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and denied that which before he had affirmed in his book. See Mr. Kirby's letter, below.

Then the sheriff interrupted him, and said, Even as he hath recanted his error, and is sorry for it, so do you. Mr. Kirby, not regarding his words, passed on, and showed likewise, that this Munday, in presence of Sir Owen Hopton, and others, did say, That he could charge him with nothing, which Munday denied: but he affirmed it again, and said, that thereupon one that was present said, that upon that confession he might take advantage. The sheriff asked who that was? he answered, It was one Coudridge. After this, his answer to the six articles was read. Where, to the first, being examined, he said, That the excommunication of Pius V., was a matter of fact, wherein the pope might err; the which, I do leave to himself to answer for.' "And as to the power of deposing princes for certain causes," he now explained himself, that it was a question disputable in schools, and he did only yield his opinion. Notwithstanding, said he, I do acknowledge to my queen as much duty and authority as ever I did to queen Mary, or as any subject in France, Spain, or Italy, doth acknowledge to his king or prince. And as for Dr. Saunders and Bristow, they might err in their private opinions; the which, I will defend no farther than they do agree with the judgment of Christ's catholic church.

'Being demanded whether he thought the queen to be supreme governess of the church of England? he answered, He was ready to yield her as much authority as any other subject ought to yield his prince, or as he would yield to queen Mary, and more with safety of conscience, he could not do. Then sheriff Martin told him, that the queen was merciful, and would take him to her mercy, so he would confess his duty towards her, and forsake that man of Rome; and that he had authority himself to stay the execution, and carry him back again. Who answered, That to deny the pope's authority, was denying a point of faith, which he would not do for saving his life, being sure that this would be to damn his soul. Then was it tendered him, that if he would but confess his fault, and ask the queen forgiveness, she would yet be merciful to him. He answered again,-That his conscience did give him a clear testimony that he never offended; and therefore he would neither confess that whereof he was innocent; neither ask forgiveness, where no offence was committed against her majesty. Well, then, said sheriff Martin, do but acknowledge those things which your fellow Bosgrave hath done, such as appeareth by his examination, and I will yet safe your life. Who denied, likewise, to do this.By these numbers of proffers, says my author, it is plain they judged them innocent in their conscience of those pretended treasons."

Then the people cried, Away with him! and he began to pray in Latin; the ministers and others desired him to pray in English, and they would pray with him; who answered, That in praying with them he should dishonour God; but if you were of one faith with me, then, said he, I would pray with you. Withal, he desired all those that were catholics to pray with him, and he would pray with them: and so, after he had ended his pater noster, and began his ave, the cart was drawn away, and there he hanged till he was dead; and till his two

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companions, Richardson and Cottam, were brought to take a view of him. His speeches were intricate, because many did speak untɔ him, and of several matters: but here are the principal things by him uttered to my remembrance.

A true Copy of a Letter sent by Mr. Kirby to some of his Friends.

'My most hearty commendations to you, and the rest of my dearest friends. If you send any thing to me, you must make haste, because we look to suffer death very shortly, as already it is signified to us. Yet I much fear least our unworthiness of that excellent perfection and crown of martyrdom should procure us a longer life.

Within these few days, John Nicholl's came to my chamber window, with humble submission, to crave mercy and pardon for all his wickedness and treacheries, committed against us, and to acknowledge his books, sermons, and infamous speeches, to our infamy and discredit, to be wicked, false, and most execrable, before God and man. Which, for preferment, promotion, hope of living, and favour of the nobility, he committed to writing, and to the view of the world: whereof, being very penitent and sorrowful from his heart, rather than he would commit the like offence again, he wished to suffer a, thousand deaths.For, being pricked in conscience, with our unjust condemnation, which hath happened, contrary to his expectation, albeit, he offered matter sufficient, in his first book of recantation, for our adversaries to make a bill of indictment against us, yet he minded" expected" then nothing less, than he now protesteth. He knoweth in conscience our accusations, and the evidence brought against us, to be false, and to have no colour of truth, but only of malice, forged by our enemies; and for Sledd, and Munday, he is himself, to accuse them of this wicked treachery and falsehood; and of their naughty and abominable life, of which he was made privy, and which, for shame, I cannot commit to writing. In detestation of his own doings, and of their wickedness, he is minded never hereafter to ascend into pulpit, nor to deal again in any matter of religion; for which cause, he hath forsaken the ministry, and is minded to teach a school, as I understand by him, in Norfolk. In proof whereof, he shewed me his new disguised apparel, as yet, covered with his minister's weeds. I wished him to make amends for all his sins, and to go to a place of penance: and he answered me, he was not yet conformable to us, in every point of religion, nor ever was, but lived at Rome in hypocrisy, as he hath done ever since, in his own profession. Again, he thought, that if ever he should depart the realm, he could not escape burning.

