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iniquity and that the Lord may speak peace to his people, psalm xxiv. and lxxxiv., that, as the royal prophet says, his glory may dwell in our land. I most humbly recommend myself to the holy sacrifices of your reverence, and of all our friends, January 16, 1590.'

THE SECOND LETTER.

1. We have written many letters, but, it seems, few have come to your hands. We sail in the midst of these stormy waves, with no small danger; from which, nevertheless, it has pleased our Lord hitherto to deliver us.

2. We have altogether, with much comfort, renewed the vows of the society, according to our custom, spending some days in exhortations and spiritual conferences. Aperuimus ora, and attraximus spiritum. It seems to me that I see the beginnings of a religious life set on foot in England, of which we now sow the seeds with tears, that others hereafter may, with joy, carry in the sheaves to the heavenly granaries.

3. We have sung the canticles of the Lord in a strange land, and, in this desert, we have sucked honey from the rock, and oil from the hard stone. But these our joys ended in sorrow, and sudden fears dispersed us into different places: but, in fine, we were more afraid than hurt, for we all escaped. I, with another of ours, seeking to avoid Scylla, had like to have fallen into Charybdis; but, by the mercy of God, we passed betwixt them both, without being shipwrecked, and are now sailing in a safe harbour.

4. In another of mine, I gave an account of the late martyrdoms of Mr. Bayles and of Mr. Horner, and of the edification which the people received from their holy ends. With such dews as these, the church is watered, ut in stillicidiis hujusmodi lætetur germinans, psalm lxiv. We also look for the time, (if we are not unworthy of so great a glory) when our day, (like that of the hired servants) shall come.-In the mean while, I recommend myself very much to your reverence's prayers, that the father of lights may enlighten us, and confirm us with his principal spirit. Given March 8, 1590.'

An account of Father Southwell's trial, from a Latin manuscript kept in the archives of the English college at St Omers.

After father Southwell had been kept close prisoner for three years, in the Tower, he sent an epistle to Cecil, lord treasurer, humbly entreating his lordship, that he might either be brought upon his trial, to answer for himself, or at least, that his friends might have leave to come and see him. The treasurer answered, That if he was in so much haste to be hanged, he should quickly have his desire. Shortly after this, orders were given, that he should be removed from the Tower to Newgate where he was put down into the dungeon called Limbo, and there kept for three days.

On the 22d of February, without any previous warning to prepare for his trial, he was taken out of his dark lodgings and hurried to Westminster, to hold up his hand there at the bar. The first news of this step towards his martyrdom, filled his heart with a joy which he could

not conceal. The judges, before whom he was to appear, were lord chief justice Popham, justice Owen, baron Evans, and Sergeant Daniel. As soon as father Southwell was brought in, the lord chief justice made a long and vehement speech against the jesuits and seminary priests, as the authors and contrivers of all the plots and treasons which he pretended had been hatched during that reign. Then was read the bill of indictment against father Southwell, drawn up by Cook, the queen's solicitor, to this effect:

Middlesex,

The jury present, on the part of our sovereign lady the queen, that Robert Southwell, late of London, clerk, born within this kingdom of England; to wit, since the feast of St. John Baptist, in the first year of the reign of her majesty; and before the first day of May, in the thirty-second year of the reign of our lady, the queen, aforesaid, made and ordained priest by authority derived and pretended from the see of Rome, not having the fear of God before his eyes, and slighting the laws and statutes of this realm of England, without any regard to the penalty therein contained, on the 20th day of June, the thirty-fourth year of the reign of our lady, the queen, at Uxenden, in the county of Middlesex, traitorously, and as a false traitor to our said lady, the queen, was, and remained, contrary to the form of the statute in such case set forth and provided, and contrary to the peace of our said lady, the queen, her crown and dignities.'

