  the  CHnk." 

[In  his  "third  confession,"^  Tyrrell  wrote  thus  to  Lord 
Burghley  respecting  Father  Weston  and  Father  Cornelius. 
"  Letters  were  sent  sundry  times  and  many  to  Edmonds, 
Jesuit,  by  Persons  and  others,,  received  by  Anthony 
Medcalfe,  dealer  for  Persons,  Birkett  and  Gratley,  which 
informed  how  matters  proceeded  from  them,  and  to  inquire 
advertisement  from  us.  He  advertised  that  things  had 
been  ended  a  long  while  since,  but  there  was  such  strife 
among  our  own  nation  who  should  be  chief  actor  in  the 
cause  that  almost  they  had  marred  all.  The  taking  of 
the  Earl  of  Arundel  was  their  wonderful  loss,  for  if  he 
had  come  over  safely,  he  had  ended  the  quarrel. 

"Francis  Browne  and  his  brother  were  altogether 
governed  by  Edmonds  and  Cornelius.  They  have  been 
by  their  means  conveyed  to  sundry  noblemen.  Their 
practice  and  dealings  have  been  most  secret,  as  likely 
to  be  most  perilous.  I  have  heard  Edmonds  tell  me  that 
he  hath  said  Mass  before  the  Lord  Compton  and  others 
of  the  Court,  preached,  and  was  well  rewarded  for  his 
pains. 

"  Cornelius  was  thought  the  fittest  man  for  to  preach 
before  ladies  and  gentlemen,  both  for  his  sweet  and 
plausible  tongue  and  for  that  he  could  best  counterfeit 
simplicity.  It  was  laboured  that  one  lady  should  inform 
another,  and  get  him  made  famous  to  some  of  her 
Majesty's  Privy  Chamber,  that  so  soon  as  any  of  them 
could  be  catched  to  affect  our  religion,  that  then  some 
of  us  that  could  court  it  should  be  brought  familiar 
amongst  them,  and  by  corrupting  such  as  should  be  near 
her  Majesty,  we  might  have  better  means  to  practise  any 
further  treachery."] 

"  But  after  my  coming  thither  [the  Clink],  as  I  said,  I 
had  a  continual  longing  to  get  somewhat  from  this  innocent 

*  P.R.O.,  Mary  Queen  of  Seats,  vol.  xix.  n.  76;  dated  Sept.  2,  1586. 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  409 

man,  wherewith  I  might  hurt  or  despatch  him,  not  for  any 
particular  malice  or  spite  that  I  did  bear  to  him,  but  of 
a  devilish  instigation  to  please  the  humours  of  his  enemies ; 
and  first  I  did  write  to  him  a  letter  of  my  own,  lying  in 
the  same  prison,  wherein  I  informed  him  of  many  things 
as  touching  Mr.  Bold,  himself,  and  me,  which  letter  he 
answered  with  such  charity  and  wisdom  as  commonly  he 
did  all  other  things  else,  that  I  could  take  no  hold  or 
advantage  against  him :  howbeit  such  as  it  was,  at  my  next 
coming  I  showed  it  to  Justice  Young.  I  observed  that  the 
chief  dealer  with  Father  Edmonds  was  a  good  priest 
named  Mr,  Lowe,  and  how  that  Mr.  Lowe  did  write  him 
Of  Mr.  Lowe,  a  blessed  "^any  letters,  as  occasion  served,  about  his 
"^"'  necessary  business,  and  received  answers, 

which  things  I  perverted  always  in  evil  part  to  Justice 
Young,  reporting  what  posting  of  letters  there  was  to  and 
fro,  which  no  doubt  but  imported  greatly  the  State;  and 
so  I  think  verily  they  did  import  the  state  of  the  whole 
house,  how  the  poor  prisoners  might  find  money  to  pay 
for  their  commons,  to  get  relief  to  preserve  themselves 
from  famine,  hunger,  and  cold :  other  State  matters  I 
protest  I  knew  none,  to  be  treated  by  them.  I  would, 
besides  that,  be  always  prying  in  Mr.  Lowe,  his  chamber, 
among  his  papers,  to  pick  out  what  I  could  find  that  might 
concern  Father  Edmonds'  overthrow,  and  with  much  ado 
I  found  at  the  last  but  only  two  writings  of  his  own  hand  ; 
the  one  concerned  an  answer  that  a  Catholic  might  make 
to  the  Oath  of  Supremacy  if  it  were  tendered  to  him,  and 
the  other  was  of  matter  that  now  I  remember  not,  but  sure 
I  am  that  they  could  not  hurt  or  prejudice  the  least  hair 
of  his  head  for  any  harm  that  was  contained  in  them,  yet 
the  one  I  sent  to  my  Lord  Treasurer,  and  the  other  I  did 
give  to  Justice  Young,  inveighing,  notwithstanding,  still 
against  the  man,  according  to  the  abundance  of  my  mali- 
cious humour,  not  given  to  speak  well  of  any  good  man. 
I  informed  withal  that  the  said  Father  Edmonds  did  send 


4IO  The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell. 

many  letters  abroad,  notwithstanding  his  close  imprison- 
ment, which  would  be  very  dangerous,  and  breed  great 
mischief,  if  it  were  not  remedied;  all  which  truly  I  did  but 
imagine,  and  speak  according  to  the  malice  wherewith  my 
mind  w^as  possessed  at  that  time. 

"  About   this   time   that    I  was  a  practising  of  these 

matters  in  the  Clink,  came  the  time  of  the   arraignment 

of  Mr.  Ballard  and  his  company  in  Westminster,  and   as 

the  same   Ballard  with  his  company  were   coming   from 

Westminster   that    very   day,    when    they 

My     meeting     with 

Mr.  Ballard,  together  j^g^^j  reccivcd   thc  scntcncc  of   death  and 

with  his  company,  con- 

^^■""^'^-  judgment,  and  were  returning  back  again 

to  the  Tower,  it  was  my  hap  to  be  upon  the  Thames  in 
a  boat,  together  \vith  my  keeper's  man,  going  to  Justice 
Young,  and  by  the  way  it  was  my  hap  to  meet  the  barge 
that  carried  thc  prisoners,  and  to  come  so  near  it  that 
I  looked  Mr.  Ballard  full  in  the  face,  and  he  earnestly 
beheld  me,  but,  good  Lord !  how  I  was  confounded  to 
behold  the  man,  knowing  the  abominable  slanders  I  had 
given  out  of  him,  and  not  knowing  Avhat  torment  he  had 
sustained^  by  reason  of  my  horrible  accusations,  and  Avhether 
that  his  death  was  any  the  more  hastened  through  my 
means,  and  whether  any  of  the  rest  were  unjustly  made 
away  and  condemned  through  my  false  accusations  ;  for 
certain  I  was  I  had  very  falsely  accused  them,  and  that 
very  unjustly  upon  my  accusations  they  might  have  been 
made  aw^ay  and  condemned  :  and  howsoever  otherwise  they 
might  offend  her  Majesty  or  her  laws,  God,  He  knoweth ; 
but  sure  I  am  that  I  accused  so  many  most  falsely,  and 
that  of  no  small  matters,  as  before  I  have  set  down,  God 
forgive  me  for  it,  and  of  all  their  souls  I  ask  most  humble 
pardon." 

^  "This  day  a  senant  of  Anthony  Fortescue's  came  from  London  with 
report  of  the  arraignment,  and  that  Ballard  the  priest  hath  been  so  racked  as 
he  was  carried  to  the  bar  and  arraigned  in  a  chair."  Secret  Advertisements  to 
Walsingham,  September  i6,  1586.  r.R.O.,  Mary  Queen  of  Scots,  vol.  xix. 
n.  103. 


411 


CHAPTER   X. 

HOW  HE  BROUGHT  TO  THEIR  ENDS  THREE  OTHER 
GODLY  PRIESTS,  NAMED  MR.  LOWE,  ADAMS,  AND 
DIBDALE,  AND  OF  THE  MATTER  OF  EXORCISMS 
PRACTISED     IN     PECKHAM     PLACE. 

Ballard  and  his  company  being  dispatched  of  their  lives, 
and  that  particularly  upon  this  man's  false  accusations  as 
you  have  heard  himself  recount,  and  no  matter  of  moment 
to  be  picked  against  Father  Edmonds  the  Jesuit  to  make 
him  away,  Justice  Young  counselled  with  Tyrrell  of 
sending  some  other  to  the  gallows,  wherein  Tyrrell 
willingly  gave  his  helping  hand,  as  by  his  own  narrative 
that  follovveth  you   shall   perceive. 

"  Within  few  days  after  these  former  proceedings,'' 
saith  he,  "was  the  time  come  that  there  should  be  a 
sessions  at  Newgate,  at  which  time  commonly  they  miss 
not  to  bring  some  good  man  or  other  to  his  trial,  and 
Justice  Young,  who  of  all  others  is  a  man  most  busy  to 
send  good  men  to  God,  although  their  happiness  so  far 
forth  be  far  against  his  wicked  meaning,  yet  not  con- 
taining his  malice  to  cut  them  off  from  their  temporal 
lives,  he  would  be  informed  of  me  what  man  I  thought  in 
the  Clink  to  be  most  dangerous ;  and  then  before  Almighty 
Mr.Lowe  and  Mr.  Adams  God   and  the  world    I  accusc    mysclf 

falsely  impeached  unto  death  ii/r       t  •    ii 

by  me.  of    impeaching    Mr.  Lowe,    especially, 

and  as  I  think,  Mr.  Adams,[as  two  of  the  greatest  meddlers 
and  the  one  of  them  to  have  been  before  a  banished  man,^ 
and  consequently  to  be  more  obnoxious  to  the  law,  and 
the  other  to  be  one  that  did  much  hurt  both  abroad  and 
within  the  house,  what  resolute  Papists  they  both  were,  how 

^  John  Adams  was  banished  in  1585.     Supra,  p.  72. 


412  The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell. 

full  of  lewd  practices,  for  disturbers  of  the  commonwealth 
in  gaining  of  her  Majesty's  subjects  unto  the  See  of  Rome, 
with  such  other  invectives  as  were  very  likely  to  speed 
them. 

"  He  asked  me  moreover,  what  I  thought  of  Dibdale, 

and  of  his  exorcisms.      I  answered  that  he  was  a  great 

.  ,.    hypocrite,  and    a    great    deludcr    of    the 

My  accusations  and  clis-       ^  ^  *-" 

patch  of  Mr. Dibdale.  -^orld,  with  thosc  matters  of  sorcery  and 
witchcraft,  and  those  lewd  actions,  as  then  I  termed  them, 
had  done  much  harm,  whereof  I  said  he  was  the  first 
author.  And  now  because  I  am  entered  into  these 
matters  of  exorcisms,  although  in  the  beginning^  I  have 
already  somewhat  touched  them,  yet  can  I  not  pass  them 
over  but  that  somewhat  I  must  say  in  this  place  to 
manifest  unto  the  world  how  directly  I  did  speak  against 
my  own  knowledge  and  conscience,  and  how  innocently 
Mr.  Dibdale  did  suffer  death,  being  wonderfully  slandered 
by  me  and  Justice  Young,  as  if  these  things  had  been 
matters  only  by  him  invented,  and  plain  illusions,  and 
that  the  assembling  together  of  these  companies  to 
Catholic  exorcisms  had  been  to  play  the  naughty  packs, 
or  to  some  other  ungodly  end. 

"  A  wonder  sure  it  is,  good  Christian  reader,  to  see  how 
,  far  the  malice  of  a  wretched  sinner  may 

A  most  true  discourse  of  ' 

the  exorcisms.  extend,  and  I  do  now  vehemently  wonder 
at  myself  that  ever  I  could  so  maliciously  open  my  lips 
as  to  speak  a  thing  so  contrary  to  my  own  knowledge, 
for  the  defacing  and  annihilating  of  that  which  I  did  know 
to  be  most  certain  and  true,  and  that  hundreds  of  persons 
might  condemn  me  for  denying  it ;  but  you  must  not 
wonder  how  I  was  come  to  that  pass,  that  I  was  ready 
to  deny  that  there  was  a  God  in  heaven,  or  would  have 
been  brought  to  affirm  or  deny  anything.  But  to  answer 
the  matter  truly  before  God,  and  without  all  dissimulation 
(for  if  I  should  conceal  it,  God  would  make  the  very  stones 

^  Chapter  ii.     Supra,  p.  326. 


The  Fall  of  A7ithony  Tyrrell.  413 

in  the  street  to  utter  it  for  the  reveahng  of  His  glory),  this 
I  say,  that  had  I  never  been  a  Catholic,  or  not  known 
what  the  Catholic  religion  meant,  upon  the  seeing  of 
those  sights  that  I  did  see,  and  beholding  those  wonders 
that  I  did  behold,  far  passing  any  human  reach  or  under- 
standing, I  could  not  have  chosen  but  that  either  I  must 
have  acknowledged  myself  a  most  wicked  limb  of  the 
devil,  or  else  I  must  needs  have  embraced  that  religion 
by  whose  virtue  these  were  done.  If  I  were  able  to 
explicate  to  the  ear  of  a  man  that  which  I  did  there 
behold  with  my  eye,  I  should  make  any  man  unacquainted 
with  those  things  highly  to  wonder,  whereas  now  per- 
adventure  they  will  think  them  incredible. 

"  Think  what  they  will,  there  be  members  of  worshipful 
[families]  and  others  that  have  been  eye-witnesses  as  well  as 
myself,  who  can  certify  that  I  do  not  lie,  and  for  the  confir- 
mation of  these  truths  I  would  willingly  be  content  to  seal 
it  with  my  blood,  as  that  most  worthy  martyr  Mr.  Dibdale 
hath  already  done ;  whose  holy  spirit  I  hope  now  prayeth 
for  me,  most  vile  and  sinful  wretch,  that  sometime  was 
partaker  with  him  of  his  earnest  and  extreme  labours  in 
conjuring  of  those  accursed  and  damned  spirits,  enemies 
both  to  God  and  man,  who  seek  not  only  the  destruction 
of  our  souls,  but  let  not  also  to  torment  our  bodies  what 
they  can. 

"  These  cursed  spirits,  I  say,  would  lie  in  the  bodies  of 
The  names  of  possessed  ^hosc  posscsscd  creaturcs,  which  wcrc 
peopiecuredbyexorcsms.  ^^^^^  -^^  number:  Richard  Mayne,  gentle- 
man; William  Trayford,  servant  unto  Mr,  Edward  Peckham; 
William  Marwood,  servant  some  time  to  the  Lord  Vaux ; 
Friswide  Owcn,^  and  Sara  Owen,  sisters,  whose  father  and 
mother  dwelt  in  Denham  parish  in  the  county  of  Buck- 
ingham; Anne  Smith,  that  waited  on  young  Mrs.  Mayney, 

^  Supra,  p.  104.  The  surname  was  Williams ;  the  Christian  name, 
corrupted  into  Friswood  and  Fid,  was  evidently  Frideswide,  taken  from  the 
patroness  of  Oxford. 


414  The  Fall  of  Anthony    Tyrrell. 

and  another  maid  that  served  my  Lady  Pcckham,  whose 
name  I  have  forgotten. 

"All  these  persons  were  notoriously  known  to  be 
possessed,  of  whom,  if  I  should  write  the  particular 
accidents  that  happened  to  each  one  of  them,  neither  can 
I  if  I  would,  and  it  would  rise  unto  a  huge  and  wonderful 
great  volume  ;  it  shall  suffice  that  I  speak  of  every  one 
something  for  the  proof  of  the  matter  that  we  have  in 
hand,  to  convince  the  slander  of  the  enemy  to  yield 
Almighty  God  His  deserved  praise  and  glory,  and  to 
the   purging   of   His   saints." 

Thus  far  are  Tyrrell's  words. 

And  after  this  he  maketh  a  large  and  particular 
relation  of  many  wonderful  thing3  that  he  saw  many 
times  and  heard  pass  with  his  own  ears,  in  Sir  George 
Peckham's  house  in  the  parish  of  Denham,  by  the  virtue 
of  Catholic  exorcisms  of  the  Church  made  by  divers  godly 
priests  there,  which  for  brevity's  sake,  and  for  that  they 
be  not  much  different  from  that  he  mentioned  briefly 
before  in  the  second  chapter,  I  do  here  omit  to  set  down, 
and  will  pass  over  to  his  conclusion  of  all,  which  is  this 
that  followeth. 

"Notwithstanding  all  this  which  I  had  seen  with  my 
own  eyes,  and  heard  with  my  own  cars,  whereby  my 
faith,  if  it  had  been  weak,  might  wonderfully  have  been 
comforted,  or  if  it  had  been  none  might  have  been  newly 
kindled  and  increased,  and  whereby  my  dull  mind  might 
have  been  justly  provoked  to  glorify  God  for  the  wonders 
which  never  could  be  blotted  out  of  my  remembrance, 
that  I  should  notwithstanding,  after  I  had  consented  to 
revolt  from  God,  and  to  betake  myself  to  the  devil  directly, 
go  against  my  own  knowledge,  and  tell  Justice  Young 
they  were  but  mere  illusions  and  inventions,  I  cannot 
but  wonder  to  conceive  it.  O  good  Lord  !  Thou  knowest 
that  I  did  not  fall  from  the  Eternal  Majesty  by  any  error 
or  deceit  of  judgment,  nor  could   I   be  carried  away  by 


The  Fall  of  A7itho7iy  Tyrrell.  415 

any  colourable  persuasion  of  the  enemy,  but  I  fell  from 

Thee  with  a  malicious  wilfulness,  and  what  I  could    do 

•Ki,  A        .    1,  .•     more    heinously    I    know    not,    unless    I 

My  desperate  obsti-  •'  ' 

"^''°"-  should   have   cursed   Thee   to   Thy   face; 

unless  I  should  have  openly  blasphemed  Thy  truth,  as 
those  wicked  spirits  of  hell  do  ;  unless  I  should  say  unto 
Thee  plainly,  '  Depart  from  me,  I  will  none  of  Thy  ways, 
I  will  not  acknowledge  Thy  testimonies  wherewith  Thou 
hast  convinced  me,  I  will  contradict  whatsoever  Thou  hast 
said  or  done,  and  bury  Thy  wonders  if  I  can  in  all 
oblivion ; '  yet  all  this  my  malice  had  been  nothing  in 
respect  of  the  other. 

"  O  Lord !  how  often  did  I  fear  lest  Thou  wouldst 
openly  have  shown  some  wonderful  accident,  for  my 
further  condemnation,  and  for  the  confusion  of  the  enemy, 
when  Thou  didst  permit  the  wenches  to  be  taken,  and 
committed  into  Bridewell,  brought  unto  the  sessions  at 
Newgate — how  much,  I  say,  did  I  fear  lest  Thou  wouldst 
have  permitted  the  devils  to  have  shown  themselves  in 
the  face  of  the  world;  but  that  Thou  didst  not  think  it 
so  expedient,  how  glad  was  I  when  those  matters  were 
so  shuffled  up,  because  the  world  might  not  cry  out  of  me 
for  my  malicious  and  wilful  contradiction. 

"  And  when  it  came  to  pass  that  Mr.  Dibdale  was  to 
end  his  last  act  in  this  life,  at  which  time  above  all  others 
men  do  not  use  to  lie,  it  being  asked  him  upon  his  death 
whether  it  were  true  that  the  maids  had  such  things  as 
Mr.  Dibdale  martyred,  wcrc  spokcn  of  in  their  bodics  or  not, 
and  by  what  means  they  were  got  out,  Mr.  Dibdale  there 
wished  that  he  might  never  see  the  face  of  the  Almighty 
God  if  the  things  were  not  true  as  they  have  been  spoken ; 
and  this  being  said  in  the  face  of  the  world,  that  all  that 
heard  him  how  far  soever  they  be  affected  to  the  contrary 
religion,  yet  can  they  not,  nor  will  they,  deny  but  that 
he  took  his  death  upon  it :  and  yet,  notwithstanding, 
Justice   Young   did  say  quite   the   contrary  of  the  man, 


41 6  TJic  Fall  of  Anl/iony   Tyrrell. 

both  living  and  dead,  and  namely  that  at  the  time  of  his 

death   he   should   deny   these   things   to   be   true.      And 

,    .     ,.      .         surely  had  I  not  been  of  as  bad  a  mind 

Justice    \  oung  s    no-  ^ 

tonousiies.         ^j.  ^Qrsc  than  he  myself,  I    should   have 

now  cried  out  upon  him  ;  but  he  may  say  he  did  but  as 

I  did  myself,  speak  falsely  of  things   most  certain   and 

-    ,  .  true,  and   so    may  he   take   me   up   with 

Two  lying  companions  *  ■^  ^ 

shake  hands.  my  own  fault !  but  let  me  answer  Justice 
Young  again,  and  desire  him  that  we  both  may  then 
amend,  for  the  truth  of  God's  cause  is  not  to  be  trodden 
down  by  lying. 

"  But  to  turn  again  to  these  three  most  glorious 
martyrs,  Mr.  Lowe,  Mr.  Adams,  and  Mr.  Dibdale,  how 
unjustly  they  were  condemned  to  death,  the  one  for 
conjurations,  the  other  two  for  their  priesthood,  which 
now  in  this  unhappy  age  by  the  new  laws  of  this  realm 
is  made  treason.  But  if  to  be  a  priest  is  to  be  a  traitor, 
as  also  to  reconcile  a  man's  self,  confess  his  sins,  and  to 
be  absolved,  then  am  I  sure  there  can  none  but  traitors 
get  to  heaven ;  for  if  there  be  a  God,  a  Christ,  a  Christian 
religion,  the  only  way  taught  by  this  God  to  enjoy  His 
kingdom  is  by  priesthood,  and  the  administration  of  His 
holy  sacraments  by  reconciling  of  sinners  unto  His  grace 
and  favour,  when  they  have  fallen  away  from  God  through 
sin.  And  thus  were  all  Christians  taught  in  our  country, 
and  all  others,  from  the  beginning  unto  this  our  miserable 
age.  And  if  there  be  any  hope  of  salvation  yet  left  for 
-ru    u  ,       J  1.       me  a  wretched  sinner  (as  God's  mercy  is 

1  he    holy    and    happy  ^  ^ 

treasons  of  our  times,     ^j^,^^    ^^     ^^^^    ^^^^    ^^^    f^j.    j^    ^^,j^J^    hcarty 

repentance  in  this  life),  then  must  I  come  to  my  salvation 
by  this  kind  of  treason.  I  mean  by  reconciling  myself 
to  God  by  confessing  my  sins,  by  doing  penance,  by 
receiving  the  holy  sacraments,  the  which  I  cannot  do 
but  at  the  hands  of  a  priest  that  is  a  traitor,  as  our 
people  term  him.  O  blessed  traitor  !  O  happy 
treason !    If  to  die  for  God's  cause  and  God's  Church  be 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  ^ly 

treason,  God  make  me  so  happy  as  to  become  such  a 
traitor,  and  die  for  that,  and  in  that  treason  ;  and  if  I 
had  ten  thousand  lives  I  would  I  might  die  for  such 
treason.  Happy,  and  thrice  happy  are  you,  blessed 
Dibdale,  Lowe,  and  Adams — whatsoever  you  are  accounted 
of  in  this  world,  you  are  no  doubt  most  renowned  martyrs 
in  heaven.  I  beseech  you  pray  for  me  that  am  indeed 
a  most  miserable  and  wretched  traitor  to  God  and  man, 
for  I  am  the  traitor  which  have  betrayed  my  Master, 
injured  His  anointed,  forsaken  my  faith,  abandoned  my 
religion,  dishonoured  my  order,  and  betaken  me  unto  rotten 
and  human  helps  that  have  nor  power  nor  might  to  help 
me.  You,  alas  !  what  treasons  have  you  committed,  but 
only  for  serving  God  according  to  your  functions,  for 
saying  of  Masses,  for  oflfering  up  that  unbloody  Sacrifice, 
that  Immaculate  Lamb  that  taketh  away  the  sins  of  the 
world,  for  reconciling  of  sinners  to  Almighty  God,  for 
_,   .  ,..      absolving  by  your    priestly  power    their 

The  innocence  of  these  t>        J      j  c  J      r 

holy  martyrs.  gj^^g  ^^^  offcnces,  and  by  doing  other  like 
actions  most  laudable  and  necessary  to  salvation,  which 
all  other  holy  priests  and  bishops  have  done  and  practised 
in  England  from  her  first  conversion  to  the  Christian 
religion  unto  this  age;  and  as  well  might  all  they  have 
been  hanged  for  these  treasons  by  Justice  Young  and 
his  fellows  as  you.  Wherefore  of  your  charity  I  pray 
you,  pray  for  me,  since  now  you  triumph  in  heaven,  since 
no  human  or  infernal  power  can  any  way  hurt  or  harm 
you,  I  pray  you  pray  for  me,  and  pardon  me  my  grievous 
offences  that  I  have  done  you.  And  thus  leaving  you 
now  triumphing  in  your  Master's  kingdom,  I  will  return 
again  unto  the  unfolding  of  my  own  wretchedness  here 
upon  earth,  full  of  human  misery  and  desolation. 

"To  return  therefore  from  whence  I  have  digressed, 

this   I   have  briefly  set  down  as  touching  the  verity  of 

the  exorcisms,  the  innocence  of  my  dear  brethren  whom 

I  so  falsely  accused,  and  for  confirmation  of  the  Catholic 

SB 


41 8  Tlie  Fall  of  A7itho7iy   Tyrrell. 

cause,  for  the  which  I  would  I  might  be  worthy  to  spend 
my  blood  ;  but  alas,  I  am  not  worthy,  God's  holy  will 
be  fulfilled.  And  this  is  the  feeling  now  of  my  doings 
at  that  time,  though  I,  being  void  of  God's  grace,  pro- 
ceeded still  in  my  accursed  course,  as  hereafter  I  shall 
set  down." 


CHAPTER   XL 

HOW  HE  GOETH  FORWARD  WITH  HIS  COURSE  OF  DIS- 
SIMULATION AND  SPIERY,  AND  THE  DISPENSATION 
GIVEN  HIM  FOR  THE  SAME  BY  JUSTICE  YOUNG,  FOR 
SAYING  MASS,  AND  HEARING  CONFESSIONS,  RECON- 
CILING, AND  THE  LIKE,  IS  CONFIRMED  BY  THE  LORD 
TREASURER   AND   THE   QUEEN'S   ORDER. 

There  foUoweth  in  Tyrrell's  narrative  how  he  proceeded 
still  in  his  most  mischievous  and  damnable  course  of 
dissembling  and  betraying  of  his  fellows,  wherein  he  was 
allowed  and  dispensed  withal  by  Justice  Young,  as  before 
we  have  heard  in  the  ninth  chapter,  and  now  we  shall 
see  it  confirmed  by  the  letter  of  the  Lord  Treasurer, 
and  authority  also  of  the  Queen  herself  The  narrative 
is  set  down  by  Tyrrell  in  these  words. 

"  These  blessed  men,  Mr.  Dibdale,  Mr.  Lowe,  and  Mr. 

Adams  thus  made  away,  howsoever  my  conscience  might 

be  clogged  for  the  blood  so  unjustly  spilt  let  all  good  men 

M  1  ^  •    .     judge,  but  what  grief  could  long  endure  in 

My  especial  desire  to     J        *>    '  t-  & 

entrap  Father  Edmonds.  ^  dcspcratc  mind  I  did  wcar  it  out.  I  went 
forward  in  my  pretended  wickedness.  I  laboured  still  to 
have  entrapped  more,  and  chiefly  Father  Edmonds.  I 
informed  of  many  comers  unto  him,  and  especially 
of  Mr.  Francis  Browne,  whereas  I  never  knew  his  coming 
to  speak  with  him.  But  at  length  Father  Edmonds  and 
Mr.   Smith    the    priest,    being    placed    together    in    one 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  419 

chamber/  and  removed  somewhat  nearer  unto  me,  I 
informed  how  they  had  Mass  every  day,  how  many  were 
let  in  and  how  oftentimes  unto  them,  how  they  made 
exhortations  and  preachings  at  times  unto  companies,  and 
who  they  were  that  heard  them.  I  informed  how  that 
Mr.  Smith  had  reconciled  one  Willis,  that  was  laid  into 
prison  by  the  commandment  of  Sir  Francis  Walsingham, 
upon  displeasure  that  Sir  Francis  Drake  had  conceived 
against  him  ;  I  told  how  that  of  a  Puritan  he  was  made 
now  an  earnest  Papist.  I  did  continually  send  letters 
unto  my  Lord  Treasurer  and  to  Justice  Young,  of 
matters  of  intelligence,  heaping  up  most  horrible  and 
shameful  lies,  after  which  letters  written  I  received  from 
my  Lord  Treasurer  a  letter  of  his  own  handwriting,  which 
he  sent  unto  me  a  little  before  his  going  down  unto  the 
Scottish  Queen,  the  copy  whereof  is  this  that  followeth. 
His  own  letter  as  yet  I  have  to  be  seen. 

"  The  copy  of  a  letter  written  unto  me  by  my  Lord  Treasurer  during 
the  time  of  my  being  in  the  Clink. 

"  I   have  three   or  four   days   past  read   your   letters 

written  since  you  came  to  the  Clink,  and  by  reason  of 

my   continual   business  I  have   deferred   to   answer  you, 

which  in  truth  at  this  time  I  cannot  do  so  largely  as  if 

I  were  free  from  business  I  would.      Therefore  in  brief 

this  know  you,  that  I  like  both  your  wisdom  and  loyalty 

so  well,  as  I  can  find  nothing  to  advise  you  of  otherwise 

than  I  see  yourself  hath   thought.      Your    dissimulation 

Ahoiydetennination,a   's   to    a    good    cnd,   and  therefore  both 

scrupulous  conscience,    tolerable  and  commendable.    I  pray  you 

therefore  persevere  therein,  as  I  will  persevere  in  good  will. 

"In  haste,  23rd  of  September,  1586. 

"Your  loving  friend, 

"  W.  BURGHLEY. 

^  Supra,  p.  194. 
BB   2 


420  The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell. 

"  This  letter  was  sealed  with  his  seal  of  arms  and 
superscribed  'To  Anthony  Tyrrell.'  True  it  is  that  during 
the  time  of  my  being  in  the  Clink,  and  dissembling  there 
so  deeply  as  I  did,  as  well  in  going  to  confession  as  unto 
the  altar,  and  in  all  my  talk  and  conversation,  although 
that  I  had  written  most  odible  [hateful]  matter  unto  my  lord 
against  Catholics  and  the  Catholic  religion,  I  thought  yet 
with  myself  that  my  lord  being  wise,  and  knowing  the 
manner  of  my  bringing  up  all  the  days  of  my  life,  and 
always  until  that  time  to  have  continued  a  firm  Catholic, 
and  now  hearing  again  of  my  order  and  conversation  in 
saying  daily  Mass,  and  doing  other  such  exercises  as 
appertained  unto  the  Catholic  religion,  might  grow  perhaps 
into  some  suspense  or  suspicion  of  my  doings,  and  think 
that  in  heart  I  were  so  suspected  still.  Therefore  I  did 
write  unto  him  the  causes  of  my  conversation,  giving  him 
to  understand  that  if  it  were  his  pleasure  to  have  me 
remain  as  I  did,  I  must  of  necessity  dissemble  deeply, 
otherwise  my  being  there  were  to  little  purpose,  where- 
upon he  did  write  me  that  letter  which  I  have  mentioned, 
wherein,  according  to  that  which  Young  had  told  me 
My  Lord  Treasurer's  beforc,    hc    commeudcth   me,    and    liketh 

conscience  at  one  with  ,  ,  .,        .  i       t     i 

Justice  Young's.  my  wisdom ;  while   m  truth  1   know  not 

what  wisdom  he  could  mean,  unless  it  were  for  forsaking 
of  God,  and  giving  myself  wholly  unto  the  devil  as  now 
I  had  done. 

"  And  as  for  my  loyalty,  I  think  he  meant  in  betraying 
of  innocents,  in  spilling  of  their  blood,  in  heaping  God's 
vengeance  upon  my  own  head.  If  for  this  wisdom  and 
loyalty  I  were  to  be  commended,  I  was  rightly  com- 
mended, otherwise  not.  But  I  contemned  this  counsel 
as  fitter  in  truth  for  a  heathen  than  for  a  Christian,  and 
fitter  for  one  to  be  misled  in  all  impiety  than  to  be 
converted  unto  a  good  religion.  I  began  also  by  this  new 
and  strange  counsel  to  lament  the  loss  of  my  old  friends, 
and  to  wonder  at  my  new.     I  thought  it  a  very  strange 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  421 

metamorphosis  to  be  entertained  after  that  manner.  '  They 
have  no  care  surely/  thought  I,  *of  my  soul,'  and  in  truth 
I  did  wish  then  that  I  should  not,  for  I  found  myself 
past  all  care  of  myself,  yet  could  I  not  but  somewhat 
discourse  in  my  mind  of  the  fruits  of  this  new  religion. 
The  end  I  looked  for  at  their  hands,  of  all  this  favour, 
I  was  sure  would  be  despair,  hell,  death,  and  damnation, 
yet  had  the  devil  such  power  over  me,  and  Almighty 
God  so  little,  that  forward  I  went,  and  purposed  in  truth 
never  to  have  made  an  end  until  hell  gates  had  inclosed 
me. 

Thus  far  are  Tyrrell's  words  of  his  new  friends  and 
own  state.  But  after  this  he  telleth  divers  treasons  that 
he  committed  again  against  divers  priests  and  others,  both 
men  and  women,  whose  names  and  estates  he  learned  out 
by  the  priests  and  Catholics  that  frequented  the  Clink, 
and  caused  them  all  to  be  taken,  as  Mr.  Sayer,  and 
Mr.  Simpson,  priests,  Mr.  Henry  Vaux,  son  to  the  Lord 
Vaux ;  also  he  haunted  greatly  to  spy  out  Father 
Southwell  and  Father  Garnet,  Jesuits,  but  could  not ; 
moreover,  he  betrayed  the  innocent  maids  which  had 
been  possessed,  as  before  hath  been  said,  of  whom  he 
writeth  himself  in  the  manner  following,  in  his  confession. 

"About  this  time  word  was  brought  me  to  the  Clink 
by  some  Catholics,  that  Friswide  Owen  and  Anne  Smith 
__   ,       .      ,       .  had  broken  out  of  the  prison  at  Bridewell, 

The  betraying  of  certain  ••■ 

niaids.  ^^^^   j,gp^    g^^.  ^^    French  Ambassador's. 

Whereupon  I  took  an  occasion  to  write  to  the  Lord 
Treasurer,  and  among  other  matters  I  gave  him  warning 
that  he  should  have  a  care  what  became  of  these  maids, 
for  if  they  should  be  conveyed  over  beyond  the  seas,  as 
I  heard  say  the  French  Ambassador  was  about  it,  their 
matter  would  bring  more  trouble  unto  England  than 
easily  would  be  repressed  again.  I  did  write  at  the  same 
time  I  remember,  a  letter  unto  her  Majesty,  and  sent  it 
unto  Justice  Young  to  be  delivered.     I  think  the  contents 


422  The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell. 

imported  chiefly  the  joy  that  I  had  received  of  my  new 
conversion,  although  I  did  know  how  much  all  priests 
would  inveigh  against  me  both  with  tongue  and  pen  when 
it  should  be  known,  howbeit  I  feared  not  so  I  might  be 
defended  by  her  Majesty's  protection,  with  other  such- 
like speeches,  the  copies  of  which  letters  I  kept  not,  so 
I  cannot  set  them  down  verbatim,  as  they  were  written, 
but  upon  the  sending  of  this  letter  Justice  Young  returned 
me  an  answer  in  a  letter  written  by  his  own  hand,  the 
copy  whereof  is  this  that  followeth. 

