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said, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, and so did hang, not moving hand or foot. They very courteously caused men to hang on his feet, and set the knot to his ear, and suffered him to hang to death, commanding Bull, the hangman of Newgate, to despatch "in the quartering of him," lest, as they said, he should revive, and rebuked him that he did not despatch speedily. All the town loved him exceedingly, so did the keepers, and most of the magistrates of the shire. No man seemed in countenance, to mislike him, but much sorrowed and lamented his death. Who most constantly, catholicly, patiently, and meekly ended this mortal life, to rise triumphantly, his innocency known to all the world. 'He had been long in prison, very ill used, cruelly handled, and extremely racked. He was once or twice demanded, Whether he would go to their church? (for that would have made amends for all these treasons.) Why, said he, you say I am in for treason, discharge me of that, and then you shall know farther of my mind for the other. All fair means, all foul means, all extremity, all policy were used to find that which was not. After his racking, the lieutenant of the Tower sent to him his servant, with this letter.

'I have herewith sent you pen, ink, and paper; and I pray you write what you have said to Eliot, and to your host in London, concerning the queen and the state; and thereof fail not, as you will answer at your uttermost peril.

Right Worshipful,

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MR. PAINE'S ANSWER.

My duty remembered, being not able to write without better hands, I have, by your appointment, used the help of your servant. For answer to your interrogations, I have already said sufficient for a man that regardeth his own salvation, and that with such advised asseverations uttered as amongst Christian men, ought to be believed, yet once again,' briefly, for obedience sake,

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First, touching her majesty, I pray God long to preserve her highness to his honour, and her heart's desire; unto whom I always have, and during life will wish no worse than to my own soul. If her pleasure be not that I shall live and serve her as my sovereign prince, then will I willingly die her faithful subject, and, I trust, God's true servant.

Touching the state, I protest, that I am, and ever have been, free from the knowledge of any practice whatsoever, either within or without the realm, intended against the same; for the verity whereof, as I have often before you and the rest of her grace's commissioners, called God to witness, so do I now again, and one day before His Majesty, the truth now not credited will be then revealed.

For Eliot, I forgive his monstrous wickedness, and defy his malicious inventions; wishing that his former behaviour towards others, being well known, as hereafter it will, were not a sufficient disproof of these devised slanders.

For host, or other person living, in London or elsewhere, (unless they be by subornation of my bloody enemy corrupted,) I know they can neither for word, deed, or any disloyalty, justly touch me and so

before the seat of God, as also before the sight of men, will I answer at my utmost peril.

Her majesty's faithful subject, and

Your worship's humble prisoner,

JOHN PAINE, Priest.

Mr. Paine's execution is recorded by Mr. Stow, in his annals, 1582, John Paine, priest, being indicted for high treason, for words by him spoken to one Eliot, was arraigned, condemned, and executed at Chelmsford.'

He suffered April 2d. 1582.

THOMAS FORDE, PRIEST.*

THOMAS FORDE was born in Devonshire, brought up in Trinity college, Oxford; where he took the degree of master of arts, in 1567, and Was soon after admitted fellow of that college: but not liking the protestant religion, he quitted his fellowship, and all other temporal hopes, and went over to the college or seminary lately instituted at Douay, where he arrived in 1371; and, after having for some time there seTiously applied himself to the study of divinity, he was made priest in 1878, at the same time with those two eminent divines, Richard Bristow and Gregory Martin; these being the three first that were presented to holy orders from Douay college. He took his degree of bachelor of divinity, in tǝ26; and soon after, returned into England upon the misston, where he laboured for some years with great fruit in the converston of many souls He was apprehended on the 17th of July, 1581, with Bather Campion, in the house of Mr. Yates. of Lyford, in Berkwhite and with him, was carried up to London, and cast into the Tower, and condemned the November following, for the pretended conaptravy of Rhemes and Rome; whereas, he had never been in his life, oither at Rhemes of Rome; nor had the witnesses that appeared against hum, Piledd and Munday, the Oates and Bedlow of those days," ever an much as secu Mi Foide before his imprisonment.

