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| Eyewitness accounts of English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish Martyrs' deaths had been written down at the time and are preserved to this day |
The following sheets are presented to the reader as a supplement to English history, which appeared to the publisher, by so much the more wanting, by how much the less, the trials and executions of catholics, on religious accounts, have been taken notice of by the generality of English historians: and which, he flattered himself, would not be disagreeable to the lovers of history, of what persuasion soever they might be in matters of religion; for if men of all persuasions read with pleasure the history of the lives and deaths, even of the most notorious malefactors; not that they are delighted with their crimes, but because they there meet with an agreeable scene of stories unknown before; and often discover a surprising boldness and bravery in their enterprises; how much more may it be expected, that every generous English soul should be pleased to find in the following memoirs, so much fortitude and courage joined with so much meekness, modesty and humility, in the lives and deaths of so many of his countrymen, who have died for no other crime but their conscience.
The first and most necessary quality that ought to recommend history, is truth; and this we can assure our reader, we have been careful to follow to a nicety: and therefore we have given nothing upon hearsays, or popular traditions, but upon the best authorities; either of grave contemporary writers, informed by such as were upon the spot, or themselves eye-witnesses of what they write; or of records and manuscript memoirs, penned by such as were eye-witnesses, or otherwise perfectly instructed in the things they deliver; and withal, men, as we had reason to be convinced, of the strictest veracity. And we have always taken care in the beginning of every life, to acquaint the reader from whence we have had our informations, concerning the persons we are treating of.
We pretend not to make panegyrics of any of these brave men; but merely to deliver short memoirs of what we found most remarkable in their lives, and particularly in their deaths; and, as we had so many to treat of, we have heen sometimes forced to be shorter than could have been wished, and to pass many things over, that we might be able to bring the whole into compass; which has chiefly happened with relation to those whose lives have been published at large, and might singly suffice for a just volume; as those of Father Campion, Father Walpole, &c. For as for some others, we have been obliged to be much shorter than we would, for want of proper lights; having been able to find little else of them, than that they died at such a time and place, and for the cause of their religion. We cannot but lament our being left so much in the dark, with regard to several but shall not pretend to determine whether this has happened by the iniquity of the times, or the negligence of our forefathers, in not committing to writing the particulars of those gentlemen's lives and deaths; or perhaps, the memoirs then written, have since been lost; as we know some have, at least so far as not to have come as yet to our hands. Where we think it proper to advertise our reader, that if he knows of any such memoirs, and will be so good as to furnish us with them, or with any other materials, relating to the sufferings of catholics, we shall thankfully acknowledge the favour, and insert them by way of supplement in our second volume, which we are preparing for the press.
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| The government prohibited the possession of an image representing Jesus Christ (the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world) |
As to Father Campion, and his companions, to whom their adversaries pretended to impute treasons of another kind, viz. I know not what conspiracies formed at Rheims and Rome, we are fully persuaded that they were no more traitors than the rest; and that the true cause of their death was the hatred of their religion; and therefore we have given them a place with the rest in these memoirs.
And, indeed, it seems to have been the more common opinion of the nation, at that time, and even of the queen herself, if we believe Mr Camden, in his Elizabeth, that these men were not guilty of those pretended conspiracies; which they, for their part, notwithstanding all their rackings and torturings, all, to a man, constantly denied, both in life and death, though they had their lives offered them, if they would own themselves guilty: which thing alone, to every thinking man, must be a full demonstration of their innocence. To pass over other considerations; as for instance, that several of them had never been in their lives at the places where they were pretended to have been plotting; or if they had ever been there, were not there at least at the time of the pretended plot; several of them had never been seen in their lives, by the perjured witnesses that deposed against them; nor had ever seen one the other (though they were accused to have plotted together) till they all met at the bar to take their trials; which, with many other arguments, too long to be here inserted, prove abundantly, that they were, indeed no plotters; and that their only guilt was their religion.
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| Colleges at the University of Douai, 16th century. Training to become a Catholic priest was forbidden, therefore young British men had to go abroad to study for the priesthood |
Hence our English catholics have ever looked upon them, no less than the others, as martyrs of religion; and so has the greatest part of christians abroad, French, Spaniards, Italians, Germans, as appears by the honours shewed to the relics of the one sort, no less than of the other, by people of all these nations; which they have earnestly sought, diligently preserved, and highly esteemed; and have attributed many miraculous cures to them: insomuch that some of the most celebrated authors abroad, have employed their pens in writing their history, as of great and glorious martyrs; as the truly learned and pious Diego d. Yepez, bishop of Tarrasona, and Father Ribadaneira, have done in Spanish: Polinus in Italian, &c. They are also recorded amongst the most famous martyrs by Father Lewis de Granada, in his catechism; and by Bozius, the learned oratorian, in his excellent work de Signis Ecclesia, lib. 12. sect. 517 they are likewise mentioned with the highest honour by Cardinal Baronius, in his Annotations upon the Roman martyrology, Dec. 29
It is true the apostolic see has not as yet thought fit, by any solemn decree, to declare them martyrs; yet has not been entirely silent in their regard. Gregory XIII, as we learn from the bishop of Tarrasona, in his history of the English persecution, 1. 2. c. 5. allowed in 1582 their relics to be used in the consecration of altars: and his successor, Sixtus V. in his bull, which begins, afflicta et crudeliter vexatæ anglorum reliquia, directed to the whole church, as an exhortation to assist the college, then residing at Rheims, makes an honourable mention of them as glorious martyrs. Paul V. also allowed the same college to sing a solemn Mass of thanksgiving upon occasion of the death of any one of the priests executed in England for religion; and a plenary indulgence to such as having confessed and received were present at that Mass. To say nothing of other grants of the same nature made to other colleges and convents.