"  The  copy  of  Justice  Young  his  first  letter,  sent  to  me  to  the  Clink. 

"With  my  hearty  commendations  unto  you,  this  is 
to  advertise  you  that  I  have  been  with  her  Majesty,  who 
most  graciously  received  your  letter,  and  gave  me  com- 
mandment to  will  you  to  be  bold  and  to  fear  no  man, 
for  her  Majesty  will  back  you,  and  you  must  depend  only 
upon  her  and  no  other,  and  she  rejoiceth  and  praises  God 
for  your  conversion,  which  made  her  to  rejoice  when  I 
told  her  of  your  constancy;  and  she  commanded  me  to 
will  you  to  set  down  to  her  Majesty  in  writing,  all  such 
as  you  know  to  be  recusants  and  are  reconciled  to  the 
Church  of  Rome,  of  what  estate  soever  he  or  she  be  of: 
^  .         .   ,  .       and  touching  the  wenches  and  where  they 

Fnuts  required  in  a  o  j 

convertite.  ^^^  j  j^^^^  advcrtiscd  hcr  Majesty,  and 
I  perceive  you  have  written  to  my  Lord  Treasurer  of 
it.  And  if  you  do  lack  anything  let  me  have  knowledge, 
and  I  will  furnish  you.  My  lord  came  but  this  night  to 
London,  and  to-morrow  he  doth  go  to  the  Court,  and 
at  his  coming  back  which  will  be  upon  Monday,  he  will 
answer  your  letter,  and  there  should  be  order  taken  for 
you,  but  hcr  Majesty  doth  mean  to  employ  you  in  finding 
out  of  those  traitors,  and  would  have  you  to  keep  your 
credit  with  them  to  the  end  you  may  the  better  decipher 
T».        .-    ,    ,-      them.    And  I  pray  you  if  you  can  learn 

Dispensation  for  dis-  ir      J     J  J 

sembhng.  where  any  of  these  priests  be  abroad  to 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  423 

advertise  me.  I  pray  you  let  me  hear  from  you,  and  send 
your  mind  in  writing  to  her  Majesty,  for  I  must  be  with 
her  Tuesday  next  Thus  in  haste  I  commit  you  to  the 
Ahnighty,  desiring  Him  to  preserve  you.  This  21st 
October,  1586. 

"Your  friend  assured, 

"Richard  Young. 

"  This  was  the  first  letter  which  I  received  from  Justice 
Young,  wherein  he  mentioneth  a  letter  of  mine  that  he 
delivered  unto  her  Majesty ;  the  contents  of  which  letter 
I  have  mentioned  before  as  near  as  I  remember,  which 
chiefly,  I  say,  concerned  the  joy  I  had  received  of  my  new 
conversion.  Touching  the  further  contents  thereof  I  think 
I  did  very  much  inveigh  against  all  her  Majesty's  Catholic 
subjects,  especially  priests,  wherein  I  slandered  them 
deeply,  of  their  treacherous  minds  towards  her  Highness 
and  the  State,  whereas  I  may  confidently  depose  upon 
my  soul,  that  there  is  no  such  thing.  And  whereas  I  did 
write  in  my  aforesaid  letters  that  I  did  know  her 
Catholic  subjects'  minds  inclinable  to  an  invasion,  and 
to  be  forward  to  seek  her  Majesty's  ruin  and  deposition, 
and  that  every  priest  was  a  persuader  thereunto,  so  far 
forth  as  they  durst,  I  cannot  but  in  conscience  recal  back 
that  deadly  slander  again,  and  to  protest  as  I  shall  answer 
before  God,  that  I  know  it  to  be  clean  contrary.  As 
touching  the  requests  which  Justice  Young  seemed  to 
make  to  me  from  her  Majesty,  namely,  to  set  down  the 
recusants'  names  of  what  estate  or  degree  soever  they  were, 
which  I  did  know  to  be  within  her  realm,  I  confess  that 
I  did  so,  the  more  was  my  sin,  seeing  that  it  was  only 
to  procure  them  peril  and  punishment,  yet  I  did  only 
certify  their  names  and  dwelling-places,  not  charging  them 
to  my  knowledge  with  any  further  matter  more  than  I 
have  already  named.  As  touching  the  three  maids  which 
he  mentioned  in  his  letter,  so  it  is  that  I  discovered  their 


424  TJie  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell. 

being  with  the  French  Ambassador,  As  for  priests'  names, 
as  he  desired  me  so  did  I  certify  them,  and  further  accord- 
ing to  his  counsel  and  request  I  framed  another  letter 
unto   the   Queen,  where  I  declared  what  comfort  I  had 

Another  wicked  letter  rcccived  to  hear  and  understand  of  her 
unto  the  Queen.  ^^^^  gracious  clemcncy,  and  that  my 
conversion  did  yield  to  her  Majesty  any  comfort,  it  was 
no  small  joy  unto  me,  protesting  that  it  came  from  my 
heart  unfeignedly  (when  in  truth  I  lied  loudly  in  saying 
so).  I  acknowledged  myself  bound  unto  her  Majesty  for 
the  comfort  of  her  protection,  which,  next  unto  the  pro- 
tection of  Almighty  God,  I  said  I  most  relied  upon  (and  I 
might  have  said,  above),  and  that  I  knew  I  should  be  sore 
shaken  by  the  tongues  and  pens  of  Papists  when  they 
should  understand  of  my  revolt  from  them  ;  and  that  since 
it  was  her  Majesty's  pleasure  to  dispense  with  me  for  my 
dissimulation  among  them,  I  informed  her  Majesty  that 
I  would  continue  it  with  all  the  wisdom  and  policy  that 

A  blessed  purpose.  I  could,  and  that  I  doubted  not  but  to  cut 
their  throats  and  they  should  not  know  who  hurt  them. 
Thus  I  think,  or  to  this  effect  I  did  then  write,  for  the 
which  I  crave  both  mercy  and  pardon,  as  also  of  her 
Majesty  and  of  all  the  world.  And  this  is  all  I  can 
remember  now  worth  the  setting  down  touching  the  effect 
of  Justice  Young's  first  letter,  about  the  which  I  have 
stayed  somewhat  longer  than  I  thought  I  should,  but  I 
will  be  more  brief  in  the  next." 


425 


CHAPTER  XII. 

OF  THREE  LETTERS  MORE  WRITTEN  BY  YOUNG  TO 
TYRRELL,  WITH  THE  PLOT  OF  HIS  DELIVERY  OUT 
OF   PRISON   TO   PLAY  THE   SPY  ABROAD, 

By  the  three  letters  following  of  Justice  Young,  his  nature 
and  manner  of  proceeding,  with  the  whole  style  of  their 
dealing  with  and  against  Catholics  and  with  such  as  be 
in  their  hands,  is  much  laid  open,  which  Tyrrell  setteth 
down  in  these  words  following. 

"After  that  I  had  sent  according  to  Justice  Young's 
request  an  answer  unto  his  first  letters,  with  other  letters 
of  mine  to  her  Majesty,  within  few  days  after  came  more 
letters  unto  me  from  him,  the  true  copy  whereof  is  set  down 
hereafter  as  followeth. 

"  The  copy  of  Jiistice  Yoimg^s  second  letter  sent  unto  me  during  the 
time  of  my  being  at  the  Clifik. 

"Sir, — I  have  delivered  your  letter  to  her  Majesty's 
own  hands,  with  your  note  or  list,  who  hath  graciously 
accepted  them,  and  she  told  me  that  she  had  taken  order 
with  my  Lord  Treasurer  for  your  relief  Her  Majesty's  plea- 
sure is  that  you  shall  keep  still  your  credit  with  those  wicked 
persons,  whereby  you  may  the  better  know  all  their  wicked 
A  further  dispensation  practiccs,  and  what  you  can  find  to  adver- 
yettosm.  ^j^^  j^^j.  Majesty.  And  further  she  willed 
me  that  you  shall  seek  out  what  you  can  find  against  Mr. 
Bold,  and  also  to  advertise  her  who  did  reconcile  those  per- 
sonages you  name,  and  when  they  were  reconciled,  to  wit, 
the  Lord  Windsor,  the  Lord  Thomas,  the  Lord  William, 


426  The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell. 

the  Lord  Compton,  the  young  Lady  Stourton,  the  Lady 
Darcy,  the  Lady  Mildmay,  and  young  Mr.  Southwell,  or 
any  other ;  and  she  willed  me  to  tell  you  from  her  that  you 
fear  no  man,  for  she  hath,  and  will  have,  care  over  you. 
And  for  these  matters,  I  pray  you  let  me  hear  from  you 
as  soon  as  you  may,  for  that  her  Majesty  is  desirous  to 
know  these  things.  Further,  I  am  to  advertise  you  that 
I  have  spoken  with  my  Lord  Treasurer,  who  hath  told 
me  that  he  will  take  order  for  you  very  shortly. 

"  Sir,  I  perceived  by  my  man   Harris  that  you  were 

desirous  to  have  him  come  unto  you,  but  I  was  half  in 

doubt  to  send  him,  therefore  I  pray  you  advertise  me,  for 

, ,  ,        I   would    not   have   you  to  be  suspected. 

Young  careful  of  my  •'  >^ 

°^'^"'  And  thus  I  commit  you  to  the  Almighty 

God,  who  ever  keep  you.     This  27th  of  October,  1586. 
"  Your  friend  assured, 

"  Richard  Young. 

"After  that  I  had  received  this  second  letter,  and 
thoroughly  perused  it,  I  found  my  heart  and  desire  more 
and  more  inflamed  and  kindled  against  God  and  His 
Truth.  I  did  set  all  my  wits  upon  tenters,  stretching 
them  more  and  more  to  the  devising  of  some  further  false- 
hood and  mischief,  the  which  when  I  could  not  find  matter 
convenient  to  my  contentment,  I  answered  those  letters  as 
I  think  to  this  effect — First,  that  according  to  her 
Majesty's  will  and  desire,  I  would  endeavour  to  keep 
and  continue  my  credit.  And  as  touching  Mr.  Bold,  I 
have  already  set  down  the  uttermost  I  meant  of  my 
falsehoods  devised  against  him,  which  again  and  again 
I  recal  as  malicious  slanders  and  untruths  spoken  and 
devised  of  mine  own  head  against  the  gentleman. 

"And  as  touching  those  noble  personages  that  he 
mentioned  in  his  letter  that  I  should  certify  what  I  did 
know  of  their  reconcilements,  true  it  is  that  I  appeached 
the   Lord  Windsor,  feigning  that   I   thought   him  to   be 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  427 

reconciled  by  Ballard,  but  where  or  when  I  could  not 
tell ;  no  more  in  truth  can  I  tell  whether  ever  he  did  see 
Ballard  in  his  life  or  no,  and  therefore  my  speech  of  that 
nobleman  was  most  false. 

"  As  touching  the  Lord  Thomas,  Justice  Young  (who 
Justice  Young  was  ever  ^^^"^  ^^^  ready  to  put  in  morc)  might  have 

putting  in  more.         ^^^  ^^jj    J^f^    ^^^    ^^^^  f^^    j    ^^  ^^^   j^^^ 

that  ever  I  made  any  mention  of  him,  and  for  aught  that 
I  do  know,  he  is  a  Protestant  The  Lord  William  I  men- 
tioned, but  who  reconciled  him  I  could  not  tell.  And  as 
for  the  Lord  Compton,  I  think  I  informed  that  he  should 
be  reconciled  by  Father  Haywood,  but  of  truth  I  do  not 
know  whether  he  ever  did  see  Father  Haywood  in  his 
life. 

"As  for  the  young  Lady  Stourton,  I  informed  that 
The  Lady  stourton  and  Mallard  was  Very  familiar  in  her  house, 
others  falsely  appeached.  ^^^  thcrcfore  it  might  be  that  hc  recon- 
ciled her,  but  I  knew  it  not  certainly ;  and  for  my  part 
I  protest  that  I  never  knew  my  lord  or  my  lady,  and  much 
less  do  I  know  what  acquaintance  Mr.  Ballard  had  with 
them.  For  the  Lady  Darcy,  small  cause  had  I  to  make 
any  mention  of  her,  as  of  any  of  the  rest,  but  only  to 
make  up  the  number,  for  I  never  knew  her  to  be  recon- 
ciled, and  therefore  my  speech  of  her  was  feigned;  only 
because  I  did  know  that  she  had  an  uncle  who  was  a 
priest,  I  thought  I  might  make  her  the  more  easily 
suspected,  therefore  I  feigned  that  he  reconciled  her. 

"As  for  the  Lady  Frances  Mildmay,  I  was  bold  to  put 
her  in  amongst  the  rest,  not  for  that  I  knew  any  cause 
I  had  so  to  do,  but  that  I  had  heard  her  mind  to  be 
somewhat  inclinable  to  the  Catholic  religion,  although  I 
think  her  very  far  from  the  effect. 

"  As  touching  young  Mr.  Southwell,  I  proceeded  by  the 
particular  mention  that  her  Majesty  made  of  him  by 
Justice  Young  his  letter  that  she  mistook  the  man,  for 
I   accused   young  Mr.  Southwell,  that  hath  now  married 


428  The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell. 

Mrs.  Southcote,  and  she  had  thought  that  I  had  meant 
Mr.  Southwell  that  married  my  Lord  Admiral  his  daughter; 
and  thus  much  as  touching  the  names  of  these  noble  per- 
sonages mentioned  in  this  letter,  for  the  rest  I  remember 
not  that  I  did  write  anything  of  importance  at  this 
time. 

"Not  long  after  this,  still  to  be  doing  somewhat,  I 
sent  a  new  schedule  to  Justice  Young  of  the  names  of 
divers  priests  where  I  understood  they  did  haunt  or  lie, 
A  new  discoverj-.  and  amoug  others  gave  him  information 
of  one  Mr.  Sale,  a  priest,  that  for  certain,  I  said,  did  lie 
at  the  Lord  Vaux  his  house,  by  the  which  means  he  went 
himself  thither,  in  a  morning,  and  made  a  search ;  where- 
upon the  next  day  following  he  sent  me  another  letter 
to  advertise  me  of  his  success,  and  to  have  my  opinion  of 
certain  papers  he  had  taken.  The  copy  of  his  letter  was 
this  that  ensueth. 

"  The  copy  of  Justice  Young  his  third  letter  sent  unto  vie  in 
the  Clink  about  his  searches. 

"  With  my  hearty  commendations,  this  is  to  desire  you 
to  send  me  the  speeches  that  Mr.  Bold  did  speak  as 
touching  the  Lord  of  Leicester,  and  I  pray  you  to  send 
me  in  writing  if  you  have  learnt  the  certainty  of  the 
names  of  those  that  reconciled  those  personages  that  her 
.    .    ,,      .  ,         Majesty  willed  me  to  demand  of  you,  and 

Justice  Young  s  hunger  J         '  •'         ' 

after  new  matter,     jf  ^^^  j^^^^  ^^^  ^^^^  matter  that  I  may 

inform  her  Majesty. 

"As  touching  the  Lord  Vaux  his  house,  the  priests 
were  conveyed  away  so  that  they  could  not  be  found,  but 
these  letters  were  found  in  Henry  Vaux  his  bag  with  books, 
but  he  will  not  confess  where  he  had  them,  yet  he  was 
called  before  the  lords  of  the  Council,  and  is  sent  unto  the 
Marshalsea.^     I  pray  you  send  me  word  what  you  think 

^  "  Great  lamentation  at  Clerkenwell  College  for  apprehension  of  Mr. 
Vaux."  Anon,  to  Walsingham,  November  11,  1586.  V.K.O.,  Maiy  Queen 
of  Scots,  vol.  XX.  n.  26. 


TIte  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell.  429 

as  touching  those  letters,  and  whether  you  do  think  that 
Persons  be  in  England  or  no. 

"  Thus  in  haste,  I  commend  you  to  the  Almighty  God, 
this  6th  of  November,  1586. 

"  Your  friend  assured, 

"Richard  Young. 

"  This  letter  he  sent  me  by  his  man  Harris,  who 
brought  with  him  those  other  letters  also  which  his 
master  had  found  in  the  search,  because  they  were 
written  in  Latin,  and  some  matters  contained  in  them 
that  they  did  not  well  understand.  Upon  the  first  perusal 
whereof  I  judged  them  to  have  been  written  by  Father 
Persons,  but  after  I  perceived  that  they  were  written  by 
Father  Robert  Southwell,^  and  so  I  informed. 

"  For  Mr.  Bold  and  other  matters  I  answered  as  I  had 
answered  before,  that  more  than  I  had  already  said  I 
could  not  say,  and  so  I  made  an  end  for  this  time,  being 
fully  wearied  with  Justice  Young's  importunity.  But  it 
was  not  long  after  that  he  had  been  at  the  Court  and 
spoken,  as  he  made  me  believe,  with  the  Queen,  where- 
upon he  turned  to  write  unto  me  again  after  this  manner 
as  followeth. 

"  The  copy  of  Justice  Young's  fourth  letter  to  me  while  I 
was  at  the  Clink. 

"  With  my  hearty  commendations  unto  you,  this  is  to 
advertise  you  that  upon  Wednesday  was  sevennight  I 
was  with  her  Majesty  and  advertised  her  of  such  as  you 
had  given  me  intelligence  of,  I  mean  those  that  reconciled 
the  persons  that  I  gave  you  their  names,  among  which  she 
was  very  glad  that  Mr.  Southwell  was  none  of  them — I 
mean  Mr.  Southwell  that  married  the  Lord  Admiral's 
daughter— and  also  I  told   her  Majesty  that  you  would 

1  The  letters  were  signed  "Robert."  P.R.O.,  Domestic  Elizabeth,yo\.  cxci. 
n.  29 ;  vol.  cxcv.  n.  1 19.     Supra,  p.  99. 


430  The  Fall  of  Afithony  Tyrrell. 

advertise  her  of  things  more  certain,  the  which  I  pray 
you  do  with  as  much  speed  as  you  can,  and  look  what 

Justice  Young  xsketh   7°"  would  havc  mc  Say  to  her  Majesty  in 

still  more  matter.         ^^^^    bchalf,   it  shall  be  dOHC. 

"Moreover   I    do   think    it    best    and    most   for  your 

credit  amongst  the  traitors  that  you  shall  speak  to  some 

of  such  as  you  think  best  of  to  be  suitors  to  me,  to  be 

a  mean  to  my  Lord  Treasurer  for  you  that  you  may  be 

Justice  Young  deviseth  bailed  and    go  abroad  upon   sureties  to 

to  set  me  abroad  to  spy  i      ii      t_ 

more.  appear   at   all  times  when  you  shall   be 

called,  and  I  will  procure  my  lord's  warrant  to  me  to 
procure  to  take  bail  of  you,  if  you  do  think  this  good, 
or  any  other  way  wherein  you  shall  think  best  and  most 
convenient  for  the  better  service  of  her  Majesty. 

"  Sir,  of  late  there  hath  been  new  devices  and  practices 
to  destroy  her  Majesty  ;  if  you  can  learn  anything  I  pray 
More  feigr^ed  con-  y^"  advcrtise  mc,  and  touching  your  going 
spiracies.  ^^  ^^  Lord  Trcasurcr,  if  it  require  haste 

I  pray  you  advertise  me,  or  else  I  would  have  you  to  give 
first  some  intelligences  to  her  Majesty.  And  touching 
Gelibrand,  you  shall  have  him  set  at  liberty,  putting  in 
sureties  for  his  forthcoming. 

"And   thus   in   some    haste,    I    commit    you    to   the 

Almighty,  who  ever  preserve  you.    This  17th  of  November, 

1586. 

"Your  assured  friend, 

"Richard  Young. 
"  Postscriptum — I  have  sent  you  a  small  remembrance. 

"I  cannot  let  pass  to  complain  here  of  Justice  Young's 
vehement  humour  in  all  his  letters,  thirsting  to  receive  new 
advertisements,  whereas  in  truth  I  had  so  emptied  myself 
of  all  matters  of  my  own  knowledge  that  my  wits  failed 
me  to  coin  out  any  more  of  new ;  and  I  perceiving  this 
man  never  to  be  satisfied,  it  made  me  almost  weary  of 
my  damnable   course,  thinking  that  I  should  always  be 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  431 

thus  encumbered  with  him,  and  moreover  I  could  not 
tell  what  cause  I  might  have  to  mistrust  him  of  double 
dealing,  fearing  that  he  did  but  use  all  my  advertisements 
unto  his  own  credit  and  gain.  Notwithstanding,  perceiving 
One  companion  mis-  "o^  by  these  his  ktters  to  sct  mc  at 
trusteth  the  other.  X\\>&x\^^  I  was  couteut  to  think  the  best, 
intending  that  if  I  found  him  to  play  legerdemain  with 
me  to  acquite  [requite]  him  again  by  my  Lord 
Treasurer." 

Thus  much  writeth  Tyrrell  of  his  opinion  of  Justice 
Young,  and  of  his  intention  how  to  buckle  with  him  ;  and 
then  Justice  Young,  conformable  to  that  which  he  wrote 
in  his  last,  maketh  a  compact  with  the  Treasurer  and 
Tyrrell  how  he  should  be  delivered  out  of  prison,  which 
was  that  Tyrrell  should  procure  a  certain  Catholic  gentle- 
man, the  dearest  friend  that  he  had  (who  nothing  suspected 
any  least  point  of  this  wicked  treachery),  to  repair  to 
Justice  Young  to  sue  for  his  liberty  upon  sureties.  For  that 
he  had  told  him  how  that  his  health  was  much  impaired 
by  the  prison,  the  good  gentleman  was  induced  to  go  to 
Justice  Young,  and  was  very  courteously  received  by  him  at 
his  first  entrance,  and  it  was  agreed  before  that  as  soon  as 
he  began  to  speak  of  Tyrrell  then  stormed  Young  against 
him,  protesting  that  he  was  the  most  stubborn  and  dan- 
gerous man  in  the  land  ;  nay,  that  nothing  could  be 
gotten  out  of  him,  &c.  Yet  in  the  end  he  became  more 
A  sinful  comedy,  calm  upon  Tcqucst  of  this  gentleman,  and 
said  he  would  propose  the  matter  to  the  Treasurer,  who 
was  as  far  out  with  Tyrrell  as  Young  was,  alleging  his 
obstinacy  as  the  other,  but  yet  in  the  end  both  of  them 
were  entreated  to  let  him  out  as  themselves  had  first 
devised,  and  Tyrrell  went  abroad  to  betray  as  well  this 
good  gentleman,  his  friend,  who  had  procured  his  liberty, 
as  all  other  Catholics  besides,  which  Tyrrell  himself 
hath  set  down  in  confession  more  largely  and  par- 
ticularly than  I  thought  necessary  for  this  abridgement. 


432  The  Fall  of  Antho7iy  Tyrrell. 

He  continueth  on  the  explication  of  Young's  last  letter 
in  these  words  as  following. 

"  And  thus  much  as  concerning  my  delivery,  the  plat- 
My  delivery  out  of  form^  whcrcof  was   set   down   as   I   have 

the   Clink  to  play   the  .  .         ,   .        , 

spy  abroad.  showcd   by  Justicc   Young    in   his   letter, 

in  which  he  informed  me  of  new  practices  intended  against 
her  Majesty.  For  mine  own  part  I  fear  me  I  was  ready 
enough  to  burden  the  poor  Catholics  with  the  same,  yet 
I  do  not  remember  any  certainty,  but  most  sure  I  am 
that  I  wickedly  certified  both  her  Majesty  and  the 
Lord  Treasurer,  that  neither  the  Queen  nor  the  State 
should  be  ever  secure  so  long  as  any  Seminary  priests 
were  left  in  the  realm,  as  though  they  should  be  the 
authors  and  devisers  of  all  these  mischiefs,  although  I 
knew  in  my  own  conscience  the  contrary. 

"And  whereas  in  his  letter  he  maketh  mention  of  his 
setting  free  Mr.  Gelibrand,  the  priest,  the  truth  is  that 
I  got  him  delivered  out  of  the  Clink  for  the  better 
covering  of  mine  own  coming  forth,  wherewith  Justice 
Young  was  well  contented,  and  the  rather  because  he 
was  no  Seminary  man,  but  made  priest  before,  and  so 
without  the  compass  of  the  new  statute. 

"  Lastly  he  maketh  mention  in  his  letters  of  a  small 
remembrance  that  he  sent  me,  which  was  only  six 
ryals,^  the  first  reward  that  ever  in  my  life  I  received  for 
such  an  exploit ;  and  then  I  remembered  me  of  the  thirty 
pieces  of  silver  that  Judas  received  for  betraying  of  Christ 
his  Master  with  the  like  mind  that  I  received  this  money, 
and  without  the  further  grace  of  God  it  wanted  but  little 
that  I  had  not  gone  and  hanged  myself  as  he  did.  And 
thus  much  for  the  answering  of  Justice  Young's  letter, 
which  was  the  last  of  his  letters  that  I  received." 

^  Platform,  a  scheme  or  plan.    Johnson. 
^  The  ryal,  first  issued  by  Henry  VI.,  was  worth  los. 


433 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

HE  SETTETH  FORTH  HIS  OWN  MISERABLE  AFFLICTION 
OF  CONSCIENCE  WHILST  HE  LIVED  IN  THIS  DIS- 
SIMULATION, AND  SHOWETH  HOW  HE  COULD  NOT 
YET   BRAVE  TO   BE  AN   OPEN   PROTESTANT. 

In  this  chapter  I  shall  only  set  down  Tyrrell's  own  narra- 
tion of  his  miserable  afflicted  mind  whilst  he  followed  this 
damnable  course  of  dissimulation  prescribed  unto  him  by 
Justice  Young,  which  thus  he  expresseth. 

"  Now  it  followeth  that  I  recount  my  particular  actions 
and  practices  not  yet  spoken  of,  during  the  time  of  my 
being  in  the  Clink,  together  with  my  practices  and 
treacheries  that  I  committed  at  my  being  abroad,  until 
the  time  that  it  pleased  our  merciful  God  to  touch  my 
heart  with  some  repentance. 

"  The  principal  and  public  injuries  that  I  committed 
in  the  time  of  my  imprisonment,  as  near  as  I  could 
remember  them,  I  have  set  down  before ;  only  some  other 
private  and  particular  I  am  now  to  discover,  together 
with  the  continual  conflict  and  horror  of  my  own  con- 
science in  conversing  after  such  a  damnable  manner  among 
so  many  innocents,  that  suspected  neither  fraud  or  guile, 
nor  occupied  their  minds  upon  other  thoughts  but  how 
they  might  please  and  serve  Almighty  God,  receiving 
The  happy  state  of  their  present  afflictions  with  great  patience. 

Catholic  prisoners  with  ,         ,      „  ,     .  tt-       1.1  j         -11 

my  unhappiness.  and  wholly  relymg  upon  His  blessed  will 

and  pleasure  for  their  release.  All  which  blessed  men 
I  do  confess  that  for  my  own  part  I  thought  them  most 
happy  and  myself  most  unhappy.  I  thought  them  chosen 
vessels  of  Almighty  God,  and  my  own  self  a  wicked  repro- 
CC 


434  ^^^^  i^<^//  of  Anthony   Tyrrell. 

bate  of  the  devil ;  for  I  found  in  myself  no  will  of  repent- 
ance. I  thought  my  sins  too  abominable  and  grievous, 
and  albeit  I  believed  that  God  could  forgive  them,  yet 
I  assured  myself  that  He  would  never  do  it,  for  I  found 
in  myself  no  hope  or  desire  of  amendment.  My  sleeps 
were  troublesome,  my  dreams  fearful  at  my  going  to  bed. 
I  thought  it  booted  not  to  pray,  and  yet  without  prayer  I 
thought  the  devil  should  have  too  much  power  over  me. 
The  sign  of  the  Cross  and  other  customs  of  the  Catholic 
Church  I  had  laid  aside,  and  yet  at  times  fear  forced 
me  to  use  them. 

"  Truly  I   do  not  lie.     I   would  sometimes  when  my 

candle  was  put  out  imagine  my  chamber  to  be  full  of 

devils,   especially  of  those  that  I   had  tormented  in  my 

,,     .,,        former  exorcisms.     I  imagined  then  how 

A  most  horrible  " 

'"^'^'  they  environed  me  round  about,  triumph- 

ing of  their  possession  of  me,  and  watching  when  they 
should  carry  my  soul  as  their  perpetual  prey  unto  eternal 
damnation.  Ah,  good  Lord !  how  I  was  frighted  in  my 
mind  when  I  thought  what  torments  I  had  afflicted  upon 
those  accursed  spirits  by  power  of  the  Catholic  Church 
at  the  time  of  those  exorcisms  which  I  had  used  upon 
them  ;  and  with  what  obstinate  malice  they  did  sustain 
them,  rather  than  they  would  desist  from  afflicting  a  poor 
creature  in  body  temporally,  of  whose  soul  they  had  no 
power  to  do  hurt.  I  bethought  me,  with  no  small  terror 
of  mind,  with  what  implacable  hatred  they  would  afflict 
me  in  hell,  that  had  so  much  here  afflicted  them,  when 
they  should  have  full  power  and  dominion  over  me  both 
in  soul  and  body ;  and  yet  would  I  not  desist  from  sin. 
Neither  the  fear  of  those  eternal  punishments  that  always 
in  my  mind  tormented  me,  nor  yet  the  love  of  God,  or 
the  recording  of  His  benefits,  could  move  my  heart  or 
bring  it  to  any  compunction  ;  but  as  one  altogether  in 
malice  obdurated,  I  persevered  in  sin.  These  inward  and 
secret  afflictions  I  dissembled  outwardly  as  well  as  I  could, 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  435 

and  conversed  among  the  Catholic  prisoners  as  if  I  had 
been  a  true  sufferer  for  God  of  their  company,  yet  did 
I  never  come  to  confession,  or  to  the  altar,  or  to  any 
other  spiritual  exercises  among  them,  but  for  mere  colour 
or  fashion,  and  when  I  could  by  my  device  or  policy  shift 
it  off  I  would  ;  but  when  necessity  forced  me  unto  it, 
The  force  of  a  guilty  ^  ^as  notwithstanding  in  mind  so  inwardly 
conscience.  perplexed  as  I  could  not  well  tell  what  to 
do,  knowing  that  I  did  so  much  increase  and  aggravate 
my  own  damnation:  in  such  manner  as  my  life,  indeed, 
howsoever  I  did  dissemble  it  outwardly,  was  to  me  a  very 
hell  and  sensible  beginning  of  those  damnable  pains 
which  I  made  account  for  ever  to  endure.  Such  was  my 
desperate  boldness  to  brave  all  things  out,  and  to  comfort 
myself  with  the  memory  of  a  little  vain  and  transitory 
pleasure,  for  the  obtaining  whereof  I  was  at  a  point,  not 
caring  what  mischief  or  hurt  I  went  about.  And  yet  if 
I  had  been  asked  that  time  what  was  the  sum  of  all  my 
My  heaps  of  reward  ^elicity  that  I  had  proposcd  unto  myself, 
for  all  my  wickedness,  foj-sooth  I  could  answcr  no  othcr,  but  only 
to  com.e  into  favour  with  her  Majesty,  to  be  well  thought 
of  such  as  are  of  best  account  about  her,  to  gain  myself 
some  temporal  living,  to  get  me  a  woman  to  be  my  con- 
cubine (for  wife  by  reason  of  my  priesthood  she  could 
be  none),  to  break  the  vow  of  my  holy  orders,  to  live 
in  all  kinds  of  sensuality. 

"  Lo,  here  the  end  and  full  scope  of  all  my  doings: 
for  a  little  vain  and  transitory  pleasure,  for  a  little  sen- 
suality, to  abandon  the  grace  of  Almighty  God,  and  like 
unto  that  most  wicked  Esau,  to  sell  my  inheritance  of 
everlasting  life  for  one  mess  of  potage.  If  I  could  by 
any  possible  means  have  wrought  myself  out  of  all  eccle- 
siastical function  I  would  ;  for  as  for  my  priesthood  I 
greatly  feared  not,  for  the  ministry  I  cared  not.  For  the 
one  I  was  sure  I  should  practise  no  longer  than  the  time 
of  my  dissimulation  lasted.  As  for  the  other,  in  my 
CC  2 


436  The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell. 

heart   I    contemned,   howsoever    outwardly   I   should    be 
forced  to  show  liking. 

"  To   become   a   knave   pursuivant    I    thought    it   too 

base   an   occupation,   I   having   been  always   brought  up 

,,       ..  .       ,       like  a  gentleman  ;  and  what  else  I  might 

My  cogitations  of  my  o  '  o 

future  life.  y^^  ^^^  j^^^^  ^j^^^.  ^^^^  ^cst  agree  with 
my  quality  and  condition,  in  truth  I  did  not  know.  I 
thought  if  there  were  no  other  remedy  but  that  I  must 
needs  be  of  the  ministerial  profession,  that  then  I  would 
play  my  part  as  kindly  as  I  could.  I  purposed  to  have 
gotten  the  usual  cloak  of  hypocrisy  which  commonly 
all  ministers  do  wear,  and  to  have  counterfeited  a  kind  of 
zeal,  although  religion  I  had  none  ;  and  I  would  have 
wondered  openly  at  my  former  blindness,  and  boldly 
have  affirmed  that  I  did  see  and  perceive  more  now  in 
one  hour's  reading  than  I  did  before  in  tv.'enty-five  years' 
study  :  that  now  the  Holy  Ghost  inspired  me  (for  I  was 
sure  that  the  devil  was  within  me),  I  would  have  put 
on  brazen  face  of  impudency.  For  now  I  had  already 
perused  their  common-places  of  railing  against  the  Pope, 
and  had  run  over  their  legends  of  lies  against  all  the 
mysteries  of  the  Catholic  religion;  and  so  I  would  have 
thought  my  penny  as  good  silver  as  the  proudest  of 
them,  and  would  have  frequented  the  pulpits  boldly,  and 
would  have  lied  loudly,  and  doubted  not  but  to  have 
contented  the  ears  of  the  common  sort  with  some  blind 
phantasy,  as  becometh  a  minister  of  Justice  Young's 
creating. 

"  And  this  was  the  full  end  and  scope  of  all  my 
intentions  for  that  time,  if  God  for  my  unworthiness 
should  have  permitted  me  thus  far  to  have  fallen  ;  or  if 
yet  (which  God  forbid)  I  refusing  God's  grace,  should 
hereafter  fall  and  come  to  this  ministerial  dignity  or 
vocation,  that  the  truth  of  my  doctrine  may  appear  unto 
the  world  by  the  truth  of  my  vocation,  I  will  speak  a 
word  or  two  thereof" 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  437 

Thus  far  are  Tyrrell's  own  words,  and  from  this  he 
Tyrreirs  vocation  to  beginneth  to  make  a  large  discourse  of  the 

the  ministry.  yocation  hc  had  to  be  a  Protestant,  or 
rather  the  motives  to  that  vocation,  which  were,  as  he  hath 
often  signified  before,  partly  fear,  partly  ambition,  partly 
and  principally  the  temptation  of  the  devil,  desire  of 
liberty  and  of  loose  life,  hatred  of  discipline,  fasting,  prayer, 
confession,  and  the  like,  after  which  discourse  he  writeth 
as  followeth. 

"  But  now  to  return  to  my  former  matter  again.  After 
that  I  have  declared  the  fulness  of  my  intentions  in 
falling  from  the  Catholic  Church  to  the  embracing  of 
this  new  evangelical  doctrine  and  gospel,  I  must  tell  you 
further  that  I  imagined  divers  times  with  myself  what 
I  were  best  to  do,  either  to  continue  yet  longer  in  dissimu- 
lation or  to  break  out  openly  against  all  Catholics. 