He received sentence of death, the 21st of November, 1581; but Was not exccuted all May, 28, 1582. In the mean time, to make his trefarmiton, and that of his companions, more plausible, and that it might apa for the world, if they were not guilty of the pretended conspipy, which even the queen herself, did not believe.) that they were at ford dialected poisons to her majesty, and as such, deserved to die, thing sent to thein, the queen's attorney and solicitor, Popham and Pontons with two clydrans, Hammond and Lewes, to propose six artiples for them concerning the bull of pius V., and what obedience was to la paid to that de crew; and what they thought of the pope's deposing Very and of certam pages of the writings of Dr. Saunders and Hribar, me due, what they would do in ease of an invasion on ac

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words of Powrey college and trom a printed account of the execution. he computats by autore witures

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To these interrogatories, Mr. John Shert, Mr. Laurence Richardson, and Mr. Thomas Cottam, would make no other answer, but, that they were catholics, and believed in all points as the catholic Roman church taught them. Mr. Richardson added, that in all matters not repugnant to the catholic religion, he professed obedience to her majesty. Mr. Forde answered, That he did not know what to say to the bull of Pius V. as being a stranger to the circumstances of that bull: that as to the deposing power, he thought the pope might have a power upon certain occasions, which he did not name, "as, where a whole kingdom would otherwise be perverted, " to discharge subjects from their allegiance that he would not pretend to answer for the doctrine of Dr. Saunders or Dr. Bristow, let them answer for themselves: and, as to the last point, he thought it would be time enough to determine what was to be done, when the case should happen. And not unlike to his, were the answers of Mr. Robert Johnson, Mr. Luke Kirby, and Mr. William Filbie.

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On the 28th of May, 1582, after a long series of cruel treatments, and much art used to make them either confess the feigned treason, or deny their faith, the reverend priests, Mr. Thomas Forde, Mr. John Shert, and Mr. Robert Johnson, were all trailed upon hurdles, from the Tower of London, through the streets, to Tyburn, betwixt six and seven of the clock in the morning. And, first, Mr. Forde, being set up in the cart, blessed himself with the sign of the cross; being so weak, that he fell down in the cart, and after he was up, he said, I am a catholic, and do die in the catholic religion. And therewith, he was interrupted by sheriff Martin, saying, you come not hither to confess your religion, but as a traitor and malefactor to the queen's majesty, and the whole realm, moving and stirring of sedition : and, therefore, I pray you, go to and confess your fault, and submit yourself to the queen's mercy, and not doubt, but she would forgive

you.

'Whereunto, Mr. Forde answered, That supposed offence, whereof I was indicted and condemned, was the conspiring of her majesty's death at Rome and Rhemes, whereof I was altogether not guilty: for the offence was supposed, for conspiring the queen's majesty's death in the 22d year of her majesty's reign; at which time, I was in England remaining, and long before that; for I have remained here for the space of six or seven years, and never during that time, departed this realm; whereof, I might bring the witness of an hundred, yea, of five hundred sufficient men, and had thereupon been discharged at the bar, if I would have disclosed their names with whom I have been; which I did forbear to do, for fear of bringing them into trouble. Then sheriff Martin, said, here is your own hand-writing, with the testimony of worshipful men, the queen's attorney, Dr. Hammond, Dr. Lewis and others; and if that will not serve, here is one of your own companions (Munday) that was the pope's scholar, to testify your offence. Mr. Forde answered, That, notwithstanding, I am altogether not guilty, whatever you have written.

. He continued, for the most part, in prayer secretly to himself during the time that the sheriff, or any other spoke to him. Then, was a scroll

of his examination (of which, we have spoken above) read by a minister; and Munday, the pope's scholar, being called as a witness against him, said, That Forde was privy to their conspiracies; but was not able to affirm, that ever he saw him beyond the seas. This, his assertion, Mr. Forde utterly denied upon his death and being asked what he thought of the queen's majesty; and withal, willed to ask her and the whole realm forgiveness; he said,-He acknowledged her for his sovereign and queen, and that he never in his life had offended her. And so praying secretly, he desired all those that were of his faith to pray with him; and ended with this prayer, Jesu, Jesu, Jesu, esto mihi Jesus, and hanged until his companion, Mr. Shert, (likely to terrify him the more) might see him.'

