presence, that you might know how little he is able to do; for, how much soever he has sought it, he has not been able to do me any hurt, either in soul or body; neither can he do any hurt to the servants of God, more than their Lord is pleased to permit for their greater good; and upon this occasion, speaking more at large, and with greater liberty, to the people, he delivered many things of edification, exhorting them to the catholic faith and passing through the usual course of the ordinary butchery, he gloriously finished his career, and went to enjoy his God for ever.

This year, 1587, I find in the Douay memoirs, mention of two others, the one a priest, the other a secular gentleman; both some time members of Douay college, who perished in prison for religious matters. The priest was Martin Sherton; the gentleman's name was Gabriel Thimbleby.

This year also about thirty priests were committed prisoners to Wisbitch castle in Cambridgeshire. Several had been sent thither in the foregoing years; but most of these being dead, the whole number of prisoners there, at this time, were thirty-three priests, and one lay gengleman, viz, Thomas Pounds, Esq., a zealous catholic, and great sufferer for his faith.

NICHOLAS GARLICK, PRIEST.-1588.*

NICHOLAS GARLICK,' says Mr. Bagshaw, was descended of honest parentage, in a little town called Vinting, in Glossopdale, within the county of Derby and was, for the space of seven years, schoolmaster at Tidswell, (in the same county,) so well discharging his duty therein, that, by his good and most charitable care, he had of his scholars, as if they had been his own children, he caused three of them to take the same venture, and most happy course that he himself did, (viz., to go over) to the English college, then at Rhemes; who were all made priests, and returned to their country with happy success, by increasing servants of God unto their mother, the catholic church; whereof one, called Christopher Buxton, was martyred, "October 1, 1588," at that memorable place of our former saints of England, Canterbury.'

Mr. Garlick was made priest, as appears by the Douay journal, in the latter end of March, 1582, and was sent upon the English mission, January 25, 1582-3. How long he laboured here, before his first commitment, I have not found; but certain it is, that he was a prisoner in 1585; and was one of those priests who were sent into banishment

* From the journals or diary of Douay college; from the catalogue of martyrs drawn up by order of the bishop of Chalcedon, in 1626; from Dr. Champney's manuscript history of the reign of queen Elizabeth, and from two other manuscript relations in my hands; the one sent over by Mr. Robert Bagshaw, priest, some time scholar to Mr. Garlick; the other, by the reverend and learned Mr. Richard Broughton, vicargeneral of the northern parts, penned by one that was present at the execution of Mr. Garlick, and his two companions.

that year. Upon this occasion, he made a short visit to his mother college, where he arrived October 17; but on the 19th of the same month, he set out for England, in the company of Mr. John Harrison, priest, who afterwards suffered in the same cause. Mr. Garlick's missionary labours seem to have been in his own country of Derbyshire, where he was apprehended some time between the Lent and Summer assizes, 1588, together with Mr. Robert Ludlam, who was afterwards his companion in death. They were taken in the house of Mr. John Fitzherbert, by George, earl of Shrewsbury, and committed to Derby jail, where they found Mr. Richard Sympson, who had been condemned in the Lent assizes before, for being a priest: but was reprieved, as it was commonly apprehended and spoken, because he either actually had gone to the protestant church and service, or had made promise, or given hopes, he would so do. Him these two confessors of Christ encouraged, in such manner that he did not only repent him of his act or promise, but, as we shall see by-and-by, suffered death with them at the Summer assizes, being within one fortnight, or a little more, after the imprisonment of the said Mr. Garlick and Mr. Ludlam.

At these assizes, these two glorious men, says Mr. Broughton's manuscript, with much constancy and Christian magnanimity, without the least sign of fear or dismay, professing themselves to be catholic priests, greatly rejoicing in that sacred calling and functions, were condemned to the terrible death of drawing, hanging, and quartering, for being of that holy religion and profession; and were, thereupon, after many hard usages, cruelly put to death at the said town of Derby, July 24, 1588.'