"  To  continue  long  in  dissimulation  I  thought  I  could 
not,  but  that  by  some  means  or  other  I  should  be  espied, 
for  commonly  the  devil  cannot  so  counterfeit  but  he 
bewrayeth  himself  I  thought  therefore  to  begin  betimes, 
and  to  set  out  unto  the  world  some  piece  of  work  as 
certain  predecessors  of  mine,  and  namely  John  Nichols  had 
done,  and  Lewis  Evans,  two  poor  ministers  that  had  been 
Catholics  first,  or  had  feigned  so  to  be ;  and  I  thought  to 
have  dedicated  the  same  unto  her  Majesty  (O  bold  pre- 
sumption, to  make  her  Majesty  a  patroness  and  defender 
of  lies),  and  in  truth  I  began  a  piece  of  such  a  work,  and 
showed  the  beginning  thereof  to  Justice  Young,  and 
had  written  well  near  a  dozen  sheets  of  paper  of  such 
monstrous  and  shameful  slanders  against  Catholics  and 
against  the  Catholic  truth,  that  mine  own  conscience,  as 
corrupt  and  malicious  as  it  was,  cried  out  against  it,  and 
A  scandalous,   lying  SO  in  onc  night  I  cast  all  into  the  fire, 

book  begun,  as  all  their        ,.,,  t  rr  ^  r 

convertitesarewonttodo.  which  because  thc  effect  thereof  was 
never  yet  unto  any  man  known,  I  will  not  now  for 
very  shame  reveal  it. 


438  The  Fall  of  A7ithony  Tyrrell.  . 

"  Many  letters  besides  I  did  write  unto  Justice 
Young,  wherein  I  called  upon  him  for  comfort  in  the 
Lord,  and  that  I  might  be  rid  from  the  thraldom  and 
bondage  I  lived  in,  wishing  that  I  might  once  come  into 
the  temple  of  the  Lord,  and  to  receive  the  comfortable  cup 
of  their  communion,  &c. 

"  And  thus  much  as  concerning  my  letters  and  writings, 
and  other  practices  during  the  time  of  my  being  in  the 
Clink.  What  other  particular  offences  I  have  committed 
against  any  man,  surely  I  do  not  remember  during  the  time 
of  my  imprisonment.  I  shall  therefore  discover  now  the 
wickedness  of  my  practices  during  the  time  of  my  being 
abroad,  until  that  it  pleased  God  that  of  all  Catholics 
I  was  more  deeply  suspected.  For  the  manner  of  my 
coming  forth  I  have  set  down  already,  and  therefore  I 
need  not  here  to  repeat  it  again.  Being  come  forth  of 
prison,  my  meaning  was,  for  the  better  recovery  of  my 
credit,  which  I  had  heard  before  was  called  in  question, 
first  to  repair  to  the  prisons,  among  my  familiar  friends 
and  acquaintance,  to  inform  them  of  the  order  and  manner 
of  my  coming  forth,  and  to  see  what  any  man  could 
object  or  say  against  me,  and  to  answer  all  things  as  well 
as  I  could.  I  repaired  first  to  the  Counter,  where  I  found 
to  my  thinking  the  weather  indifferently  fair  and  the 
clouds  were  cleared  over.  Hearing  no  more  of  any  sus- 
picion remaining  towards  me,  I  repaired  also  to  the 
Marshalsea,  where  I  found  all  things  in  like  manner  well 
to  my  liking. 

"  To  the  Clink  I  repaired  very  often,  where  my  credit  I 
thought  was  best.  I  got  me  a  lodging  in  a  place  wherein 
was  another  priest  also  lodged,  which  always  had  taken 
my  part  when  he  heard  me  evil  spoken  of,  by  whom 
I  might  ever  understand  if  aught  went  amiss,  and  stop 
any  blast  of  hard  report  by  his  means  at  the  first  rebound. 
Of  him  I  heard  sometimes  also  intelligences  of  Catholics' 
affairs  (for,  good  man,  he  suspected  me  not),  which  I  ever 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  439 

informed  again  to  Justice  Young.  And  I  bewrayed  a 
brother  of  my  own  profession,  I  mean  another  priest 
repairing  to  our  lodging  called  Garth,  whom  I  discovered 
Mr.  Garth  detected,  to  Justice  Young,  and  informed  that  he 
haunted  much  about  the  stocks  at  one  Mr.  Cadner's,  Avhere- 
upon  the  house  was  searched,  but  the  man  was  not  found. 

The  search  at  Mr.  ^^"^   ^^''-  Caducr  and  I  meeting  within  a 
Cadner's.  ^^^  ^^^^  ^^^^^  l^y  chaucc,  he  told  me  the 

whole  story,  little  thinking  that  I  had  been  the  chief,  and 
.whatsoever  he  showed  me  I  made  report  again  to  Justice 
Young.  I  betrayed  also  Mr.  Greene,  making  his  repair 
unto  Salisbury  Court,  and  told  Young  at  what  time  he 
should  there  find  him. 

"  I  discovered  Mr.  Sayer,  where  he  lay  with  Mrs.  Peckham, 

and  of  his  journey  that  he  made  into  Buckinghamshire 

a  little  before  this  time,  how  he  was  at  the  death  of  my 

Notable  treachery.    Lady   Pcckham,   what    hc  did,   and   who 

The    devil    had    never 

suchasenranL  wcrc  in  his  compauy.     I  discovered  both 

Mr.  Garth's  and  Mr.  Greene's  going  into  Kent,  and  caused 
a  pursuivant  to  be  sent  after  them.  I  discovered  the 
places  that  probably  I  thought  they  would  be  at.  I  dis- 
covered my  being  at  a  house  not  far  from  Lyon  Key,  who 
dwelt  there,  who  did  lie  there,  who  frequented  thither,  and 
of  the  secret  place  to  hide  priests  ;  but  the  search  I  stayed 
for  a  time,  because  I  would  not  be  discovered  myself 

"  All  this  I  did  before  Christmas  holidays,  and  then 
at  that  feast  I  discovered  where  I  was  myself  upon  Christ- 
mas Day,  and  what  else  I  did  know  of  any  importance 
of  any  place  or  persons. 

"Thus  by  oftentimes  going  to  Justice  Young  I  was 
at  last  descried.  The  matter  went  about  to  Catholics 
as  a  thing  very  suspicious.  Complaints  Avere  made  unto 
myself,  but  thus  I  answered  them  :  I  denied  not  that  I 
went  ®ften  to  Justice  Young,  affirming  the  cause  of  my 
going  to  be  no  other  thing  nor  for  any  other  end  but  for 
the  recovering  of  my  goods,  which  remained  in  the  pur- 


440  The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell. 

suivants'  hands,  and  so  I  desired  that  all  who  mistrusted 
me  might  be  informed.  But  after  all  this  the  suspicions 
rose  much  more  than  before  by  reason  of  Justice  Young's 
search  in  the  Clink,^  and  the  finding  out  of  some  secret 
places,  which  without  discovery  could  not  easily  have  been 

I  wxs  descried  at  length,  knowu ;  which  whcn  I  had  heard  by  one 
or  two  that  brought  me  the  news,  I  made  outwardly  a 
semblance  of  sorrow,  and  inwardly  I  thought  that  by  that 
means  I  should  thoroughly  be  bewrayed,  and  therefore  aS 
very  impatient  of  my  own  discredit,  and  desirous  to  be  out 
of  this  perplexity,  and  to  get  more  favour  with  my  Lord 
Treasurer,  I  took  my  pen,  and  did  write  as  followeth." 

Hitherto  are  Tyrrell's  words.  But  for  this  letter-  of 
his  to  the  Treasurer,  dated  the  24th  of  December,  1586, 
as  also  another  that  he  wrote  afterwards  to  the  same  man, 
bearing  date  the  5th  of  January,  are  somewhat  tedious 
by  reason  of  much  flattery  that  he  useth  to  the  Lord 
Treasurer,  it  shall  be  sufficient  to  know  that  the  effect 
of  both  of  them  was  to  have  license  to  break  the  course 
of  privy  spiery  wherein  he  had  lived  hitherto,  as  also  the 
custom  of  saying  Mass,  hearing  confessions,  and  the  like, 
which  he  must  needs  do,  and  was  so  willed  to  do  by  his 
lordship  himself,  whilst  he  lived  amongst  the  Catholics,  and 
that  he  now  might  be  permitted  to  show  himself  an  open 
Protestant,  which  yet  he  could  not  get,  for  that  his  service 
was  more  profitable  than  the  saving  of  his  soul.  And  as 
concerning  his  present  spiery,  he  saith  thus  in  his  first 
letter  to  his  lordship. 

" '  Of  my  present  endeavours  I  need  not  at  this  time 
enlarge  unto  your  honour.  Mr.  Justice  Young  can  fully 
inform  you    of  everything.     Ambulandum  sane  est  cautc 

St  Paul's  word  well  1uo7iiam  dies  malt  sunt.     If  I  should  any- 
^^^'         .    wise  swerve  from  the  square  of  your  lord- 

*  Supra,  p.  197. 

'  This  letter,  dated  "from  my  chamber  in  the  Strand,"  is  in  the  British 
Museum,  Lansd.  MSS.  50,  n.  75. 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  441 

ship's  good  direction  I  beseech  you  let  me  certified.  Great 
will  be  the  blast  wherewith  I  shall  be  shaken  when  my 
inward  conversation  shall  be  publicly  known.  I  have  none 
other  to  lean  unto  but  God,  her  Majesty,  and  your  honour, 
the  comfort  of  whose  helps  maketh  light  all  other  burthens 
and  easeth  my  mind  of  infinite  cares.  In  the  meantime  I 
will  perform  what  I  shall  be  able,  and  when  I  am  come  to 
the  period  of  my  purpose  I  hope  your  honour  will  further 

I  promise  still  to  betray,  mc  to  the  beginning  of  a  new  sentence, 
the  reading  whereof  shall  be  more  pleasing  than  all  the 
lessons  yet  that  I  have  ever  learned.' " 

And  in  the  second  letter  he  saith  thus.  "'The  daily  con- 
flicts that  I  sustain  among  those  that  have  me  in  suspect 
are  full  grievous,  which  I  am  enforced  as  yet  to  wear  out 
by  deep  dissimulation,  which  grieveth  me  so  much  the 
more,  by  how  much  when  I  shall  be  known  to  play  the 
dissembler,  my  contempt  shall  be  the  greater  among  such 
as  cannot  tell  how  to  discern  the  cause.  If  I  stay  longer 
in  England  than  my  appointed  day,  their  suspicions  will 

They  meant  to  employ  be    daily    augmented,    and    if    I    depart 

me  in  ipiery  beyond  the  /—      t     i 

seas  also.  bcyond   the  seas,  God  knoweth  whether 

I  repair  unto  my  professed  foes  or  unknown  friends.  If 
any  proof  be  made  against  me  of  any  of  my  actions, 
especially  of  such  as  I  signified  unto  your  honour,  I  am 
past  all  redemption  with  them.  There  is  no  other  way 
with  me  but  one.  Rather  had  I  become  a  known  enemy 
unto  them  at  home  than  to  be  made  a  spoil  unto  their 
tyrannous  mind  abroad.  Yet  if  it  shall  please  her 
Majesty  to  make  me  give  the  adventure,  I  refuse  not 
the  hazard  of  my  life  for  the  satisfying  of  her  Grace's 
pleasure.  What  your  honour  shall  think  best  I  leave  it  to 
yourself  to  judge.  It  becometh  not  me  to  determine.  If 
you  think  it  expedient  that  my  conversion  be  made 
manifest  unto  the  world,  as  I  doubt  it  not  already  to 
be  unto  the  angels  of  heaven,  I  would  require  that  I  might 
be  sequestered  for  some  time  from  the  companies  of  all 


442  The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell. 

such  as  always  may  control  or  molest  mc,  that  having 
time,  place,  and  company  convenient,  I  may  set  down  by 
pen  to  the  view  of  the  world  the  causes  that  have  moved 
me  to  alter  my  religion.' 

"This  letter  I  did  write  impatient  now  of  conversing 
any  longer  among  Catholics,  and  desirous  to  talk  with  the 
Lord  Treasurer  to  be  dismissed  of  them,  and  to  enter  into 
some  further  damnable  course  for  the  destruction  of  souls  : 
which  letter  I  carried  myself  unto  Justice  Young,  who 
told  me  a  flim-flam  tale  of  his  wit  and  policy  in 
searching  the  Clink,  telling  me  how  he  had  gotten  one 
Boyce,  by  whom  he  learnt  that  there  had  been  Mass  said 
in  the  Clink,  and  also  in  Newgate;  upon  which  information 
he  went  first  unto  Newgate  and  afterwards  to  the  Clink ; 
and  how  he  came  to  the  Clink  at  such  a  time  as  he  took 
them  in  a  manner  at  it,  and  found  the  waxen  lights  yet 
smoking,  and  all  the  church  stuff  slightly  shuffled  under  a 
bed ;  and  from  thence  going  into  another  chamber  he  never 
left  until  he  by  degrees  came  to  the  secret  place  where  the 
church  stuff  lay  ;  and  so  he  made  a  great  discourse  of  his 
wit  and  cunning  in  handling  of  the  matter.  And  after  all 
persuaded  me  again  yet  to  continue  and  persevere  as  I 
was ;  whereto  at  length,  for  better  pleasing  of  him,  I  told 
him  that  for  mine  own  part  I  stood  indifferent,  and  if  I 
might  any  longer  continue  among  them  undiscovered 
so  it  was,  but  if  not,  I  would  give  them  cause  shortly 
to  complain  of  me  openly :  in  the  meantime  I  gave 
him  my  letter  for  my  Lord  Treasurer,  and  he  gave  me 
20/.  I  think  to  please  me,  that  I  should  not  take  offence 
for  that  he  had  done  in  searching  the  Clink  against  his 
promise. 

"But  the  clamour  of  this  search  was  very  great,  and 
suspicions  thereof  did  rise  against  me  more  and  more 
daily,  which  made  me  the  less  bold  to  show  myself,  or 
to  walk  into  a  company  of  my  acquainted  unless  it  were 
by  night,   according  to  the   proverb,  Qni  male  agit  odit 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  443 

lucem — for  so  my  works  being  the  works  of  darkness  I 
was  in  truth  ashamed  of  them, 

"  But  coming  again  afterwards  unto  Justice  Young  for 
an  answer,  he  told  me  how  that  he  had  been  with  my 
lord,  who  willed  me  not  to  fear  any  Papist,  but  to  enter- 
tain myself  boldly  among  them,  as  if  I  had  committed  no 
trespass  against  them.  But  that  I  was  too  privy  to  mine 
own  guilty  conscience,  I  could  not  swallow  down  so  great 
a  pill  but  that  some  relics  of  shamefastness  did  yet  stick 
in  my  stomach,  which  made  me  that  I  had  no  joy  to 
Strange  impudence,  conversc  among  them,  but  wished  rather 
that  now  since  I  was  gone  so  far,  I  might  show  myself 
their  enemy  openly  for  altogether,  and  these  were  my 
wicked  and  desperate  cogitations  at  that  time." 


CHAPTER  XIV, 

HOW  HE  WAS  CONVINCED  AND  BROUGHT  TO  REPENT- 
ANCE BY  CERTAIN  CATHOLIC  PRIESTS  OF  HIS 
ACQUAINTANCE,  AND  YET  HOW  HE  DISSEMBLED 
AGAIN   AFTERWARDS, 

"And  being  now  inwardly  wearied  in  mind,  and  tired  with 
the  memory  and  cogitation  of  these  things,  I  desired  as 
before  I  have  declared,  to  give  over  the  Catholics,  and 
from  a  privy  spy  to  become  an  open  persecutor ;  and  I 
did  but  only  delay  to  talk  with  my  Lord  Treasurer,  and 
presently  after  to  have  burst  forth  publicly,  and  in  the 
meantime  I  refrained  their  company  as  much  as  I  could. 
Yet  happening  by  chance  one  day  (or  rather  by  God's 
most  holy  providence)  to  come  into  a  Catholic  house, 
I  received  a  letter  sent  to  me  from  a  priest  who  did  write 
instantly  that  I  should  come  to  speak  with  him, 

"Therefore  that  he  had  business  that  concerned  himself 
to  impart  unto  me,  but  I  being  loth  to  repair  thither  unto 


444  -^^^  i^a;//  of  Anthony  Tyrrell. 

him,  and  to  come  into  a  place  in  the  view  of  so  many 
Cathohcs,  I  did  write  him  a  letter  to  excuse  my  personally 
coming,  if  it  were  possible ;  though  to  pleasure  him  in 
anything  I  could,  I  said  I  was  willing,  if  he  would  signify 
his  mind  unto  me  by  writing. 

"  The  party  sent  me  word  back  again,  that  there  was  no 
remedy,  but  that  I  must  needs  come  myself,  for  that  the 
matter  was  important.  Then  I  suspected  some  further 
discovery  of  myself  besides  that  of  the  Clink,  but  not 
knowing  what  it  could  be  I  determined  to  go,  and  so  I 
went ;  but  all  the  way  I  fully  purposed  to  confess  nothing 
whatsoever  I  should  be  accused  of,  and  to  excuse  all  if 
I  could,  and  if  not,  then  meant  I  to  give  them  mine 
tiltimum  vale,  for  I  purposed  not  to  see  them  any  more. 
But  lo !  God  altereth  the  extremities  of  man's  malicious 
purposes,  and  beateth  asunder  our  stony  hearts  with 
the  pestle  of  His  grace  when  it  pleaseth  Him ;  for  when 
„  .         ,  . , ,        I  was  come  unto  him  that  had  sent  for 

My  treasons  laid  to  my 

face.  j^gi  j^g  gQ  lovingly  saluted  me,  and   so 

friendly  did  break  unto  me  these  matters,  telling  me  of 
letters  that  had  been  found  written  with  mine  own  hand, 
containing  matter  odible  against  priests  and  Catholics, 
as  for  his  part  he  could  not  be  induced  that  the  writing 
should  be  mine. 

"  I  denied  a  great  while  any  such  matter,  but  in  the 
end  one  or  two  of  my  brethren  were  called  in,  who  showed 
me  mine  own  handwriting,  and  the  matter  it  did  contain, 
which  when  I  did  see,  my  purpose  of  persisting  in  obstinacy 
relented. 

"  I  felt  compunction  at  my  heart.  I  told  them  it  was 
my  doing ;  I  had  highly  offended  God,  and  them.  I 
besought  them  to  pray  for  me,  and  to  help  me  thoroughly 


^  Lewis  Barlow,  whose  imprisonment  was  owing  to  Tyrrell's  treachery, 
was  the  priest  who  showed  him  this  charity.  We  learn  from  the  Wisbech 
report  that  he  "was  the  causer  of  Mr.  Tyrrell  his  revolt."  Supra,  p.  385. 
Barlow  must  have  been  then  in  the  Marshalsea.     Supra,  p.  205. 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  445 

to  confess  my  fault,  for  I  would  tell  them   great  things. 
,,„  ,^. ,■    ^,  When  I  had  uttered  but  this  much  there 

My  compunction  and 

sorrow.  wanted  no  tears  of  their  parts  to  express 

their  inward  and  tender  affections  towards  me,  their  readi- 
ness to  help  me  out  of  my  sin,  and  the  hearty  joy  and 
comfort  they  made  of  my  return,  far  different  from  the 
dealing  of  Justice  Young,  to  persuade  me  still  to  dissimu- 
lation, hypocrisy,  and  to  damnation,  if  I  had  not  made  an 
end  quickly  with  him. 

"O  good  Lord!  who  would  have  thought  that  I  should 
have  been  touched  so  soon  with  remorse  of  conscience 
after  so  long  an  obstinacy,  after  a  mind  so  wilfully  bent 
to  irrepentance.  It  was  no  doubt  the  great  power  and 
mercy  of  the  Almighty.  A  man  may  say,  Hcec  mniatio 
dexterce  excclsi.  It  was  the  good  prayers,  I  hope,  of  my 
brethren  which  have  wi"ought  in  me  this  great  effect,  and 
brought  me  unto  all  this  confession  that  here  I  have 
made." 

Hitherto  are  Tyrrell's  words  touching  the  manner  and 
occasion  of  his  repentance,  and  though  he  thought  and 
determined  presently  hereupon  to  break  off  these  former 
intelligences  and  manner  of  proceedings  with  Justice 
Young;  yet  found  he  great  difficulties,  as  he  saith,  how 
to  do  it  upon  the  sudden,  of  which  difficulty  he  writeth 
the  words  ensuing. 

"  To  start  aside,  as  I  purposed  afterwards,  I  could  not 
presently  until  all  my  business  should  be  ended  and  done, 
and  to  tarry  all  that  time,  I  well  saw  that  I  should  not 
be  able  to  save  myself  from  suspicion,  but  that  needs  I 
must  repair  sometimes  to  Justice  Young.  And  although 
my  meaning  was  to  repair  to  him  no  oftener  than  of 
necessity  I  must,  which  could  be  as  I  thought  no  less 
than  once  a  week,  and  whensoever  I  came  I  minded  not 
to  offend  God  or  my  conscience  in  anything,  yet  such 
force  the  devil  had  within  his  house  that  my  foot  was  no 
sooner  set  over  his  threshold,  but  my  heart  begun  to  quake 


446  The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell. 

in  many  things :  for  being  entered  over  into  his  house  my 
custom  was  to  be  carried  always  into  an  upper  parlour, 
and  then  his  man  Harris  giving  him  intelligence  that  I 
was  come,  he  would  set  all  other  business  apart  to  come 

My   ordinary    enter-    UUtO  mC.       Aud  thctt,  COUrtCOUS  SalutatioUS 
tainment   with    Justice 

Young.  first   premised,   my   cap    must   cover   my 

head  before  that  we  must  speak.  Then  to  the  purpose, 
I  must  straight  tell  my  news.  And  whereas  I  purposed 
to  say  nothing  that  might  hurt,  I  told  very  little  that 
served  his  turn  until  after  twice  or  thrice  coming.  And 
being  always  barren,  I  was  forced  to  coin  somewhat  to 
avoid  all  suspicion. 

"But,  God  forgive  me,  as  I  coined  in  truth  nothing 
but  lies,  so  my  lies,  notwithstanding,  were  uttered  in  such 
manner  as  they  were  like  to  do  much  harm,  for  once  I 
told  him  that  I  went  to  the  Counter  in  Wood  Street  to 
espy  what  I  could  learn;  and  that  the  chiefest  cause  of  my 
going  thither  should  be  as  touching  the  copy  of  a  letter 
that  should  be  sent  from  the  Duke  of  Guise  to  the  Scottish 
A  new  lie  forged.  King,  whcrcin  the  Duke  of  Guise  should 
exhort  the  King  that  he  would  have  great  regard  unto 
his  mother,  and  that  if  any  injury  should  be  offered  unto 
her,  as  touching  the  loss  of  her  life,  that  he  would  procure 
him  the  aid  of  all  princes  in  Christendom  to  revenge  it, 
with  other  such-like  matter. 

"  This  report  tickled  Young  at  the  heart,  and  fain  he 
would  have  had  a  peruse  of  this  letter.  I  told  him  I 
would  make  diligent  search  for  the  matter,  but  having 
once  been  at  the  Counter  about  that  business,  Vaux  the 
keeper  had  forbidden  me  to  come  there  to  speak  with 
any  of  his  prisoners.  Justice  Young  told  me  that  he 
would  procure  me  free  passage,  and  likewise  that  I 
might  enter  into  any  prison  in  London  without  resist- 
ance. Whereupon  I  went  to  the  Counter  again,  for 
before  I  had  feigned  that  one  Dr.  Fox  had  brought 
the  Catholics  in  the  Counter  a  certificate  of  this  letter ; 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  447 

whither  when  I  was  come  I  never  troubled  myself  about 
any  such  matter,  for  there  was  in  truth  no  such  thing. 
So  coming  again  to  Justice  Young,  I  told  him  a  copy 
of  the  letter  had  been  there,  and  shown  unto  the  gentle- 
men, but  he  that  brought  it,  which  was  Dr.  Fox,  as 
I  said,  had  carried  it  away  again,  and  where  the  man  was 
to  be  found  I  knew  not,  only  the  contents  thereof  were 
told  me,  which  were  as  I  had  already  reported. 

"  Thus,  not  purposing  to  hurt,  I  did  great  harm  in 
accusing  Dr.  Fox  of  a  thing  that  was  not  so,  and  also  in 
reporting  that  I  should  hear  the  same  spoken  of  the 
gentlemen,  all  which  was  false.  Another  time,  I  feigned 
that  I  had  been  at  Islington  with  Mr.  Gawen,  which  was 
a  false  report  also ;  and  that  he  should  tell  me  that  those 
that  were  sent  to  the  Tower  about  the  speech  which  was 
made  about  the  poisoning  her  Majesty,  and  that  the 
French  Ambassador  or  his  secretary  should  be  privy 
thereunto,  was  only  but  a  thing  feigned  amongst  them 
to  get  the  French  Ambassador  hence,  for  that  they  could 
not  abide  him  ;  which  of  my  troth  was  nothing  so,  for 
neither  was  I  at  Islington,  nor  yet  did  I  speak  at  all 
with  Mr.  Gawen. 

"  But  yet  upon  these  my  speeches,  Justice  Young 
reported  this  unto  the  Council  and  my  Lord  Treasurer, 
and,  as  he  told  me,  he  was  much  offended  with  Mr.  Gawen, 
and  would  have  made  him  to  be  brought  unto  his  answer 
for  it,  but  for  discovering  of  me. 

"During  this  time  also  I  reported  that  at  my  being 
.     ,    , ,  at  Islington,  I  was  at  Mr.  Tyrwhit's,  and 

Another  false  report  &  »  J  ' 

coined.  ^^^  there  I  did   meet   a  northern   priest 

named  Edward  Dakens,  who  told  me  that  for  certain 
the  Scottish  King  should  say,  that  if  the  Queen  of 
England  should  do  aught  with  his  mother  but  well,  he 
would  crave  the  aid  of  all  Christendom  but  he  would 
revenge  it.  Which  was  only  a  tale  of  my  own  devising, 
for  neither  was  I  there,  nor  yet  did  I  know  of  any  such 


44^  The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell. 

priest,  yet  I  made  Justice  Young  believe  that  this  priest 
was  to  depart  presently  out  of  London,  and  to  ride  into 
Suffolk  unto  the  Lady  Bapthorpe.  Which  thing  he  in- 
formed my  Lord  Treasurer  of,  as  he  said,  and  presently 
there  was  sent  down  a  pursuivant,  by  which  means, 
although  all  were  false,  great  mischief  might  be  done. 

"  Thus  never  came  I  unto  him,  but  the  devil  got  into 

my  tongue,  and  when  I  was  from  him  I  was  vehemently 

assaulted  with  temptations  to  recal  back  again  my  good 

purposes,  and  to  conceal  all  my  detractions,  and  to  fall 

Justice  Young's  house   to  my  old  bias  of  playing  the  miscreant 

the  devil's  shop  of  temp-  /^  i 

tations.  as  I  had  begun  ;  yet  God  preserved  me 

that  I  still  went  forward,  and  never  desisted  until  I  had 
done  it. 

"But  growing  weary  at  length,  both  before  God  and 
in  mine  own  conscience,  of  this  manner  of  dealing  with 
Justice  Young,  to  avoid  all  occasions  afterwards  for  not 
bringing  him  any  more  informations,  I  was  forced  to  tell 
him  the  next  time  I  came  that,  in  truth,  now  among  the 
Catholics  I  was  wholly  discovered,  and  every  one  standing 
in  fear  of  me,  it  was  no  boot  any  longer  to  tarry  among 
them,  and  that  besides  I  grew  weary  of  that  kind  of  life, 
and  that  I  was  desirous  to  break  out  altogether.  Thinking 
with  myself  that  when  it  should  come  to  the  point  that 
they  would  have  me  openly  to  show  myself,  that  then 
I  would  crave  certain  days'  respite  to  be  sequestered 
from  all  company,  and  in  the  meantime  I  would  shift 
for  myself 

"  When  I  had  uttered  thus  much  unto  Justice  Young 
he  seemed  somewhat  sorrowful  that  the  time  of  my 
dissimulation  was  now  come  near  unto  an  end,  yet 
when  he  did  see  no  remedy  and  that  I  should  be  no 
longer  able  to  serve  his  turn,  then  he  would  preserve 
me  unto  the  service  of  the  Lord  ;  for  if  I  could  have 
held  out  any  longer  time  in  this  lewd  and  wicked  kind  of 
life,  the  Lord  should  never  have  been  troubled  with  me : 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  449 

A  pretty  presenung  unto   for  whcn  no  Other  knavcfy  will  serve  the 
the  Lord.  \x>:cxv,  then  are  all  such  dissembling  spies 

turned  over  to  the  Lord,  to  bring  as  many  of  their  own 
people  to  the  devil  as  they  can. 

"  He  bade  me  therefore  to  be  of  good  cheer.  The  next 
time  he  should  go  to  the  Court  he  would  speak  to  my 
Lord  Treasurer  and  to  her  Majesty  to  have  me  despatched 
from  the  Catholics  altogether,  willing  me  to  repair  again 
within  three  or  four  days  after,  and  so  I  did.  At  what 
time  he  told  me  how  he  had  certified  my  Lord  Treasurer 
of  my  estate,  and  how  careful  ■  my  lord  was  now  to  alter 
my  course.  He  told  me  also  how  that  my  lord  would 
write  his  letters  unto  my  Lord  of  Canterbury,  and  how 
that  thither  I  should  be  conveyed  secretly,  that  no  Papist 
might  understand  what  was  become  of  me,  and  that  there 
belike  I  should  be  catechized  and  be  made  a  valiant 
champion,  and  so  to  come  forth  with  my  banner  of 
defiance  displayed  against  God  and  all  godliness :  and  I 
doubt  not  but  if  God  had  permitted  me  according  to 
my  deserts  to  have  taken  that  course,  I  was  likely  to 
come  forth  into  the  world  as  a  man  replenished  with 
great  light.  For  as  Christ,  before  that  He  came  to 
preach  publicly  in  the  world,  went  first  into  the  wilderness 
and  there  fasted  forty  days  and  forty  nights,  using  all 
that  time  as  a  preparation  for  so  great  a  business,  and 
afterwards  was  tempted  of  the  devil  and  overcame  him ; 
so  before  my  public  preaching  in  the  world  I  was  sent 
more  than  forty  days  into  the  wilderness,  a  right  wilder- 
Mypreparatior^tohecome   "^ss  in  respcct  of  my  abominable  beha- 

a  preaching  Protestant,      ^j^^j.^     ^^^^    ^^jy    ^^^     savagC     than    any 

brutish  beast  for  having  yielded  myself  so  long  a  time 
before  into  their  hands  and  practising  all  manner  of  abomi- 
nation, and  not  one  devil  tempting  me,  but  whole  legions 
of  devils  every  day  possessing  me,  how  could  it  be  but 
I  was  likely  at  my  coming  forth  into  the  new  world,  but 
that  I  should  have  appeared  as  a  great  prophet,  far 
DD 


450  The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell. 

greater  than  John  the  Baptist  ?     I  mean  only  in  knavery, 
villany,  heresy,  and  all  abomination. 

"  But  God  averted  my  mind  from  so  great  a  mischief, 
and    hath,    I    trust,    confounded   the   enemy   in    his   own 
devices.  For  after  I  had  heard  how  matters  were  concluded, 
and   that   now  there  was   no   remedy  but   my  deformity 
must  publicly  be  known,  I  told  Justice  Young  that  before 
I  went  to  my  Lord   Canterbury,  if  I   might  have  leave 
to   ride    into   the   country   about   some    business   of    my 
own,  for  to  receive  some  money,  that  then  I  would  return 
within  a  week  or  two,  and  should  be  ready  for  anything. 
That  favour  he  liberally  granted  me.    Marry,  before  I  went, 
he  said,  I  must  do  him  a  pleasure  in  bewraying  a  secret 
place  at  Westminster,  where  there  were  as  many  books 
as  I  think  were  well  near  worth   lOo/.     God  forgive  me, 
I  yielded  to  his  humour,  partly  through    my  own    folly 
and  wickedness,  and  partly  upon  fear,  for  that  as  yet  I 
durst  do   no   other,  and    partly  to   remove   all   suspicion 
out  of  his  jealous  head,  that  I  went  about  no  contrary 
^    .    .,         ,, .      ,  purpose.     So  as  one  night  I  went  with 

Justice  Young  robbing  of     -i^       -i  •=> 

a  house  at  Westminster.       j^j^^      ^^      ^^      ^\z.Ct,     and     WC     WCrC      five 

thieves  of  us  in  a  company  to  rob  one  silly  poor  man, 
and  burglary  we  committed  by  the  laws  of  the  land, 
and  therefore  such  a  justice  and  all  his  companions 
deserved  well  to  be  hanged,  for  we  broke  down  a  great 
wall,  and  the  master  thereof,  which  was  Young,  went 
first  in.  After  whom  he  called  in  Harris,  his  own  man, 
keeping  three  of  us  without  still,  until  they  two  had 
taken  the  full  view  of  the  prey,  for  he  hoped  to  have 
found  silver  chalices,  money,  or  plate ;  but  when  the  old 
thief  did  see  that  there  were  nothing  but  books,  he  was 
content  that  I  also  should  come  in  ;  and  such  books 
they  were  as  were  very  dangerous  to  the  State,  and 
therefore  there  was  no  abiding  for  them  there,  but  needs 
he  must  have  a  cart  to  carry  them  home  presently  to 
his  own  house,  that  then   he   might  make   his  best  sale 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  451 

of  them  in  Paul's  Churchyard,  for,  in  truth,  they  were  no 
other  books  but  the  doctors  and  such  as  were  vendible 
in  any  place  of  England  by  the  laws  of  the  land. 

"Only  this,  they  were  contaminated  by  a  picture  of 
Christ  in  a  table,  which  he  found  lying  among  them,  and 
therefore  needs  the  zealous  man  must  have  them  abroad, 
to  purge  them,  but  with  intent  never  to  bring  them  again. 

"When  he  had  clean  emptied  the  house,  because  the 
people  should  not  wonder  at  that  which  he  had  done,  for 
that  divers  of  the  neighbours  came  in  to  see  the  great  cause 
of  his  search,  as  though  some  matters  of  treason  had  been 
informed  him  to  have  been  in  that  place,  he  brought  forth 
to  the  view  of  the  people  the  said  picture  of  Christ,  and  a 
pair  of  old  irons  to  make  singing  breads  withal.  '  Behold,' 
quoth  he,  '  what  popery,  what  trumpery,  what  abomination 
Justice  Young's  be-  we  havc  found  here.'     '  Would  you  have 

haviour  to    colour    his  .... 

robbery.  thought,  quoth  hc,  'that  such  abommation 

had  been  in  your  sanctuary  of  Westminster  .<*'  The  poor 
miserable  wretches  that  beheld  the  manners  of  the  man, 
and  feared  lest  if  they  should  have  gainsaid  him,  he  would 
have  clapped  them  up  also  in  some  strait  prison,  cried 
out,  '  Fie  upon  this  abomination !  Be  these  the  Papists' 
gods  .''  Do  they  believe  in  these.'''  'Yea,'  quoth  Justice 
Young ;  '  behold,  with  these  irons  they  make  their  god, 
and  eat  him  when  they  have  done.' 

"  My  hair  stood  upright  of  my  head  to  hear  the  wretch 
his  blasphemy,  but  all  tended  to  no  other  end  but  to  go 
on  with  his  knavery,  to  rob  a  man  much  honester  than 
himself,  to  carry  away  those  books,  so  full  of  abominations ; 
which  soon  after  were  cleansed,  when  he  should  sell  them 
and  have  the  money  in  his  purse.  Here  I  cry  good 
Mr.  Blackwell  the  priest  mercy,  that  was  the  true  owner 
of  these  books ;  in  all  the  time  of  my  knavery  I  never 
went  before  in  person  to  rob  any  man,  nor  never  purpose 
to  do  again. 

