Saints celebrated on the 27th of May
EDMUND DUKE, RICHARD HILL, JOHN HOG, AND RICHARD HOLIDAY, PRIESTS AND MARTYRS
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| Colleges at the University of Douai, 16th century |
Edmund Duke was born in Kent, and was first a student in the English college, then residing at Rheims, where I find him promoted to minor orders, September 23, 1583; from thence he was sent to Rome, where he finished his studies, and was made priest.
Richard Hill, John Hogg, and Richard Holiday were all born in Yorkshire, all students of the college then residing at Rheims, and were made sub-deacons at Soisson, the 18th of March, 1589, deacons at Laon, the 27th of May, and priests, at Laon, the 23rd of September, in the same year.
They were all sent together upon the English mission (with Mr Duke, who was lately returned from Rome,) on the 22nd of March, 1589-90. They landed in the north of England, and travelling through the country, which they were not well acquainted with, they were, upon a slight suspicion, stopped in a village, where they staid to rest themselves, and were carried before a neighbouring justice of the peace, who, upon examination, finding them to be priests, committed them to Durham jail.
Here they had some conflicts about religion, as well with the prebendaries of Durham, as with some other ministers; in which, says my author, "Dr Champney, in his manuscript," the confessors of Christ came off victorious. But there was another more effectual way of stopping their mouths, which was to arraign and condemn them for transgressing the statute of Elizabeth, 27, which forbids, upon pain of death, priests, made by Roman authority, to come over into England, or remain here.
Of this transgression, they were all found guilty, and upon this account alone had sentence to die, as in cases of high treason. They suffered at Durham, May 27, some say May 6, 1590. The meekness and constancy which appeared in them, in this last scene of life, edified many, and was admired by all. It was also taken notice of, as a thing very extraordinary, as we learn from a letter of Mr Cuthbert Trollop, priest, that the well, out of which they took water to boil the quarters of these four holy priests, did presently dry up, and so continued for many years after.
That year put an end to all the plots and stratagems of that unwearied persecutor of the English catholics, and capital enemy of the missioners, Sir Francis Walsingham, principal secretary of state to queen Elizabeth. He died miserably on the 6th of April, 1590, of an ulcer and impostume in his bowels, which reduced him to that wretched condition, that whilst he was yet alive, he yielded so insupportable a stench that scarce any one could bear to come near him. Ribadaneira and Campney relate, that amongst other attempts he made to ruin the seminaries abroad, he once, by his emissaries, procured to have the well poisoned, which supplied the college of Rheims with water, in order to destroy by poison all the priests and students; and that another time he caused poison to be given to Dr Allen, the institutor and first president of that community - but the providence of God defeated these and many others of his plots. He maintained so many spies abroad, and was at such expenses to bring about his wicked enterprises, that he not only spent what was allowed him by the queen for that purpose, which was very considerable, and the salary of his place, but also his whole estate, leaving nothing to his only daughter, but his debts, who, says Dr Champney in his manuscript, having renounced heresy, now embraces the catholic faith.
In the following year, 1591, the persecution, which had something relented, began again to rage as much as ever. The first that felt the fury of it was Mr Robert Thorp, priest, (Ribadaneira, being a stranger to the English names, calls him Therfeus), and his harbourer, Mr Watkinson.
From the Douay Diary, bishop of Chalcedon's Catalogue, and Dr Champney's MS.
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