obedience to the queen in temporals, and the pope in spirituals; declaring withal, that he was a catholic, and that there was not any one article of the catholic religion for which he was not willing to lay down his life. When his trial came on, though they wanted not matter sufficient for his condemnation, on account of his priesthood, and the answers he had given to the examiners; yet to make the proceedings against him more plausible in his indictment, they affirmed, that James Fenn and George Haydock, in such a year, month, and day, (which were all named,) had conspired together at Rome to kill the queen, and had returned into England in order to perpetrate their wickedness. Mr. Fenn being called upon by the judges to answer for himself, called God and all the court of heaven to witness, that this accusation was most notoriously false; that, indeed, he had never been at Rome in his life, nor ever any nearer it than Rhemes; that he had never seen Mr. Haydock till he met him at the bar, and that at the very time when he was pretended to have been plotting at Rome, he was actually in England, as he could demonstrate; and that he believed he could make it appear that he was then prisoner in the Marshalsea; that he had never entertained so much as the first thought of any treason against the queen, and that he would not, for the whole kingdom of England, have done her the least hurt, though he could be sure of doing it with impunity. The judge told him, that although there might be some error in the circumstances of time, place, &c., yet that he had been sufficiently convicted of treason, and therefore was to look for nothing else but to die; and so neither witness nor any evidence whatsoever being produced to prove the pretended plot, to the astonishment of all that were there, he directed the jury to find him guilty of the indictment, and accordingly pronounced sentence upon him, as in cases of high treason, which barefaced iniquity convinced all, that the true cause of Mr. Fenn's condemnation and death, was no other than his character and religion. Having received sentence, he was carried to the Tower, and there kept in a dungeon, loaded with irons, from Friday, the day of his condemnation, till Wednesday following, which was the day of his execution. In the mean time, Mr. Popham, the attorney general, and a doctor of the civil law, formerly school-fellow to Mr. Fenn, came to him to exhort him to comply and acknowledge the queen's authority, and obey the laws; promising, that if he would, they would use their best endeavours to save his life. The confessor told them, he willingly acknowledged the queen's authority in all temporal matters, but that he neither could nor would acknowledge her supreme head of the church, but only as one of the sheep, subject, in spirituals, to that shepherd to whom Christ committed his whole flock: and that he was ready to die in and for the profession of this faith. On the day of execution he was laid on a hurdle, to be drawn, with his companions, from the Tower to Tyburn. It was a moving spectacle to many, to see his little daughter Frances, with many tears, take her last leave of her father upon this occasion, whilst the good man, who had long since been dead to all things in this world, looking upon her with a calm and serene countenance, and lifting up his hands as well as new were pinioned, gave her his blessing, and so was Tyburn, he was not suffered to speak many words: prayed for a while, he only declared to the people his he crime that had been falsely laid to his charge in the "OMAN, UM "NEN ZEcommended himself and the queen, to whom he wished Ja hammer vi happiness, to God's mercy. And so, the cart being drawn way, he was lett hanging for a little while, and then cut down alive, zoweneu, uni quartered. His quarters were disposed on four of the 1968 01 NE 2007, and his head upon London bridge. Mr. Robert Feun, brother to Mr. James, was also a priest of Douay Quège, and a great suiferer for his religion. Exilium, carceras, vincula uni cruciatus 'mmanes, says Dr. Bridgewater. fol. 410, ob catholicæ verzaus estimomain vnstantissime perpessus est. Mr. John Fenn, the wouter, was thewise a priest, Both one and the other were sectu Pour Der ecowships in Cxcord, or the earhoue religion. And Mr. Tozu Sema kau a great had 'n 'ne book exiled. Concertatio Ecclesandi - Zertarakoen a moisten or Dr. Bridgewater. In his latter days he was so Augusan Nuns, at Louvain. PHOMAS HEMEXFORD. PRIEST.* MR. Mary Surent, was born in Dorsetshire, and brought a le vux De jegree 2 acneior of law, 1575. But eeron us country, he went abroad to Signed encre ven exting here: and from thence, this was sem o Rome. in 1580, where he Both it with a rest. Returning into England, རྒྱུ་རྐ་ནིགས་མཛོདantwཎིན་ 46 06 A nose that was marked out for 22 Mr. Haydock. Mr. Fenn, &c., with A 4744 vidiaren, Fioriary 7th, and after lying in a Daci, vi ive or six days, was drawn with by xem, where be suffered death with great 24 9681, Wing cut down alive, as the rest Funwch i planer, February 12, 1583-4. 