"When  all  the  booty  was  ready  to  go  into  the  cart,  then 
DD  2 


452  TJic  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell. 

came  the  messengers  from  other  thieves,  which  fain  would 
have  had  their  part,  as  the  Dean  of  Westminster  and  others. 
But  because  they  were  not  partaker  of  our  pains  in 
breaking  down  the  wall,  our  master  thief,  Justice  Young, 
wiped  their  noses  all,  and  faced  them  out  with  a  card  of 
Thieves  do  strive  fur  t^"'  raying  that  hc  must  in  haste  inform 
tnie  men's  goods,  ^j^^  Council  and  hcr  Majesty  of  the  good 
service  that  he  had  done  that  day ;  who,  if  they  had 
rewarded  him  as  he  deserved,  he  should  have  had  a  fair 
halter  for  his  labour,  as  also  all  his  men. 

"  Home  at  the  last  we  came,  all  to  his  house  to  supper. 
Our  master  was  as  jocund  as  might  be,  for  he  had  gained 
a  good  day's  work,  and  when  he  came  home  he  divided, 
like  to  ^sop's  lion,  the  goods  into  four  parts.  The  first 
he  challenged  unto  himself,  because  he  was  most  worthy ; 
the  second  he  would  have,  for  that  he  had  laboured  most ; 
the  third,  likewise,  he  would  have,  because  he  did  sweat 
more  in  the  toil  than  we  ;  and  unless  we  would  grant  him 
the  fourth  part,  farewell  all  friendship  ;  and  so  the  great 
thief  seized  upon  all.  And  thus  could  I  never  be  free  from 
doing  of  mischief,  so  long  as  I  had  any  commerciiivi  with 
the  devil.  Nor  more  shall  any  man  be,  that  shall  have  any 
dealing  with  such  an  heretic  or  atheist. 

"  The  next  day  I  came  to  him  to  take  my  leave,  and  to 
have  a  passport ;  and  then  for  my  upshot,  I  must  needs  tell 
him  for  Sir  Francis  Walsingham  what  Seminary  priests  had 
been  at  Sir  Thomas  Tresham's,  and  at  Mr.  John  Talbot's 
of  Mitcham,  since  Easter  last.^  I  told  him  that  myself  was 
never  there,  but  I  named  four  or  five  others  to  have  been 
in  either  place,  which  I  protest  I  knew  no  more  than  the 
child  new  born ;  so  at  the  last  I  got  my  passport.  He 
gave  me  5/.,  and  I  bid  the  devil  farewell,  praying  our 
our  Lord  to  bless  me  for  ever  seeing  him  in  that  manner 
again.     And  thus  was  I  enthralled  unto  the  time  of  my 

^  From  this  it  would  appear  that  the  paper,  dated  March  3,  I585-  [supra, 
p.  159),  is  Tyrrell's.     It  is  in  Young's  handwriting. 


The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell.  453 

departure,  at  which  time  I  took  such  order  for  myself,  as 
I  was  free  from  him,  and  other  assaults  of  the  enemy,  and 
had  leisure  to  enter  into  myself,  and  to  set  down  the 
declaration  of  my  wickedness,  which  Almighty  God  grant 
that  it  be  with  such  sorrow,  and  true  repentance,  as  may 
obtain  remission  of  the  same,  and  all  good  Christians  I 
beseech  to  pray  for  me  to  the  same  end." 

[On  receiving  his  passport  from  Justice  Young,  Tyrrell 
immediately  left  London.  The  spies  were  soon  at  work 
to  ascertain  what  had  become  of  him.  Burden's  credit 
with  Catholics  was  still  good,  and  about  this  very  time 
he  received  a  letter^  from  Thomas  Fitzherbert,  who  was 
then  living  with  his  wife  in  Paris,  in  which  mention  is 
made  of  Tyrrell.  "Gilbert  Gifford  beginneth  to  be 
repentant  for  his  bad  courses,  and  I  hope  will  prove  an 
honest  man,  which  we  all  here  most  heartily  wish  and 
pray  for.  It  is  notable  to  mark  the  judgment  of  God 
fallen  of  late  upon  him  here,  and  such  another  [Gratley] 
at  Rome,  and  as  we  hear  of  Tyrrell  in  England,  all  in 
so  short  a  time."  After  such  a  proof  of  the  confidence 
placed  by  leading  Catholics  in  Burden,  we  shall  hardly 
be  surprised  at  the  minute  and  accurate  information  of 
the  following  report^  which  is  in  the  handwriting  of  the 
decipherer,  Thomas  Phelippes. 

"  Tyrrell  departed  from  London  sixteen  days  past 
towards  Scotland,  at  which  time  he  received  $/.  in  money 
and  warrant  of  Mr,  Young,  whom  he  persuaded  that  he 
would  travel  into  Suffolk  and  Norfolk  about  a  discovery. 
This  was  imparted  to  them  hereunder  named. 

"  He  hath  written  sixteen  sheets  of  paper,  containing 
first  an  epistle  to  the  Q[ueen],  showing  what  service  he 
did  or  promised  was  to  save  his  life  and  get  out  of  prison. 

^  V.'^.0.,Mary  Queen  of  Scots,  vol.  xvii.,  n.  22,  February  20  [158-^,  mis- 
dated in  the  Calendar  IS8|^].  F.  S.  to  Henry  Crosse  ;  endorsed  by  Phelippes, 
"  From  Fitzherbert  to  Burden." 

*  V.V^.O.,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  c.xcix.  n.  41. 


454  '^^^^  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell. 

Then  he  setteth  down  all  the  services  that  ever  he  did, 
and  by  whom  it  was  required,  with  certain  discourses  that 
passed  between  the  L[ord]  Treasurer  and  him  in  private, 
and  Mr.  Young  at  large.     This  is  all  he  knoweth. 

"  He  heareth  that  Tyrrell  is  gone  into  Scotland  with 
some  whose  name  he  cannot  learn  that  had  a  passport 
from  the  Earl  of  Huntingdon,  and  was  to  go  with  some 
packets  and  otherwise  to  be  employed  in  Scotland.  Tyrrell 
had  an  intent  thence  to  pass  into  France  and  so  publish 
his  recantation  in  print. 

"  This  book  was  perused  and  allowed  by 

Crowley  his  kinsman  in  the  Fleet. 

John  Lawnder  j 

Edmonds  the  Jesuit       >    all  prisoners  in  the  Clink. 

One  James  a  priest        J 

Brampstone  a  priest       )     .      ,      _^      ,    , 
^  ,     ,-,  ,  (in  the  Marshalsea. 

John  Webster  j 

Dr.  Halsey,  the  physician,  was  acquainted  with  the 
same. 

Trugion  [Tregian]  in  the  Fleet. 

Richard  Randole,  with  one  eye,  late  prisoner  in  the 
Clink. 

"  There  was  a  collection  made  for  him  of  40/.  or  50/. 
to  pass  him  into  France." 

Endorsed—''  18  March  I586[7].    B.  touching  Tyrrell." 

Before  this  was  seen  by  Walsingham,  he  wrote ^  to 
Phelippes,  who  had  anticipated  his  wishes  in  the  employ- 
ment of  Burden. 

"  Sir, —  I  understand  that  Tyrrell,  the  Jasoistc^  to 
recover  his  credit  with  his  Catholic  brethren,  is  minded 
by  the  advice  of  some  of  them  to  write  a  discourse  to 
charge  the  Earl  of  Leicester  and  me  with  the  compassing 

^  Cotton.  MSS.  Calig.  C.  ix.  f.  572  ;  holograph. 

*  Topcliffe's  spelling  of  the  word  "Jesuit,"  is  usually  Jhezewt.  Sir 
Francis  Walsingham's  eccentric  epithet  for  Tyrrell  must  be  supposed  to  mean 
the  same.     His  use  of  the  word  reminds  us  of  Mr.  Froude's. 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  455 

of  the  death  of  the  Scottish  Queen,  and  of  Babington 
and  his  compHces.  He  hath  already  written  fifty  sheets 
touching  that  subject,  as  I  am  informed. 

"Two  things  I  desire,  wherein  I  would  have  Burden 
employ  himself.  The  one  in  seeking  out  what  is  become 
of  Tyrrell,  the  other  in  discovering  who  have  been  parties 
in  this  conspiracy,  for  that  I  mean  to  have  as  many 
examined  as  are  justly  to  be  suspected  to  have  been 
privy  to  this  villainous  device. 

"For  that  I  was  informed  that  Tyrrell  was  minded 
to  go  into  Scotland,  I  have  written  to  n  to  lay  wait  for 
him.  This  morning  I  hear  he  meaneth  to  go  into  France, 
and  to  publish  his  noble  work.  I  pray  you  desire  Burden 
to  deal  carefully  in  this  cause. 

"And   so   God   keep  you.      At  the   Court,  this   17th 

of  March. 

"Your  loving  friend, 

"  Fra.  Walsingham." 
Addressed — "To  my  loving  friend,  Mr.  Phelippes." 

We  learn  from  an  endorsement  by  Phelippes  on  one 
of  the  State  Papers^  that  the  name  of  the  spy,  for  whom 
Walsingham  here  uses  a  sign,  was  Malevery  Catlin.  The 
following  extract-  gives  the  result  of  this  man's  inquiries. 

"  I  was  of  late  brought  to  a  remote  place  in  Richmond- 
shire,  where  are  presently  harboured  two  principal  and 
dangerous  recusants,  the  one  called  Mr.  Car\ven,  the 
other  Mr.  Teady.  The  house  where  they  remain  is 
named  Knappey  Castle,  alias  Knappey  Hall.  They  have 
taken  it  of  one  Mr.  Medcalf  of  Yorkshire,  of  purpose  to 
live  obscurely  and  to  entertain  priests,  whereof  they  are 
not  unfurnished.  They  have  one  lately  come,  who 
nameth  himself  White  but  is  Tyrrell,  already  in  these 
quarters.  I  suppose  this  to  be  the  man.  He  is,  as  he 
1  T.R.O.,  Domesiic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  ccii.  n.  i.        '  Ibid.  vol.  cc.  n.  44. 


45^  The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell. 

saith,  a  Sussex  man  born.  He  appeareth  to  be  about 
forty  years  of  age,  of  an  indifferent  stature,  of  com- 
plexion nearest  sanguine,  and  of  an  auburn  hair.  I  have 
sent  advertisement  hereof  to  the  Earl  of  Huntingdon, 
lest  through  overlong  detraction  the  opportunity  might 
be  lost  ;  to  whom  I  have  also  set  down  such  perfect 
demonstration  both  of  the  secrets  of  the  place,  and  of 
the  manner  of  the  persons,  as  they  cannot,  I  hope,  escape. 
.  .  .  From  Westminster,  the  26th  of  April,  1587.     n." 

Tyrrell's  movements  are  described  by  himself  in  the 
Preface  to  the  Sermon,  of  which  mention  will  shortly 
be  made,  which  was  preached  by  him  at  St.  Paul's 
Cross,  and  printed  in  1588.  He  says,  "Thinking  first 
to  have  travelled  to  Rheims,  and  afterwards  to  Rome, 
and  directing  first  my  course  into  Scotland  (for  that  I 
feared  to  find  any  secure  passage  at  any  English  port), 
I  came  to  Leith  of  purpose  there  to  take  shipping  for 
France,  but  finding  no  passage  ready  I  took  the  next 
opportunity  offered  me  in  a  fly-boat  to  Hamborough." 

Lord  Burghley,  hearing  that  he  had  gone  to  Amster- 
dam, wrote^  to  Sir  Francis  Walsingham,  on  the  22nd  of 
May,  1587,  with  a  view  to  the  recovery  of  his  useful 
instrument.  "  For  Tyrrell's  departure  towards  Amsterdam, 
I  wish  my  Lord  of  Buckhurst  or  Mr.  Wilks  were  adver- 
tised how  to  inquire  after  him,  and  to  recover  him  to 
be  returned  to  England,  with  his  late  declination  from 
his  dog's  vomit."  This  wily  advice  was  probably  followed 
with  success,  for  Tyrrell,  who  attributes  his  return  to 
a  resolution  taken  in  "  such  a  sudden  tempest  and  storm, 
that  neither  master  mariner  or  passenger  thought  ever 
that  he  should  have  escaped  drowning,"  adds  that  "we 
came  safe  to  Hamborough,  where  after  I  remained  a  while, 
I  repaired  unto  her  Majesty's  Commissioners  that  were 
come  thither,  who  can  bear  witness  of  my  repentance." 
What    arguments    "  her   Majesty's    Commissioners "    em- 

^  P.  R.  O. ,  Domestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  cci.  n.  40  ;  holograph. 


The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell.  457 

ployed  we  are  not  likely  to  know,  but  Tyrrell's  feelings 
when  leaving  London  are  described  in  the  next  chapter, 
which  is  the  conclusion  of  the  long  paper  drawn  up  by 
him  at  this  time,  the  "  fifty  sheets  "  of  which  Walsingham 
had  been  informed,  which  ultimately  reached  the  hands 
of  Father  Persons  at  Rome.] 


CHAPTER   XV. 

HIS  SORROW  FOR  THE  GREAT  CRIMES  REHEARSED,  WITH 
A  DECLARATION  OF  THE  TRUE  CAUSES  OF  HIS  FALL, 
AND  OF  THE  WICKED  MANNER  OF  PROCEEDING  OF 
THE  ENEMY  WITH  HIM. 

And  now  Anthony  Tyrrell  having  made  his  former  long 
declaration  and  confession,  though  I  have  not  put  it  all 
in  length,  but  a  part  only  of  it,  because  of  the  prolixity, 
he  addeth  for  his  conclusion  this  that  followeth. 

"  One  part  of  my  repentance  now  performed,  two 
other  do  yet  remain  behind  not  finished.  The  world  seeth 
my  confession,  but  where  shall  they  behold  my  contrition 
and  satisfaction .''  Alas !  who  shall  give  water  unto  my 
head,  and  to  my  eyes  a  fountain  of  tears,  that  I  may 
bewail  the  wounds  of  my  poor  wretched  and  sinful 
soul .''  Alas  !  wretch  that  I  am,  void  of  all  comfort,  what 
shall  I  do .''  To  whom  shall  I  now  sue  for  any  relief 
or  succour.-*  Unto  heaven  I  dare  not  lift  up  mine 
eyes,  so  sore  have  I  offended,  and  unto  the  world  I  am 
most  miserable  and  worthily  despised. 

"God   J.  have  offended    by  contemning  His  Majesty, 

My  grievous  offences,  profauing  His  sacramcuts,  rebelling  against 

His  Church,  dishonouring  the  dignity  of  holy  priesthood, 

betraying  His  anointed,  and  by  doing  infinite  other  sins 

and  offences  most  execrable  in  His  sight.     And  worthily 


458  The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell. 

am  I  to  be  contemned  of  man,  as  having  sought  the 
effusion  of  the  blood  of  so  many  innocents,  accused  the 
whole  State  Catholic,  where  I  have  neither  spared  princes, 
noblemen,  gentle  or  simple.  I  have  gone  through  and 
betrayed  every  state  and  condition.  My  dearest  friends 
I  have  abused  as  my  greatest  enemies,  and  my  greatest 
enemies  I  have  chosen  for  my  greatest  friends.  I  have 
most  maliciously  persecuted  such  as  I  never  knew,  and 
such  of  whom  I  was  most  beloved  I  have  bewrayed  them, 
nay,  betrayed  them  without  all  cause,  without  all  truth, 
without  all  colour  or  probability,  to  work  their  confusion, 
their  destruction,  and  not  only  to  them  but  to  their 
posterity,  so  as  not  only  such  as  I  have  presently  offended 
may  have  just  cause  to  detest  me,  but  also  the  genera- 
tions yet  to  come  shall  have  most  earnest  occasion  to 
curse  me. 

"  Which  being  so,  alas,  what  shall  I  do .-'  For  if 
I  cast  mine  eyes  upward  unto  heaven,  I  see  God  with 
His  sword  of  eternal  justice  most  eagerly  bent  to  strike 
me  ;  if  I  cast  mine  eyes  down  into  hell,  I  see  the  dragon's 
mouth  wide  open  ready  to  devour  me ;  if  I  consider 
what  succour  I  have  left  to  save  me  from  the  fury  both  of 
the  one  and  the  other,  I  find  none  but  a  feeble  thread 
of  a  most  wretched  life,  that  every  day  threateneth 
breach,  and  all  the  world  hath  just  cause  to  seek  busily 
to  cut  it  off.  What  comfort  therefore  is  left,  or  shall  I 
with  cursed  Cain  despair .'' 

"  O  Lord,  I  am  confounded,  I  know  not  what  to  say. 
On  the  one  side  I  am  pulled  down  into  the  bottomless 
pit  of  hell  with  the  gravity  of  my  grievous  sins ;  on  the 
other  side  I  am  stayed  and  raised  up  again,  with  the 
hope  of  Thy  eternal  mercies.  Between  hope  and  despair 
my  soul  is  poised ;  which  end  will  yet  be  heaviest  I  am 
uncertain  :  but  notwithstanding,  I  surely  catch  hold  of 
the  balance  of  hope  and  cry  in  bitterness  of  my  soul, 
Ne  dimittas  me,  obsecro,  spes  viea,  qiwadusque  ostenderis  mihi 


The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell.  459 

salutare  meum—-'  Forsake  me  not,  O  my  hope,  until  Thou 
hast  presented  me  before  the  face  of  my  Saviour.'  I  tremble 
and  quake  for  fear,  I  am  ashamed  of  my  wickedness, 
whereby  I  dare  not  present  myself  before  the  sight  of 
Thy  heavenly  Majesty. 

"  But  I  most  humbly  beseech  you,  my  dearest  friends, 

to  pray  for  me,  albeit  I  have  betrayed  you,  albeit  I  have 

been   the   cause   of  your  temporal  deaths,  albeit  I  have 

deserved  no  manner  of  favour  at  your  hands.     Consider 

My  hope  in  the  prayers    yet   how    God   hath    cxaltcd   you,   how 

of Catholics,and  especially       /~>      ^     ■<        ^  ■ 

of  the  priests  martyred.  God  hath  tumcd  the  cxtrcmity  of  my 
malice  unto  your  everlasting  triumphs.  And  since  the 
hurt  that  I  have  meant  you  hath  increased  your  good,  and 
the  malice  that  I  did  bear  you  hath  procured  your  joys, 
according  to  the  greatness  of  your  charities,  help  me  in 
this  extreme  need,  that  your  joys  may  be  made  the  more 
perfect  by  my  conversion,  and  thus  leaving  myself  pros- 
trate at  the  foot  of  your  compassions,  I  will  turn  down 
my  face  lower  upon  the  earth,  and  I  will  look  whether 
here  also  I  may  find  any  comfort  or  consolation. 

"  O  Lord  Jesus,  how  suddenly  are  mine  ears  filled 
here  with  clamours  and  complaints,  some  wishing  that 
I  had  never  been  born,  some  saying  it  had  been  good 
if  I  had  starved  at  the  pap,  other  some  cannot  devise 
any  torments  too  cruel  for  my  punishment,  and  of  none 
of  all  this  have  I  just  cause  to  complain.  For  if  I  look 
His  speech  to  God.  down  iuto  the  infernal  parts  and  consider 
the  entertainments  there  that  are  prepared  for  me,  alas, 
all  other  confusions,  shames,  pains,  or  rebukes  are  but 
as  one  drop  of  water  unto  all  the  ocean  sea. 

"  But  yet  this  notwithstanding,  I  would  humbly  crave 
of  all  men  to  whom  these  my  doings  shall  be  known, 
that  if  God  of  His  mercy  vouchsafe  to  take  me  up,  let  not 
His  creatures  go  about  to  throw  me  down ;  if  God  of  His 
justice  be  pleased  to  pronounce  His  rigorous  sentence 
against  me.  His  creatures  need  not  to  procure  me  more 


460  The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyj^rell. 

harm,  for  that  I  am  to  be  punished  with  eternity.  God's 
holy  and  blessed  will  be  done,  in  cujus  inanibus  sortcs 
ijiece.  If  He  save  mc  by  His  mercy.  His  name  be  honoured. 
If  He  condemn  me  by  His  justice,  be  He  honoured 
also.  And  if  it  might  stand  with  God's  love  and  favour 
to  pardon  me  to  the  end  my  soul  might  not  cease  to 
glorify,  I  could  be  content  for  my  satisfaction  to  continue 
for  some  time  in  hell  itself,  to  abide  there  the  pains  of 
the  damned,  so  as  that  I  might  but  enjoy  afterwards  God's 
favour  and  presence.  But  because  non  est  in  inorte  qui 
mcmor  sit  tui :  ct  in  inferno  qnis  confitebitur  tibi?  therefore 
I  will  cry,  D online  ne  in  fnrore  tuo  argiias  mc,  ct  contra 
folium  quod  vcnio  rapitur  noli  ostendere  potentiani  tuain. 
Let  me  be  an  example,  good  Lord,  of  Thy  exceeding 
mercies,  and  by  me  let  no  sinner  have  cause  to  despair. 

"And  now,  my  dear  brethren.  Catholic  priests,  I  will 
His  speech  to  Catholic  ^um  my  spccch  to  you,  for  as  for  your  help 
priests.  J  (JquIj^  j-jot  but  that  you  will  cast  upon 

me  your  compassionate  eyes,  pour  forth  your  prayers, 
offer  up  your  holy  Sacrifices,  become  unto  me  most  loving 
Samaritans,  pour  oil  and  wine  into  my  wounds,  lay 
me  upon  your  beast,  carry  me  to  the  inn,  commend 
me  to  the  good  man  of  the  house,  lay  out  two 
pence  for  my  charges,  and  if  it  come  to  any  more 
to  agree  with  him  for  the  reckoning.  You  see  how  I  am 
spoiled,  you  may  behold  how  I  have  fallen  into  the  hands 
of  thieves.  They  have  robbed  me,  they  have  spoiled  me, 
they  have  not  only  taken  from  me  the  gifts  of  grace, 
but  even  the  very  gifts  of  nature  herself,  whereby  I  have 
done  things  contrary  to  her  rule  and  prescript,  far  passing 
any  reason  or  understanding ;  and  for  your  rewards  of 
this  your  charity  I  shall  admonish  you,  that  by  other  men's 
harms  you  may  learn  to  beware.  Take  heed  that  you 
travel  not  that  way  that  I  have  done  lest  you  fall  into  the 
same  enemies'  hands,  lest  you  be  robbed  and  spoiled  as  I 
have  been.     Oh,  if  I  were  to  travel  again  this  journey  that 


The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell.  461 

I  have  done,  knowing  that  which  now  I  do  know,  I  could 
(I  hope)  easily  decline  all  this  evil  which  yet,  peradventure 
unawares,  others  may  fall  into.  So  long  as  I  travelled  the 
King's  highway,  so  long  as  I  did  not  decline  too  much, 

The  true  causes  of  my  either  on  the  left  hand  or  on  the  right, 
so  long  was  I  most  safe  and  well,  so  long 
I  walked  the  way  of  Almighty  God  with  great  joy  and 
alacrity ;  but  after  that  I  came  to  stray  a  little  on  the  one 
side,  and  to  choose  out  byways  and  unknown  paths,  then 
did  I  begin  to  fall  into  these  dangers  that  now  I  am 
plunged  into.  What  is  the  King's  highway  that  assureth 
safety,  and  what  be  the  crooked  paths  that  threaten 
dangers.^  Surely,  as  I  found  by  my  own  experience, 
so  will  I  let  you  to  understand. 

"  I  walked  the  King's  highway  in  all  security  so  long 
as  I  followed  the  common  course  of  spirit  that  all  priests 
are  taught  to  do,  and  kept  an  humble  and  lowly  mind, 
compassionable  unto  all,  and  hurtful  unto  none ;  so  long 
as  I  lived  in  fear  of  my  own  actions,  lest  anything  might 
happen  that  pleased  not  Almighty  God,  or  displeased  my 
neighbours  ;  so  long  as  my  mind  was  pure  and  simple, 
my  intention  free  from  all  corruption,  desiring  only  to 
please  Jesus  Christ  above  all  things,  to  seek  His  honour 
and  glory  in  all  my  doings,  and  for  the  pure  love  of  Him 
to  refuse  no  peril,  no  labour,  no  pains  to  do  any  good,  to 
save  my  soul,  to  convert  any  sinner  unto  repentance.  When 
I  felt  in  myself  an  ardent  desire  of  saving  souls  ;  when  I 

The  King's  highway  of  mourned  iuwardly  at  any  ungodly  action, 
security  for  priests.    ^-^^^  j  rcjoiccd  outwardly  to  be  in  place 

or  company  where  any  goodness  was,  or  true  devotion  ; 
when  I  was  free  from  all  affections,  as  ready  to  help  the 
poorest  as  the  rich,  and  always  to  seek  to  do  that  wherein 
my  conscience  persuaded  me  that  it  stood  most  with 
God's  honour  and  the  common  profit ;  when  I  kept  my 
watch  continually  upon  mine  own  words,  and  always 
looked  more  deeply  into  mine  own  defects  than  into  the 


462  The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell. 

doings  of  other  men  ;  when  I  \vas  ready  to  judge  the 
best,  and  to  help  a  fault  if  any  were  found  in  others, 
rather  than  to  make  it  worse ;  when  I  carried  an  open  and 
free  heart  unto  all  my  brethren,  esteemed  better  of  their 
labours  than  of  mine  own,  rejoicing  in  their  companies, 
ready  to  impart  anything  I  had  to  relieve  their  neces- 
sities, to  prefer  them  in  anything  above  myself,  to  be 
readier  to  follow  their  judgments  than  mine  own  :•  so 
long,  I  say,  as  I  was  of  this  mind,  so  long  I  walked 
the  King's  highway  of  my  priestly  vocation  with  others, 
so  long  I  carried  about  me  the  testimony  of  a  good 
conscience,  which  is  worth  more  than  all  the  treasures  in 
the  world. 

"But  the  devil  envying  me  in  this  felicity,  behold  with 
what  subtleties  he  began  to  work ;  behold  how  finely  he 
How  the  devil  began  ^egan  to  undermiuc  me  by  little  and  little, 
with  me  by  pride.  ^^^  ^^  supplaut  mc,  bringing  his  battery 
by  degrees  into  my  fort,  and  never  leaving  me  until  he 
had  beaten  it  down  altogether.  Behold  how  the  seductor 
began  to  lead  me  out  of  this  King's  way,  and  to  bring  me 
unto  an  unknown  path.  First  he  brought  me  into  a  vain 
liking  of  myself,  for  after  that  I  had  gotten  great  acquaint- 
ance in  England,  and  many  favours  also  among  many, 
I  did  not  humble  myself  before  God's  Divine  Majesty  as  I 
should  have  done,  acknowledging  from  whom  I  had  received 
all  these  gifts  and  graces,  being  the  most  unworthy  and 
wretched  of  all  others,  but  suffered  the  devil  a  little  to 
creep  in,  contenting  myself  to  be  affected  of  men,  to  be 
liked  of,  and  to  grow  into  some  vain  liking  of  mine  own 
doings  thereby.  The  foul  serpent  lay  long  lurking  in  this 
covert  before  he  would  show  himself  too  openly,  for  fear  of 
being  spied,  and  that  I  unawares  might  tread  that  path  with 
more  danger.  For  behold  after  that  he  had  a  little  tickled 
me  with  vainglory,  and  yet  so  craftily  that  scarce  it  might 
be  spied,  he  cunningly  moved  me  to  show  myself  often 
in  company  of  my  betters,  to  be  much  talking,  yea,  and 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  463 

under  the  colour  of  doing  good  I  desired  to  converse 
with  such  as  I  knew  best  to  affect  me,  to  make  greatest 
account  of  me,  to  bestow  best  rewards  or  gifts  upon  me, 
than  among  others  where  perhaps  I  might  have  been 
more  profitable. 

"My  devotion  was  never  in  private  so  good  as  it 
seemed  to  be  in  company,  which  my  conscience  often 
told  me  savoured  of  hypocrisy.  I  was  never  so  glad  to 
be  alone  in  my  chamber,  and  to  move  my  soul  unto  com- 
punction, as  I  was  to  be  talking  with  others  of  matters  in 
public.  Rewards  as  there  were  many  given  me,  so  did 
I  not  take  them  with  that  humility  and  purity  of  mind 
and  sincerity  of  conscience  as  I  should,  to  pray  devoutly 
for  the  givers,  and  to  make  them  serve  only  for  my  bare 
necessities,  and  with  the  rest  to  relieve  others  that  did 
more  want ;  but  when  my  money  increased  into  any 
great  sum,  under  the  colour  of  necessity  of  hiding  myself 
and  avoiding  danger  of  the  enemy,  I  abused  my  own 
soul  and  brought  myself  into  more  danger  of  my  greatest 
enemy. 

"  For  I  began  secretly  to  have  a  liking  of  profane 
The  degrees  by  which  apparcl  and  other  superfluities,  to  bestow 
the  devil  dealt  with  me.  ^^^^  therein  than  in  reason  I  should,  yet  in 
the  beginning  I  little  prevented  it,  but  in  process  of  time 
I  found  the  manifest  danger  that  it  brought  me  unto.  For 
that  afterwards  I  had  grown  to  be  of  good  estimation,  and 
that  I  had  gay  clothes  upon  my  back,  and  money  sufficient 
in  my  purse,  and  occasions  many  of  times  to  ride  up 
and  down,  for  doing  of  good,  as  I  then  thought ;  suffering 
vainglory  to  take  some  advantage  of  me,  and  pride  to 
prick  me,  though  at  the  first  they  did  not  so  much  prevail, 
for  I  was  commonly  conversant  with  such  as  both  by 
example  and  doctrine  I  was  desirous  to  edify.  Yet  coming 
abroad  into  the  world,  and  happening  upon  profane 
companies,  to  whose  humours  to  conform  myself  I  thought 
it  policy,  I  was  more  vehemently  assaulted,  and  received 


464  The  Fall  of  AntJiony   Tyrrell. 

ofttimcs  no  small  sensible  blows,  whereby  I  perceived 
plainly  into  what  peril  I  had  endangered  myself.  But  yet, 
not  taking  great  care  to  amend  this  first  breach,  I  gave 
the  enemy  more  open  advantage  in  time  to  gain  the  assault. 
Then  began  I  to  wander  further  out  of  this  kingly  highway 
of  spiritual  life,  falling  to  particularities  and  partialities 
more  than  I  ought,  affecting  some  kind  of  persons  more 
than  other  some,  only  for  my  own  private  affection  and 
commodity,  falling  from  my  old  zeal  and  common  labours 
to  do  good  to  all,  and  restraining  myself  to  a  shorter 
compass  of  following  some  few,  and  to  take  up  a  particular 
residence  in  some  such  a  place  as  I  might  be  sure  not  to 
want,  but  rather  to  abound,  and  suffering  myself  to  be 
much  cockered  with  eating  and  drinking  of  the  best  and 
lodging  easily,  and  to  have  all  things  at  my  command- 
ment. I  began  to  be  very  remiss  in  all  good  exercises, 
to  give  myself  too  much  to  outward  and  vain  solaces,  and 
above  all  too  much  intent  to  flatter  the  humours  of 
such  as  I  had  taken  under  my  charge,  whose  temporal 
rewards  I  receiving,  did  not  give  them  again  the  spiritual 
benefits  and  instructions,  as  I  ought,  but  applied  myself 
to  yield  too  much  to  their  infirmities,  until  such  time  as  I 
made  myself  also  most  infirm,  and  not  able  afterwards  to 
control  them  with  any  authority. 

"But  among  all  other  things  one  of  the  principal 
Let  all  Catholic  priests  ^auscs  of  my  Spoiling  was  in  not  keeping 
note  t  IS.  j^y  heart  always  pure  and  clean  as  at  the 
beginning  it  was,  and  long  had  the  enemy  practised  with 
me  to  desire  to  be  conversant  much  with  women,  and  this 
under  the  colour  of  holiness  and  piety ;  who  of  themselves, 
although  they  were  very  good  and  virtuous,  yet  did  my 
soul  often  catch  deformity  before  that  ever  I  departed 
their  company,  and  afterwards  as  my  confessions  may 
appear.  And  therefore  let  all  good  men  beware  of  this 
snare. 

"  And  thus  by  degrees  I  grew  unto  more  boldness,  rtiy 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  465 

conscience  began  to  be  less  timorous  and  less  charitable 
towards  my  brethren,  more  private  I  began  unto  myself, 
less  willing  to  take  pains,  more  willing  to  be  among  such 
as  were  given  to  more  liberty  and  looseness  of  life,  among 
whom  I  would  a  great  deal  more  enlarge  than  I  ought, 
being  out  the  Catholics'  sight,  and  dissemble  a  great  deal 
more  than  did  become  me. 

"Then  pride  did  increase  a  great  deal  more  in  me 
prodigal.  I  began  to  be  in  expenses,  not  considering 
that  I  lived  upon  the  alms  of  other  men.  Then  fell  I 
to  haunt  taverns  and  ordinaries  far  unfit  for  my  profes- 
sion, to  spend  with  the  best,  to  ride  up  and  down  upon 
pleasure  only,  and  to  slack  the  spiritual  harvest.  Alms 
given  to  me  to  bestow  I  would  oftentimes  hold  and 
reserve  some  part  to  myself,  under  the  colour  of  necessity, 
whereby  the  spirit  of  covetousness  got  hold  upon  me,  and 
then  was  I  sore  assailed  with  pride,  covetousness,  gluttony, 
and  lechery.  What  shall  I  say  more  .''  By  walking  out 
of  the  King's  highway  I  did  fall  into  the  enemy's  hands, 
and  here  miserable  do  I  lie  for  that  permitting  them  one 
inch  they  have  gained  an  ell ;  nay,  they  have  utterly 
destroyed  my  soul,  unless  it  please  God  to  repair  it 
again. 

"  If  any  man  have  slipt  besides  myself,  let  him  rise 
again  by  my  example  ;  let  all  beware,  for  there  is  no  hold 
with  heretics  ;  they  are  never  content  with  little ;  they 
must  have  body  and  soul  to  perish  together,  and  more  too 
if  it  were  possible ;  for  if  a  man  had  ten  thousand  souls, 
and  as  many  bodies,  they  of  England  would  not  rest  until 
all  were  brought  unto  destruction.  So  long  as  I  sought  to 
conserve  the  grace  of  God,  by  patience  and  constancy,  so 
long  I  was  a  traitor,  and  worse  than  a  traitor ;  but  as  soon 
as  I  applied  myself  to  work  all  kind  of  villany,  then  was  I 
presently  a  good  Protestant  and  a  dutiful  subject ;  neither 
did  they  ever  ask  me  word  more  of  religion,  so  as  most 
certain  it  is  that  they  seek  not  the  salvation  of  man's  soul, 
EE 


466  The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell. 

nor  not  who  gives  himself  to  the  devil  so  he  serve  their 
turn.  Who  would  have  thought?  But  it  is  too  true.  I  have 
learnt  the  knowledge  thereof  too  dear,  unless  God  be  the 
more  merciful  to  pardon  my  fault ;  for  from  the  time  that 
I  first  yielded  myself  into  their  possession,  which  hath 
been  now  almost  four  months  complete,  had  they  ever, 
think  you,  any  talk  with  me  in  matters  of  religion  ?  Verily, 
not  a  word.  It  sufficed  them  that  I  said  I  was  not  a 
Papist ;  and  if  I  had  been  a  devil  (as  I  was  little  better), 
all  to  them  had  been  one,  so  as  I  would  do  the  feat  they 
desired,  which  was  to  appeach  the  innocent,  to  bewray 
priests,  to  bewray  Catholics,  to  bring  them  to  searches,  to 
enrich  them  with  spoils,  to  bring  such  in  danger  of  their 
lives  as  they  loved  not. 

