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own country of Staffordshire. And he has the character, in the manuscript annals, of having been a man full of zeal and piety, who laboured for many years, with great success, in bringing back the lost sheep to the fold of Christ. Both he and his brother Abraham, were of the number of those priests who fell into the hands of the persecutors, and were banished in 1585. They both returned to their apostolic labours; and after some time, Mr. Robert Sutton being again apprehended, was committed to Stafford jail; and, being brought upon his trial, was condemned by the statute of the 27th of Elizabeth, for being a priest, and remaining in this realm. He had sentence to die, as in cases of high treason, and suffered accordingly, at Stafford ; preserving, says Molanus, a sound soul in a mangled body, and overcoming the cruelty of the executioners by Christian patience. He suffered, according to the manuscript annals, and other authors, some time in March: though the larger Douay catalogue, says the 27th of July. I have at present before me, a letter written from England, by Mr. John Cleaton, an eye-witness, concerning a person possessed by a furious devil, who was wonderfully delivered by the relics of Mr. Robert Sutton.

Abraham Sutton, his brother, lived till the reign of king James I., and was one of those priests, who, being prisoner in the beginning of that reign, were sent into perpetual banishment, in 1605.

STEPHEN ROUSHAM, PRIEST.*

STEPHEN ROUSHAM was born in Oxfordshire, and brought up in the university of Oxford, where he was for some time, a minister in the church of St. Mary's. Being converted to the catholic faith, he went abroad, and was made priest in the English college, then residing at Rhemes, and from thence was sent upon the mission, anno 1582. He was but indifferently learned, says the manuscript history, and of a weak and sickly constitution of body; but his soul was robust, vigorous and constant. He fell into the hands of the persecutors, the same year, and was sent a prisoner to the Tower by secretary Walsingham, on the 19th of May; and not long after, thrust down into that dungeon, which is called Little Ease, and it very well deserves the name. In this wretched hole, this servant of God was kept eighteen whole months and thirteen days. His sufferings, during his imprisonment, were great; but God was not wanting, in his comforts and heavenly visits to this holy soul, that was suffering for his cause. It is particularly recorded of him, in the manuscript annals, that, on the very day and hour, when Mr. Ford, Mr. Shert, and Mr. Johnson, his familiar acquaintance, (whom he hoped to have accompanied,)

* From the journals of Douay college, the diary of things transacted in the Tower, from 1680 to 1585, the catalogues of Martyrs, and Dr. Champney's manuscript annals of queen Elizabeth.

were glorifying God by suffering at Tyburn for their faith, Mr. Rousham being then in his lonesome dungeon, perceived a most sweet and most pleasant light; and felt, at the same time, three gentle strokes on his right hand, as it were to bespeak his attention to the glorious triumphs of his companions. And that, another time, when he was daily looking to be called out to his trial, in order to undergo the same kind of death, he had an indication from heaven that his time was not yet come; but that he was to say many masses more before his death. He was sent into banishment in 1585; but his ardent zeal for the salvation of souls, which, in his banishment, became greater every day than other, and the desire he had to glorify God by martyrdom, did not suffer him to stay long, before he returned again upon the English mission, where, whilst he was diligently applying himself to his functions, he was apprehended in the house of a widow lady, called Strange, and carried away to Gloucester jail; and, at the next assizes, was brought to the bar, and arraigned for being made priest beyond the seas, and returning into England, and making it his business there to reconcile the queen's subjects to the catholic church. All this, he freely confessed; but, so far from acknowledging any guilt, much less any treason in the case, he openly protested, That if he had many lives, he would most willingly lay them all down for so good a cause. When sentence was pronounced upon him according to the usual form, as in cases of high treason, the joy that he showed on that occasion was admired by all.

He suffered, with wonderful constancy, at Gloucester, some time this year. Writers are not agreed about the day nor the month. Some say it was in March, others in July.

JOHN HAMBLEY, PRIEST.*

JOHN HAMBLEY was a native of the diocese of Exeter, was an alumnus and priest of Douay college, during its residence at Rhemes; from whence, he was sent upon the English mission, anno 1585. I have not been able to find many particulars relating to his life or death; only that he was apprehended, tried, and condemned, upon the statute of the 27th of Elizabeth, as a priest, and had sentence to die, as in cases of high treason. He had both his life, and a good living proffered him, if he would conform to the protestant religion, as Molanus testifies, p. 14. But he rather chose to die than to renounce his faith. He suffered with a wonderful constancy, says Dr. Champney's manuscript history of the reign of queen Elizabeth; who, with some others, affirms, that he was executed at York, September the 9th. But father Wilson and Molanus, in their printed catalogues, tell us, that he suffered at Chard, which is a town of Somersetshire, in the confines of Dorsetshire and Devonshire. Molanus says it was on the 20th of July.