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| Elizabeth I. was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Most barbaric torture of Catholic priests and Catholic lay faithful took place during her reign. |
Some will perhaps be surprised to find in these memoirs such frequent mention of the torturing of priests, and others, that suffered in queen Elizabeth's reign: because these things are not usual in this kingdom, nor supposed to be agreeable to our laws. I am not lawyer enough to decide how far these violences may be justifiable by our constitution; certain it is they are not now in use but we must be utterly strangers to the history of that reign, and must contradict all kinds of monuments, and innumerable contemporary writers, if we deny that they were in use in those times. This is what Cecil himself, in his book, entitled, Execution of Justice in England, written in vindication of the proceedings of the government against catholics, offers not to deny, though he would have his reader believe, that these rackings were not for matters of religion, but treason; and were not so severe as catholics pretended: but Cardinal Allen, in his Sincere and Modest Defence of the suffering Catholics, written in answer to the aforesaid book, confutes both these assertions, p. 10, 11, &c. whose words I shall here set down:
"The place serveth here to say somewhat of their racking of catholics; which they would have strangers believe never to be done for any point of religion. As for example (say they, in the addition to the end of the libel) none is asked by torture, what he believeth of the Mass, or of transubstantiation, or such like. Whereas, indeed, it no less concerneth religion, to demand and press us by torture to declare, where, in whose houses, what days and times, we say or hear Mass: how many we have reconciled; what we have heard in confession; who resort to our preachings; who harbour catholics and priests; where such a Jesuit, or such a priest is to be found; where catholic books are printed, &c. which things being demanded of evil intent, and to the annoyance of the catholic cause, of God's priests, and of innocent men; no man may, by the law of God and nature, disclose, &c.
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| Prior to their execution, Catholic priests and lay faithful were committed to gaols such as Marshalsea Prison |
"Yet these were the interrogatories for which the famous confessor Mr Briant was tormented with needles thrust under his nails; racked also otherwise in cruel sort, and especially punished by two whole days, and nights, famine, &c The like demands were put to the blessed martyrs, Campion, Sherwine, and others upon the torture; and of this latter, was asked, where Father Parsons and Campion were; and whether he had said Mass in Mr Roscarock's chamber; and what money he had given him. Mr Thompson, a venerable and learned priest, was put to torments, only to get out of him to what end he kept certain portable altars, and where he intended to bestow them. And the young man, Carter, was examined upon the rack, upon what gentleman, or catholic ladies, he had bestowed, or intended to bestow, certain books of prayers, and spiritual exercises and meditations, which he had in his custody; which may suffice to refute the adversaries asseveration; that none have been tormented for other matter than treason.
"But the words of Mr Thomas Cottam uttered, in sense, at the bar, and thus verbatim left in writing, discover the case more plainly, &c.
"Thus therefore he spoke and avouched openly in the presence of the rack-masters; indeed, quoth he, you are searchers of secrets; for you would needs know of me, what penance I was enjoined, by my ghostly father, for my sins committed; and I acknowledge my frailty, that, to avoid the intolerable torment of the rack, I confessed, God forgive me, what they demanded therein. But when they further urged me to utter also what my sins were, for which that penance was enjoined me; I then answered, that I would not disclose my offences, saving to God and to my ghostly father alone. Whereupon, they sore tormented me, and still pressed me with the same demand; and I persisted, that it was a most barbarous and inhuman question; and that I would not answer, though they tormented me to death."
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| "P. Thomas Cottam, English S.J., hanged for the Faith of Christ in London in England¹" |
"Thus spoke Mr Cottam at his arraignment, wherewith the enemies being ashamed, the lieutenant of the tower, there present, began to deny the whole: whereunto Mr Cottam replied again thus; and is not this true? Here is present Dr Hammond, with the rest of the commissioners that were at my racking; to whose consciences I appeal, God is my witness, that it is most true; and you know that Sir George Carie did ask me those unnatural questions, deny it if you can.?"
"As for the moderation which, by your libel, you would have the world believe, her majesty's ministers have ever used in giving the torment to the persons aforesaid, and to other catholics: the poor innocents have felt it, and our Lord God knoweth the contrary, &c. Look in your records what suspicion of treasons, or great matters, you could have in young Sherwood, who was the first in our memory that was put to the rack for matters of conscience, when no man dreamed of any of these new-feigned conspiracies.