"  Among  all  the  abominable  lies  and  untruths  that  in 
my  discovery  I  have  set  down,  no  fault  was  ever  found, 
and  yet  in  my  conscience  my  Lord  Treasurer  is  not  so 
simple  but  that  he  might  perceive  how  that  in  many  places 
I  lied  grossly ;  yet  all  passed  for  truth,  even  in  matters 
The  lack  of  conscience  most  Weighty  of  mcn's  Hves,  states  and  utter 

in  the  Lord  Treasurer  xiii-        iirt 

and  Young.  ovcrthrow.     When  1  had  devised  all  that 

possibly  I  could  against  so  many,  as  before  you  have  heard, 
Justice  Young  not  so  satisfied,  would  have  me  to  stretch  my 
wits  still  further  for  more,  for  the  obtaining  whereof  there 
was  no  remedy,  but  that  I  must  continue  in  dissimulation 
still.  Is  this,  Mr.  Young,  your  *  calling  men  home,'  as  you 
term  it,  *  to  the  Church  of  Christ  ? '  Is  this  the  desire  you 
have  of  poor  Papists'  souls  .-'  I  pray  you  from  henceforth 
let  us  continue  in  our  Papistry  still,  which  abhorreth  all 
dissimulation,  which  alloweth  not  such  kind  of  treachery 
to  entrap  the  blood  of  pure,  simple  men ;  suffer  us,  I  pray 
you,  simply  to  proceed  in  our  vocation,  and  either,  if  God 
permit  us  to  fall  into  your  hands,  let  us  yet  enjoy  the 
quietness  of  a  quiet  conscience  so  long  as  God  shall  grant 
us  life ;  and  though  you  hate  our  priesthood  so  deadly, 
yet  let  us  go  to  the  gallows  with  consciences  unspotted  ; 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  467 

first  seek  not  to  spoil  our  bodies,  and  then  after  to  bereave 
us  of  our  souls.  This  nature  is  mere  diabolical.  You  can 
be  content  that  we  be  Papists,  exercise  all  the  parts  of 
a  Papist,  never  come  to  your  Church,  never  receive  your 
communion,  never  hear  your  sermons,  never  read  your 
books,  with  condition  that  "we  will  apply  ourselves  jointly 
to  practise  all  mischief,  so  our  intentions  be  to  persecute, 
to  betray,  and,  under  covert  of  virtue,  to  exercise  all  kind 
of  wicked  knavery. 

"If  this  be  your  religion,  sure  it  is  an  abominable 
The  Protestants' religion,  religion,  a  dcvilish  religion,  fit  for  no  other 
than   the   devil    and   his   dam.     The  holy  prophet   Elias 

3  Kings  xviii.  crieth  out  of  all  dissemblers,  asking  them 
how  long  they  will  halt  on  both  sides,  willing  us  that  if 
God  be  God  we  should  follow  Him,  and  if  Baal  be  god, 
then  we  should  follow  Baal.  And  Justice  Young  can  will 
me  boldly  to  halt  on  both  sides ;  to  bow  my  knees,  as  he 
saith,  to  Baal :  he  can  will  me,  with  a  Protestant  to  be  a 
Protestant,  and  with  a  Papist  to  play  the  Papist.  How 
agree  together  Elias  and  Young. ■'  But  truly  I  do  not  marvel 
at  it,  for  there  is  as  much  religion  in  this  blessed  man  as 
in  a  horse,  and  so  in  them  all,  for  aught  that  I  can  learn. 
This,  then,  is  their  practice,  and  this  the  sum  of  their 
devotion,  so  far  as  I  have  learnt  by  mine  own  experience, 
that  so  soon  as  they  have  gotten  a  man  within  their  fingers, 
first  they  tamper  with  him  very  cunningly.  If  they  perceive 
the  man  anything  timorous  or  of  a  softly  nature,  then  will 
they  use  very  smooth  words,  and  tender  him  an  oath,  the 
which,  if  the  party  be  so  foolish  as  to  take,  then  they  think 
the  field  to  be  half  won,  for  they  know  us  to  be  of  more 
scrupulous  consciences  than  themselves ;  then  will  they 
urge  him  all  they  can  to  discover  where  he  said  Mass, 
where  he  conversed,  and  with  whom,  and  with  such 
ordinary  stuff  they  will  endeavour  to  halter  him  in  the 
snare  if  possibly  they  can. 

"  But  if  they  find  him  anything  resolute,  then  he  is 
EE  2 


468  TJie  Fall  of  Antho7iy  Tyrrell. 

an  obstinate  Papist,  a  man  no  doubt  guilty  of  many 
Manv  arts  and  devices  treasons,  and  that  he  must  be  warily 
of  the  persecutor.  ^^^^^^^  y^to  :  he  shall  Want  no  words  of 
threatening,  and  all  manner  of  evil  entertainment  at  their 
hands.  They  will  send  for  him  once,  twice,  thrice,  and  still 
they  will  assault  him  with  new  devices  and  policies  ;  but 
in  the  end,  if  they  cannot  prevail  to  get  forth  matter  for 
their  liking,  then  they  will  proffer  him  conference,  and 
offer  very  fair  that  way,  if  that  he  would  confer,  but  all 
with  guile.  If  they  find  him  still  resolute,  and  that  he 
remaineth  still  constant  in  his  profession,  then  they  send 
him  away  for  a  rank  traitor  :  they  will  surely  give  him 
his  passport  to  the  gallows  as  speedily  as  they  can.  But 
such  as  they  can  by  any  ways  allure  by  flattery  to 
relent  in  any  point,  they  will  seem  to  spare  and  favour 
somewhat  ;  and  if  any  be  so  ill-disposed  or  overcome 
by  temptation  as  to  yield  any  further,  ipso  facto  they 
are  become  honest  men.  Then  is  all  religion  set  apart 
as  a  matter  to  their  purpose  clean  impertinent,  for  if 
they  can  gain  him  to  play  the  spy,  then  will  they 
promise  him  all  preferment ;  then  will  they  give  him  out, 
to  colour  their  craft,  that  of  all  Papists  that  ever  they 
knew  he  is  the  most  notorious  of  all  other  ;  and  never 
Most  notorious  devices,  a  CatlioHc  that  they  shall  talk  withal, 
but  they  will  cast  him  in  their  dish  as  most  obstinate. 
But  contrariwise,  such  as  remain  sound  and  constant  in 
deed,  those  will  they  seem  to  accuse  of  all  imbecility, 
and  give  out  of  them  that  they  have  bewrayed  much, 
when  as  God  knoweth  there  was  never  any  meaning  to 
do  any  such  thing :  whereof  I  could  give  many  examples, 
so  cunning  hath  the  devil  made  these  men  in  his  ways. 

"  But  of  all  other  men  he  is  most  esteemed  by  them 
that  will  be  their  spy  and  betray  his  fellows.  Let  him  say 
Mass  or  do  what  he  list,  all  shall  be  winked  at,  so  long 
as  he  can  by  any  colour  contrive  to  do  any  mischief; 
though   otherwise   he   have   in   him   no   taste   of  religion 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  469 

at  all.  Some  others  there  be  besides  myself  (when  they 
Of  others  also  fallen,  had  me)  that  they  have  gotten  into  this 
damnable  state  and  condition.  I  could  name  them,  for 
I  know  them,  and  have  heard  of  their  informings  and 
seen  of  their  doings,  as  I  am  sure  they  have  of  mine. 
Yet  I  will  not  name  them  here,  but  desire  them  for 
the  Passion  of  God  to  remember  themselves,  to  leave 
off  serving  the  devil,  and  turn  to  Almighty  God  again, 
from  whom  they  are  fallen.  I  know  by  my  own  self 
that  they  continually  carry  a  hell  in  their  consciences. 
Alas,  my  brethren,  there  is  none  of  you  all  that  has 
gone  further  than  I.  God  hath  called  me  up  again. 
Let  us  serve  God  and  forsake  the  devil.  Of  the  one 
we  shall  have  nothing  but  hell  and  damnation  :  of  the 
other  we  may  have  eternal  salvation. 

"  But  now  to  the  point  of  myself.  I  doubt  not  but 
they  will  now  blaze  out  unto  the  world  all  my  writings 
and  recantations  that  I  made  against  the  Catholics, 
which  they  have  in  their  own  hands,  thereby  to  defame 
me  for  a  notorious  dissembler ;  but  whatsoever  they  do, 
they  do  but  increase  their  own  shame.  For  let  them  set 
forth  all  my  dealings  in  what  vile  manner  soever  they 
list,  and  say  what  they  can,  this  only  shall  they  gain, 
that  sin  and  the  devil  brought  me  to  them,  and  God  of 
His  grace  delivered  me  again  from  them.  For  who 
seeth  not  the  difference  of  these  two  contrary  spirits } 
^^   j.^  ■  •     With  the  one  I  was  brought  into  a  loose- 

The  different  spirits  ° 

the'  PrSntrand  ucss  of  life  and  a  Corruptible  folly,  whereby 
from  them.  j  plunged  myself  so  deep  into  sin  as  I  had 

no  grace  to  wind  myself  out  again.  I  ran  further  and 
further  until  I  renounced  my  faith  and  abandoned  all 
honesty,  by  the  which  what  pageants  I  have  played  hath 
appeared  plainly  by  my  former  confessions,  and  if  I  would 
have  continued  the  sinful  course  still,  they  never  would  have 
found  any  fault  with  me.  I  might  now  have  enjoyed  all 
the  favour  and  jpromotions  that  the_^  could  have  bestowed 


470  The  Fall  of  A7ithony   Tyrrell. 

upon  mc.  I  might  still  have  maintained  myself  in  all 
sensuality.  What  thing  then  hath  averted  my  heart  from 
all  this  but  the  grace  of  God  only,  that  leadeth  to  good 
life  and  hatred  of  such  wickedness  ;  so  that  let  them  paint 
me  out  in  what  colours  they  will,  the  more  they  deform 
me  the  more  they  shame  themselves. 

"And  truly  I  could  willingly  ease  them  of  that  labour 
of  laying  open  my  lewdness,  and  do  it  myself,  acknow- 
ledging me  to  be  the  most  miserable  and  wretched  creature 
of  all  others,  for  so  truly  I  know  myself  to  be,  and  con- 
fessed it  at  the  beginning  of  this  treatise,  and  now  again 
with  the  same  I  will  end.  And  most  humbly  I  do  submit 
myself  unto  all  shame  and  confusion  in  this  world,  so  I 
may  find  mercy  in  the  sight  of  the  Omnipotent  Majesty 
[of]  our  merciful  Saviour  in  the  world  to  come,  beseeching 
all  good  Catholics  to  pray  for  me,  and  to  pardon  my 
most  grievous  sins  and  offences  committed  against  them. 
Our  Lord  Jesus  grant  me  grace  of  perseverance,  that 
hereafter  I  become  not  the  child  of  perdition  again.  And 
so  I  end." 


4/1 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

OF  DIVERS  LETTERS  THAT  AFTER  HIS  REPENTANCE  HE 
WROTE  AS  WELL  TO  THE  QUEEN  AS  TO  OTHER 
PERSONS. 

Over  and  besides  the  large  confession  and  declaration 
which  before  you  have  heard  set  down  by  Anthony 
Tyrrell's  own  hand,  upon  sorrow  and  repentance  that  God 
gave  him  of  his  most  wicked  and  desperate  former  pro- 
ceedings, he  wrote  also  divers  other  particular  satisfactions 
to  sundry  persons,  whom  in  particular  he  had  injured, 
which  I  have  in  like  manner  lying  by  me  written  as 
all  the  rest,  and  signed  with  his  own  hand.  And  the 
first  of  them  is  written  the  26th  of  January,  i58[6]7,  and 
directed  to  some  forty-nine  or  fifty  persons,  some  dead, 
and  some  alive,  some  within  and  some  without  the  realm, 
whom  he  confesseth  to  have  most  grievously  and  falsely 
accused;  and  albeit  in  the  former  narration  which  you 
have  heard,  either  all  of  them,  or  the  most  part,  have 
been  named,  together  with  Tyrrell's  particular  doings 
and  sayings  against  them,  as  himself  setteth  it  down,  with 
his  own  conclusion  thereupon,  omitting  all  the  rest,  I 
mean  the  larger  declaration  of  his  enormities,  lies  and 
slanders  against  them,  for  that  before  you  have  heard 
them.     Thus  then  he  maketh  his  table  or  memorial. 

"  The  names  of  persons  beyond  the  seas  whom  I  have  falsely  accused 
and  slandered  are  these. 

"  Pope  Gregory  XIII.  that  last  was. 

The  General  of  the  Jesuits. 

The  Rector  of  the  English  College,  named  Alfonsus 

Agazzarus. 


472  The  Fall  of  A7ithony   Tyrrell 

Father  Good,  confessor  to  the  College  and  a  Jesuit. 

Dr.  Lewis,  living  then  at  Milan. 

Dr.  Allen. 

Dr.  Gififord. 

The  Duke  of  Guise. 

The  Bishop  of  Ross. 

Mr.  Chambers,  priest. 

George  Stoker. 

"The  names  of  those  that  are  dead  and  that  I  falsely  accused 
were — 
"  The  Queen  of  Scots. 
Mr.  Ballard,  priest. 
Mr.  Anthony  Babington. 
Mr.  Barnwell. 
Mr.  Charles  Tylney. 
Mr.  Abington. 
Mr.  Tichborne. 
Mr.  Gage. 
Mr.  Henry  Dunne. 
"All  these  I  do  here  name,  not  for  that  my  accusa- 
tions  can    bring   them   any   more    hurt  or   danger  than 
already  they  have  done,  but  that  they  may  be  the  better 
purged    hereafter    by   this    my   confession,    especially   of 
such  crimes  as  ever  I  have  charged  any  of  them  withal, 
which  are  most  false,  and  so  I  leave  to  speak  of  them 
any  further,  and  I  will  proceed  to  the  others  that  live. 

"  The  names  of  such  as  I  have  most  falsely  and  unjustly  accused 
here  in  England  that  are  living,  whereof  some  are  in  prison, 
some  at  cotnmandment,  and  some  at  liberty,  are  these  that  follow. 

"The  Earl  of  Arundel. 
The  Countess  of  Arundel. 
The  Lord  Windsor. 
The  Lord  Stourton  and  his  wife. 
Sir  John  Arundell. 


The  Fall  of  Aftthony   Tyrrell.  473 

The  Lady  Drury. 

Mr.  Edward  Windsor. 

Mr,  Thomas  Metham  of  Yorkshire. 

Mr.  Ralph  Crathorne. 

Mr.  Ralph  Babthorpe. 

Mr.  David  Ingleby. 

Mr.  Tipping. 

Mr.  Dinnington. 

Mr.  Crossland  and  his  brother. 

Mr.  Bold  of  Lancashire. 

Father  Edmonds. 

Mr.  Highgate. 

Mr.  Jacques,  servant  to  Mr.  Vice-Chamberlain. 

William  Warmforde,  Mr.  Jacques  his  man. 

Mr.  Gervais  Pierrepont. 

Mr.  George  Gifford. 

Sir  Thomas  Gerard. 

Mr.  Yearly,  alias  Burton. 

The  two  Wisemen  {sic)  of  Essex. 

Mr.  Thorogood  of  the  Temple. 

Mr.  Francis  Browne. 

All  priests  in  general  and  all  Catholics  in  general." 

After  this   list   made,  he  setteth   down  as  it  were  a 

compendious  recital  of  all   the  several  accusations  which 

he  ever  made  against  any  one  of  all  these  people,  and 

after  all  maketh  this  conclusion  following. 

"All  these  aforesaid  accusations  I  do  acknowledge 
myself  falsely,  maliciously,  and  slanderously  to  have 
made  against  all  these  persons  before  specified,  and 
that  they  are  monstrous  lies,  and  most  manifest  untruths. 
So  God  me  help.  In  witness  whereof  I  have  signed  this 
with  my  own  [hand],  and  shall  stand  to  the  same  unto  the 
hour  of  my  death.     The  26th  of  January,  1587. 

"By  me, 

"Anthony  Tyrrell,  Priest." 


474  '^^^^  Fall  of  Anlhony   Tyrrell. 

His  second  letter  of  satisfaction  was  unto  the  Lord 
Windsor,  dated  in  London,  the  20th  of  February,  1587, 
which  beginneth  thus. 

"  Being  moved  in  conscience,  right  honourable,  to 
acknowledge  my  great  offence  committed  against  your- 
self and  your  brother,  Mr.  Edward  Windsor,  I  could 
not  but  signify  the  same  unto  you  by  writing,  and  of 
you  both  most  humbly  do  crave  pardon,"  &c.  And 
then,  after  a  long  declaration  of  his  false  accusations 
against  them  both,  as  well  to  Justice  Young  and  to 
the  Treasurer  as  to  the  Queen  herself,  he  concludeth 
thus. 

"And  therefore  I  do  confess  myself  most  grievously 
to  have  slandered  both  your  honour  and  this  honest  and 
innocent  gentleman  your  brother,  of  both  whom  I  crave 
most  humbly  pardon  and  forgiveness,  beseeching  your 
honour  that  for  God's  cause  and  for  the  clearing  of  your 
brother,  his  innocency,  by  me  falsely  accused  in  these  my 
letters,  may  be  known  unto  her  Majesty  and  the  Council, 
that  guiltless  he  be  not  made  away  through  my  false  accu- 
sations. And  thus  having  in  this  point  discharged  my  own 
conscience,  not  refusing  any  temporal  shame  or  punishment 
for  the  purchasing  of  God's  favour,  and  forgiveness  from 
your  honour,  I  shall  most  humbly  take  my  leave.  From 
London,  20th  of  February,  1587. 

"  By  me, 

"  Anthony  Tyrrell,  Priest." 

The  third  and  largest  letter  of  all  was  to  the  Queen^ 
herself,  as  whom  m.ost  grievously  of  all  others  he  thought 
himself  to  have  offended  and  injured,  by  abusing  her  with 
false  and  feigned  informations  of  treasons,  and  putting  into 
her  head  jealous,  fearful,  and  dangerous  suspicions  against 

^  As  already  mentioned  {supra,  p.  206),  this  letter  is  printed  by  Slrype, 
Annals,  vol.  iii.  pt.  ii.  p.  425.  A  manuscript  copy  of  it  is  in  the  British 
Museum,  Lansd.  MSS.  51,  n.  66,  f.  154. 


The  Fall  of  Anthoiiy   Tyrrell.  475 

her  own  subjects  without  all  cause  or  ground  in  the  world, 
and  by  pricking  her  to  use  rigour  of  laws,  and  other 
extremities  against  such  as  to  his  knowledge  had  nothing 
at  all  offended,  whereby  much  blood  was  already  shed, 
and  much  more  like  to  be,  and  infinite  inconveniences 
most  certainly  to  ensue.  This  letter  was  dated  also  in 
London,  as  the  other  before,  the  20th  of  February,  1587, 
and  beginneth  as  followeth. 

"If  ever  your  Majesty's  pity  inclined  unto  the  com- 
plaint of  a  sorrowful  and  distressed  subject,  vouchsafe, 
O  gracious  Queen,  to  incline  to  mine  which  craveth 
no  more  at  your  Highness'  hands  than  that  you  would 
peruse  these  letters  which  are  much  more  long  than 
willingly  I  would,  but  that  they  contain  matter  which 
concerneth  your  princely  justice,  by  defending  of  your 
innocent  subjects  and  protecting  them  from  harm.  I  am 
the  same  man,  although  then  far  different  in  mind,  that 
presumed  heretofore  to  write  letters  unto  your  Majesty, 
and  as  it  hath  been  told  me  you  vouchsafed  to  receive 
them,  to  read  them,  and  (if  the  report  were  true  that  hath 
been  told  me)  you  took  great  joy  and  comfort  of  them. 
Alas,  my  right  dread  Lady  and  Sovereign,  I  am  full  sorry 
that  the  effect  of  your  comfort  (whatsoever  it  were)  pro- 
ceeded from  so  evil  a  cause,  the  ground  whereof,  when 
once  it  shall  be  known,  will  yield  your  Majesty  more  dis- 
comfort than  fully  may  be  shown." 

This  is  the  beginning  of  this  letter,  and  after  this 
he  setteth  down  somewhat  largely  his  bringing  up  in  the 
Seminaries  beyond  the  seas,  protesting  his  sincere  intention 
in  all  his  studies  there,  as  also  his  return  to  England  when 
he  was  priest,  without  any  the  least  evil  meaning  in 
the  world  towards  her  Majesty,  or  against  the  State, 
assuring  upon  his  soul  that  the  like  sincerity  is  in  all 
other  Catholic  priests  that  come  in  and  do  persevere  to 
live  in  England  according  to  the  purity  of  their  education, 
and  desire  of  rule  and  order  of  their  superiors  that  send 


476  The  Fall  of  Atithony   Tyrrell 

them.  And  that  while  himself  lived  so,  he  lived  in 
perpetual  peace  and  comfort  of  his  soul,  and  in  most 
charitable  meaning  towards  all,  and  when  he  once  began 
to  fall  from  this  care  of  virtue  and  purity  of  life,  he  began 
also  presently  to  think  of  change  of  religion,  and  of 
malicious  hurting  of  others.  But  it  shall  be  best  to  hear 
all  uttered  in  his  own  words.    Thus  then  he  sayeth. 

"  Now  as  concerneth  my  conversation  in  England  this 
is  most  sure  and  certain,  that  if  my  life  had  endured 
agreeable  to  my  profession,  this  good  mind  in  me  that  I 
brought  with  me  had  never  changed.  Neither  fear  of  death 
nor  hope  of  preferment  could  have  made  me  alter  my 
opinion,  but  rather  than  I  would  have  been  brought  to  relent 
or  to  have  forsaken  my  faith  as  I  have  done,  I  would 
have  yielded  my  body  most  willingly  unto  death,  as  divers 
of  my  virtuous  brethren  most  gloriously  have  done,  and 
every  good  priest  hereafter  will  do,  in  despite  of  all  the 
devils  in  hell  or  torments  of  any  man.  But  alas,  here, 
O  most  gracious  Sovereign,  to  my  temporal  shame  and 
confusion  (so  as  my  soul  may  find  mercy  at  the  dreadful 
day),  I  must  openly  confess  that  I  fell  into  a  great 
corruption  of  life  and  dissolution  of  manners,  suffering 
myself  to  be  drowned  in  all  sensuality  and  pleasure,  that 
the  grace  of  the  Holy  Ghost  could  not  any  longer  abide 
in  a  temple  so  defiled  and  polluted  with  sin,  insomuch 
as  my  own  conscience  crying  out  against  my  own  impiety, 
and  I  not  amending  my  evil  manners,  the  devil  ceased  not 
to  oppugn  my  faith.  Whereupon  my  religion  began  to  be 
irksome  unto  me,  not  for  that  I  knew  my  religion  to  be 
evil,  but  because  I  found  myself  so  passing  naught  as 
that  God  or  any  goodness  could  no  longer  abide  in  me. 
c-     AA■^  .■    .u    I  was  therefore  oftentimes,  before  that  ever 

Sin  and  dissolution  the  ' 

causes  of  my  fall.        J     ^jj   f^|i    jj^^^    ^^^    hdiWds    of   yOUr    officCrS 

or   into  the   danger  of  your   Majesty's   laws,  minded  to 

My  mind  to  fall  before  have  rcuounccd  my  religion  and  to  have 

n.y  apprehension.      fielded  fn^sdf  unto  ^'our  Majcsty's  Council, 


The  Fall  of  Antho7iy  Tyrrell.  477 

and  so  either  to  have  played  the  dissembling  spy,  or  else 
to  have  counterfeited  some  open  recantation,  and  this  for 
no  other  end  than  to  serve  the  world  and  to  live  for  the 
time  in  pleasure,  although  in  the  end  I  was  sure  to 
purchase  thereby  eternal  damnation.  Yet  God's  mercy 
expecting  my  repentance  preserved  me  still  from  that 
horrible  crime,  and  although  all  the  branches  of  the  tree 
of  my  soul  were  withered  dry  by  sin,  and  all  ready  to  be 
cut  off  and  cast  into  the  fire,  yet  so  long  as  there  was 
any  life  left  in  the  root,  that  is,  that  my  faith  was  not 
yet  forsaken,  there  was  some  hope  of  my  returning  again. 
"And  so  being  by  God's  permission  and  providence 
taken  at  length,  and  brought  into  the  danger  of  your 
Majesty's  laws,  and  thinking  that  I  had  been  to  lose  my 
life  for  the  same,  these  thoughts  came  into  my  mind,  that 
to  die  for  God's  cause  in  the  Catholic  religion  I  was  not 
worthy,  by  reason  I  had  so  contaminated  myself  by  sin. 
Yet  such  was  the  infinite  mercy  of  Almighty  God  on  the 
other  side  as  He  letted  not  to  offer  me  the  grace  if  I  most 
wickedly  had  not  forsaken  Him ;  but  the  devil  having  gotten 
so  great  an  advantage  of  me  before  through  sin,  envied 
now  my  happy  state  for  to  be  called  unto  my  trial  for  my 
profession,  fearing  thereby  that  he  should  have  lost  me 
2ltogethcr,  and  so  assailed  me  more  fiercely  in  another 
kind,  procuring  me  under  the  colour  of  pleasure  to  save 
my  life  by  recanting  my  Catholic  religion,  although 
thereby  I  was  sure  in  the  end  I  should  lose  it  for  ever. 
And  now  am  I  come,  most  gracious  Sovereign,  unto  the 
true  cause  of  this  my  last  conversion,  or  rather  mere  per- 
version as  truly  I  may  term  it,  by  the  which  what  lament- 
able stratagems  have  been  committed  may  now  easily  be 
seen,  for  after  that  the  devil  had  so  prevailed  with  me  that 
I  was  content  for  my  temporal  life  and  worldly  preferment 
My  convertion  for  which  to  yield  unto  all  manner  of  sin,  O  sweet 

her  Majesty  was  made  to^,,_  ,i,  tij,  i_ 

rejoice,  what  it  was.        Lord !   I  trcmblc  to  rccouut  what  a  number 
of  monsters  I   personally  did  let  into  my  soul  at  once. 


47^  The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell. 

Thinkcth  your  Majesty  that  I  had  cither  care  or  conscience 
of  my  doings,  when  I  had  abandoned  all  grace,  all  good- 
ness, all  truth  and  honesty,  and  cast  myself  wholly  into 
sin  ?  No,  verily,  for  from  that  time  I  became  more 
malicious  than  ever  Judas  was  that  betrayed  Christ,  for  I 
converted  wholly  my  malice  against  Him,  and  at  one  jump 
I  forsook  my  faith  which  I  knew  for  certain  to  be  pure  and 
good,  I  accused  the  Pope,  I  slandered  the  Jesuits,  belied 
Dr.  Allen,  Dr.  Lewis,  and  Dr.  Gifford,  reporting  of  them 
and  divers  others  of  our  nation  unto  my  Lord  Treasurer 
such  horrible  matters,  as  against  the  Turk  or  the  devil  I 
could  not  devise  more  grievous.  What  Ballard's  practices 
were  against  your  Majesty,  or  any  of  the  rest  that  suffered 
with  him,  I  protest  I  know  not,  nor  ever  yet  could  learn, 
and  if  they  were  guilty  of  any  crime  I  do  not  and  will  not 
go  about  to  excuse  them  [but  rather  will  rejoice  at  their 
deservings.  Lansd.  MS\  Only  this,  O  gracious  Queen,  I 
cannot  but  confess  a  truth,  what  peril  or  danger  of  my  life 
soever  I  sustain,  for  the  same  that  I  accused  Ballard  mo.st 
Touchin  Ballard  and  ^^^scly  for  conspiHng  your  Majesty's  death, 
his  company.  ^^i^^  j^^  should  havc  bcgun  to  break  the 
matter  with  Dr.  Lewis  at  Milan,  continued  the  same  with 
the  Rector  of  the  English  Seminary  and  the  General  of 
the  Jesuits  at  Rome,  by  whose  helps  his  suit  should  have 
been  commended  unto  Pope  Gregory  XIII.  and  by  him 
the  action  of  your  Majesty's  death  should  have  been 
allowed  and  confirmed,  and  the  same  he  should  have 
imparted  unto  Dr.  Allen  at  Rheims,  who  should  like  well 
enough  of  the  thing,  and  after  to  have  been  practised  by 
Ballard  or  some  of  his  complices  here  in  England,  when  they 
should  see  their  time ;  wherein  I  accused  Charles  Tylney 
and  Edward  Windsor,  the  one  dead,  and  the  other  living, 
to  have  been  two  of  the  first  attempters  of  that  fact :  all 
which,  as  I  hope  to  be  saved  at  the  latter  day,  was  as  false 
as  God  is  true,  for  never  in  my  life  did  I  hear  so  much  as  a 
thought  conceived  awry  against  your  royal  person  by  them. 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  479 

"When  I  had  deeply  waded  in  this  ford  of  lying,  I 
spared  no  manner  of  person  upon  whom  I  might  colour 
any  cause  of  mischief,  insomuch  as  I  accused  the  French 
Ambassador  in  many  things  most  wrongfully,  as  also 
his  secretary.  I  accused  the  Earl  of  Arundel  and  the 
Countess  of  many  heinous  matters,  and  divers  other 
noblemen  and  women  of  your  land,  of  crimes  most  false 
and  untrue.  Among  the  rest  I  accused  the  Scottish 
Queen  unto  your  Majesty  of  things  that  I  knew  no 
more  than  the  child  new  born.  What  otherwise  she 
deserved  I  know  not  [nor  mind  not  to  defend  her  if  she 
have  offended  your  Majesty  in  anything.  Lansd.  MS\ 
but  whatsoever  I  did  inform  your  Highness,  it  was  only 
to  bring  your  Majesty  into  greater  hatred  with  her, 
whom  I  presumed  you  did  not  greatly  love  before,  and 
that  made  me  to  enlarge  lies  against  all  Catholics,  and 
namely  against  my  Lord  Windsor,  the  Lord  Stourton 
and  his  wife,  the  Lord  Compton,  Sir  John  Arundell,  and 
others. 

"And  I  remember,  that  being  settled  in  this  malicious 

humour,  that   I    did  write    unto   your    Majesty  a   letter, 

wherein   I  warned   you    of  three  things. 

My  most  pernicious  per-  •'  •-> 

suasions  to  the  Queen.  ^xxsX  to  cxtirpatc  and  wccd  out  all  Semi- 
nary priests  as  members  most  pernicious  unto  your  realm, 
for  they  went  about  wheresoever  they  came  to  bring  your 
Majesty  in  hatred  and  contempt  with  your  subjects,  per- 
suading them  that  to  seek  the  destruction  of  your  royal 
person  was  a  most  laudable  thing. 

"The  second,  that  you  should  have  a  great  regard 
unto  the  Scottish  Queen,  by  whom  your  Majesty's  life 
stood  most  in  danger,  who  sought  by  all  means  she 
could,  not  only  by  foreign  power,  but  by  domestical 
attempts,  at  once  to  shorten  your  days,  that  she  herself 
might  be  advanced  to  the  Crown. 

"The  third  was,  that  your  Majesty,  having  now  crushed 
the  heads  of  the  conspirators,  and  had  all  your  enemies 


480  The  Fall  of  A^ithony   Tyrrell. 

at  such  an  advantage  that  it  were  not  good  you  should 
leave  to  persecute  them,  and  to  enact  such  laws  against 
all  recusants  as  whosoever  shall  refuse  to  swear  against 
the  Pope  and  all  his  proceedings  against  your  Majesty 
and  this  realm,  that  he  should  be  accounted  no  better 
than  a  rank  traitor  unto  your  Majesty:  all  which  invectives, 
most  gracious  Prince,  if  you  consider  with  what  mind  I 
did  write  them,  you  have  no  manner  of  cause  to  believe 
them,  for  I  uttered  these  matters  as  one  replete  with  all 
malice,  and  intended  not  to  say  truth  in  anything. 

"And  truly  to  speak  as  I  shall  answer  before  God, 
only  sin  and  the  devil  was  the  cause  that  made  me  so 
Sin  and  the  devil  the  ^onstrously  to  lie  and  to  counterfeit  unto 
causes  of  my  doings.  ^^^^  Majcsty  a  convcrsiou,  and  the  grace 
of  God,  undeserved  of  my  part,  brought  me  back  again, 
for  I  never  could  have  been  induced  to  have  made  so 
many  notorious  and  villainous  slanders  against  so  many 
worthy  prelates  and  princes,  against  so  many  noble  and 
worshipful,  against  my  dearest  friends  and  acquaintance, 
whom  I  knew  to  be  most  clear  of  all  the  matters  whereof 
I  then  charged  them,  had  not  only  sin  and  the  devil 
procured  me  to  it.  Justice  Young,  with  all  his  cunning, 
could  never  have  catched  such  hold  on  me,  nor  ever  could 
he  have  brought  me  to  that  offence,  as  to  forsake  my 
faith,  abuse  your  Majesty  and  my  Lord  Treasurer  with 
so  many  writings  and  false  informations,  had  not  sin 
and  the  devil  procured  it. 

"  Therefore  think  not,  good  madam,  that  I  could  either 
write  or  speak  unto  your  Majesty  with  a  pure  and  sincere 
heart,  being  so  foully  stained  with  filth  and  corruption. 
Think  that  I  imagined  nothing  but  lies,  practised  nothing 
but  lies,  sought  the  effusion  of  innocent  blood  by  betray- 
ing of  priests,  bev/raying  of  Catholics,  and  by  doing  all 
the  injury  I  could  against  them  which  never  imagined 
hurt  or  harm.  But  yet  I  must  confess  that  I  was  not  so 
forward  unto  these  mischiefs  of  myself,  as  I  was  persuaded 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  48 1 

unto  them  by  Justice  Young,  of  whom  I  cannot  but  say, 
although  I  abide  all  the  torments  that  he  can  procure 
me  if  ever  I  come  again  into  his  hands,  that  he  is  a 
most  cruel  blood-sucker,  a  destroyer  of  your  people,  and 
a  great  abuser  of  your  Majesty.     And  as  for  his  cruelty  in 

My  opinion  and  know-    shcddiug    of    blood,    it    is    tOO  WCll    knOWn 
edge  of  Justice  Young,      f^^.     ^^^^    ^^     ^^    ^^^^^^    dcstrOy    both     in 

body  and  soul,  as  he  had  done  me,  he  Avill  be  sure  to 
prefer  unto  the  gallows  ;  otherwise,  if  they  yield  anything 
to  him,  then  under  the  colour  of  persuading  to  God's 
truth  and  religion,  he  will  not  let  to  bring  them  straight 
headlong  unto  damnation.  For  so  soon  as  he  hath  made 
either  priest  or  Catholic  to  relent  anything,  then  all  reli- 
gion is  set  apart,  for  the  first  ground  of  his  new  faith 
must  be  to  play  the  spy,  and  under  the  colour  of  godliness 
to  practise  all  the  knavery  that  he  can  devise.  So  as  before 
we  can  come  to  enjoy  the  perfection  of  this  our  new  faith, 
we  must  first  learn  the  rudiments,  how  to  betray  Christ 
and  His  anointed,  and  to  appeach  the  innocent,  be  they 
never  so  good,  never  so  virtuous,  never  so  far  from  offend- 
ing your  Highness  or  your  laws.  Some  means  we  must 
seek  to  find  a  hole  in  their  coats,  to  no  other  end  but 
to  cut  their  throats.  And  when  we  have  learned  out 
perfectly  this  lesson,  then  must  wc  proceed  to  greater 
wickedness,  for  we  must  yield  unto  all  kind  of  dissimu- 
lation;  for  that  was  the  chiefest  point  of  Justice  Young's 
,  ,.    V      ...    persuasions  to   me,  never  talking   of  any 

Justice  Youngs  rud I-    ^  '  o  ^ 

mentsofknaverj'.  j^attcr  that  conccmeth  God  or  religion, 
albeit  that  I  craved  it  myself  very  often.  I  desired  him 
that  I  might  have  books,  that  I  might  have  conference, 
nay,  that  which  was  more,  that  I  might  come  unto  his 
house,  if  I  might  not  in  the  church,  and  receive  the 
communion,  but  no  such  matter  could  be  obtained.  So 
long  as  there  was  any  means  for  me  to  persecute  the 
Catholics  with  mischief,  I  must  still  play  the  Seminary 
priest,   and    that,   notwithstanding   your    Majesty's    laws 

FF 


482  The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell. 

which  have  made  it  treason,  and  all  priests  traitors  and 
all  such  felons  as  shall  receive  them,  yet  must  we  now 
boldly  practise  our  treasons  and  make  as  many  felons 
as  wc  can.  O  merciful  God  !  laws  were  wont  to  be  made 
to  prohibit  sin  and  offences  and  to  save  the  innocent, 
and  now,  by  the  justices  and  ministers  of  the  law,  we 
must  be  exhorted  to  do  the  plain  contrary  and  break 
laws,  to  make  others  to  be  traitors  and  felons  that 
otherwise  perhaps  would  not  have  been. 

