Saints celebrated on the 31st of July
BLESSED EVERARD HANSE, PRIEST AND MARTYR
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| Colleges at the University of Douai, 16th century |
Mr Hanse was born in Northamptonshire, and performed his higher studies in the university of Cambridge; then was made a minister, and promoted to a good fat benefice. But, by God's great providence and mercy towards him, he had not been above two or three years in that state, before he' fell into a grievous sickness, in which, as well by that chastisement, as by some special miraculous admonitions from above, he began to consider of his former life, and the damnable state and function he was in. Whereupon, calling for a catholic priest, (the manuscript says it was his own brother, William Hanse, who was a priest of Douay college, with whom before he had many disputes,) he reconciled himself to the church, forsook the ministry, abandoned his wrongfully-begotten benefice, and so passed over to Rheims. Where having lived near two years in most zealous and studious sort, and being by that time, through continual exercise, well instructed in cases of conscience, and all duties of priesthood: he was, for the unspeakable desire he had to gain both others, but especially some of his dearest friends, to the unity of the church and salvation, much moved to be made a priest, and to return home. He had his intent, being made priest March 25, 1581, by the bishop of Chaalon, in the church of the blessed Virgin, with ten others of the same college. He said his first Mass on the 2nd of April, of the same year, and was sent upon the mission on the 24th of the same month, in the company of Mr Freeman, Mr Finglie, and Mr Henry Clinch.
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| Marshalsea Prison, 1773 |
Mr Hanse being therefore now lawfully sent, came into England; where he had not been long, when venturing one day to visit certain prisoners in the Marshalsea, he was there apprehended upon suspicion of his being a priest, and being examined by an officer, what he was, and from whence he came? He, without more ado, confessed boldly himself to be a catholic, and a priest of the seminary of Rheims; whereupon he was cast into Newgate amongst thieves, and loaded with irons. And a few days after when the jail delivery of that prison was holden, he was brought to the bar, July the 28th. Where Mr Fleetwood, the recorder, sitting in judgment, asked him, where he was made priest? what was the cause of his coming into England? and the like. The man of God, without fear or dissimulation told him, that the cause of his return was to gain souls; and that he was made priest at Rheims.
Recorder. Then you are subject to the pope?
Mr Hanse. So I am, Sir.
Recorder. Then the pope hath some superiority over you?
Mr Hanse. That is true.
Recorder. What! In England?
Mr Hanse. Yea, in England; for he hath as much authority and right in spiritual government in this realm, as ever he had; and as much as he hath in any other country, or in Rome itself.
Upon which most plain and sincere confession, the heretics (as their fashion is to falsify all things, and by contrived slanders, to make the servants of God odious) gave out afterwards in print, that he should say, that princes had not any supremacy or sovereignty in their own realms, but the pope only; which was far from his and every catholic man's mind. But upon his former answer, to bring him, by course of questions, into the compass of some of their new statutes of treason, they asked him farther, whether he thought the pope could not err? to which, though he expressly answered, that in life and manners he might offend, as also err in his private doctrine or writing: but that in judicial definitions, and in deciding matters of controversy he did never err. This plain speech, notwithstanding, the enemies gave out that he should say, the pope could not sin.
Then they proceeded with him further, and demanded, whether the pope had not judicially proceeded in the deposition of the queen? And, thereupon, they read a piece of the bull of Pius Quintus; those words especially, in which he declared her to be an heretic, and a fautor of heretics; and deprived her of all regal authority, and pretended right of these dominions, &c. Did he not err, said they, in this? I hope, said Mr Hanse, he did not. Which term, I hope, he used on purpose in this matter, because Pius Quintus' act was, in this case, not a matter of doctrine, but of fact; wherein he did not affirm, that the pope could not err, or even grievously sin; though it is certainly the part of Christian charity to hope that he did not.
But to go one step forward, and to bring him into the compass of the first statute of the last parliament, upon which they intended to indict him, Mr Recorder asked whether he spoke the foresaid thing to persuade other men that heard him to be of his mind?
Mr Hanse replied, I know not what you mean by persuading; but I would have all men to believe the catholic faith as I do.
This being done and said of each side, order was given to one present, that was learned in the law, to draw up an indictment of treason against Mr Hanse, upon the new statute made in the last parliament, which was out of hand done. The effect whereof was, that the said Hanse being one of the pope's scholars, and made priest beyond the seas, was returned to seduce the queen's majesty's subjects from their obedience; and that he had affirmed the pope to be his superior here in England, and had as much authority in spiritual government, within this realm, as ever he had before saying further, that he hoped Pius Quintus erred not in declaring her to be an heretic, excommunicating and deposing her majesty, and acknowledging that he uttered so much to have others think therein as he did, &c. which indictment being openly read, and Mr Hanse thereon arraigned, he was ordered to hold up his hand: he held up his left hand; whereupon the recorder blamed him, attributing it to some pride or superstition, that being a priest, he would not vouchsafe, or might not hold up his anointed right hand: but the truth was, he did it, because his right hand was occupied in easing himself, by holding up the great bolts wherewith the blessed man was exceedingly laden for being admonished, he forthwith stretched forth his right hand.