The grand jury having found the bill, father Southwell was ordered to come up to the bar: he readily obeyed, and bowing down his head, made a low reverence to his judges; then modestly held up his hand, according to custom; and being asked, whether he was guilty, or not guilty he answered, I confess that I was born in England, a subject to the queen's majesty ; and, that by authority derived from God, I have been promoted to the sacred order of priesthood in the Roman church; for which, I return most hearty thanks to his divine Majesty. I confess, also, that I was at Uxenden, in Middlesex, at that time; when, being sent for thither by trick and deceit, I fell into your hands, as it is well kuowa: but that I never entertained any designs or plots against the queen or kingdom, I call God to witness, the revenger of perjury; neither had I any other design in returning home to my native country, than to administer the sacraments, according to the rite of the catholic church, to such as desired them.

Here the judge interrupted him, and told him, that he was to let all alone, and plead directly, guilty or not guilty. Upon which, he said, He was not guilty of any treason whatsoever. And being asked by whom he would be tried ? he said, By God, and by you. The judge told him, he was to answer, by God and his country; which, at first, ho totused, alledging, that the laws of his country were disagreeble to the law of God; and that he was unwilling those poor harmless men of the jury, whom they obliged to represent the country, should have any share in their guilt, or any hand in his death, But, said he, If through pour luiquity, it must be so, and I cannot help it, be it as you will, I am fly til judged by God and my country. When the twelve were to

be sworn, he challenged none of them, saying, that they were all equally strangers to him, and therefore, charity did not allow him to except against any one of them more than another.

The jury being sworn, Mr. Cook began to prove the heads of the indictment, that Mr. Southwell was an Englishman and a priest, by his own confession; and that his being so young, was a demonstration that he was made priest since the time mentioned in the statute, &c. The judge asked him, how old he was? he replied, That he was about the same age as our Saviour, viz. 33. Topliffe, who was present, took occasion from this answer, to charge him with insupportable pride, in comparing himself to our Saviour. But father Southwell refuted the calumny, confessing himself to be a worm of the earth, and the work and creature of Christ, his maker. In fine, after Mr. Cook had declaimed, as long as he thought fit, against the servant of Christ, and Topliffe and lord chief justice Popham, had loaded him with reproaches and injuries, to which father Southwell opposed a Christian constancy and modesty, the jury went aside, to consult about the verdict, and, a short time after, brought him in guilty. He was asked, if he had any thing more to say for himself, why sentence should not be pronounced against him? he said, nothing; But from my heart, I beg of Almighty God to forgive all who have been any ways accessory to my death. The judge, "Popham," exhorted him to provide for the welfare of his soul, whilst he had time. He thanked him, for this show of good-will; saying, that he had long since provided for that, and was conscious to himself of his own innocence. The judge having pronounced sentence according to the usual form, father Southwell made a very low bow, returning him most hearty thanks, as for an unspeakable favour. The judge offered him the help of a minister to prepare him to die. Father Southwell desired he would not trouble him upon that head; that the grace of God would be more than sufficient for him. And so, being sent back to Newgate, through the streets, lined with people, he discovered all the way, the overflowing joy of his heart, in his eyes, in his whole countenance, and in every gesture and motion of his body. He was again put down into Limbo, at his return to Newgate, where he spent the following night, the last of his life, in prayer, full of the thoughts of the journey he was to take the next day, through the gate of martyrdom, into a happy eternity; to enjoy for ever the sovereign object of his love. The next morning early, he was called to the combat, and, as we have seen above, gained a glorious victory.

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Mr. Southwell's execution is mentioned by Mr. Stow, in his chronicle; February 20, 1594-5," says the historian, Southwell, a jesuit, that long time had laid prisoner, in the Tower of London, was arraigned at the King's-bench-bar. He was condemned and on the next morning drawn from Newgate to Tyburn, and there hanged, bowelled, and quartered.'

ALEXANDER RAWLINS, PRIEST.*

MR. RAWLINS, or Rawling, was a gentleman by birth, born in the confines of Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, and brought up for some time in Oxford, as I conjecture from bishop Yepez, who, by a mistake, supposes him to have been a native of that city. Going abroad, he was received an alumnus in the English college then residing at Rhemes; and from thence was presented to holy orders, and ordained priest at Soissons, the 18th of March, 1590, at the same time with Mr. Genings, and with him was sent upon the English mission, the 9th of April, following. He laboured for some years in those perilous times, keeping himself out of the hands of the persecutors, till God was pleased to reward his labours with the crown of martyrdom. He was apprehended somewhere in Yorkshire, about the time that Father Walpole was sent back from London to York, to take his trial And it was resolved that

they should suffer together.