"  Before  I  did  make  any  semblance  of  my  counterfeit 
and  feigned  conversion,  it  was  a  damnable  thing  with 
Justice  Young  to  be  a  priest,  much  more  to  practise 
Papistry,  as  to  say  Mass,  to  reconcile,  and  to  do  such  other 
like  actions.  There  could  be  no  means  of  salvation  but 
presently  to  return  unto  the  Lord ;  and  when  I  was  desirous 
so  for  to  do,  the  Lord  was  not  then  at  leisure  to  receive  me. 
It  was  no  matter  although  I  continued  in  Papistry  still.  It 
was  no  sin  to  say  Mass,  no  treason  to  reconcile,  no  offence 
to  commit  idolatry  by  way  of  dissimulation,  with  intent  to 
do  mischief,  to  seek  innocent  blood,  to  betray  such  simple 
souls  as  neither  thought  hurt  or  harm,  to  destroy  your 
Majesty's  subjects,  and  thereby  to  make  your  Majesty 
guilty  also  of  all  their  bloods.  O  heaven,  O  earth,  what 
heart  would  not  bleed  for  pity  to  hear  of  these  things  ? 
"  O  gracious  Queen,  whom  God  hath  made  governess 
over  us  to  protect  and  defend  us,  to  whom,  next  unto  God. 
but  to  yourself,  may  we  complain.?  How  are  your  subjects 
betrayed,  how  are  they  spoiled,  how  are  they  brought  like 
A  most  pitiful  case,  sliccp  unto  the  slaughter.''  Is  it  your 
pleasure  that  innocents  should  be  thus  cast  away,  that 
treasons  should  be  thus  practised  }  Was  this  the  end  of 
your  laws,  to  bring  men,  whether  they  would  or  not,  unto 
their  deaths  ?  If  I  wist  it  were  so,  why,  then  I  have  no 
more  to  say  but,  Morianmr  in  simplicitate  tiostra — '  Let  us 
die  in  our  simplicity.'  Better  it  were  to  die  than  so  to 
live,  like  birds  to  be  brought  into  the  pitfall  unawares  by 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  483 

the  procurements  of  such  as  name  themselves  ministers  of 
your  Majesty's  justice. 

"Is  this  the  way  to  bring  your  subjects  unto  reform- 
ance,  as  they  call  it  ?  Is  this  the  sum  of  all  their  new 
religion — to  wit,  dissimulation,  spiery,  knavery,  and  all 
abomination  ? 

"I  cannot  contain,  most  benign  Princess,  to  utter  the 
truth,  although  1  should  die  ten  thousand  deaths  (as  I  look 
for  no  life,  nor  desire  my  life,  if  ever  I  be  taken  again)  ; 
yet  if  I  would  still  have  continued  in  this  damnable  course, 
I  might  have  lived  (until  God  of  His  justice  had  cut  mc 
ofif),  and  should  have  been  accounted  no  traitor,  but  a  good 
subject,  and  had  I  know  not  what  preferment.  I  have  my 
Lord  Treasurer's  letters  for  my  safety  :  he  persuadeth  me 
to  continue  in  dissimulation  still,  and  so  long  he  saith  he 
will  continue  his  good  will  towards  me,  but  now  that  I 
leave  to  play  the  dissembler,  I  fear  me  I  shall  be  again 
reputed  for  a  traitor.  O  dear  sovereign,  what  a  world 
is  this,  that  flattery  and  all  impiety  breedeth  favour,  but 
truth  and  honesty  getteth  all  hatred  ! 

"  I  have  also  Mr.  Justice  Young's  letters  wherein  I  am 
commanded  from  your  Majesty  to  continue  in  dissimula- 
tion, and  against  poor  Catholics  to  do  all  the  mischief  I 
can.  For  mine  own  part  I  cannot  be  persuaded  that  ever 
your  Majesty  would  wish  me  or  any  of  your  subjects  so  to 
deal ;  for  albeit  you  affect  not  our  religion,  you  pity  our 
miseries,  you  acknowledge  us  your  subjects,  we  live  under 
your  sceptre,  we  obey  your  laws,  so  far  forth  as  we  incur 
not  damnation  unto  our  souls  ;  and  more  I  trust  you  will 
not  require  at  our  hands.  At  least,  if  we  that  be  priests 
may  not  escape  with  our  lives,  although  we  do  nothing  but 
,    our  duties,  yet  grant  us  of  your  princely 

A  just  petition   unto  '    y  o  <■  i.  .' 

her  Majesty.  favour  and  pity  that  we  may  go  unto  our 
deaths  with  safety  of  our  consciences.  Let  us  not  be 
molested  as  we  are,  to  be  allured  to  play  the  spies,  as  many 
have  been  besides  myself,  and  I  fear  me  remain  as  yet  in 

FF  2 


484  The  Fall  of  Antho7iy   Tyrrell. 

that  perverse  and  wicked  mind,  which  I  know  they  cannot 
do  without  a  continual  torment  in  their  consciences,  and 
therefore  I  wish  your  Majesty  not  to  trust  them,  for  they 
Avill  never  be  true  unto  you  that  are  false  unto  God.  There- 
fore whatsoever  they  do,  w^hatsoever  they  promise,  is  but 
for  saving  of  a  temporal  life,  and  the  gaining  of  a  little 
worldly  preferment,  and  whensoever  God  shall  touch  them 
with  remorse,  they  cannot  do  but  as  I  have  done. 

"Your  Majesty  may  well  think  some  important  cause 
hath  moved  me  thus  to  alter  my  condition,  and  do  as  I 
do,  or  else  of  all  men  living  I  were  the  most  desperate 
person  and  unwise.  For  first,  I  have  so  grievously  offended 
A  serious  consideration,  all  CathoHcs,  as  I  shall  bc  asliamcd  for 
ever  during  my  life  to  look  any  of  them  in  the  face  ;  and 
now,  on  the  other  side,  had  I  so  gained  the  good  will  of 
your  Majesty,  the  favour  of  my  Lord  Treasurer,  and  other 
noble  men,  as  I  might  have  hoped  to  live  temporally  in 
credit  and  grace ;  and  now  for  me  voluntarily,  without  com- 
pulsion, to  return  back  again  where  I  have  deserved  most 
to  be  contemned,  and  to  forsake  that  state  or  condition 
wherein  at  this  present  I  was  best  befriended,  what  is  or 
might  be  the  cause .?  Verily,  no  hope  of  any  reward  ;  for 
all  the  days  of  my  life  I  look  for  no  other  than  penury^ 
poverty,  penance,  and  affliction,  and  very  likely  some 
violent  temporal  death  for  my  sins  that  I  have  done  ;  and 
yet  all  these  perils  and  inconveniences  I  am  most  willing 
and  desirous  to  embrace,  rather  than  for  ever  I  would  be 
cast  out  of  God's  favour,  and  die  the  child  of  reprobation. 

"  And  think  not,  most  gracious  Queen,  that  now  I  have 
received  your  Majesty's  reward,  that  I  have  given  you  the 
slip.  I  never  received  of  Justice  Young  but  30/.  and  that  by 
piece-meals  ;  whereas  I  lost  in  my  chamber,  that  the  pur- 
suivant robbed  me  of  when  I  was  taken,  better  than  40/., 
which  never  yet  for  all  my  favour  could  I  recover.  Besides  by 
the  searches  that  I  procured  Justice  Young  he  hath  gotten 
better  than  100/.,  so  that  in  truth    I    am  nothing   in   his 


The  Fall  of  A^ithony  Tyrrell.  485 

Justice  Young's  gains  ^^^^-  ^V  TGwards  havc  iiot  bccn  compar- 
y  searches.  ^|^j^  ^^  ^^  losscs,  although  they  have  been 
greater  than  I  could  deserve  for  any  such  service,  and  I 
would  to  God  your  Majesty  from  henceforth  would  reward 
all  dissembling  spies  as  Parry  was  rewarded  with  a  halter, 
•for  then  should  your  realm  in  short  time  be  purged,  your 
Majesty  quieted  from  a  number  of  devices  wherewith  now 
daily  you  be  terrified,  that  your  life  is  more  grievous  unto 
■[you]  than  the  state  of  a  private  man. 

"  How  many  false  reports  and  lies  doth  Justice  Young 
bring  your  Majesty  in  a  year,  partly  by  his  own  devising, 
and  partly  by  such  as  I  have  been  ?  How  often  think  you 
hath  he  been  tampering  with  me  for  to  accuse  some  ladies 
of  your  privy  chamber  for  intending  to  poison  your  Majesty, 
and  in  truth  I  know  of  none,  yet  for  the  satisfying  the  man's 
humour  I  accused  the  Lady  Drury,  that  she  should  say 
when  your  Majesty  had  given  her  a  blow,  that  she  would 
Great  wickedness  of  remember  it.  How  fain  would  he  have  had 

Justice  Young.  ^^  ^^  appcach  the  Earl  of  Cumberland, 
the  Lord  Scrope,  the  Lord  Montague,  and  others,  and  I 
did  what  I  could,  especially  against  the  Earl  of  Arundel, 
of  whom  I  made  so  many  lies,  as  if  they  may  be  credited 
are  able  to  despatch  him. 

"  I  am  in  conscience  bound  to  certify  your  Majesty  of 
this  that  you  may  understand  how  your  subjects  arc 
bought  and  sold,  and  your  Highness  tormented  with  con- 
tinual fears,  for  as  I  hope  to  be  saved  I  say  nothing  now 
of  any  malice,  but  that  which  I  know  of  my  own  experience, 
and  much  more  if  I  should  not  be  too  tedious  to  your 
Highness  to  repeat  it. 

"  I  have  for  mine  own  discharge  truly  set  down  in  a 
book  the  truth  of  everything.  It  may  please  God  that  it 
may  come  to  your  Majesty's  peruse,  you  shall  find  therein 
that  it  would  pity  you  for  to  know,  and  yet  very  necessary 
that  you  should  understand  it. 

"  And,  now  to  conclude,  grant  me  this  favour,  O  most 


486  The  Fall  of  AiitJwny   Tyrrell 

gracious  Queen,  that  I  may  at  length  desist  from  my 
former  abominable  course,  and  blame  me  not  for  seeking 
true  amendment,  howsoever  you  otherwise  shall  think 
good  to  punish  my  offences  committed,  and  let  not 
innocents  be  cast  away  upon  my  false  complaints,  as 
your  Majesty  will  answer  it  at  the  latter  day,  for  now, 
although  too  late,  I  tell  your  Majesty  truly  that  I  accused 
them   all  falsely  and  betrayed   them   wrongfully. 

"And  for  myself  I  crave  no  further  favour  or  mercy 
The  conclusion.  than  it  shall  please  God  to  put  it  into  your 
Majesty's  mind  inclinable  always  unto  pity.  If  I  be 
taken,  I  think  no  death  too  grievous  for  me.  Only  not 
presuming  in  my  own  strength,  I  have  sought  means  to 
save  myself  If  I  be  taken,  here  I  protest  I  have  not  pre- 
sumed this  act  upon  any  contempt,  but  in  all  humility,, 
fear,  and  trembling,  knowing  howsoever  I  might  have 
abused  the  world,  I  could  not  escape  the  judgments  of 
God,  and  therefore  what  death  soever  I  suffer,  what 
torments  soever  I  endure,  God  give  me  grace  to  embrace 
them  as  wholesome  medicines  for  my  soul,  praying  not- 
withstanding unto  the  last  moment  of  my  life  most 
humbly  that  God  may  long  preserv^e  your  Majesty,  and 
grant  you  a  prosperous  reign,  and  finally  to  reign  with 
Him  in  glory  everlasting.  Thus  craving  on  my  knees 
your  Majest)^'s  pardon,  I  most  humbly  take  my  leave. 
From  my  chamber  in  London,  the  20th  of  February,. 
i58[6]7. 

"Your  Highness'  most  lamentable  and  repentant  subject,. 
"Anthony  Tyrrell,  Triest, 

"  most  unworthy  of  that  vocation," 


48; 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

HOW  AFTER  ALL  THIS  HE  WENT  OVER  SEA  AND 
RETURNED,  AND  FELL  AGAIN,  AND  MADE  NEW 
ABJURATION  PUBLICLY  AT  TAUL'S  CROSS,  THE  3 1  ST 
OF  JANUARY   THE   NEXT  YEAR  FOLLOWING,  1 588. 

As  soon  as  Anthony  Tyrrell  had  written  the  former  revo- 
cation of  his  wickedness  and  wilful  lies,  and  had  sent 
the  letters  which  you  have  heard  both  to  the  Queen  and 
to  the  other  persons  whom  they  concerned,  and  that  divers 
copies  thereof  was  spread  through  the  whole  realm  by  his 
own  request,  he  retired  himself  beyond  the  seas  with 
purpose  to  amend  his  future  life,  and  give  such  satisfaction 
as  he  might  to  God  and  the  world  for  the  heinous  tres- 
passes before  committed.  But  being  arrived  there,  and 
finding  the  shame  and  confusion  of  this  course  to  be  bitter 
and  more  heavy  in  practice  than  in  his  fervour  of  repent- 
ance he  had  imagined  (for  the  execution  of  good  purposes 
are  commonly  more  hard,  at  leastwise  for  a  time,  than 
the  contemplation),  he  began  to  faint  and  to  suffer  him- 
self once  more,  as  he  saith,  to  be  assaulted  and  overcome  by 
the  devil  so  far  forth  as  fearing  lest  he  should  not  be  able 
to  go  forward  with  his  purpose  of  penance,  he  yielded  to 
,  go  back  to  England  again.     Where  falling 

His  going  over  and     c>  o  o  *^ 

return  again.  jj^^.^  ^j.^^  hands  of  his  formcr  masters  and 
managers,  that  knew  well  his  infirmities,  he  was  easily 
brought  to  promise  them  to  unsay  again  all  that  we  have 
heard  him  say  and  confess  in  this  his  long  narration. 
Which  thing  being  thought  by  the  Council  and  other 
of  the  law  and  State  to  be  a  matter  of  no  small 
importance  for  justifying  of  the  deaths  of  such  as  upon 


488  The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell. 

his  false  impeachments  and  slanderous  devices  had 
already  been  executed,  as  namely  the  Queen  of  Scots, 
Mr.  Ballard,  Mr.  Babington,  and  all  the  other  gentlemen 
that  had  suffered  with  him,  they  esteemed  it  the 
surest  course  and  most  plausible  to  the  people,  not 
to  accept  any  more  this  man's  word  or  writings  in 
private,  but  that  in  person  he  should  go  up  to  the  pulpit 
of  Paul's  Cross  upon  some  festival  day,  and  there  make 
a  sermon,  and  publicly  revoke  all  that  before  he  had 
avouched  of  his  wicked  proceeding,  as  also  to  avouch  again 
all  his  former  false  accusations  that  before  he  had  revoked 
with  such  sorrow  and  repentance  as  you  have  heard. 

Wherefore  this  being  so  determined  among  them,  they 
took  order  that  he  should  be  kept  very  close  in  prison 
until  the  pageant  were  played,  to  the  end  no  Catholic 
man  might  come  at  him  to  work  remorse  or  scruple  of 
conscience  in  him  as  they  had  done  before,  promising 
him  besides  all  favour  and  preferment  if  he  went  through 
lustily  and  resolutely  with  this  device,  which  he  promised 
to  do  ;  and  for  more  show  thereof  he  required  pen  and 
ink  to  set  down  the  points  for  his  memory  that  he  was 
to  utter,  and  so  he  began  to  do,  not  to  their  misliking. 
But  when  the  time  of  his  sermon  drew  near,  he  felt 
such  an  infinite  torment  in  his  mind  for  doing  against 
the  known  truth  of  his  conscience,  as  albeit  he  were  alone 
in  prison,  yet  wanted  he  not  inward  admonishers  that 
exclaimed  against  his  desperate  intention,  with  whose 
cries  he  was  so  wearied  and  overcome  at  last  that  he 
determined  to  alter  all  and  once  again  to  deceive  the 
heretics  ;  and  so  leaving  those  first  papers  which  he  had 
begun  to  write  against  all  truth  for  pleasing  of  his  enemies, 
to  take  in  hand  to  write  the  quite  contrary,  with  purpose  to 
pronounce  the  same  at  Paul's  Cross  when  the  day  should 
come.  And  for  that  he  was  sure  as  soon  as  ever  his 
meaning  should  be  descried  he  should  be  stopped  and 
pulled  down  from  the  pulpit  and  not  suffered  to  proceed 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell  489 

any  further,  he  determined  to  make  divers  copies  of  his 
speech,  to  the  end  that  when  he  should  be  taken  from 
the  place  he  might  cast  them  among  the  people,  as  after- 
ward he  did ;  neither  did  his  keepers  or  instructors 
mistrust  his  much  writing  in  the  prison,  for  that  they 
persuaded  themselves  that  all  was  in  their  favour  and 
that  the  sermon  would  be  sound,  albeit  somewhat  long. 

Wherefore,  when  all  things  were  in  readiness,  and  the 
fame  given  out  over  all  London  and  over  most  parts 
His  coming  to  Paul's  ^Iso  of  the  realm,  of  this  strange  sermon 
^^°''^'  that  should  be  upon  Sunday,  the  last  of 

January,  in  the  year  1588,^  there  wanted  not  concourse 
of  people  from  all  parts,  nor  of  all  sorts,  and  many  of 
the  Council  and  nobility  were  also  present  to  hear  so  rare 
a  comedy. 

And  first  of  all  a  preacher  of  their  own  was  set  up 
to  make  the  prologue,  which  was  very  long,  containing 
an  earnest  exhortation  to  be  attentive  to  what  the  other 
should  say  and  to  believe  him ;  and  immediately  after  him 
Anthony  Tyrrell  was  brought  up  with  much  honour  to 
the  pulpit — and  then  after  he  had  commended  himself 
upon  his  knees  to  God,  he  began  the  speech  which  here 
I  shall  set  down,  translated  out  of  the  Latin  copy  printed 
in  Trevers  in  Germany,  the  very  same  year  of  eighty  and 
eight  wherein  it  was  written  and  cast  abroad  by  Tyrrell 
himself ;  and  this  I  do  for  that  I  had  not  his  own  English 
copy  by  me  when  I  gathered  this  treatise,  and  all  is  one 
thing  in  substance.  And  as  in  his  former  narration  and 
confession,  so  also  in  this,  I  have  abbreviated  divers  things 
that  seemed  over  long  and  not  so  important.  And  here 
you  must  remember  (as  before  I  have  said),  that  after 
he  had  uttered  some  few  lines  of  the  beginning,  whereby 
his  instructors  and  the  rest  perceived  that  he  was  to  utter 
the  plain  contrary  of  that  which  they  expected,  all  began 

'  Father  Persons  and  the  Concertatio  naturally  give  the  date  in  the  New 
Style.     In  England  the  day  was  called  January  21,  1587. 


490  The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell. 

to  cry  Crucifigc  upon  him,  and  to  pull  him  from  the  pulpit, 
at  what  time  he  cast  abroad  his  papers,  which  contained 
as  followeth  ;  and  besides  the  vchemency  of  spirit  wherein 
they  were  uttered,  it  is  also  to  be  considered  that  when 
he  wrote  them  and  cast  them  abroad  he  was  in  the 
Protestants'  hands,  and  sure  to  incur  their  high  displeasure 
and  his  own  temporal  danger  for  the  same  ;  so  as  no  other 
respect  could  move  him  to  be  so  earnest  in  this  point, 
but  only  pure  force  of  truth  and  conscience.  Thus  then 
he  saith. 

"  I  have  no  doubt  (right  honourable,  worshipful,  and 
Tyrrell's  speech,  most  dear  in  our  Saviour  Jesus),  but  that 
you  marvel  much,  as  w^ell  to  see  this  great  concourse  of 
people  and  me  here  present,  as  also  what  I  have  to  do 
or  say  in  this  place  this  day,  and  if  you  please  to  have 
a  little  patience  with  me  and  to  consider  the  mercies  of 
Almighty  God  towards  me,  I  hope  you  shall  perceive 
my  coming  thither  to  be  neither  vain  nor  unprofitable, 
for  I  do  call  both  heaven  and  earth  to  witness  that  no 
other  cause,  but  only  the  pure  honour  of  Almighty  God, 
the  salvation  of  my  own  soul,  and  all  your  comforts  that 
are  good  people  and  do  love  His  truth,  hath  brought 
me  hither.  I  doubt  not  but  you  have  heard  (or  at  least- 
wise very  many  of  you)  of  my  grievous  fall,  of  my  horrible 
apostacy  from  my  faith,  of  my  cruel  persecuting  the  holy 
Church  of  Christ,  of  my  false  accusing  of  many  innocent 
people,  of  the  hurts  and  ruins  which  they  have  taken 
thereby,  and  I  doubt  not  but  the  best  sort  of  you  have 
wondered  how  a  man  of  my  calling  or  education  could 
ever  fall  to  such  abominable  madness  or  blindness. 

"  And  again,  I  presuppose  you  have  not  been  ignorant 
of  the  repentance  that  Almighty  God  vouchsafed  to  bestow 
upon  me  for  the  acknowledging  of  my  faults  and  errors,  of 
my  reconciliation  again  with  the  Church  of  God,  by  whose 
prayers  and  Almighty  God's  grace  assisting  me,  I  was 
brought  to  set  down  a  true  and  sincere  confession  of  all 


The  Fall  of  Antho7ty  Tyrrell.  491 

my  former  sinful  doings,  with  full  intention  to  amend  and 
to  do  penance  for  my  life  to  come  ;  with  which  mind 
also  I  left  England  and  went  over  the  seas,  and  therefore 
now  to  see  me  here  again,  and  to  be  brought  to  this 
place  to  recal  my  said  confession,  you  cannot  but  wonder 
as  well  at  my  desperate  proceeding,  as  also  of  the  folly 
The  great  folly  of  ^^  ^^o^e  that  bring  mc  hither,  and  will 
t  e  enemy.  sccm  to  givc  Credit  to  me  after  so  large 
and  ample  a  confession  as  before  I  published  against  them 
under  my  own  hand,  especial[ly]  seeing  I  avouched  in  the 
same  that  my  heart  and  conscience  was  never  with  them, 
but  that  only  their  negotiations,  the  devil's  deceits,  and 
my  sin  induced  me  to  feign  myself  to  be  of  their  side 
and  to  accuse  others.  Wherefore  to  be  brief  The  cause 
of  my  coming  hither  this  day  is  to  protest  before  God 
and  His  angels  and  you  that  are  present,  that  I  am  a 
most  horrible,  heinous,  and  detestable  sinner  thus  to 
behave  myself,  and  unworthy  of  all  mercy  and  grace 
both  before  God  and  man ;  and  that  the  true  cause  of 
my  coming  up  to  this  pulpit  is  to  confirm  my  first  con- 
fession, made  by  the  instinct  of  God's  holy  grace  and 
written  with  mine  own  hand,  of  the  most  impudent  lies 
and  wicked  slanders  that  I  uttered  to  the  Right  Honour- 
able my  Lord  Treasurer  and  others  against  many  innocent 
persons :  for  which  crimes,  though  God  of  His  mercy  hath 
given  me  sorrow  and  repentance,  and  I  had  departed  the 
land  with  intention  and  purpose  to  amend  my  life,  yet 
the  devil  together  with  my  sins  brought  me  back  again 
What  brought  him  ^nd  tempted  me  to  deny  the  truth  which 
back  again.  bcforc  I  had  uttcrcd,  and  I  yielded  there- 
unto, for  which  I  acknowledge  myself  most  worthy  of 
all  hatred,  contempt,  and  confusion,  and  of  all  punishment, 
both  temporal  and  eternal.  Moreover,  I  confess  and  make 
His  false  accusations,  it  known  to  all  that  now  live  or  shall  live 
hereafter,  that  I  accused  most  falsely  that  holy  Pastor 
and    Bishop    of    God's     Church,    Pope    Gregory   XHL, 


492  The  Fall  of  Anlkony   Tyrrell. 

affirming  him  to  have  consented  to  the  death  of  our 
most  sovereign  lady  the  Queen,  whereof  I  accused 
most  falsely  also  both  Mr.  Ballard  the  priest  for  pro- 
posing the  question  in  Rome,  which  was  not  so,  and 
Mr.  Dr.  Lewis  at  Milan,  and  Mr.  Dr.  Allen  then,  but  now 
Cardinal,  for  consenting  to  the  same ;  for  in  truth  I  never 
knew  nor  heard  any  such  question  to  be  proposed,  nor 
any  treaty  or  conspiracy  in  the  world  against  her  Majesty's 
life  or  State;  and  so  much  the  more  wickedly  and  unjustly 
were  Mr.  Edward  Windsor,  Mr.  Charles  Tylney,  and  others 
accused  by  me  for  the  same. 

"  Moreover  I  call  God  to  witness  that  of  the  affairs  of 
Mr.  Babington,  and  those  other  gentlemen  that  died  with 
him,  I  knew  no  more  than  the  child  newly  born,  notwith- 
standing my  long  and  grievous  accusations  of  them,  but 
only  that  I  once  heard  Mr.  Ballard  say  that  foreign  princes 
made  preparation  to  invade  England.  By  like  wickedness 
and  falsehood  I  feigned  the  killing  of  the  lords  in  the  Star 
Chamber ;  accused  Mr.  David  Ingleby  for  intention  to 
take  the  Tower  and  to  deliver  the  Earl  of  Arundel ;  I 
feigned  an  embassage  of  Gilbert  Gifford  from  the  Duke  of 
Guise  to  the  Count  [Earl] ;  I  slandered  Mr. Thomas  Metham, 
Mr.  Ralph  Craythorne,  Mr.  Babthorpe,  Mr.  Tipping,  Mr. 
Dinnington,  Mr.  Crossland,  Mr.  Jacques,  Sir  John  Arundell, 
the  Lord  Compton,  and  other  noble  and  worthy  gentlemen, 
as  in  my  aforesaid  confession  at  large  and  particular  I 
have  set  down  ;  and  as  I  protested  then  to  her  Majesty, 
in  my  particular  and  several  letters  touching  those  affairs, 
so  I  protest  now  that  the  said  confession  and  revocation  of 
my  false  accusations  were  most  true,  and  directed,  no 
doubt,  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  as  the  contrary  (I  mean 
my  false  accusations)  were  only  of  sin  and  the  devil, 
and  now  Almighty  God,  whether  I  would  or  no,  hath 
driven  me  to  utter  the  same,  of  whom  I  ask  pardon  most 
humbly  upon  my  knees. 

"I  do  also  exhort  all  others  by  my  example  to  take 


The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell.  493. 

His  exhortation  to  ^^^^    ^^^v    they   do    bchave    themselves, 

priests  and  others.  •    1 1        -        .  i  •  ,         . 

especially  in  this  great  business  of  con- 
fessing God's  faith  and  true  religion,  that  they  be  not 
carried  away  by  fear  of  punishment  and  temporal  death, 
nor  yet  by  hope  of  dignity  and  honour  ;  let  them  beware 
of  dissimulation  or  yielding,  as  also  the  flattery  and  deceit 
of  sin,  which  bringeth  to  the  gulf  of  perdition ;  and  espe- 
cially let  Catholic  priests  beware,  who  follow  a  holier  life 
than  others,  and  walk  in  a  higher  vocation,  and  so  much 
the  more  have  they  need  to  look  unto  themselves,  and  walk 
with  care  and  consideration.  If  any  have  fallen,  or  have 
been  tempted  by  my  example,  let  them  rise  again  with 
me ;  and  if  any  have  taken  hurt  by  my  wickedness,  I  ask 
them  heartily  and  humbly  forgiveness. 

"  As  for  the  rest  of  my  temporal  and  mortal  life,  I  have 
no  great  care,  so  I  may  obtain  mercy  of  Almighty  God — 
mercy,  I  mean,  of  the  world  to  come ;  for  in  this  world  I 
refuse  no  shame  or  ignominy,  no  confusion,  chastisement, 
or  misery,  neither  have  I  any  consolation  at  all  in  this  life, 
but  only  in  penance  and  satisfaction.  Our  Lord  Jesus,  of 
His  infinite  mercy,  give  me  strength  to  bear  it,  and  then 
let  the  world  heap  on  me  what  punishments  soever,  only 
I  desire  pardon  of  all  those  that  I  have  offended,  and  the 
prayers  of  other  good  Catholics  besides.  And  for  that  at 
this  time  I  find  myself  to  have  the  perfect  use  of  reason, 
,.     r    .,     memory,  and  "all  my  other  senses,  and  I 

A  prevention  lor  the  '  '  ' 

time  to  come.  cannot  tell  what  may  become  of  me  here- 
after, or  how  my  will  may  be  perverted  by  fear,  force,  and 
violence  of  torments,  I  do  here,  of  my  own  free  will,  again 
and  again  confirm  and  ratify  my  former  confession ;  and 
if  the  Queen's  Majesty  should  ofi"er  me  pardon  and 
temporal  life,  to  the  end  I  should  return  again  to  affirm 
those  falsehoods  that  before  I  invented,  I  do  utterly  refuse 
the  same,  being  ready  rather  to  die  a  thousand  deaths 
than  to  fall  any  more  into  such  horrible  wickedness,  to 
forsake  God's  Church,  and  betray  the  innocent. 


494  ^'^^  Fall  of  AnlJiony   Tyrrell. 

"  Moreover,  I  do  here  detest  all  heresy  from  the  bottom 
His  detestation  of    ^f  my  hcart,  and  do  protest  that  I  will  live 
^""^-  and  die  in  the  holy  Catholic  faith  of  the 

Roman  Apostolic  and  Universal  Church,  and  that  I  do 
acknowledge  the  Bishop  of  that  See  for  my  high  Pastor, 
and  God's  Vicar  upon  earth  in  spiritual  affairs,  though  in 
all  temporal  and  worldly  matters  I  do  willingly  submit 
myself  unto  the  Queen's  Majesty,  whom  I  do  acknowledge 
for  my  lawful  prince  and  governess,  and  do  reverence  and 
obey  her  laws,  so  far  forth  as  they  do  not  repugn  to  the 
law  of  Almighty  God  and  His  holy  Church.  And  I  do 
humbly  ask  forgiveness  of  her  Majesty,  and  of  my  Lord 
Treasurer,  for  abusing  them  with  so  many  lies,  as  also  of 
the  rest  of  her  INIajesty's  honourable  Council,  and  all  the 
Protestants  of  England  whom  I  have  deceived  by  my 
hypocrisy,  and  given  them  occasion  to  offend  Almighty 
God  to  my  greater  damnation, — ^our  Lord  forgive  me  for  it. 
And  as  my  life,  favour  or  preferment  in  this  world,  if  the\- 
should  be  offered  to  me  again  with  this  intent,  as  before 
I  have  said,  to  continue  in  my  former  wickedness,  I  do  now 
and  for  ever  renounce  them  utterly  as  most  pestilent 
instruments  and  means  of  my  eternal  perdition,  and  I  hope 
by  the  holy  grace  of  Jesus  never  to  be  perverted  by  them 
again,  and  so,  being  full  of  desolation,  and  not  having 
whither  to  turn  myself  for  help  or  comfort,  but  only  to  my 
Heavenly  Father,  whom  most  of  all  I  have  offended,  and 
to  my  Mother,  His  Spouse,  the  Catholic  Church,  whom 
traitorously  I  have  forsaken,  albeit  heaven  and  earth  do 
most  justly  cry  vengeance  and  confusion  against  me,  and 
all  worldly  and  carnal  friends  do  seem  to  give  me  that 
desperate  counsel  of  the  wife  of  Job,  which  was  to  curse 
God  and  die ;  yet  will  I  not  despair,  but  hope  in  His 
clemency  that  is  above  all  wickedness  so  long  as  I 
remember  these  comfortable  words — apud  Doniimim  miseri- 
cordia  ct  copiosa  apud  Eum  redemptio. 

"  And  now  being  in  this  heavy  and  desolate  case  of  afiflic- 


The  Fall  of  Anikony  Tyrrell.  495 

His  great  grief  and  ^^011  cvcry  Way,  without  hopc  of  friendship 
under  heaven  either  from  Catholic  or  Pro- 
testant, would  God  I  could  with  that  holy  and  blessed  man, 
St.  Francis,  make  such  confident  recourse  to  my  celestial 
Father  as  he  did  when  he  was  forsaken  of  all  earthly 
succour  and  spoiled  also  of  his  veiy  apparel,  saying  that 
now  he  might  justly  cry  out,  '  Our  Father  who  art  in 
heaven,'  for  that  upon  earth  he  had  neither  father  nor 
friend  left,  which  in  me  also  is  most  true  at  this  time, 
though  the  cause  be  far  different  from  that  Saint,  for  that 
by  my  own  demerits  and  wickedness  I  have  fallen  into 
this  desolation.  But  yet,  O  Lord,  my  most  sweet  Saviour, 
I  will  not  despair,  but  do  beseech  Thee  for  Thy  most 
bitter  Passion  suffered  for  sinners,  that  Thou  wilt  vouch- 
safe to  hide  me,  the  most  vilest  of  all  others,  in  the  depth 
of  Thy  most  sacred  Wounds,  from  the  sight  and  contra- 
diction of  men,  and  from  the  fury  of  my  foes,  and  from 
the  power  of  Satan.  Hide  me,  I  say,  under  the  wings 
of  Thy  heavenly  grace  and  mercy,  that  I  may  once  come 
to  behold  that  glorious  face  of  Thine  which  for  the  sins 
of  Jerusalem  was  watered  with  tears,  and  after  for  my 
sins  and  those  of  all  the  world  was  buffeted  with  fists 
and  defiled  with  blood  and  spittle.  Grant  me,  O  Lord, 
to  lie  at  Thy  feet  and  wash  the  same  with  tears  all  the 
days  of  my  life,  as  Mary  Magdalene  did,  to  the  end  that, 
by  Thy  mercy  and  my  sorrow  and  repentance,  I  may 
wash  away  at  length  all  other  horrible  and  most  heinous 
offences  which  I  have  committed  against  Thy  eternal 
Majesty  and  against  Thy  priests  and  servants,  for  which 
I  am  most  heavy  and  sorrowful,  and  my  soul  being  full 
of  sadness,  grief,  and  affliction,  hath  no  other  refuge  but 
to  the  Blessed  Trinity,  to  whom  be  all  honour  and  glory 

for  evermore. 