And being asked whether he was guilty of the things contained in the indictment, after a few words, wherein he said, he was not altogether guilty in those things as they were set down, he yet acknowledged the substance and the sense thereof, with great courage and constancy. Whereupon the sentence of death was pronounced against him in the form well known to all men.
This done, he was returned to the prison from whence he came, where minister Crowley and others came to attempt to overcome his constancy: but after much talk, and many persuasions to relent in some points of religion, and to acknowledge his fault towards her majesty; when they saw they could not prevail against the blessed confessor, they forged to his disgrace, and to make him odious, that he should affirm to them in talk, that treason to the queen was no sin before God. Which slander they were not ashamed to put out in print.
He was condemned upon the 28th of July, 1581; and upon the last day of the same month he was drawn to Tyburn; where being put into the cart, he, with a cheerful countenance preferred himself to be a catholic priest, and most glad to die for testimony thereof. And being willed to ask the queen mercy, and demanded whether he took her for his sovereign, he answered, that he did take her for his queen; and that he never offended her majesty otherwise than in matters of his conscience, which their new made statutes had drawn to matters of treason. And whereas, said he, I understand it has been given out, that I should say, treason was no offence to God: I protest I neither meant nor said any more, but that these new made treasons, which are nothing else indeed but the confession of the catholic points of religion, were no offences to God.
Then the ministers called upon him to pray with them, and to desire the people to assist him. He answered, that he might not pray with heretics; but desired humbly all catholics to pray for him and with him. And so whilst he was praying devoutly to himself, the cart was drawn away; and before he was half dead, the rope was cut, and he bowelled alive, and afterwards quartered, a spectacle of great edification to the good, and a wonder to every one that looked upon it.
The Douay manuscript, and Raisius in his printed catalogue of martyrs of the English college add¹, that when the executioner had his hand upon his heart, Mr Hanse distinctly pronounced these words, O happy day! And that it was the current fame, that his heart being cast into the fire, leaped of itself out of the flames; and being flung in again, and covered with a faggot, it sprung up again with so much force, as visibly to raise the faggot out of its place, and hold it as it were for a short time, quivering in the smoke.
Mr Hanse, the day before his death, wrote the following letter to his brother, who was a priest of the same college.
Brother,
I pray you be careful for my parents, see them instructed in the way of truth, so that you be careful for your own state also; what you shall take in hand that way, think no other, but God will send good success: my prayers shall not be wanting to aid you by God's grace. Give thanks to God for all that he hath sent; cast not yourself into dangers wilfully; but pray to God when occasion is offered you may take it with patience.
The comforts at the present instant are unspeakable; the dignity too high for a sinner; but God is merciful. Bestow my things, you find ungiven away, upon my poor kinsfolks. A pair of pantoffles I leave with M. N. for my mother. Twenty shillings I would have you bestow on them from me, if you can make so much conveniently; some I have left with M. N. I owe ten shillings and two shillings, I pray you see it paid. M. N. will let you understand how, and to whom. If you want money to discharge it send to my friends, you know where, in my name. Summa Conciliorum I pray you restore to M. B. the other books, you know to whom.
Have me commended to my friends; let them think I will not forget them. The day and hour of my birth is at hand, and my master saith, Tolle Crucem tuam et sequere me. Vale in domino.
Yours,
Everard Hanse.
It was expected, that Mr Thomas Clifton, another priest of Donay college, a native of Kent, should have been the next to follow Mr Hanse, of whom a certain missioner, in a letter recorded by Mr Rushton, (L. 3. Schismate, p. 320,) writes as follows:
Mr Hanse suffered his conflict with an invincible patience. It seems, that Mr Clifton, priest, is to be the next to succeed him; who has already, for some months, suffered so much from the heretics, by cold, hunger, and the load of his chains in a dungeon amongst felons, that his being yet alive seems a miracle. Mr Clifton, when, of late, he was led through the streets, loaded with heavy irons, to the bar, in the company of thieves, his companions sighing, and almost all the people being moved to commiseration; he alone was cheerful, and dragged his chains along with a smiling countenance. And when one asked him, why he, more than the rest, should laugh, his case being so deplorable as it was? He answered, Because I look for greater gain than they from my sufferings; and it is just they should laugh that win.