When Mr. Rawlins was brought to the bar, and asked, according to custom by whom he would be tried? he boggled at the usual answer, by God and my country; where, by the name of the country, are meant the twelve men of the jury, declaring that he looked upon them as no ways qualified, being ignorant laymen, to judge in his case; and that he was unwilling that his blood should lay at their doors: let the judges, "Beaumont, Hilliard, and Elvin," who know better, take it upon their own consciences. This exception put the judges to some stand, who adjourned the cause to the afternoon; but then proceeded to his condemnation. He was sentenced to die merely for being a seminary priest, ordained by the authority of the bishop of Rome, and for returning into England to exercise his priestly functions, and pervert, as they call it, her majesty's subjects. He received the sentence with unspeakable joy, which was pronounced upon him in the usual form on Saturday, the 5th of April, and prepared himself that night, and the following day, to die on Monday.

On which day, being the 7th of April, 1595, he was brought out to the hurdle, on which he and father Walpole were to be drawn to the place of execution, without the city of York, and laid himself down on the left side of the hurdle, saying, That he left the more honourable place for his betters; and here he waited for two whole hours, before his fellow confessor was brought out to him, spending his time in prayer to God, and in speaking things of edification to the people. He was overjoyed to see him come, for the delay had given him some pain. They tenderly embraced each other; but to prevent as much as could be their pious communications, father Walpole was ordered to lie down with his head towards the horse's tail, by the feet of Mr. Rawlins. When they were arrived at the gallows, Mr. Rawlins was first ordered up the

From the Douay diary, the bishop of Chalcedon's catalogue, and bishop Yepez, 1. 5, c. 9. sect. 9 and 10.

ladder, who cheerfully obeyed, and kissed first the gallows, then the ladder and afterwards the rope, as the happy instruments which were to send him to heaven. He was not allowed to speak in a manner at all, but was quickly turned off, having the sweet name of Jesus in his mouth, and so, happily finished his course; father Walpole being ordered to look on whilst the butchery was performed, in hopes of his being terrified by that scene of barbarity.

He suffered at York, April 7th, 1595.

HENRY WALPOLE, PRIEST, S. J.*

HENRY WALPOLE was born of pious and catholic parents of an ancient family in Norfolk, and was the eldest of many sons, with whom God had blessed them. He was educated partly in Oxford and partly in Cambridge, and then was sent up to London by his father, to apply himself to the study of the laws, and took chambers in Gray's-ian for that purpose. In the mean time, he was a great reader of books of controversy, by which he was not only confirmed in his religion, but was also enabled to maintain it against all opponents, and even to gain many proselytes to it; to which the sweetness and agreeableness of his temper did not a little contribute. In fine, having by this means incurred the displeasure of the government, and being withal desirous to consecrate himself more closely to the service of God, and of his neighbours, he went abroad to the college then residing at Rhemes, the common refuge of those who left England for their religion. Here he arrived on the 7th of July, 1582, as appears by the Douay journal, where, at his first. coming, he has this eulogium, 7° die Julij ex Anglia ad nos venit D. Henricus Walpole vir discretus, gravis & pius. On the 7th of July, Mr. Henry Walpole came to us out of England, a discreet, grave, and pious man. Here he remained till the following year, when, with four others, he was sent to the college of Rome; where, not long after, (viz. anno 1584,) he entered into the Society of Jesus. Three of his brothers, some time after, followed his example: and a fourth going abroad, also to secure his conscience, became an officer in the Spanish service, in the Netherlands.

After some years, spent in Italy, that climate not agreeing with father Walpole's health, he was sent by his superiors to Pont a Mousson, in Lorrain; and from thence, into Flanders; where, travelling on foot, he fell into the hands of a party of the Calvinists, then in arms against the king of Spain; and was, by them, carried into Fleshing, in Zealand, where he suffered much in prison, for the space of a whole

* From his life, published by the bishop of Tarragona, in his history of the persecution, 1.5. c. 9 and from the Douay diary.

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