They were all three drawn together on hurdles, to the place of execution; where, when they were arrived, it seems Mr. Sympson was to have gone first up the ladder; but whether he showed, on this occasion, some signs of fear, as Dr. Champney's manuscript signifies, or whether it was, that Mr. Garlick only apprehended a danger lest his companion's courage should fail him, if he were to be the first in the combat, he hastened to the ladder, and kissing it, went up first, and with remarkable joy and alacrity, finished his course.

ROBERT LUDLAM, PRIEST.*

He was born of honest parentage, near Sheffield, performed his studies abroad in the English college, then residing at Rhemes; where he was made priest, and from thence sent into England upon the mission, anno 1582. Mr. Bagshaw gives him this character, that for his modesty and good life, and zeal to win souls to God, he was beloved of all that love the catholic church.' He was apprehended, tried, and condemned, at the same time, and for the same cause, as Mr. Garlick, viz. for being a catholic priest, and remaining in this realm contrary to the

* From the same manuscripts.

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statute: and he showed the same courage and constancy, both at his trial, and at his death. Whilst Mr. Garlick was under execution, Mr. Ludlam stood by with a smiling countenance, discovering in his exterior the interior joy of his heart, that he was going to suffer death for such a cause. When he was upon the ladder, and just ready to be cast off, looking up towards heaven, with a smiling countenance, (as we learn from an eye-witness of his death,) as if he had seen some heavenly vision of angels, he uttered these his last words, as speaking to saints or angels appearing to him, venite benedicti Dei, come you blessed of God. And with these words, he was flung off the ladder, and so went to enjoy their happy company.

RICHARD SYMPSON, PRIEST.*

RICHARD SYMPSON, according to Mr. Bagshaw's relation, was born in Lancashire, of good and honest parents; but the Douay journal calls him, Ehoracensis of Yorkshire; and the bishop of Chalcedon's catalogue, names the place of his birth, viz: Well, near Rippon, in that county. He had been a minister, says Mr. Bagshaw; but, after knowledge of the absurdity and falsehood of his religion, he became priest, and used much preaching in defence of the catholic faith to win souls.' It appears from the Douay journal, that, after his conversion, he suffered a long and severe imprisonment in York, for the catholic religion. After which, going abroad, he was admitted into Douay College, May the 19th, 1577; and, not long after, made priest and sent into England. Here he fell into the hands of the persecutors, and was sent from prison into banishment, in 1587. But quickly returned again into the vineyard, and was apprehended again a second time, going from Lancashire into Derbyshire, and committed to the county jail, at Derby, and there tried and condemned at the Lent assizes, 1588, for being a priest, made by the authority and rights of the Roman church.

He was reprieved till the Summer assizes; and, as it is said, made some steps towards a conformity, or at least gave some hopes to the adversaries of a compliance; but he was reclaimed by Mr. Garlick and Mr. Ludlam; and bitterly repented himself of this slip, punishing himself for it, with fasting, watching, and hair cloth, for the remainder of his life, which was but short; for the protestants finding themselves disappointed of their hopes, ordered him for execution, together with the other two, whom we have spoken of. He suffered with great constancy, says an eye-witness, though not with such remarkable signs of joy and alacrity, as the other two.

Their heads and quarters, were set upon poles in divers places in and about the town of Derby; and the penner of this, their martyrdom,

From the same manuscript.

(who was also present at their deaths,) with two other resolute catholic gentlemen, going in the night divers miles, well armed, took down one of their heads, from the top of a house standing on the bridge, and a quarter, from the end of the bridge; the watchmen of the town seeing them, (as was afterwards confessed,) and making no resistance. These they buried with as great decency and reverence as they could. Soon after, the rest of the heads and quarters were taken away secretly by others.'

Of these three priests, thus writes the author of an ancient ode, or poem, who seems also, to have been an eye-witness of their death:

When Garlick did the ladder kiss,
And Sympson after hie,

Methought that there St. Andrew was
Desirous for to die.

When Ludlam looked smilingly,

And joyful did remain,

It seem'd St. Steven was standing by,
For to be stoned again, &c.