He was condemned to perpetual imprisonment; and immediately upon hearing the sentence, fell upon his knees, and with hands and eyes lifted up to heaven, said allelujah, allelujah. He was sent back to Newgate, and there fed with the bread of sorrow, having his hands, feet and neck, chained in such sort, that he could neither sit down, nor stir out of his place all the day; and every night being put down into a horrid and darksome dungeon. (Douay diary, ad annum 1581.)
Of Mr Hanse, thus writes Mr Stow in his annals or chronicle, anno 1581: Everard Hanse, a seminary priest, was in the Sessions-Hall, in the Old Bailey, arraigned, where he affirmed that himself was subject to the pope in ecclesiastical causes, and that the pope hath now the same authority here in England, that he had an hundred years past, with other traitorous speeches; for the which he was condemned and executed. So Mr Stow, who adds, that, at the same sessions were brought from the Fleet, Gatehouse, Newgate, and the Counters, sundry prisoners, indicted for refusing to come to the church; all which being convicted by their own confession, had judgment accordingly to pay twenty pounds for every month of such their wilful absence from the church.
But this was not the only, nor the greatest, severity that the English catholics endured in this persecution, which raged without any intermission for the twenty-five last years of queen Elizabeth's reign.
About this very time that Mr Hanse suffered, or a little before, we find many instances of an extraordinary nature, of the sufferings of catholics, recorded by Dr Bridgwater in his collections, published under the title of Consertatio Ecclesiæ Catholica, some of which we will here set down.
1. William Tyrwhite [Tyrwhitt], son to Sir Robert Tyrwhite, accused for having heard Mass at his sister's wedding, was carried prisoner to the Tower, notwithstanding he was actually sick of high fever; and the physicians declared, that he was a dead man if they removed him to prison in that condition. His friends offered any bail for his appearance, as soon as he should recover; but all in vain he was hurried away, sick as he was, and died within two days. His brother, Robert Tyrwhite, was also, for the same cause, cast into prison, and there died.
II. Mr John Cooper, a hopeful young man, of a good family, brought up under Dr Nicholas Harpsfield, designing to leave England for the sake of his religion and to follow his studies abroad, and having, for that purpose, gathered together what money he could, was stopped at the sea side upon a discovery of his design and sent back to London, where he was plundered of all he had, and committed close prisoner to Becheam Tower: here, partly through hunger and cold, and partly through the nastiness and stench of the place, he contracted a disease, by which he appeared something disturbed in the head, and delirious. This being told to the lieutenant of the Tower, he ordered his bed to be taken away, which some friends had sent him in, that he might lie for the future upon the bare floor; which addition to his former sufferings brought him quickly to his end: and for a token that he perished through their barbarous usage, when they pulled off his slippers, in order to bury him, his flesh stuck to them, and came off by pieces from the bones.
III. Mr Dimock, champion of England, and son-in-law to the Earl of Lincoln, having been a paralytic for some years, so that he could neither go out of doors, nor move himself one step without help, was accused to the bishop of the diocese, of being a Roman catholic: upon this, he is cited to make his appearance before his lordship, and excuses himself by reason of his palsy. The bishop therefore comes to his house, sees his condition, but is nothing moved with it, orders him to be carried to prison, where, in a short time, he dies. But neither would they let him die quietly, but sent in their ministers to perplex him, and force their prayers upon him, though, to the last gasp, he refused their assistance, and died in the faith of his renowned ancestors.
IV. Mr Christopher Watson, and about twenty other catholics, of both sexes, imprisoned in like manner for their religion, perished also about this time in York Castle.
V. Mark Typer, a young gentleman, who had been some time student in Douay college, was condemned by Mr Fleetwood, the recorder of London, to be whipped through the city, and to have his ears bored through with a red hot iron which sentence was accordingly executed upon him for his religion. We pass over many other instances of extraordinary severity against the catholics, which were but the preludes of more cruel treatment, which we shall meet with by and by.
¹ Cumque Carnifex cor ejus adhuc palpitans manibus attrectaret, in hane supremam prorupit vocem, O diem felicem! ignem mis Imo quod magis mirere, cor ejus in missum magno impetu exiliisse habet fama consentiens, cumque rursus faace coopertum ligneo in ignem conjectum esset, secundo tanta vi delatum contra fascem ascendisse, ut illum tum loco moveret, tum in fumo ipso herere Aremalum faceret. (Raissius in Catalogo, p. 14, 15, ex Diario Collegii Anglorum.)
From a Douay MS. But chiefly from the same author from whom we have transcribed the martyrdoms of Mr Maine and Mr Nelson.
Source: Bishop Richard Challoner, Memoirs of Missionary Priests, Volume 1
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