Those who affirm that Mr. Hambley suffered at York, September the 9th, give him for a companion in death, Mr. George Douglas, a

* From the Douay Journals, and the Catalogue of the Martyrs.

secular priest of the Scottish nation, who was certainly executed at York that day; not precisely for being a priest, but for persuading the queen's subjects to the catholic religion. For which supposed treason he was condemned to die, and was drawn, hanged, and quartered at York, suffering all, with admirable constancy. Molanus calls him, a priest of Douay college: but this circumstance is not found in any other catalogue, nor have I met with his name in the journals of the college.

ALEXANDER CROW, PRIEST. *

ALEXANDER CROW was born in Yorkshire, and, for some time, followed a trade in York. But going beyond the seas, out of his zeal to God and his country,' says my manuscript, he fell to his studies at Rhemes, and became a priest; being, both for his said zeal and virtue, well esteemed of by his superiors, and by them sent in an orderly mission into England, for the salvation of souls, "anno 1584." After he had laboured here some time, with much edification to all that knew him, he was taken at South Duffield, coming thither to christen a child of one Cecily Garnet; and at the assizes held at York, in November, was arraigned and condemned, for being a priest, and remaining in England, contrary to the laws of the realm. He was hanged, drawn, and quartered at York, the 30th of November, 1586,'" according to this relation; but Yepez, Wilson, Molanus, Raissius and the manuscript annals, say 1587; being about the age of thirty-five.

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The manuscript annals give this short account of Mr. Crow, anno Eliz. 29. On the 30th day of the month of November, Alexander Crow, a priest of Douay college, after he had strenuously laboured in those difficult times, in gathering together the sheep of Christ that had been scattered, falling into the hands of the wolves, stoutly laid down his life, for Christ and his sheep, being put to death at York, in the like manner as the other martyrs above mentioned.'

But the bishop of Tarrasona, in his history, above quoted, has something very remarkable, relating to Mr. Crow, which we must not omit. His words are as follows; Another thing, not less worthy of notice, happened to a priest of the seminary of Rhemes, named, Alexander Crow, in the year 1587. This priest, and soldier of Jesus Christ, was a prisoner in York Castle, where, after much ill treatment, he received sentence of death: whereupon, he began to be exceedingly comforted, and to show so great joy in the court, that all that were present, took notice of it; and returning to the prison, (where, he was lodged with another catholic,) he could not contain himself all that day, so great was the satisfaction he conceived, by thinking that he was to die the next morning. When the night came, and the time of going to bed, he told the other catholic, to take his rest; but, for my part, said he,

From the Journals of Douay college; from Dr. Champney's manuscript annals of queen Elizabeth, and another manuscript in my hands, by one that knew him, and from the History of the Persecutions of England, by Yepez, bishop of Tarrasona, 1. 2, c. 18, p. 128.

for this one night which remains of life, I am willing to watch in prayer with Christ our Lord. And when the other catholic insisted that either the father should come to bed also, or should admit him to bear him company in his watching; he would not consent, but bid him go to bed, and leave him alone. The catholic submitted, and went to bed, and the priest, lighting a taper that was there, and setting it upon the stool, knelt down, and began to enter into very quiet prayer, as his companion took notice, who remained awake to see what passed.

After one hour of silent prayer, the father began to speak, (as if he was holding a colloquy,) and by little and little to enter into a heat, so that his voice began to change like a man that was disturbed. At length, getting up, he went to the bed where his companion lay, and touching him with his hand, asked him if he was asleep? his companion answered, No. The priest begged of him then, that he would recommend him, to the best of his power, to our Lord, because he stood in need of his prayers. So he returned again to his place, and began in the same manner to be troubled as before, giving signs in his exterior of being in great anguish, and, as it were, out of himself, till, at length, he put out with his own hand, (like a man in anger,) the taper that was burning by him; with all this his trouble did not cease, but he still continued, as it were, in a conflict and agony, sometimes speaking low, and begging the assistance of our Lord and the Saints; at other times raising his voice as one angry and in a rage, and this lasted for the space of half an hour after he had put out the light; whilst the poor gentleman in bed was not a little terrified at seeing and hearing what passed; and begged of our Lord, as well as he was able, to deliver him from this affliction, for he plainly perceived that he was in a conflict.