And what if Sympson seem'd to yield,
For doubt and dread to die;
He rose again, and won the field,
And died most constantly.

His watching, fasting, shirt of hair;
His speech, his death, and all,

Do record give, do witness bear,
He wail'd his former fall.

WILLIAM DEAN, PRIEST.*

WILLIAM DEAN was born in Yorkshire, and was an alumnus and priest of the English college, then residing at Rhemes; from whence, he was sent upon the English mission, anno 1582. Dr. Champney and father Ribadaneira, give him the character of vir morum gravitate and doctrina conspicuus, a man remarkably grave and learned: but the iniquity of the times permitted him not to employ his talents to the best advantage. He fell into the hands of the persecutors, some time before 1585, and was one of those priests that were banished in the beginning of that year. He quickly returned again to his missionary labours, and falling a second time into the adversaries hands, was tried and condemned, August 22, 1588, for being made priest by Roman authority, and remaining in this realm, contrary to the statute of 27 Elizabeth.

From the Douay Diary, the bishop of Chalcedon's Catalogue, Dr. Champney's Manuscript, Ribadaneira's Appendix to Saunder's De Schismate, Angl. chap. 1. and Bishop Yepez's History of the Persecution of England, book v. chap. 1.

6

It is here to be observed, that as soon as the queen and her council, were delivered from their apprehensions of the Spanish armada, they immediately raised a greater persecution than ever, against the English catholics, though no ways concerned in that designed invasion. Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, the queen's great favorite, and the capital enemy of the catholics, is believed to have been the chief promoter of those cruelties. By his instigation a new proclamation was published against the papists, and six new gallowses were erected in and about London, for the executing of them This wicked Haman, (who had been heard to say, that he desired to see all the streets of London washed with the blood of papists,) had drawn up a long list of them whom he particularly designed for the butchery. For a prelude to this tragedy, and for the hanselling his new gallows, on the 26th of August, says Mr. Stow, in his anuals, in the sessions hall, without Newgate, of London, were condemned six persons, for being made priests beyond the seas, and remaining in this realm contrary to the statute: four temporal men, for being reconciled to the Roman church, and four others, for relieving and abetting the others. And on the 28th, William Dean, and Henry Webley were hanged at Miles-end: W. Gunter, at the theatre; R. Morton and Hugh Moor at Lincoln's-inn-fields; T. Acton Clerkenwell. Thomas Felton and James Clarkson between Branford and Hounslow. And on the 30th of August, Richard Flower, Edward Shelly, R. Leigh, R. Merton, J. Roch, and Margaret Ward, gentlewoman, (who had conveyed a cord to a priest in Bridewell, by means of which he made his escape,) were hanged at Tyburn.'

Thus the unhappy Leicester was filling up the measure of his sins, when he was overtaken by divine Justice, and carried off by death, on the 5th of September, within a week after these executions. However, the queen, who was almost the only person that regretted his death, took care that the catholics should have no great reason to rejoice at it, when, in the following months, she caused a great many of those whom Leicester had marked out for the slaughter, to be put to death in divers parts of the kingdom. Of this Leicester, Dr. Heylin, the protestant historian, in his History of the Reformation, p. 339, 340, gives this character, that he was a man, so unappeasable in his malice, and unsatiable in his lusts; so sacrilegous in his rapines, so false in promises, and treacherous in point of trust; and, finally, so destructive of the rights and properties of particular persons, that his little finger lay far heavier on the subjects, than the loins of all the favourites of the two last kings.' So far the doctor, who informs us, in the same place, that this man had the disposing of all offices in court and state, and of all preferments in the church; so that catholics had little good to expect ⚫in a reign where Leicester did all.

But to return to Mr. Dean; he was, on the 28th of August, drawn to Mile's-end-green, and there executed according to sentence. At the place of execution he was beginning to speak of the cause for which he and his companions were condemned to die. But his mouth was stopped by some that were in the cart, in such a violent manner, that they had like to have prevented the hangman of his wages. With Mr. Dean was executed Henry Webley, a layman, for having been aiding and assisting to him.