"  By  me, 

"  Anthony  Tyrrell,  Priest, 

"with  my  own  hand." 


496  The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell. 

This  was  the  speech  which  Anthony  Tyrrell  cast 
abroad ;  and  it  was  the  providence  of  Almighty  God 
that  one  copy  amongst  the  rest  did  fall  right  between 
a  Catholic  priest  named  Mr.  Richard  Leigh,^  which  the  very 
same  year  of  1588  obtained  happy  martyrdom  for  his- 
faith,  and  another  Catholic  young  man  named  Ralph 
Ashley,-  both  which  had  come  together  that  day  to  hear 
this  famous  speech  of  TyrrcU's  :  and  albeit  there  was 
present  proclamation  made  in  the  Queen's  name  by 
Justice  Young  (who  was  no  little  troubled,  as  you  may 
think,  at  that  instant  to  see  his  comedy  have  so  un- 
pleasant an  applause),  that  upon  pain  of  death  no  man 
should  retain  or  read  those  copies,  but  bring  them  in 
presently  to  him,  yet  these  two  Catholics,  seeing  all  in 
uproar  and  confusion  about  pulling  down  of  Tyrrell, 
adventured  to  carry  away  this  copy,  which  is  thought 
was  the  only  one  that  was  gotten  by  the  Catholics ;  and 
going  presently  to  a  gentleman's  chamber  of  the  Middle 
Temple,  caused  divers  copies  to  be  drawn  forth  and  to 
be  sent  abroad  to  Catholics  for  their  comfort  throughout 
the  realm.  But  in  the  main  space,  all  was  in  marvellous 
hurly  and  burly  at  Paul's  Cross,  where  the  people  had 
heard  three  sermons  in  one  hour,  all  contrary  the  one 
to  the  other ;  the  first  of  the  preacher  in  praise  and 
credit  of  Tyrrell ;  the  second  of  Tyrrell  himself  in  dero- 
gation of  the  preacher ;  the  third  of  Justice  Young 
threatening  death  to  those  that  should  believe  Tyrrell. 
But  the  concourse  of  people  was  so  unruly  as  Tyrrell 
was  carried  away  on  men's  shoulders  to  the  gaol  of 
Newgate,  by  St.  Nicholas'  shambles  in  Newgate  market, 
the  Protestants  crying  out  vengeance  upon  him,  and  he 

^  Richard  Leigh  suffered  for  his  priesthood  at  Tyburn,  August  30,  1588. 
He  was  betrayed  by  Tyrrell  under  the  name  of  Garth.  Supra,  p.  439. 
P.R.O.,  Do?nestic,  Elizabeth,  vol.  cxcv.  n.  58. 

*  Ralph  Ashley  suffered  at  Worcester  with  Father  Oldcorne,  April  7, 
1606.  See  Troubles,  First  Series,  pp.  162,  172;  Conditmt  of  Catholics, 
].p.  181,  275. 


The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell.  497 

weeping  bitterly  and  knocking  his  breast,  and  affirming 
that  he  had  done  nothing  that  day  but  upon  mere  force 
and  compulsion  of  his  conscience ;  and  the  concourse  was 
so  great  about  the  prison  as  they  were  forced  to  change 
him  within  two  hours  after  to  the  Counter,  where  none 
came  unto  him  but  Topcliffe  and  Young.  And  by  a 
certain  chink  of  a  wall  he  conferred  daily  for  three 
months  with  one  Alexander  Hambleton,  a  Scotchman 
and  Catholic,  that  was  prisoner  for  his  conscience  in  the 
next  chamber,  what  passed  between  them,  and  what 
spies  the  two  said  persecutors  had  among  the  Catholics, 
whereof  advice  was  given  and  much  hurt  avoided.  And 
in  this  case  did  the  said  Alexander  leave  him ;  and  when 
he  got  his  liberty  to  come  over  into  Flanders,  Tyrrell 
remained  still  in  prison. 

[Here  Father  Persons'  manuscript  ends.     When  it  was 
written,  poor  Anthony  Tyrrell's  last  fall  was  not  known, 
and   probably  the   news   of  it   hindered  the   publication. 
Before  the  year  was  ended  in  which  he  had  given  such 
remarkable    testimony  to  the    side   on   which   truth    lay, 
he  was  induced    once   more   to   change.     On  the  8th  of 
December,  1588,  he  preached  at  St.  Paul's  Cross  a  sermon 
in  the  sense   in  which    it   was  intended  that  he    should 
have  preached  at   his  first   appearance  there  in  January. 
His   sermon  was    printed    in    black    letter,  bearing   date 
the  same  year,  and  was  published  with  a  similar  sermon 
delivered  at  the  same  place  by  a  fellow-apostate,  .called 
William  Tidder.     The  title-page  of  Tyrrell's  sermon  runs 
thus  :  "  The  recantation  or  abjuration  of  Anthpny  Tyrrell 
(some  time  priest  of  the  English  College  in  Rome,  but 
now  by  the  great  mercy  of  God  converted  and  become  a 
true  professor  of  His  Word),  pronounced  by  himself  at 
Paul's    Cross,  after    the    sermon    made    by  Mr.  Pov/noll, 
preacher,  the  8th  of  December,  1588.     Seen  and  allowed 
according  to  the  order  appointed.     At  London,  printed  by 
John  Charlewood   and   William   Brome,    1588."      A  few 
GG 


498  The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyr7^ell. 

extracts  from  the  preface  respecting  his  return  to  England 
have  been  already  givcn.^  In  the  sermon  itself  he  speaks 
thus  of  his  previous  appearance  at  St.  Paul's  Cross  and  of 
his  subsequent  conduct. 

"  Considering  the  notorious  and  outrageous  trespass, 
after  so  many  merciful  remissions,  that  not  many  months 
past  I  publicly  committed  at  this  place  (right  honourable, 
worshipful,  and  well-beloved)  in  the  dispersing  of  certain 
infamous  libels,  .  .  .  being  fallen  into  an  extreme  obstinacy, 
with  what  furious,  madness  I  came  hither  unto  the  Cross,  it 
is  not  unknown  how  here  I  behaved  myself,  [for]  there  were 
many  witnesses.  From  hence  I  was  carried  unto  Newgate, 
where  I"  gloried  in  that  I  had  done.  From  thence  into 
the  Counter  in  Wood  Street,  where  I  remained  twenty- 
four  weeks  close  prisoner,  in  that  obstinacy  that  no 
persuasion  or  good  entreaty  could  convert  me ;  insomuch 
that  if  in  all  that  time  I  had  been  called  unto  my  trial,  as 
many  of  my  quality  and  condition  have  been,  I  think 
verily  that  I  had  ended  my  life  as  obstinately  as  any 
of  them.  Scd  novit  Dominus  qui  sunt  Ejus.  God  knoweth 
who  are  His  chosen,  and  whom  God  hath  chosen  to  save, 
no  man  can  take  from  Him. 

"  Behold  I  was  during  the  time  of  my  imprisonment 
visited  by  the  hand  of  God  with  an  extreme  sickness.  I 
languished  of  the  infirmity  unto  the  very  death  :  for,  so 
many  as  did  behold  me  in  my  great  malady,  thought 
that  1  should  never  have  escaped  with  life.  At  that  time 
I  had  all  the  consolations  and  comforts  that  Papists  could 
yield  me,  and  some  that  shall  be  nameless  comforted  me 
with  the  Pope's  pardons  and  indulgences,  saying  that  1 
was  a  happy  man,  and  that  my  name  should  be  memor- 
able among  the  Papists  when  I  were  dead  and  gone." 

We  thus  learn  from  Tyrrell  himself  that  he  continued 
firm  in  the  Faith  while  a  close  prisoner  in  his  old  place 
of  confinement,  the  Counter  in  Wood  Street,  for  a  further 

^  Sitpra,  p.  456. 


The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell.  499 

•space  of  three  months  after  he  lost  the  comfort  and 
■support  he  received  from  his  whisperings  with  Alexander 
Hambleton.  We  may  judge  from  this  what  we  are  to 
think  of  Mr.  Froude's  suggestion  ^  that  Tyrrell's  retractations 
were  made  "  when  he  had  fallen  again  into  the  hands  of 
the  priests."  After  six  months'  perseverance  in  the  midst 
•of  the  hardships  of  close  imprisonment  in  the  prison 
which  of  all  the  London  prisons  had  perhaps  the  worst 
■reputation,  Anthony  Tyrrell  gave  way  once  more.  By 
■October  he  had  been  transferred  to  less  irksome  confine- 
ment at  St.  Catherine's,  and  thence  he  wrote  a  letter^  on 
the  15th  of  October  to  Lord  Treasurer  Burghley.  "I  am 
•only  in  all  humility,"  he  writes,  "  to  beseech  your  lordship  to 
grant  me  your  wonted  favour,  and  I  shall  most  gladly  and 
thankfully  accept  it  upon  any  condition.  I  do  but  expect 
your  lordship's  good  pleasure,  and  God  willing  I  shall 
be  always  ready  to  perform  any  action  which  your  wisdom 
shall  think  expedient  for  the  manifestation  unto  the  world 
of  my  true  repentance,  having  scandalized  so  much  for 
my  oft  revolting.  What  it  shall  please  your  honour  to 
have  done  with  my  confession  I  would  gladly  be  informed. 
If  neither  the  method  or  matter  were  unto  your  liking, 
I  should,  God  willing,  take  in  hand  some  other  thing. 
Until  I  may  know  your  lordship's  pleasure,  I  do  spare 
both  my  labour  and  my  pen." 

The  result  was,  as  we  have  seen,  the  sermon  at 
Paul's  Cross,  which  as  Tyrrell  cannot  have  failed  to  notice, 
was  delivered  on  one  of  our  Blessed  Lady's  great  feast.s. 
Four  days  afterwards  (December  12,  1588),  dating  still 
from  St.  Catherine's,  Tyrrell  wrote  ^  again  to  Lord 
Burghley,  comparing  himself  to  Absalom,  yet  hoping 
that  there  was  no  less  compassion  in  Burghley  than  there 
•was  in  David,  and  trusting  that  his  honour  had  given 
him  a  perfect  forgiveness.  "  I  was  bold,  therefore,"  he 
says,  "after  some   small  show  of  my  true  and  unfeigned 

^  Supra,  p.  290.  '  Lansd.  MSS.  58,  n.  51.  '  Ibid.  n.  17. 

GG  2 


500  The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell. 

repentance,  to  address  these  letters  unto  your  honour^ 
hoping  that  once  again  you  will  vouchsafe  to  take  me  into 
patronage,  and  the  rather  for  that  the  enemies  of  God 
will  now  hate  me  for  my  well  doing.  For  my  part  I  hope 
God  will  so  underprop  me  Avith  His  grace,  as  from  hence- 
forth you  shall  not  hear  of  me  so  much  as  a  light  suspi- 
cion either  of  trcacheiy,  hypocrisy,  or  dissimulation.  And 
whereas  I  fear  that  my  cousin  Anthony  Cooke  be  worthily 
fallen  into  displeasure  with  me  for  falsifying  my  faith, 
unto  God,  my  prince,  and  your  lordship,  I  hope  your 
honour  his  favourable  good  word  spoken  in  my  behalf 
shall  reconcile  me  until  his  goodwill  and  favour  again, 
the  which  once  gained  I  shall  more  carefully  conserve  the 
same  than  hitherto  I  have  done.  As  for  the  residue 
of  my  kindred,  according  to  the  proverb  I  have  many 
but  few  friends,  and  the  fewer  I  shall  have,  for  that 
I  purpose  to  live  in  the  fear  of  God,  like  a  good 
subject  and  a  Christian.  I  hope  therefore  your  honour 
of  your  accustomed  pity  will  further  me  some  way 
that  I  may  have  victum  et  vcstittim,  whereby  I  may 
the  better  serve  God,  my  Prince,  and  my  country  in  my 
vocation." 

[And  now  Anthony  Tyrrell  disappears.  He  lived  many 
years  as  a  Protestant  minister,  too  well  known  by  English 
Catholics  to  be  capable  of  betraying  them  any  more. 
Once  he  reappears  within  our  field  of  view,  when  in  1602 
Bancroft  was  preparing  an  onslaught  on  the  character 
of  the  English  priests.  Tyrrell  was  one  of  the  witnesses^ 
who  were  examined  by  the  Ecclesiastical  Commissioners 
respecting  the  exorcisms  in  which  he  had  taken  part, 
and  though  he  expressed  himself  in  the  sense  which 
would  please  his  examiners,  his  deposition  for  its  mode- 
ration contrasts  favourably  with  those  of  the  other 
witnesses. 

When   he  was   an   old   man,  as   Father  Weston  has 

1  Supra,  pp.'99,  lOj- 


The  Fall  of  Anthony   Tyrrell.  501 

already  told  us/  he  was  induced  by  his  brother  to  leave 
England  and  to  retire  to  Belgium,  where  he  could  obey 
the  dictates  of  his  conscience,  and  live  and  die  a  Catholic. 
This  brother  must  be  Robert  Tyrrell,  whose  name  we  find, 
together  with  those  of  all  the  English  Catholics  then 
living  in  the  Low  Countries,  attached,  in  November,  1596, 
to  a  declaration-  of  affection  to  the  Society  of  Jesus. 
Robert  Tyrrell  had  the  satisfaction  of  recovering  to  the 
Faith  the  brother  whose  inconstancy  and  treachery  had 
exceeded  that  of  all  his  fellow-spies.  But  if  Anthony 
Tyrrell  had  done  more  harm  than  they,  there  are  not 
many  of  the  others  who  at  least  ended  so  well  as  he 
did.  Amongst  the  manuscripts  of  the  Old  Chapter 
there  is  one  that  corroborates  Father  Weston's  testimony 
to  Tyrrell's  repentance  at  the  last.  It  is  a  list  of 
apostates ;  and  to  the  name  of  Anthony  Tyrrell  the 
words  are  added,  with  which  we  gladly  part  from  him, 
Mortuus  est  pcenitens.'] 

*  Supra,  p.  207.  Father  Weston  in  his  narrative  has  misplaced  Tyrrell's 
previous  departure  from  England,  saying  that  it  was  after  instead  of  before 
the  two  appearances  at  St.  Paul's  Cross. 

"  Tiemey's  Dcdd,  vol.  iii.  p.  xc. 


ALPHABETICAL    INDEX. 


Abbot,   George  (Archbishop    of. 
Canterbury)  247 — 249. 

Abington  352,  376,  385,  472. 

Acton,  Lord  289. 

Adams,  John  (martyr)  72,99, 180, 
181,322,411,416—418. 

Adye,  Patrick  (priest)  18,  79. 

Agazzari,  Alphonso  S.J.  19,  26, 
32,  33,  38,  39,  57,  86,  99,  308, 
309,  358,  368—371,  471,  478. 

Alabaster,  WiUiam  (priest)  270. 

Alengon,  Duke  of  35. 

Alfield,  Thomas  (martyr)  42,  236. 

Alfwin  (Bishop  of  Ehnham)  221. 

Allen,  William  (Cardinal)  17,  19, 
20,  22,  25,  26,  30,  32,  33,  35, 
42,  53,  57,  85—87,  90,  155, 
^45,  253,  308,  367,  369,  389, 
472,  478,  492. 

Andrewes,  Lancelot  (Bishop  of 
Ely)  201 — 203. 

Antonio,  Don  (King  of  Portugal) 
132—135. 

Aquaviva,  Claude,  General  S.J. 
14—16,  18,  19,  22,  34—38,  57, 
122,    146,    280,    369,    370,   471, 

475- 
Archer,  Giles  (priest)  266,  270 — 

272,  274. 
Array,  Arrc,  Arrea  or  Ara,  alias 
Cotton,   Martin   (priest)    164 — 
166,  309. 
Arundel,   Phihp,  Earl  of  83 — 95, 
161,  196,  335,  336,  360, 
361,  376—379,  382,  385, 
388,  408,  472,  479,  485, 
492. 
— __   Anne,  Countess  of  166, 197, 
-  210,  286,  361,  365,  379, 
388,  390,  472,  479. 


,^undell,   Anne   (Stanley)    Lady 
127 — 129. 
Dorothy  128. 
Sir  Charles  35,  158,  372. 
Sir    John    127 — 129,  '154,, 

365,  372,  373,  384,  385, 
472,  479,  492. 
Sir  Matthew  379. 
Ashlej',  Ralph  (martyr)  496. 
Atkinson  (pursuivant)  160,  247. 

sec  Smith. 
Atslow,  Luke  S.J.  7,  8. 
Audle)',  Philip  365. 
Avys  300. 

Babinctox,  Anthony  49,  54,  58, 
149,  150,  165,  167,  177, 
181— 186,  188,  189,  198, 
204,  318,  352,  375,  376, 
378,  380,  382,  384,  455, 

472,  488,  492. 
Charles  179. 

Babthorpc,    Lady  (Suliard)    337, 
364,  448. 
Ralph  361,  386,  387,  448,. 

473,  492. 

Bagshawe,  Christopher  (priest) 
23T,  266,  267,  271,371. 

Bailey,  Andrew  O.S.D.  279. 

Baker,  Sir  Henry  292. 

Ballard,  alias  Fortescue,  alias 
Thompson,  John  (priest)  49, 
149,  ^11  159,  165,  289,  290, 
312,  318,  337—347,  352,  357 
—390,  410,  411,  427,  472, 
488. 

Bancroft,  Richard,  Bishop  of 
London  103,  104,  500, 

Barlow,  alias  Chester,  Lewis 
(priest)  158,  266,267,385,444. 


Alphabetical  Index. 


503 


Barlwin  (priest)  231.  — 

Barnes,  Mr.  56. 

Robert  53,  54, 

alias  Stranudge,(7//ajHynd, 
alias  Wingfield,  Robert 

53,  57- 
Thomas  (priest)  33,  69. 
Barnwell  49,    54,    189,  343,   346, 

347,  352,  378,  472. 
Barrows,  alias  Walgrave  (priest) 

54. 
Bartoli  246,  271,  277,  278. 
Barwis,  Robert  (priest)  271. 
Basset,  Charles  15,  39. 
Battori,  Stephen,  (King  of  Poland) 

liavand,  Dr.  (priest)  58,  162. 
Bavaria,  Duke  of  72. 
Bawlbett,  Richard  179. 
Bayly,  Richard  83,  84,  389,  390. 
Bayne,  Richard  (spy)  316. 
Bedingfield  364. 
Beedell,  Richard  153,  154. 
Bell,  Mr.  326,  327,  330. 
"tJellamy  (Jones),  Anne  51,  56,  59, 
61 — 64. 

(Wilford),  Audrey    51,  56, 

59-  63,  65. 
Bartholomew  49,  187,  189. 
—        Catherine  (Forster)  46,  51 

—57,  59,  63,  64. 
Catherine    (Page)   45—49, 

187—189. 
(Svmonds)  Catherine  49. 
Frith  51. 
Jeremy,  or  Jerome  49,  187, 

189. 

-    Mabel  (Boys)  46. 

,^      Mary  51,  63,  65,  66. 

Richard    (of    Harrow)   46, 

49,  51—57,  59,61,64. 
Richard  (of  Hedley)  46. 
Robert  49 — 51. 
Thomas  51,63.  65. 
Thomas    (of   Studley)   47 

49- 
William  46. 
Benson,  Robert  (priest)  272. 
Benytt  300. 

Berden,  Nicholas  alias  Henry 
Crosse  (spy)  60,  149—152,  160 
—163,    166,    167,     230,    453— 

455- 
Bickley,  alias  Britain,  Ralph,  S.J. 

160—162,  231,   244,    247—249, 

266,  267,  270. 
Jiidglande,  Mr.  225. 


Bird,  Ellen  143. 

William  141 — 145. 
Birket,  alias  Hall,  George  (arch- 
priest)  53,  57,  408. 
Blackwell,  George  (archpricst)  23, 

153,  154- 
Blewitt,  Mr.  301,  451. 
Bluet  or  Blewett,  Thomas  (priest) 

227,  231,  266,  267, 
Blusius  398. 
Becking  303. 
Boero,  Joseph,  S.J.  3. 
Bold,    Mr.    140,    173,    353,    361, 

390,   405,   407,   409,   425—429, 

473- 
Bolt,  John  141. 
Bolton  (priest)  266. 
Borgia,  St.  Francis,  S.J.  6,  9. 
Bosgrave,  James,  S.J.  13,  30,  33, 

34,  69,  72—78. 
Bosse  (priest)  158. 
Boussen,  Chanoine  283. 
Boyce  442. 
Boys,  Mabel  46. 
~  —    -  Plesaunce  46. 
Sir  John  46. 
Thomas  46. 
Braddock,  Edmund,  or  Edward 

(priest)  231,  266,  402,  4.06. 
Brampstone,  Thomas  (priest)  231, 

266,  454. 
Bray,  William   90,  91,  337,  365, 

372,  373- 
Briant,  Alexander    S.J.   (martyr) 

26,  30,  100,  308. 
BridgAvater,  John  S.J.  20, 253,  291. 
Bright,  Mrs.  140. 
Brinckley,   Stephen,  alias  James 

Sanker    13,    14,    15,     26,     33, 

36. 
Briscoe  (priest)  33. 
Bristow,  Dr.,  alias  Spring  5,  53, 

57- 
Brome  (priest)  157. 
William  497. 
Brooksby  155. 

Browne,  Francis  14,  15,  146,  152, 
157,  385,  407,  408,  418, 
473- 
Sir  George  25. 
Sir  William  292. 
Browning  373. 
Bruton,  Mrs.  379. 
Buckhurst,  Lord  268,  456. 
Buckley,  alias  Morris,  alias  Jones, 
Godfrey,  O.S.F.  58,  270. 
Sigebert  O.S.B.  266,  270. 


504 


Alphabetical  l7idex. 


Burghley,  Lord  Treasurer  21,  27, 
42,  98,  10  r,  133,  140,205,263, 
290.  295,  305,  307,  331,  350, 
351—353,  355—409,  418—432, 
440—443,  448,  456,  466,  474, 
489,  499. 

Burkett,  Dr.  140. 

Burlacc  90,  91,  361,  376,  379,  389. 

Bury,  Edward  296,  308. 

Cabel,  Roland,  alias  Father 
Persons  16. 

Cabell,  John  (priest)  402. 

Caddy.  Laurence  (spy)  316. 

Cadner,  Mr.  439. 

Calverley,  Edward  or  Edmund 
(priest)  231,  266. 

Calvin,  204.  355,  398. 

Campion,  Edmund  S.J.  (martyr) 
5,  6,  7,  9,  13.  14,  16,  21, 
24,  26,  27,  30.  43,  57,  61, 
73- 74,  75,  So,  93, 100,236, 
294,  318. 
alias  Edwardes,  Edward 
(martyr)  6. 

Carey,  Sir  George  15,  30. 

Carleton,  George  226--228. 
Mr.  143. 

Carter,  William  13,  33. 

Cartricke,  William  (priest)  1 79. 

Carwen,  Mr.  455. 

Casimir,  Duke  51. 

Casye,  166. 

Catesby,  Sir  William  156. 

Catlin,  Malevery  455. 

Cawkon,  Mrs.  304. 

Cecil,  alias  Snowden,  John  (spy) 
25. 

Cecill,  Mr.  225. 

Chaddock  (priest)  231,  266. 

Chalcedon,  Bishop  of  235. 

Challoner,  Bishop  30,  31,  58,  104, 
128,  180,  235,  270. 

Champney,  John  (priest)  235,272. 

Chappel,  William  225. 

Charke  93. 

Charlewood,  John  497. 

Charnock  386.  ~~~ 

Mrs.  143. 

Churchard,  Thomas  267. 

Clargenet,  William  (priest)  266. 

Clarke,  William  267. 

Claxton  153. 

Clement,  Mother  Margaret  293. 

Clinch,  Baron  380. 

Coffin,  Edward  S.J.  270,  271. 

Colburne,  Mrs.  21 


Colford,  Gabriel  143. 

Colleton,  John  (priest)  33. 

Collinson,  George  (priest)  231,232. 

Compton,  Lord  157,  379,  397,  408, 
426,  427,  479,  492. 
Lady  161. 

Connell,  Father  S.J.  284. 

Cook,  372. 

Cooke,  Anthony  500. 

Cooper,  Thinnas  (Bishop  of  Win- 
chester) 260. 

Copley,  Lady  385,  406. 

Cornelius,  John  S.J.  (martyr)  24, 
97,  99,  127—130,  153—159,  197, 
335,  385,  408. 

Cornwallis,  Sir  Charles  135. 
William  (priest)  272. 

Cottam,  Thomas  S.J.  (martyr)  13, 
74,  100. 

Cotton  293. 

Craythorne,  Ralph  361,  386,  387, 

473,  492. 
Cresswell,  Joseph  S.J.  279. 

Mrs.  385. 
Crichton,    William    S.J.    17,    18, 

78—82. 
Crockett,  Ralph  (martyr)  180. 
Crompton,  John  267. 
Cromwell,  Oliver  222. 
Crossland,   John    361,   375,    386, 

387,  473,  492. 
Crowley,  454. 
Cumbar,  Thomas  225. 
Cumberland,  Earl  of  485. 
Curie  168. 
Curry,  John  S.J.,  alias  Castell  24, 

25,  38. 
Cutler,  Henry  267. 
John  267. 

D ACRES,  Lord  375,  396. 

Dakins,  Edward  (priest)  159,  447. 

Dale,  Mr.  43. 

Dallidowne,  Ralph  105. 

Danyell  364. 

Darbyshire,  Thomas  S.J.  20,  24. 

27,  37,  246. 
Darcy  of  the  North,  Lord  334. 

Lady,  426,  427. 
Darrell,  John  154,  158 
Davies,    alias    Wingfield,    alias 

Cooke  54,  55,  58—61,  149,  153, 

155,  159,  164,  385- 
Davison,  William  400,  401. 
Dean,  William  (martyr)  72,   156, 

157. 
De  Cordova,  Diego  S.J.  ir. 


Alphabetical  Index. 


505 


De  el  Palacio,  Forivio  S.J.  11. 
De  Guzman,  Don  Alonzo  Perez  9. 
De     Lima,     John      Gondsalvus 

(priest)  133. 
De  Mendoza,  Bemardine  17. 
De   Mons,  Michel    (archdeacon) 

15- 

Dennis,  Mr.  25. 

De  Peralta,  Francis  S.J.  4,  10,  27, 
273,  277,  280,  281. 

De  Pineda,  Juan  S.J.  277. 

Derby,  Edward  Earl  of  127, 

Devereux,  Robert,  Viscount  Here- 
ford 119. 

Dibdale,  Richard  (martyr)  99, 104, 
164,  322,  329,  412—418. 

Diego,  Friar  O.S.F.  134. 

Dodd  245,  271. 

Dodwell,  Thomas  (spy)  24. 

Drake,  Sir  Francis  133,  135,  233, 
419. 

Drury,  Harry  364,  365,  373,  406. 
Lady  473,  485. 

Dryland,  alias  Brincborne,  Chris- 
topher S.J.  157,  158,  163,  164, 
166,  231,  266,  294,  331,  375, 
402. 

Dudley  (priest)  265. 

Dunne,  Henry  49,  150,  158, 
342,  373,  376,  378,  380,  384, 
472. 

Durandus  114. 

Dymock  365. 

Thomas  179. 

Dynnington,  361,  374,  384,  386, 
387,  473,  492. 

Eake,  Nicholas  (priest)  155. 

Edwards,  see  Campion. 

Edward  II.,  King  292. 
VI.,  King  226. 

Elenor  300. 

Elizabeth,  Queen  61,  77,80,  133, 
141,  iA2,^is6,  183,  225,  235, 
266,  269,  274,  277,  287,  290, 
337.  393—395,  407,  418,  422— 
432,  437,  441,  447,  453,  474— 
487,  492—494. 

Ely,  Humphrey  (priest)  20. 

Emerford  or  Hemerford,  Thomas 
(martyr)  20,  21,  70. 

Emerson,  Ralph  S.J.  15,  17,  37, 
39—44,  68,  69,  269,  270. 

Enghiam,  Richard  S.J.  38. 

Essex,  Earl  of  275. 

Estcourt,  Canon  236. 

Evans,  Lewis  (apostate)  437. 


Favre,  B.  Peter  S.J.  281. 
Feckenham,    John      (Abbot     of 
Westminster)     225 — 227,    239, 
302,  303. 
Felps,  see  Phipps. 
Fenell  (priest)  376,  385. 
Fenn,  James  (martyr)  70. 

John  (priest)  20. 
Fisher,  George  (priest)  218,  267. 

Thomas  218,  267. 
Fitzherbert,  Thomas  S.J.  453. 
Flinton,  George  15,  36. 
Flower,     a/ms     Way,     William 

(martyr)  180,  234 — 236. 
Floyd,  Henry  S.J.  155,  270. 
Ford,  Thomas  (martyr)  13. 
Forest,  Friar  O.S.F.  271. 
Forster,  William  46. 
Fortescue,  Sir  John  373. 

Anthony  410. 

see  Ballard. 
Fox,  Dr.  446,  447. 
Frankyshe,  Anthony  49. 

Dorothy  (Bellamy)  49. 
Freeman,  John  136. 

Thomas  (priest)  136. 
Froude,  Mr.  289 — 291,  499. 
Fuljambe,  Harry  373,  375,  381. 

Mrs.  375. 
Fulke  93. 
Fuller,  Mr.  43. 
Fytton,  Mr.  143. 

William  60,  155. 

Gage,  John  179. 

Mr.  378, 472. 
Gallop,  see  Wallop. 
Garlick,  Nicholas  (martyr)  72,  99, 

156,  157. 
Garnet,  Henry  S.J.  (martyr)  9,  24, 

37,  38,  92,  94,  138,  144, 
145,  160,  265,  269,  270, 
274,  279,  280,421. 
Thomas  S.J.  (martyr)  277. 
Garth,  see  Leigh. 
Gaunte,  see  Willson. 
Gawen,  Mr.  447. 

Gellebrand  or  Gelibrand,  Nicho- 
las (priest)  179,  234,  402,  406, 

430,  432. 
Genings,  Edmund  (martyr)  160. 
Gerard,  Alexander  (priest)  267. 
John  S.J.  25,  44,  48,  94. 
Sir  Gilbert  47. 
Sir   Thomas  48,  49,    155, 
161,396,473. 
Gibbons,  John  S.J.  20, 42. 


So6 


Alphabetical  Index. 


(iifford,  George  388,  389,  473. 

George      (Archbishop      of 

Rheims)  367,  472,  478. 
Gilbert  (spy)  86,  361,  379, 
388,  453,  492. 
Gilbert,  George  S.J.    14,   15,  20, 

26,  39. 
Godfraye,  Simon  (priest)  165. 
Godsalf  (priest)  33. 
Goldwell,  Thomas  (Bishop  of  St. 

Asaph)  226,  369 — 371. 
Gongales,  Alvaro  S.J.  11. 
Gondomar  Diego,  Count  of  249. 
Gonzales,  Father  S.J.  19. 
Good,  William  S.J.  20,  38.  3G9, 

472. 
Gooday,  John  267. 
Goodlack,  Thomas  46. 

Thomasine  46. 
Goodman  (Dean  of  Westminster) 

43,51,104,45^- 
Gordon,  James  S.J.  18,  367. 
(jower,  Mr.  128,  157. 
Gratley,  alias  Bridges,  alias  Fox- 
ley,    Edward    (priest)    85 — 87, 
361,  379.  389,  408,  453. 
Gray,  Lord  79. 

see  Greene. 
Robert  (priest)  25. 
Thomas  (gaoler;  162,  227, 
231,250—253,267. 
Green,  Giles  379. 
(ireene,  Norton  179. 

or  Gray,  alias  Strawbridge, 
John  (priest)  157,  231, 
266,  365,  385,  402,  406, 

439- 
(irefty  293. 

Gregory  XIII.  (Pope)  7,  72,  289, 

290,   359,   369—371,   394,  471, 
478,  491. 
( irene,  Christopher  S.J.  3,  8,  38, 
115,  189,  237,279,  287. 
(priest)  157. 
(irosart.  Rev.  Alexander  62. 
Guise,  Cardinal  of  106. 

Duke  of  17,  28,  183,  361, 
367,  388,   389,  446,  472, 
492. 
Gyttyns,  Robert  42. 

Hall  376. 

Edward  (porter)  250,  268. 
llalsey.  Dr.  454. 
1  lambleton,  Alexander  497,  499. 
Hampden,  Mr.  143, 
llarbert,  Sir  Edward  54. 


Harding,  Dr.  73. 

Hardy,  Sir  Thomas  Duffus  288. 

Hare,  Michell  364. 

Harrington,  William  (martyr)  44, 

105,  106. 
Harris    (servant)    156,   334,   337, 

426,  429,  446,  450. 
Harrison,  365. 
John  25. 
Harsnet,  Samuel  (Archbishop  of 

York)  103. 
Hart,  John  S.J.   28 — 34,  69,  78, 

254- 
William  (martyr)  20,  21. 
Hartley,  William  (martyr)  72. 
Hatton,  Sir  Christopher  86,  358, 

381. 
Hawkins  (priest)  365. 
Hawlie,  Mr.  56. 
Hay,  Edmund  S.J.  17,  367. 
Haydock,  George  (martyr)  33,  70. 
Haynes,  Joseph  (priest)  180. 
Haywood,  Jasper  S.J.  14,  16,  19, 

22,  23,  25,  33,  34,  68—72,  ^%, 
93.  427. 

Heath,    Nicholas  (Archbishop  of 
York)  301—303. 
Mr.  115,  189. 
Heigood,  Humphrey  56. 
Hemerford  or  Emerford,  Thomas 

(martyr)  20,  21,  70. 
Henry,  Cardinal  (King  of  Portugal) 

133- 
III.  (King  of  France)  133, 

135- 

VI.,  King  292. 
Heron,  Sir  William  292. 
Hewet,  John  (martyr)  72. 
Higgens,  Isaac  (priest)  231'. 

Mr.  15. 
Hodgkins  (pursuivant)  60. 
Holford,   alias    Acton,     Thomas 

(martyr)  54,  58 — 60. 
Holinshed  80,  218. 
Holiwell,  Oliver  (priest)  39. 
Holiwood,  Christopher  S.J.  270. 
Holland  (priest)  154 — 156. 
Holmes,  William  (spy)  24,  127. 
Holt,   William    S.J.    14,    16,    38, 

145. 
Hopton,  Sir  Owen,  43,  318. 
Home,  Robert  (Bishop  of  Win- 
chester) 226. 
Hoskins,  Anthony  S.J.  281. 
Howard,  Henry,  Viscount  119. 

Lord  Harry  380. 

Lord  Thomas  380,  425,  427. 


Alphabetical  Index. 


507 


Howard  Lord  William  86, 379, 425, 
427. 
of    Effingham,    Lord    150, 

428,  429. 
Philip,  see  Arundel. 
Thomas  (Earl  of  Suffolk) 
85. 
Hubbard,  Harry  365. 
Hubberley     or     Aberley,      John 

(priest)  231,  266. 
Hubert   [?  Hubbard],    Henry  40, 

45,  66,  67. 
Hughes,  Edward  (priest)  272. 
Humphrey,   Laurence    (minister) 

254—256. 
Hunsdon,  Lord  377. 
Hunt,  Simon  S.J.  38. 

see  Weston  153,  385. 
Huntingdon,  Earl  of  245,  353, 456. 
Hyde,  Leonard  (priest)  231,  232, 
236,  237,  266,  267. 

INGLEBY,  Davy  360,  376 — 378, 
381,  384,  3S7,  473,  492. 

Ingram  154. 

John  267. 