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He offered to go to Mr. Lieutenant, and to Mr. Secretary Walsingham, and declare how injuriously I and the rest were condemned, that he himself, might be free from shedding innocent blood: albeit, he was somewhat afraid to show himself in London, where already he had declared our innocent behaviour, and his own malicious dealings towards us, in his book and sermons.

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To give my censure and judgment of him, certain, I think that he will, within a short time, fall into infidelity, except God of his goodness,

in the mean time, be merciful unto him, and reclaim him by some good means, to the catholic faith; yet, it should seem, he hath not lost all good gifts of nature, whereas, in conscience he was pricked to open the truth in our defence, and to detect his own wickedness and treacheries of others practised against us, to our confusion. Now I see, as all the world hereafter, shall easily perceive, that the doings of this man do confirm the old saying, that rather than God will have wilful murder concealed, he procureth the birds of the air to reveal it.

'I am minded to signify to Sir Francis Walsingham, this his submission unto us, except, in the mean time, I shall learn that he hath (as he promised faithfully to me) already opened the same. Mr. Richardson and Mr. Filbie have now obtained some bedding, who ever since their condemnation have laid upon the boards. Mr. Hart hath had many and great conflicts with his adversaries. This morning, the 10th of January, he was committed to the dungeon, where he now remaineth : God comfort him; he taketh it very quietly and patiently; the cause was, for that he would not yield to Mr. Reynolds, of Oxford, in any one point, but still remained constant, the same man he was before and ever. Mr. Reynolds, albeit, he be the best learned of that sort, that hath from time to time come hither to preach and confer, yet the more he is tried and dealt withal, the less learning he hath shewed. Thus, beseeching you to assist us with your good prayers, whereof, now, especially, we stand in need, as we, by God's grace, shall not be unmindful of you. I bid you farewell, this 10th day of January, 1582.

Yours, to death, and after death,

LUKE KIRBY.

N. B. Mr. Hart, here mentioned, was Mr. John Hart, a native of Oxfordshire, who, for conscience sake, leaving the university of Oxford, passed over into Flanders, was admitted into the English college of Douay, in 1571, made bachelor of divinity in that university, in 1577, and the year following, ordained priest. Returning into England, he was apprehended in June, 1580, and on the 29th of December, of the same year, was, from the Marshalsea, translated to the Tower: he was cruelly tortured in prison, and in the November following, condemned to die; but on the day assigned for execution, he was, by a reprieve, taken off the sledge, and returned to prison; he was, afterwards, sent into banishment, in 1584, and entered into the Society of Jesus. Mr. Reynolds, published in print, his conference with Mr. Hart, though, as it is supposed, very partially. It is allowed, at all hands, that Mr. Hart acquitted himself with honour in this controversy; whom, therefore, Mr. Cambden is pleased to compliment with the title of Vir præ cæteris doctissimus. He died at Jareslaw, in Poland, 1594,