At length he saw him coming towards the bed, reciting, with much joy, the psalm, Laudate Dominum de Cœlis, &c. Praise ye the Lord in the heavens, &c., continuing it to the end; and then, as one inebriated with an abundance of consolations, he broke out into other praises of our Lord God, admiring his unspeakable mercies, and his divine sweetness towards the children of men. He set himself down on the bed by his companion, not having been able for many days to lift his feet up from the ground for the great weight of the bolts and chains, and remained, as one asleep, for a quarter of an hour; but, at length, he broke out again into the praises of God, and asked his companion, if he had not been frightened? The gentleman answered, he had; and withal begged of him, that he would tell him what was the meaning of that great noise, and of those changes and alterations he had discovered that night; the priest answered, That though, as to his own part, it would signify little to relate it, yet, as it might be of some comfort to the catholics to know what had passed, he would tell him the whole

matter.

After a while, said he, that I had been in quiet prayer, my flesh began to creep upon me, and my hair to stand on end, and I perceived myself quite changed, and, on a sudden, I saw before my eyes a most ugly monster, which began to terrify me; and when I least looked for it, assaulted me with these words: Thou thinkest to-morrow to be a martyr, and to go straight to heaven, but I assure thee it will not be so,

for I know thou art condemned to hell, and that the sentence is passed against thee in God's tribunal, which cannot be recalled; and to-morrow, though thou shalt be drawn to the gallows, thou shalt not be executed, but they will keep thee two years longer in prison, with these bolts and chains which thou hast on, and will give thee only two morsels of black bread, and a little water every day; and thou shalt be abhorred by all, and shall lead the tnost miserable life that ever man led upon earth: therefore, that thou mayest be delivered from so great sufferings, it will be better for thee at present to put an end to thy life by a knife or a halter, and not wait for to-morrow. And though I shook him off, said the father, many times, answering what God put in my mind, he never left off importuning me, and whatever way I turned my eyes, he placed himself always before me, giving me intolerable trouble with his horrid figure. And when I extinguished the light, it was that I might no longer see so frightful a sight, but he still continued terrifying and molesting me very much, and the conflict went on still increasing, till our merciful Lord, taking pity of my weakness, sent me succour from hea ven. And this was, that at the time when I found myself in the greatest straights, I saw a great light come in at the door, with two persons, who, as I believe, were our Lady and St. John the Evangelist; who, by their presence, gave me unspeakable comfort; and then the monster that had troubled me began to draw back and tremble, and one of them said to him, Begone from hence thou cursed creature, thou hast no part in this servant of Christ, who will shed his blood to-morrow for his Lord, and will enter into his joy Immediately the monster disappeared, and they likewise, leaving me so full of consolation that I cannot express it. Upon this, I came with great joy of heart, and canticles of praise in my mouth, and sat me down here in the manner that you saw, not being sensible whether I was on the ground or in bed, in heaven or in earth. This one thing I beg of you for Christ's sake, that you do not speak one word of this to any one till you see my race finished, and till I am delivered of the burden of the flesh.' Having said this, they both glorified our Lord, and so continued till the morning, discoursing together, with great satisfaction, of heavenly things, &c.

But the impudent enemy was not contented with having failed in this first attempt, but returned again to persecute this Soldier of Christ, who being now upon the ladder, at the gallows, in profound prayer, before the hangman had put the rope about his neck, the devil envying the happiness with which God rewarded his servant, and the consolation that he gave him in prayer, flung him down off the ladder; but yet he received no manner of hurt, though the fall was very high, and with great violence, as it appeared to the standers by. This gave occasion to the heretics, that were there, to cry out, that the papist was in despair, and that he wanted to kill himself. But the father mounted the ladder again, and told them with a great serenity of countenance and of heart, smiling, It is not as you think, my brethren, that I had a mind to kill myself; but it was the enemy who wanted to rob me of this glorious death, and out of envy, flung me off the ladder; and this is not the first time that he has sought to deprive me of the crown which God gives me; who has permitted him to do what he has done in your

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