Ithell,  alias  Udall,  Woodhall  or 
Wedall,  Ralph  (priest)  157,  158, 
266,  267,  385.  =- 

Jacques,  Captain  353,  361,  376, 

378,  384,  390,  473,  492. 
James  L,  Kmg,  18,  142,  154,  223— 
225,  247,  269,  271,  277, 
446. 
Edward  (martyr;  179 — iSl^- 

234,  454- 
Jessopp,  Rev.  Dr.  279. 
Jetter  or  Jatter  (priest)  33,  155. 
Jewel,  John  (Dishop  of  .Sahsbury) 

191,  254. 
Johnes,  Davy  (minister  and  spy) 
301—305. 
Mrs.  301. 
Johnson,  Dr.  154. 
Johnson,  Robert  (martyr)  13. 
Jones,  Anne  (Bellamy)  51,  56,  59, 
61,  64. 

Nicholas  51,  56,  61. 
Ely  157. 
Joseph,  Friar  O.S.D.  134. 

St.,  of  Arimathea  191,  192. 

Keble,  Catherine  292. 

George  292,  294. 

Mary  (Paschall)  294. 
Keeper,  Mr.  94. 


Kemp  376. 

Kirby,  Luke  (martyr)  31,  318. 
Knight,  Nicholas  (priest)  271. 
Knighton,  Nicholas  (priest)  231. 
Knollys,  Sir  Francis  377,  381. 

Labata,  Francis  S.J.  282. 
Lane,  John  S.J.  7 — 9. 
Langdalc,  Thomas  21,  22. 
Lanspergius  94. 
Lapide,  Cornelius  a  95. 
Latymer  (priest)  303. 
Laurenson,  John,  S.J.  3. 
Lawnder,  John  454. 
Lawyer  [?  Saycr]  (priest)  157,  158. 
Leicester,  Earl  of  108,  134,  138 — 

141,    173,   233,  353,    377,   381, 

390,  428,  454. 
Leigh,     alias     Garth,     Richard,. 

(martyr)  439,496- 
Leigh  ton,  Thomas  179. 
Lennox,  Duke  of  17,  19. 
Leoflede  221. 
Lester,  Peter  135,  142. 
Lewis,  Friar  134. 

Owen  (Bishop  of  Cassano) 
368—371,472,478,492. 
Linche,  Nicholas  (priest)  271. 
"tine,  Mrs.  Anne  (martyr)  25. 
Lister,  John  (priest)  105,  230,231. 
Loarte  36. 
Loide  (priest)  231. 
Long,  alias  Mytton,  John  (priest) 

365,  368. 
Lovelesse,  i\Irs.  153. 
Lovell  Lady  365. 
Lowe,  John  (martyr)  99,  153,  154, 

180,    181,   322,    399,   405,   409, 

411,  416—418. 
Lowe,  Sampson  (priest)  179. 
Lusher,  Richard  179. 
Lythgoe,  Randal  S.J.  284. , 

Maddox,  John  (priest)  164,  402. 
Maine,  Cuthbert  (martyr)  13. 
Mainy  or   Mayne,  Richard    103. 

104,  413. 
Manareus,  Olivcrius  35. 
Manger  (priest)  128. 
Mann,  ^/wj- Chambers  (priest)  28, 

155,367,472. 
Mannock  364,  373. 
Mannop,  John  158.' 
March  256 — 260. 
Marshall,  Thomas  S.J.  9,  38. 
Martin,  Dr.  5,  57,  236. 
Martyn,  Mr.  364,  373. 


SoS 


Alphabetical  Index. 


Martync  (priest)  154. 

Marwood,  William  413. 

Mary,    Oueen   of    England    293, 

304,  307- 
Mary  Queen  of  Scots  17,  127,  139, 

152,156,  157,  167,  173,  177,  183, 
200,  318,  360,  367,  374,  389, 
393—398,  400,  401,  419,  455, 
472,  479,  488. 

Marync,  Gerard  373. 

Matthieu,  Claude  S.J.  18,  36. 

Meany  or  Mayney,  Mrs.  154,  155, 

413- 
Medcalfe,  Anthony  408. 

Mr.  455. 
Medeley,  William  (gaoler)  250. 
Medina  114. 

Sidonia,  Duke  of  9. 
Medler  376. 
Medworth,  John  222. 
Mercurian,  Everard,  General  S.J. 

9,  13,  238,  246. 
Meredith,    alias    Farmer,    Jonas 

(priest)  90,  179,  231,  266,  267. 
Metham,  Sir  Thomas  245,  246. 

Thomas  361,  386,  387,  473, 

492. 
Thomas    S.J.    14,  34,  227, 
231,  239,  244—247,270. 
Mettam,  Edward  (priest)  23. 
Michell,  Humphrey  226 — 228. 
Mildmay,  Lady  Frances  426,  427. 
Miller,  Ralph  (spy)  44,  106. 
Mills,  Francis  149— 151,  153,  164, 

165,301—305. 
Momford,  John  83,  84. 
Mompesson,  Mrs.  385. 
Montague,  Viscount  25,  119,  128, 

157,  379,380,485. 
Moore  298. 

More,  Henry  S.J.  10,  12,  27,  33, 
34,  65,  77. 
(priest)  157. 
Sir  Thomas  39. 
Morgan,  Thomas    18,  25,  26,  35, 

156—158,372. 
Morton,  Cardinal  Bishop  of  Ely 

222. 
Mountjoy.  John,  Lord  292. 
Moyle  376. 

Munden,  John  (martyr)  70,  236. 
Mushe,  John  (priest)  159,  265. 

Nadasi,  S.J.  246. 

Napper,  George  (martyr)  302. 

(priest)  302,  303. 
Nau  167 — 169. 


Nelson,  John  (martyr)  13,99. 
Newall  (pursuivant)  58,  165,  166, 

325,  330- 
Nichols,  John  (spy)  308,316 — 318, 

437- 
Nix,  Joan  46. 

John  (Bishop  of  Norwich) 
46. 
Norden,  Dr.  (priest)  266. 
Norfolk,  Henry,  Duke  of  84,  95. 
Norreys,  Sir  John  133. 
Norton  (rackmaster)  277. 
- — Northumberland,  Countess  of  379. 
Thomas,  Earl  of  68, 93, 246, 

367. 
Nudygatt,  Mr.  364. 
Nutter,  John  (martyr)  70. 

Robert    (martyr)    69,     72, 

266. 

Oldcorne  S.J.  (martyr)  496. 
Oliver,  Dr.  245. 
Orton,  Henry  n,  70,  79,  80. 
Osborne,  Edward  (spy)  316. 

Sir  Edward  42. 
Oswy  221. 

Overton,  Edward  267. 
Owen,  Hugh  35,  73. 

Thomas  S.J.  18, 

see  Williams. 
Oxenbridge  (priest)  227. 

Pagk,  Francis  S.J.  48, 

John  47,  48. 

Richard  46,  48. 

Thomas  47. 

William  47,  48,  56. 
Paget,  Charles    18,   25,   26,   15S, 
372. 

Lady  309. 

Lord  35,  142. 
Paine,  John  (martyr)  13. 

Mr.  54. 
Palmer,  Harry  373. 

Robert  (priest)  165. 
Parma,  Duke  of  35. 
Parry  80,  81,  485. 

alias     Morgan,      William 
(priest)     159,    179,    181, 
234,  266. 
Parsons,  Robert  142. 
Parys,  Ferdinando  365. 
Paschall,  Mary  294,  297,  300,  337 

John  294,  295. 
Patenson,   William    (martyr)    24, 

128. 
Paulctt,  Lady  153,  154,  364. 


Alphabetical  Index. 


509 


Peckham,   Edmund  or    Edward 
140,  390,  413. 
Lady  414. 
Mrs.  165,439. 
Sir  George   100,  165,  327, 
414- 
Pembroke,  Countess  of  157. 
Percy,  Lady  Mary  294. 
Peres  S.J.  73. 

Persons,  Robert  S.J.  alias  Roland 
Cabel  3,  7,  8,  14—28,  34— 45> 
57,  74,  93,  103,  239,  254,  269, 
279,  287,  294,  309,  408,  457- 
Pet  293. 
Petre,  Sir  William  292,  293. 

John  Lord  292. 
—        Gertrude  Lady  292. 
Anne  Lady  292,  300. 
Phelippes,    Thomas   (decipherer) 
ZT,  149,  150,  160—163,  167,  229 

—231,  453—455. 
Phihp  IL  (Kmg  of  Spam)  133, 134, 

154. 
Phipps    or  Felps,  alias   Smyth 

Nicholas  (priest)  179,  194,  234 

385,  406,418,419. 
Pibush,  John  (martyr)  272. 
Pierrepont,  Gervase  79,  231,  473. 
Pigbone,  Thoda  144. 
Pilchard     or     Pilcher,    Thomas 

(martyr)  72,  156,  157. 
Pitts,  Arthur  (priest)  33,  69. 

Mr.  115. 
Pius  v.,  St.  199,  289. 
Pointz,  John  S.J.  7. 

Poley,  Robert  (spy)  152, 167— i69,'-f--SACKVlLLE, 
Pope,  Sir  Thomas  153. 
Popham,    Chief   Justice    42,  48, 

189. 
Potter,  see  Stransham. 
Poulet,  Sir  Amias  153. 
Poulter,  296. 
Pound,  Thomas  S.J.   13,  33,  34, 

231—233,  237—239,   243,  244, 

267 — 271. 
Powell,  James  (priest)  231,  266. 
PownoU,  Mr.  497. 
Puckering,  Sir  J  ohn  (Lord  Keeper) 

6,  24,  43,  52,  63,  64,  107,  234. 


Reynolds,  Jerome  254. 

<7rRainolds,John  (minister) 
29,  32,  206,  254,  259. 

William  254. 
Ribadeneira  S.J.  236. 
Rich,   Lord   293,  295—297,    308, 

331- 
Richeome,  Louis  S.J.  80. 
Ridolfi  289. 

Rimbault,  Dr.  142,  143. 
Ringsteed,  David  179. 
Rishton,  Edward  (priest)  32,  69, 

70,  78,  308. 
Rivers,  Anthony  S.J.  103. 
Roades,  Justice  375. 
Roberts,  James  104. 

John  de  Mervinia,  O.S.B. 

(martyr)  279. 

William  225. 
Robin  (a  boy)  134. 
Robinson,  John  (martyr)  179, 180, 
181,  234. 

Francis  (priest)  180. 

Robert  51. 

Thomas  S.J.  9. 
Rookwood,  364,  373. 
Roper,  Jo.  162. 

Roscarrock,  Nicholas  33,  79,  80. 
Ross,  Bishop  of  79,  396,  472, 
Rowse,  Anthony  (priest)  271. 

Mrs.  365. 
Rowsham,  Stephen   (martyr)  33, 

72. 
Ruste,  158. 


1-tAlNOI.D,  Richard  158. 
Rand  (priest)  304. 
Randall,  Michael  267. 
Randole,  Richard  454. 
Randoll,  305. 
Revell,  154. 
Reynolds,  Edmund  254. 


Lady  Margaret   85, 

379,  380. 
Sadler,  David  301. 
Sale  (priest)  428. 
Salmon,  Patrick  (martyr)  128. 
Samelie,  Henry  S.J.  17. 
Sampson,  Thomas  255. 
Sandell  300. 
Sanders  236,  246. 
Sandes,  Mr.  247. 
Santa  Crux,  Marquis  of  18. 
Sayer,  alias  Yaxley  \see  Lawyer] 

(priest)  421,  439. 
Scrope,  Lord  4S5. 

Mr.  231. 

Scott,  Momford  (martyr)  13,  267. 
Seaton,  Lord  367. 
Shakspeare  104. 
Shelley,  Mr.  15,  160,  162,  385. 

(widow)  372. 
Shepherde,  John  56. 
Sheppard  150,  151. 


lO 


Alphabetical  Index, 


Shervvin,  Ralph   (mart)r)   24,  26, 
30,  So,  93,  99,  100,  295,  308,  318. 
Sherwood, ^?//^?j'  Carlcton,  Richard 
(priest  158,  160—162. 
John  (priest)  24,  128. 
Thomas  (martyr)  13. 
Shirley,  vSistcr  EHzabcth  144. 
Shrewsbury,  Earl  of  17. 
Silvester,  Thomas  S.J.  4,  282. 
Simpson,  alias   Hyegatc   (priest) 
232,  421,  473. 
Mr.  3,  5. 
Skyrres  1 50. 

Slack,  Richard  (priest)  33,  69. 
Smith  293. 

alias  Atkinson,  Anne   104, 
329,  413,  421. 
Smyth,  Mr.  153,  154. 
Smythe,  alias    Deacon,  Thomas 
(priest)  165,  402. 
John  (priest)  231. 
Southampton,  Countess  of  379. 

Earl  of  365. 
Southcote,  John  158. 

(Southwell)  Mrs.  428. 
Southwell,  alias    Cotton,  Robert 
S.J.  (martyr)  24,  38,  39, 
52,  54,  60—62,  99,   138, 
144,  181 — 183,  188,  196, 
197,210,309,421,429. 
Francis  55. 
Mr.  426 — 429. 
Nathaniel  S.J.  10,  282. 
Southworth,  Christopher   (priest) 

231,266,  267,  271,  272,  402. 
Spence,  Paul  (priest)  179, 181,  234. 
Stafferton,  alias  Williamson,  Dr. 

157,  159- 
Stafford,  Sir  Edward,  35. 
Stampe,    alias    Dighton    (priest) 

155,  159,  164,231. 
Stanney,  Thomas  S.J.  236, 
Stapleton  57. 
Stephens,  John  179. 

see  Pointz. 

Thomas  S.J.  9. 
Stevenson,  Rev.  Joseph  288. 

Thomas  (priest)  69. 
Stoker,  or   Stokes,  George,   115, 

189,  367,  472. 
Stone  (priest)  154. 
Stonor,  John  14. 
Story,  Bartholomew  267. 
Strange,  Lady  161. 

Thomas  S.J.  144. 
Stranguish       or       Strangwidges, 

Philip  (priest)  231,  266. 


Stransham     or    Transom,    alias 

Potter,  George   155,  231, 

266. 

or  Transom,  alias  Barber, 

Edward  (martyr)  376. 

Strawbridge,    see     Greene,    John 

(priest)  402. 
Strodlen  293. 
Stourton,  John,  Lord  127. 
Lady  426,  427. 
Lord    360,   379,    387,   426, 
472,  479. 
Strozza,  Pietro  19. 
Strype  43,  290. 
Suliard,  Edward  337,  364,  406. 

Thomas  364. 
Suthwycke  153. 
Sutton,  Wilham  S.J.  20,  155. 
Swinborn  293. 
Swynnerton,   alias    Strangwayes, 

Thomas  (priest)  402. 
Sydney,  Lady  (Walsingham)  167. 
Sykes,  Edmund  (martyr^  72. 
Symonds,  Catherine  49. 
John  49. 

Tabor,  James  223. 
Talbot,  John  159,  452. 
Talhs,  Thomas  142. 
Tassis,  John  Baptist  18,  19. 
Taylor  154. 

James    (priest)     179,    23!, 
266,  267. 
Teady,  Mr.  455. 
Tempest  (Browne)  Mrs.  157. 
Edward  (priest)  272. 
Robert  or  Nicholas  296 — 
298. 
Terranuova,  Duke  of  21. 
Thompson  alias  Blackburn,  Wil- 
liam (martyr)  50,  51,  154, 
158. 
Christopher  (priest)  33,  69. 
see  Ballard  159. 
Thorogood  or  Thurgood  361,  373, 

384,  387,  473. 
Throgmorton  158. 
Thules  alias  Ashton,  Christopher 

159,  179,266. 
Thurlow  222. 
Tichborne  293,  352,  472. 

alias  Beard,  Benjamin  (spy 
24,  143. 
Tiddcr,  W^illiam  (spy)  497. 
Tierney,  Canon  95. 
Tilney,  Charles  342,  352,  360,  376, 
378,  380,  382,  384,  472,  478,  492- 


Alphabetical  Index. 


5" 


Tillotson,  Francis  (priest)  231,266. 
Tomeson  300. 

Topcliffe,  Richard  (pursuivant)  42, 
52,  53,  55,  57,  64,  331,  454,  497. 
Transom,  sec  Stransham. 
Trayford,  William  413. 
Treamayne,  Mr.  154. 
Tregian,  Francis  454. 
—        Mary  143. 

Sybil  143. 
Tremaine  365. 
Tresham,  Francis  161. 

Sir  Thomas  156,  159,  161, 

365,  452. 
William  19. 
Tymperley  or  Temperley,  Nicho- 
las 365,  373,  375. 
Typping  361,  375,  384,  386,  387, 

473,  492- 
Tyrwhit,  Mr.  447. 
Twyfford  (priest)  1 54,  1 58. 
Tyrrell,  Ada  292. 

Anne  (Knight  &  Knighton) 

292. 
Anthony,  alias  White   99, 
140,  164,  179,  181,  203— 
208,  233,  234,  238,  287— 
501. 
Catherine  (Keble)  292. 
Charles  292,  293. 
Edward  293. 
Francis  233. 
George  291,  293,  302,  305 

—307- 
John  292. 
Margaret  300. 
Mrs.  (Cawkon)  304. 
Robert  207,  501. 
Sir  Henry  292,  293. 
Sir  James  292. 
Sir  John  292. 
Sir  John  (of  Warley)  293. 
Sir  Thomas  292. 
Sir  Weaker  291. 
Sir  William  292. 

Sister  Gertrude  293,  294. 

Thomas  292,  299. 

Vaux,  Henry  155,  158,  421,  428. 
Lord  100,155,156,365,413, 
421,428. 

Wagge,  WiUiam  (butcher)  250. 
Waldack,  Charles,  S.J.  284. 
Waldegrave,  Sir  WiUiam  364. 

Lady  364. 
Walker,  Archdeacon  302. 


Wallop,  Giles  S.J.  9. 
Walsingham,  Sir  Francis  28 — 30, 

43,  51,  58,  79—82,  87,  99,  133, 
149,  152,  156,  160 — 169,  182 — 
189,  229—232,  301,  304,  309, 
326,  377,  381,  400,  401,  419, 
428,  452—456. 

Warmford,  William  391,  473. 

Warnford  WiUiam  S.J.  391. 

Watson,  Thomas  (Bishop  of  Lin- 
coln) 226,  227,  239. 
WiUiam  (priest)  265,  277. 

Watts  or  Waytes,  WiUiam  16,  17. 

Way,  see  Flower. 

Webster,  Mr.  303. 
John  454. 

WedaU,  see  Ithell. 

Weld,  Mr.  Charles  282. 

Wells,  Henry  365. 

West,  James  (priest)  279. 

Westmoreland,  Earl  of  396. 

Weston    alias    Edmonds,    alias 
Hunt,  William  S.J.  1—284,291, 

335,  336,  374,  385,  390,  405— 
411,418,454,473. 
Whitaker  93. 
White  300. 

Mrs.  105,  385,  406. 

see  Tyrrell  455. 
Thomas  267. 
Whiting,  Richard  (Abbot  of  Glas- 
tonbury, martyr)  190. 
W^hytffeld  158. 
Wigge  (priest)  231. 
Wigges,     alias     Way,     WiUiam 
(martyr)  235. 
WiUiam  (priest)  231,  232, 
236,  237,  266,  267. 
Wigmore,  Robert  S.J.  6. 
Wilford  156. 
(BeUamy)  Audrey   51,   56, 

59,  63,  65. 

Wilks,  Mr.  456. 

WiUiam  the  Conqueror  222. 
Rufus  291,  292. 

Williams,  alias  Owen,  Frideswidc, 
Friswood,  Fid,  or  Fran- 
ces 104,  107,  327,  413, 
421. 
alias  Owen,  Sarah  104,  413. 
Morrice  or  Maurice  (priest) 
179,  181,  232,  234. 

WiUiamson,  see  Stafiferton. 

WiUis  419. 

Willson,  alias  Gaunt  (priest)  157 

Wilson  235. 

Windham  (priest)  227. 


512 


Alphabetical  Index. 


Windsor,  Edward  342,  352,  359, 
360,     370,      373  --  376, 
378,  386,  473,  474,  478, 
492. 
Lord    157,   360,  379,   397, 
425,  426,  472,  474,  479. 
Wiiiwood,  Sir  Ralph  160,  247. 
Wiseman  361,  376,  384,  387,  473, 
492. 
Jane  58,  268.  — 

William  268. 
Wood  387. 

Anthony    225,     235,    236, 

254,  255. 
(priest)  227,  239. 
AVoodhouse,  Mrs.  365. 
Woodroffe,  Robert  (priest)  267. 
Woolley  401. 
Wolseley  (priest)  164. 
Worsley  (pursuivant)  58,  165,  166, 

325,  330- 
Worthington,    Thomas     SJ.    69, 

235- 
Wright  365. 
-~  Anne  143. 

John  143. 


Wright  Thomas  (priest)  57,  270, 

272,  279. 
Wroth,  Mr.  56. 
Wylkox,  Peter  157. 

Xavier,  St.  Francis  S.J.  12. 

Yard  LEY,  alias  Bruerton  or  Year- 
ley  alias  Burton,  Roger  179,473. 
Yates,  Mrs.  14- 
Yaxley  364. 
Yepez  (Bishop  of  Tarrasona)  99, 

236. 
Yorke  (Bishop  of  Ely)  222. 
Young  (priest)  227. 

Richard  (justice)  43,  50,  51, 
56,  62,  65,  106,  133,  150, 
162,  164,  165,  204,  232, 
236,  238,  268,  318,  329— 
331,  334—338,  344—351, 
353,  355,  392,  397,  399, 
403,  433,  437—454,  466, 
467,  474,  480—485,  496, 
497- 
Dr.  162. 
Wendover  233. 


Edited  by  Father   Morris,  S.J. 

Now  ready f  in  demy  %,vo,  cloth;  pp.  512  ;  14J. 

THE  TROUBLES  OF  OUR  CATHOLIC  FORE- 
FATHERS, related  by  themselves  ;  from  hitherto  unpublished 
Manuscripts. 

This  volume  consists  of  two  parts,  which  closely  bear  on 
t)ne  another. 

1.  The  Life  of  Father  William  Weston,  S.J.,  in  which  is 
embodied  the  translation  of  the  whole  of  his  Latin  Autobiography. 
The  original  Manuscript  and  the  copy  of  it  taken  by  Father 
Laurenson  nearly  a  century  ago,  both  belong  to  Stonyhurst. 
Father  Weston  was  for  seventeen  years  in  EngUsh  prisons  in  the 
time  of  Queen  Ehzabeth,  after  two  years  had  been  spent  by  him 
in  the  active  duties  of  the  mission.  His  Life  may  be  regarded 
as  an  instalment  of  the  history  of  the  days  of  persecution,  into 
the  details  of  which  it  enters  with  much  minuteness. 

2.  The  Fall  of  Anthony  Tyrrell  was  prepared  for  the 
Press  by  Father  Persons  in  the  words  of  the  narrative  drawn  up 
by  Tyrrell  himself.  It  is  thus  the  autobiographical  account  of 
the  singular  life  of  a  man  who  three  times  fell  from  the  Church 
and  who  lived  among  Catholics  as  a  spy.  From  it  the  fullest 
insight  may  be  obtained  into  the  manner  in  which  pressure  was 
brought  to  bear  upon  wavering  CathoHcs  by  Elizabeth's  Ministers 
of  State,  and  into  the  use  that  was  made  of  such  instruments. 
The  original  is  preserved  in  the  English  College  at  Rome,  and  a 
copy  has  been  recently  sent  to  the  Public  Record  Office  by  the 
Reverend  Joseph  Stevenson,  which  the  Editor  has  been  permitted 
to  use.  

THE  TROUBLES  OF  OUR  CATHOLIC  FORE- 
FATHERS, related  by  themselves;  from  hitherto  unpubHshed 
Manuscripts.     1873.    Deiny  Svo,  doth,  \qs.  6d.     First  Series. 

Cofitents  : 

1.  Mother   Margaret   Clement   and   the   Carthusian 

Monks. 

2.  The  Imprisonment  of  Francis  Tregian. 

3.  Father  Tesimond's  Landing  in  England. 

4.  Father  Richard  Blount  and  Scotney  Castle. 

5.  The  Babthorpes  of  Babthorpe. 

6.  St.  Monica's  Convent  in  War,  Pestilence,  and  Poverty. 

7.  The  Venetian  Ambassador's  Chaplain. 

8.  The  Southcote  Family. 

g.  The  Tichbornes  of  Tichborne  House. 


Father  Morris  is  doing  really  good  work  by  his  researches  among 
the  records  in  public  archives  and  in  private  hands,  and  his  Troubles 
of  our  Catholic  Forefathers  promises  to  contain  matter  valuable  to 
the  historian  of  the  future,  while  it  shows  him  to  be  a  man  of  no 
-ordinary  literary  skill  and  power. — Athena:um. 


LONDON  :  burns  AND  GATES,  1 7  PORTMAN  STREET,  W. 


By  the  same  Edilor. 

THE  LETTER-BOOKS  OF  SIR  AMIAS  POULET, 
Keeper  of  Mary  Queen  of  Scots.  1874.  Demy  Srv, 
cloth,  los.  6(/. 

Sir  Amias  Poulct  had  charge  of  the  Queen  of  Scots  from 
April,  1585,  to  the  time  of  her  death,  Febniary  8,  1587.  His 
correspondence  with  Lord  Treasurer  Burghley  and  Sir  PYancis 
^Valsingham  enters  into  the  details  of  her  life  in  captivity  at 
Tutbury,  Chartley,  and  Fotheringay.  Many  of  the  letters  now 
])ublished  are  entirely  unknown,  being  printed  from  a  recently 
discovered  Manuscript.  The  others  ha\e  been  taken  from  the 
originals  at  the  Public  Record  Office  and  the  British  Museum. 
The  letters  are  strung  together  by  a  running  commentary,  in  the 
course  of  which  several  of  Mr.  Froude's  statements  are  ex- 
amined, and  the  question  of  Mary's  complicity  in  the  plot 
acrainst  Elizabeth's  life  is  discussed. 


We  close  reluctantly  the  pages  of  an  interesting  and  instructive 
book,  of  which  we  can  only  say  that  were  there  more  such  upon  this 
and  kindred  historical  topics,  our  history  would  not  labour,  as  it  too 
frequently  does  now,  under  the  disadvantage  of  incomplete  or  incoiTCCt 
materials. — Aihenceiim. 

In  the  volume  before  us  are  published  for  the  first  time  a  number 
of  letters  of  Sir  Amias  which  were  preserved  by  his  descendants,  and 
are  now  deposited  in  the  Bodleian  Library.  Many  of  these  are  highly 
interesting,  and  Mr.  Morris  has  done  good  service  to  the  cause  of 
historical  truth  in  placing  them  before  the  public.  .  .  .  Mr.  Morris 
has  both  ably  and  honestly  performed  his  duty  as  editor  of  these 
interesting  letters.  He  is  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  histor\'  of 
the  period,  and  in  addition  to  the  correspondence  of  Poulet,  he 
has  printed  a  number  of  original  papers  from  the  Record  Office. 
— Mr.  Hosack  in  the  Academy. 

These  interesting  letters,  many  of  which  have  been  hitherto 
unknown,  throw  much  light  on  that  part  of  the  captivity  of  Mary 
Stuart  which  was  passed  under  the  rigorous  keeping  of  .Sir  Amias 
Poulet.  .  .  .  Mr.  Morris  deserves  the  thanks  of  those  students  of 
history  who  prefer  plain  facts  to  picturesque  fiction  for  publishing 
these  very  important  letters.  In  editing  them  he  has  done  his  work 
Avith  great  exactness  and  impartialit)-. — Saturday  Review. 

In  this  most  interesting  volume  there  is  more  to  be  learned  of 
the  home-life  of  Mary,  during  her  last  years  in  England,  than  in 
any  detailed  history  of  her  career. — Notes  atid  Queries. 

The  valuable  volume  of  Father  Morris  on  the  Letter-Book  of 
Sir  Amias  Poulet,  keeper  of  Mary  Queen  of  Scots,  for  extent  and 
originality  of  research,  acutencss  of  criticism,  and  breadth  and  com- 
prehensiveness of  view,  may  claim  the  very  highest  rank  in  the  long 
anay  of  literature,  Latin,  French,  Italian,  and  English,  devoted  to 
the  vindication  of  this  ill-fated  lady. — Dublin  Review. 


LONDON:  BURNS  AND  GATES,  1 7  PORTMAN  .STREET,  W. 


By  the  same  Editor. 

THE     CONDITION     OF    CATHOLICS      UNDER 

JAMES  I.    Second  Edition.    1872.   Demy  Svo,  cloth,  14J. 
This  work  consists  of  two  parts  : 

1.  The  Life  of  Father  John  Gerard,  S.J.,  chiefly  trans- 
lated from  the  narrative  of  his  missionary  career  in  England, 
WTitten  by  him  in  Latin  for  his  Superiors. 

2.  A  Narrative  of  the  Gunpowder  Plot,  written  in 
English  by  Father  Gerard,  and  now  first  published  from  the 
original  Manuscript  at  Stonyhurst. 


Of  the  two  portions  of  Mr.  Morris'  volume  we  prefer  the  life  to 
the  narrative.  It  is  full  of  the  most  interesting  details  of  personal 
adventure  and  suffering,  recounted  in  the  simplest,  and  therefore  in 
the  most  telling  manner,  and  setting  before  us  the  life  of  a  man  who 
was  willing,  for  the  sake  of  the  spiritual  welfare  of  others,  to  carry  his 
life  in  his  hand,  to  be  hunted  from  hiding-place  to  hiding-place,  and 
to  count  it  his  highest  privilege  to  be  butchered  upon  the  scaffold 
amidst  the  derisive  shouts  of  a  pitiless  mob.  If  any  one  wants  to 
know  what  was  the  life  of  a  Seminary  Priest  in  England  in  the  days 
of  Elizabeth,  or  to  visit  in  imagination  the  torture-chamber  of  the 
Tower,  or  the  secret  labyrinth  of  Henlip,  he  cannot  find  a  better 
guide  than  in  Mr.  Morris'  volume.  .  .  .  We  cannot  conclude  without 
thanking  Mr.  Morris  for  his  book  ...  His  own  part  of  the  work,  so 
far  as  he  has  seen  fit  to  work  at  all,  is  well  done,  and  we  can  only 
hope  that  he  will  some  day  be  able  to  tell  us  still  more  of  the  contents 
of  the  Stonyhurst  Librar)'. — AihencEum. 

We  have  been  able  to  give  within  our  necessary  limits  but  a  very 
imperfect  and  faint  idea  of  the  interest  and  value  of  the  volume  before 
us,  thoi'gh  w  3  have,  perhaps,  said  enough  to  send  our  readers  to  the 
work  itself  for  a  more  particular  knowledge  of  its  contents  ;  but  we 
cannot  conclude  without^hanking  Mr.  Morris  for  his  intelligent  and 
unobtrusive  editorship,  or  without  speaking  highly  of  the  moderate 
and  candid  tone  of  his  remarks. — Spectator. 

Father  Gerard's  narrative  not  only  carries  on  its  face  all  the 
appearance  of  artlessness,  but  its  details  are  so  minutely  confirmed 
from  contemporary  documents,  now  in  the  Public  Record  Office,  that 
a  defence  of  his  veracity  is  wholly  unnecessar>\  .  .  .  The  Life  is  full 
of  interesting  particulars,  both  as  regards  the  writer  and  many  other 
Jesuits  who  were  employed  on  the  English  mission  during  the  reign 
of  Elizabeth.  ...  His  account  of  his  arrival  in  England,  and  of  the 
shifts  to  which  he  was  obhged  to  have  recourse  to  escape  detection, 
has  all  the  interest  of  a  romance.  .  .  .  One  of  the  most  remarkable 
features  of  the  narrative  is  the  large  number  of  conversions  to  the 
Roman  Cathohc  faith  made  by  him  in  various  parts  of  the  country, 
where  he  was  from  time  to  time  domiciled.  But,  besides  this,  there 
is  an  immense  amount  of  information  about  different  persons,  which 
is  not  to  be  met  with  in  any  other  printed  work  .  .  .  Here  he  gives 
an  anecdote  of  the  highest  interest,  as  throwing  light  on  the  already 
considerably  damaged  character  of  Dr.  Perne,  Master  of  Peterhouse. 
....  Amongst  other  very  curious  pieces  of  information  with  which 
this  book  abounds,  we  may  mention  the  account  of  the  death  of 
Essex's  sister,  Lady  Penelope  Devereux.  .  .  .  We  can  scarcely, 
within  our  limits,  give  even  a  faint  idea  of  the  interest  of  the 
narrative,  which  details  so  many  hair-breadth  escapes  of  the  writer. 
...  In  our  previous  notice  of  this  volume,  we  confined  our  attention 
to  the  Autobiography  of  Father  John  Gerard;  but  the  Narrative  of 
the  Plot  is  in  some  respects  even  more  full  of  interest  than  the  Life. 
— Saturday  Review  (two  notices). 

LONDON:  LONGMANS,  GREEN,  AND  CO. 


By  the  same  Editor. 

A  HUNDRED  MEDITATIONS  ON  THE  LOVE 
OF  GOD.  By  Father  Robert  Southwell,  SJ,,  the  Poet 
and  Martyr.  Now  first  published.  i2>-]t,.  FcaJ>.Zvo,cloih,()s.(td. 


THE  DEVOTIONS  OF  THE  LADY  LUCY  HER- 
BERT OF  POWIS,  formerly  Prioress  of  the  Augustinian 
Nuns  at  Bruges.     1873.    Fcap.  2,zv,  doth,  3^.  dd. 


A  REMEMBRANCE  FOR  THE  LIVING  TO  PRAY 
FOR  THE  DEAD.  By  Father  James  Mumford,  S.J. 
Reprinted  from  the  Author's  improved  edition,  published 
in  Paris,  1661 ;  with  an  Appendix  on  the  Heroic  Act.  1874. 
Jrap.  2>vo,  cloth,  2s.     Third  Edition. 


By  the  Woodbury  or  permanent  process,  \s.  each,  or  "js.  6d.  a  dozen. 

SIXTEEN  PHOTOGRAPHS  OF  FATHERS  OF  THE 
SOCIETY  OF  JESUS,  CHIEFLY  MARTYRS, 

FROM   PICTURES   IN  HOUSES   OF   THE   SOCIETY  AT   ROME. 
From  the  Gesu. 

FF.  Campion,  M.  FF.  Briant,  M.  FF.  Cottam,  M. 
Garnet,  M.    .           Wright,  M.  Walpole,  M. 

Oldcorne,  M.  Filcock,  M,  Persons. 

Holland,  M.  Cornelius,  M.  Haywood. 

From  S.Andrea  on  Monte  Cavallo. 

FF.  Weston    and    Darbyshire. 

From  the  Roman  College. 
FF.  Page  and  Ogilvy,  MM. 


Photographs  of  Portraits  or  Prints  ok  English  Martyrs  from 
other  sources. 

Sir  Thomas  More  (from  a  beautiful  picture  in  the  Barberini 
Library  at  Rome).  Cardinal  Fisher.  Archbishop  Plunket. 
FF.  Ward,  Duckett,  Green  alias  Brooke,  Tunstall,  Genings, 
Secular  Priests.  F.  Barlow,  O.S.B.  FF.  Bell,  Bullaker, 
Heath,  Woodcock,  and  Colman  (who  died  in  prison),  O.S.F. 
FF.  Campion,  Whitbread,  Morse,  Wright,  Holland,  Corby, 
Arrowsmith,  Baker,  S.J.     Richard  Herst,  layman. 

^f  these,  ten  are  taken  from  the  Portraits  that  for  tivo  hundred  years  have  hetn 
in  the  possession  of  the  Teresian  Nuns  at  Lanherne. 


LONDON  :  burns  AND  GATES,  I  ^    PORTMAN  STREET,  W, 


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