420 sf ehuse where I and, by the college diary, Here he was made Pam De gewater's Concertatio. Bridgewater's Collections in his priest in 1582, and sent upon the mission. He took shipping at Newhaven, "Havre de Grace," in France, with a design to land at Scarborough; but the ship foundering upon the coast of Suffolk, and Mr. Nutter being taken ill of a violent fever, he was put on shore at Dunwich. The ship was soon after lost, but the mariners and passengers were all saved. In the wreck, a neighbouring minister laying hold of a bag, in hopes of meeting with some booty, was disappointed to find nothing but catholic books, from which, both he and the magistrates, to whom he gave an account of what he had found, suspected the sick man and his companions were priests. And, upon further inquiry, Mr. Nutter not denying his character, they took him into custody, together with Mr. Conyers, another priest, and Mr. Lawson, a layman. And, notwithstanding his illness, they fastened a great chain of iron to his leg, with a clog of wood at the end of it; and, having served his two companions in like manner, sent up to town to give an account to the council of the capture they had made. In the mean time, while they are waiting for an answer, the neighbouring ministers and others, crowd in upon Mr. Nutter; and, notwithstanding his sickness, will needs dispute with him about religion, all attacking him with joint forces, some upon one article, some upon another to whom he gave, sick as he was, so satisfactory answers, that though they would not open their eyes to behold the truth which he set before them, yet they could not help admiring his learning; and concluded, that he was a more than ordinary man, perhaps a bishop, or, at least, a cunning jesuit, sent upon some plot into the nation. But none of them all, though they saw him in such a plight with his fever and chain, that he could neither rise out of bed, nor turn himself in bed, had the christianity to propose the easing him, at least for a time, of his chain and clog: such was the barbarity of the people in those days with regard to catholics. Within ten days, orders came from the council, that the prisoners should be removed to London: so Mr. Nutter and his companions, were put in a wagon, and conveyed to town, with a stong guard to attend them: from whose inhumanity, Mr. Nutter suffered much in this journey, he being still violently ill, and loaded with irons, and his guards contriving, on purpose, to carry him through the most rugged ways they could: for which they gave no other reason, but that they did it to exercise his patience. After their arrival at London, Mr. Nutter and his companions were sent down to Richmond, to be examined by secretary Walsingham. Mr. Nutter was so ill that he could scarce either stand or speak; so that, after he had acknowledged that he was a catholic priest, no more questions were asked him, but he was sent back to London, and committed to the Marshalsea. Here, by the blessing of God, and the charitable help of some good catholics, he quickly recovered; and he remained in this prison a whole year, where he did much good, reconciling many to the catholic church, and taking great pains in instructing them therein. And so zealous and indefatigable was he in this charitable work of his neighbours' conversion and salvation, that though sometimes he seemed to spend a great deal of time in vain, and to lose his labour, with regard to certain persons whom he had to deal with, he would never despond or leave off, but still persevered in praying earnestly to God, and using the best exhortations he could, till these stubborn hearts yielded at last to the divine grace. Amongst those whom the man of God took the most pains with, there was one, whom he could not, during life, bring to any thing but the same being one of the spectators of his death, was so moved thereby, as to be quite changed into another man; and from that day to resolve to live in that church, for which he saw this holy priest die with so much constancy. Mr. Nutter was also remarkably charitable to his enemies; and so far from seeking or desiring any revenge, as to be glad to do them kindness; which he showed in the case of those very men who had so lately grossly injured him, at the time of his apprehension and bringing up to town for they being prosecuted by the officers of the Marshaslea, for unjustly detaining some clothes belonging to Mr. Conyers, his fellowprisoner; and justly fearing the consequence, applied to the catholic prisoners whom they had before treated with so much inhumanity, to beg of them to stop the prosecution: which, when Mr. Conyers seemed unwilling to consent to, unless they would be at