How often have you, by famine and filthy dungeons, tormented the happy young confessor Mr John Hart; which could not now be, after his condemnation, for any thing else but for his religion; and because he would not yield to one Reinolds, a minister, with whom you appointed him to confer? For what other cause did you threaten the torture to Mr Osburne, but to make him confess that he had said Mass before the true noble confessors of Christ, my Lord Vaux, and Sir Thomas Tresham? &c. We speak nothing of the pitiful extremities you have brought divers unto by horrible fetters, stocks, dungeons, famine, (Thompson, Borschoe, Henslow, Clifton,)or of the death of well near twenty happy catholics, at once infected and pestered in York prison, &c. Of all which inhuman dealing we will not impeach the superior magistrate, much less the sovereign; but surely the inferior ministers of that pretended justice, cannot be excused of most cruel and sacrilegious dealing towards God's priests, and other innocent persons.
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| St Edmund Campion (1540-81), English Jesuit, hanged in London |
"And as for the particular handling of Father Campion and Mr Briant (whom the libellers make example of their mild and gentle entertainment upon the torture) we refer all indifferent readers to the said Briant's own Latin epistle of that matter; and for the other, (Father Campion,) they say true, indeed, that after his first racking, and at the time of the protestants' disputes with him in the Tower, he was not so bereaved of his hands, but he might with pain write or subscribe his name; but afterwards, upon his second or third racking, he was so benumbed that he could neither take the cup and lift it to his mouth, nor draw off his cuff at the bar, &c. nor many days following had he any feeling or use of his limbs, &c. The like we could prove of Mr Paine's, the priest, tormenting, and divers others." So far the cardinal.
Out of whom I shall add some few things more relating to the sufferings of the catholics in those days, cap 3. p. 38. He complains of "the infinite spoil of catholic men's goods, honours and liberty, by robbing them for receiving priests, hearing Mass, retaining catholic school-masters, keeping catholic servants, mulcting them by 20 l. a month, (which, by their cruel account, they make thirteen score a year) for not repairing to their service; by which a number of ancient gentlemen fall to extremity, &c." He adds, the taking of their dear children from them by force, and placing them, for their seduction, with heretics (which violence cannot be done, by the law of God, even to infidels) the burning of priests in the ears, the whipping and cutting off the ears of others, carrying some in their sacred vestments through the streets, putting out chaste virgins into infamous places appointed for strumpets; and other unspeakable villanies, not inferior to any of the heathenish persecutions.
Page 39. "They have pined,' says he, 'and smothered in their filthy prisons, above thirty famous prelates; above forty excellent and learned men; of nobles, gentlemen and matrons, a number; whose martyrdom is, before God, as glorious, as if they had, by a speedy violent death, been dispatched. Every dungeon and filthy prison in England is full of our priests and brethren; and all provinces and princes christian, are witnesses of our banishment, &c.
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| A number of priests were most cruelly racked |
Page 54 "And yet this good writer (of the Execution of Justice in England,) to colour over their cruelty towards catholic gentlemen, setteth down the matter as if cases of conscience, of religion, or of the see apostolic, were but lightly punished, &c. when he and all the world knoweth, that they may, and do, by those wicked laws, disinherit, put to perpetual prison, and to death, divers of the laity. We refer them to the worshipful Mr Tregian's case, who liveth in prison so many years of alms, after the spoil and rapine of so goodly possessions. We refer them to the lay men put to death of late at Winchester and Andover; to so many fled for religion, of the best nobility and gentry, wholly sacked and spoiled of all they possessed; and so many hundreds more, vexed, pillaged, and spoiled at home, so as not to have wherewithal to expel famine from themselves and families; and, which is yet more, we tell you, that there can never a catholic nobleman in the realm (if by any shew of religion he gives the enemy the least suspicion in the world of his good affection that way) be sure of his life, lands and state, one day for by one false pretence and calumny or other, they will entrap him, imprison him; and, in fine, they will overthow him and his whole family, and transfer all his honours, sometimes, to his chiefest enemies, &c.
In fine, page 1. "We appeal, says he, to the conscience and knowledge of all the catholics and protestants within the realm, who, of their equity. will never deny, that most prisons in England are full at this day, and have been for divers years, of honourable and honest persons, not to be touched with any treason or other offence in the world, other than their profession and faith." So far he. All which points we find confirmed by many other testimonies; and this may suffice, by way of preface; which, it is hoped, will give no offence to our present governors, whose milder ways of proceeding with catholics, they will ever thankfully acknowledge.
N. B. That in these memoirs we have omitted James Leyburn, Esq. who suffered at Lancaster in 1583; because his case was different from that of all other catholics who suffered at those times: for both at his arraignment, and at his death, he denied the queen to be his lawful sovereign, as we learn from Cardinal Allen and other cotemporary writers.
MAGNA EST VERITAS, ET PRÆVALEBIT.
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