JOHN SHERT, PRIEST.*

He was born in Cheshire, and brought up in Brazen-nose college, in Oxford, where he took the degree of bachelor of arts, in 1566. But soon after, quitting the university, he became a noted school-master in London. Then crossing the seas to the college lately erected at Douay, he was admitted in 1578, there studied his divinity, and was made subdeacon from whence he was sent to Rome, where he finished his studies and was made priest, and so returned to the college now translated to Rhemes: and from thence was sent to England, in 1579, the year before the pretended conspiracy of Rhemes and Rome; for which he was afterwards arrainged and condemned. After he had laboured for some time in his mission, he was apprehended and brought to the Tower on the same day with Mr. Paine, viz., July 14, 1581. And in the November following, he was condemned, as we have seen, for the pretended conspiracy, though the witnesses had never seen him in their lives, before his apprehension.

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Being brought from the hurdle,' on which he had been drawn from the Tower to Tyburn," and seeing his companion, Mr. Forde, hanged before him, with a confident courage, smiling countenance, and with his hands lifted up, he spoke as followeth,-O happy Thomas! happy art thou that hast run that happy race! O benedicta anima! O blessed soul! thou art in a good cause! thou blessed soul pray for me. And being lifted into the cart, he desired all catholics to pray for him: and turning to the place of execution, by commandment of the sheriff, and seeing his companion bowelled and beheaded, he kneeled down and cried out,-O Thomas! O happy Thomas! O blessed soul! happy art thou thy blessed soul pray for me. And being found fault withal, because he prayed to those that were dead; he said; O blessed lady, mother of God, pray for me; and all the saints of heaven pray for me. The sheriff finding fault with this as erroneous doctrine; he answered, -That it was both sound and true droctrine, which he would now seal with his blood. After which, he began as follows:

* From the same eye-witness, and from Arnoldus Raissius in his printed catalogue of the martyrs of Douay college, and from the records of that house.

O blessed Lord, to thee be all honour and praise: I give thee most hearty thanks, for that thou didst create me of nothing to thy likeness and similitude. 2dly, For my redemption by the death of thy sweet son, Jesus Christ, my Saviour and Redeemer. And lastly, that thou wilt bring me, thy poor servant, to so glorious and happy a death for thy sake; although in the eyes of worldlings contumelious and reproachful; yet to me most joyful and glorious: and for the which, I yield thee most hearty thanks. Here he was stopped from proceeding further by the sheriff, who said to him,-Ask the queen's forgiveness for these treasons whereof thou art condemned; who answered,-The asking of forgiveness doth imply an offence done; and for me to charge myself, being innocent, would be contrary to my duty. We have been racked and tormented for these things, and nothing hath been found: we have also been twice examined since our condemnation, which hath not been seen heretofore in any malefactor. Those supposed treasons, for which I am condemned, I leave between God and myself; and, upon my death, I am altogether innocent and faultless; and I utterly refuse to ask her forgiveness for this fact whereof I am condemned, for that I am not guilty but if in any other private matter I have offended, I ask her and all the world, forgiveness: for it is impossible for me to be guilty of the conspiracy at Rhemes or Rome, being in England long time before the said supposed treasons committed, and continuing here ever since which Munday, his accuser, did not much deny: for he said, he never knew him beyond the seas, neither at Rome nor at Rhemes.

Then sheriff Martin requested a minister that stood by, to read his examination. Who answered, that as the man is obstinate now, so upon his examination was he as obstinate, for he uttered nothing that is to be read. The sheriff desired Mr. Shert, again, to acknowledge his offence; affirming, that the queen would deal very mercifully with him; and that he had authority himself, if he did acknowledge his fault, to stay his execution, and to return him back without more ado. Who answered, Should I, for saving this carcase, condemn my soul? God forbid.

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Being asked what he thought of the queen's majesty? he answered, I acknowledge her for my sovereign lady and queen, for whose prosperous estate and well doing, I did always pray. And being demanded whether he thought her to be supreme governor, under Christ, of the church of England? He said,-I will give to Cæsar that which is his, and to God that which belongeth to God. She is not, nor cannot be, nor any other but only the supreme pastor. What! do you mean that whore of Babylon, the pope? said the sheriff. Take heed, Mr. Sheriff, said Mr. Shert, for the day will come, when that shall be a sore word for your soul! and then it shall repent you, that ever you called Christ's vicar upon earth, the whore: when you and I shall stand at one bar, before that equal Judge who judgeth all things a-right, then, I say, will you repent your saying; and then must I give testimony against you.

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And the hangman making ready at the importunate clamour of the people, who cried to despatch, saying, that he had lived too long. He delivered his handkerchief to the hangman with two shillings

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