LAURENCE RICHARDSON, ALIAS, JOHNSON, PRIEST.*

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LAURENCE RICHARDSON was born in Lancashire, and educated in Brazen-nose college, in Oxford, and was a fellow of that college, but quitting his fellowship and protestant religion, as a great many of the most hopeful subjects did in those days, he went over to Douay college in 1573, where, having passed through his course of divinity, he was made priest, in 1577. His labours upon the mission were in his native country of Lancashire, where he was much esteemed for his extraordinary zeal and piety. He was apprehended, in some part of the year 1581, and being in prison at the time that the pretended plot of Rhemes and Rome was set on foot by the enemies of the catholics; he was also charged with the rest of the priests then in prison, of that pretended conspiracy, though he was in England, at the time that he was accused to have been plotting at Rhemes; and the wretches that were his accusers, had never seen him there or elsewhere, before his imprisonment. However, all this was not regarded in his trial, and he was condemned, November 21, 1581, and executed, the 30th of May, 1582. My author, an eye-witness of his death, tells us, that immediately after the cart was drawn away from Mr. Kirby, Mr. Richardson and Mr. Cottam, priests and graduates, were brought together, to look upon him whilst he was hanging; and that he being cut down, they were put up into the cart, where, with cheerful countenances, they signed themselves with the sign of the cross, saying, in nomine Patris, &c. Mr Cottam, turning him about, said God bless you all, our Lord bless you, with a smiling countenance. Mr. Richardson, being commanded by the sheriff's man, to look upon his companion, who was in cutting up, said, O! God's will be done with that, one Field, a preacher, said, despatch, despatch: to whom, Mr. Cottam said, with a smiling countenance, what are you, an executioner or a preacher? fye, fye. A minister standing by, said, leave off those jests, it is no time to jest; he is a preacher, and not an executioner; he cometh to exhort you to die well. Mr. Cottam, replied, Truly, by his words, he seemed to be an executioner; for he said, despatch, despatch. Then, Mr. Richardson being placed right under the place, where he was to hang, divers persons moved speeches to him, all at one time. To whom, he answered, I pray you, do not trouble me: if you demand any questions of me, let them be touching the matter whereof I was condemned, and do not move new questions: and thereupon he was turned back, to look upon Mr. Kirby, who was then in quartering, which he did; and the head being cut off, they held it up, saying, God save the queen and he being demanded what he said—I say, amen, I pray

God save her.

And further, he said, I am come hither to die for treason, and I protest before God, I am not guilty of any treason, more than all catholic bishops that ever were in the land, since the conversion thereof, till our time; and were they alive, they might as well be executed for treason, as I am now. To whom, a minister replied, the case is not

From Raissius, his catalogue of martyrs, and the Douay diary; his death, from an eye-witness.

the same; for then, popish priests lived under popish princes, and did not disobey them, and so were no traitors. Whilst they were talking with Mr. Richardson, Mr. Cottam took Bull, the hangman, by the sleeve, and said to him, God forgive thee, and make thee his servant; take heed in time, and call for grace, and no doubt but God will hear thee: take example by the executioner of St. Paul, who, during the time of the saint's execution, a little drop of blood falling from St. Paul, upon his garment, white, like milk, did afterwards call him to remembrance of himself, and so he became penitent for his sins, and became a good man; whose example, I pray God thou mayest follow; and I pray God give thee his grace.

Then the six articles were read, and Mr. Richardson's answer, who said, as touching the doctrine of Dr. Saunders and Dr. Bristow, he allowed of it no farther than they agreed with the true catholic church of Rome. Topcliff, and some ministers said, he built his faith upon Saunders; to whom, he answered, I build not my faith upon any one man whatsoever, but upon the whole catholic church. Then the rope being put about both their necks, and fastened to the post, the sheriff said, now Richardson, if thou wilt confess thy faults and renounce the pope, the queen will extend her mercy towards thee, and thou shalt be carried back again. Mr. Richardson answered, I thank her majesty for her mercy; but I must not confess an untruth, or renounce my faith.

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All this while, Mr. Cottam was in prayer, and uttering divers good sentences; saying, all that we here sustain, is for saving of our souls; and therewithal lifting up his eyes to heaven, he said, O Lord, thou knowest our innocency. Then, he was bid to confess his treasons. O Lord, said he, how willingly would I confess, if I did know any thing that did charge me; and if we had been guilty of any such thing, surely, one or other of us, either by racking or death, would have confessed it, or else we had been such people as never were heard of. And I protest before God, that before my coming into England, I was prepared to go into the Indies; and if I were to be set at liberty, I would never rest, but on the journey towards those countries. With that, the sheriff said, the queen will be merciful to thee, if thou wilt thyself: he answered, I thank her grace; saying further, do with me what you think good. Therewithal, the sheriff commanded that the rope should be loosed from the post, and he removed down from the cart.

Then, Mr. Richardson was once more called upon to confess, and ask pardon of the queen; he answered, that he had never offended her to his knowledge. Then he was willed to pray; which he did, desiring all catholics to pray with him. He said his pater, ave, and creed: and when the cart began to move, he said, Lord receive my soul, Lord Jesu, receive my soul."

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