the charges of the suit which was commenced, Mr. Nutter undertook to be an intercessor for his enemies, and, by his charitable remonstrances, prevailed with his fellow-prisoner to desist from his claim. He was also a great rebuker of vice, wheresoever he discovered it; which charity he exercised with that unaffected candour, simplicity and sincerity, joined with a profound self-knowledge and humility, as to procure from his fellow-prisoners the name of John, of Plain Dealing. In the mean time, he was very severe to himself, treating his body roughly, not only by fastings and watchings, but also by frequent disciplines, which, though he industriously sought to conceal, it was discovered by one of his most intimate friends, a little before his death. His lodging was very incommodious, in a poor hole in the garret, or highest part of the prison; but he was well pleased with it, as being more remote from the noise, and therefore, more proper for prayer and contemplation. One day, when a certain priest was to be put in irons, and the jailors were fitting them to his legs and hands, Mr. Nutter, hearing of it, thrust himself into the company, and laying hold of the fetters, kissed them with great veneration; and when, in the way of ridiculing him, they asked him if he would not kiss the manacles too? Yes, said he, very willingly; and so he did, with great respect, affirming, that these irons were sanctified by the touch of the bodies of God's servants, who had been bound by them. After Mr. Nutter had been about a year in the Marshalsea, he was called to another examination, and had the usual question put to him; to which, he answered with great courage and resolution. At length, they proceeded to that question which they usually proposed in the last place, to those whom they designed to make away, viz. what he would do, in case the pope should invade the kingdom? To which, he answered, that he would do as a good catholic priest ought to do; and, as he would not further satisfy them what that was, they would needs infer from thence, that he was a traitor, at least, in his heart. The next day, Mr. Nutter promised Mr. Popham, the attorney general, to give him, in writing, a full and satisfactory answer to all things, if he, on his part, would engage his word to deliver this writing into the queen's own hands. Mr. Popham promising so to do, Mr. Nutter wrote a full account, as it is thought, of the true reasons that brought him and his fellow priests over into England: which were not to disturb the peace of the kingdom, or to plot against the queen; but to invite their fellow subjects to peace with God; and to promote the true and only solid interest of their queen and country. This writing had no other effect, than to hasten, perhaps, his trial and execution; for, immediately upon it, he was summoned to appear in Westminsterhall, and was there tried and condemned, with four other priests, on the 7th of February: and, after lying in irons five days in the Tower, was drawn, together with the same four confessors, to Tyburn, and there hanged, cut down alive, bowelled and quartered, February, 12, 1583--4. He was the fourth, in that happy number, to fight that last battle of his Lord, and his ghostly children, who were present upon this occasion, were not a little edified with that cheerfulness and serenity which appeared in his countenance, as well upon the hurdle, as at the gallows; and that courage and constancy which he showed in his sufferings. He suffered, says Mr. Wood, in his Athene Oxon, for being a Roman catholic priest, and denying the queen's supremacy. JOHN MUNDEN, OR MUNDYN, PRIEST. * MR. MUNDEN was born at Maperton, in Dorsetshire, and educated in the university of Oxford; where he was admitted fellow of New College, in 1562, and had the character of being a very good civilian. Being discovered to be a catholic, he was deprived of his fellowship, in 1566; and after many years, going abroad, he applied himself to the study of divinity, at Rhemes, where he arrived, in 1580; where, also, according to some authors, he was made priest: but in the account in Dr. Bridgewater, of his examination before secretary Walsingham, he answers, that he was made priest at Rome, though he was not of the college or seminary there; and I find him in the Douay diary, returning priest from Rome, in 1582. About the end of February, 1582--3, as he was going up from Winchester to London, he met upon Hounslow-heath with one Mr. Hammond, a lawyer, who, knowing him to be a priest, stopped him on the way, and obliged him to go back with him to Stains, where he delivered him up to the justices or magistrates of the place. These sent him to London, to Wolsey, the Latin secretary; who, the following day, sent him to Sir Francis Walsingham, principal secretary of state. * From Athens Oxon., Douay Memoirs, and Dr. Bridgewater's Collection, fol. 139. 2. |