We pretend not to make panegyrics of any of these brave men, but merely to deliver short memoirs of what we find most remarkable in their lives, and particularly in their deaths; and, as we had so many to treat of, we have been sometimes forced to be shorter than could have been wished, and to pass many things over, that we might be able to bring the whole into compass, which has chiefly happened with relation to those whose lives have been published at large, and might singly suffice for a just volume, as those of father Campion, father Walpole, &c. For as for some others, we have been obliged to be much shorter than we would, for want of proper lights, having been able to find little else of them, than that they died at such a time and place, and for the cause of their religion. We cannot but lament our being left so much in the dark, with regard to several; but shall not pretend to determine whether this has happened by the iniquity of the times, or the negligence of our fore-fathers, in not committing to writing the particulars of those gentlemen's lives and deaths: or, perhaps, the memoirs then written, have since been lost, as we know some have, at least so far as not to have come as yet to our hands. Where we think it proper to advertise our reader, that if he knows of any such memoirs, and will be so good as to furnish us with them, or with any other materials relating to the sufferings of catholics, we shall frankly acknowledge the favour, and insert them by way of a supplement in our second volume, which we are preparing for the press. As to the odious imputation of treason, which was laid at these gentlemen's door; though we pretend not to act the apologist, but only the historian; yet we must acquaint our reader that we have inserted no one's name in our list, without being first fully convinced that his religion and conscience was his only treason; which was certainly the case of all who suffered under the penal statutes of Elizabeth 27, viz : either for being made priests by Roman authority, and exercising their functions in England; or for harbouring and relieving such priests; and it no less certainly was the case of those who suffered for denying the spiritual supremacy, or for being reconciled to the catholic church; a thing the more evident, because there was not a man of them all, but might have saved his life, if he would but have conformed in matters of religion. As to father Campion, and his companions, to whom their adversaries pretended to impute treasons of another kind, viz: I know not what conspiracies formed at Rhemes and Rome, we are fully persuaded that they were no more traitors than the rest, and that the true cause of their death was the hatred of their religion; and therefore we have given them a place with the rest in these memoirs. And, indeed, it seems to have been the more common opinion of the nation, at that time, and even of the queen herself, if we believe Mr. Camden, in his Elizabeth, that these men were not guilty of those pretended conspiracies; which they, for their part, notwithstanding all their rackings and torturings, all, to a man, constantly denied, both in life and death, though they had their lives offered them, if they would own themselves guilty; which thing alone, to every thinking man, must be a full demonstration of their innocence. To pass over other considerations, as for instance, that several of them had never been in their lives at the places where they were pretended to have been plotting; or, if they had ever been there, were not there at least at the time of the pretended plot; several of them had never been seen in their lives, by the perjured witnesses that deposed against them, nor had ever seen one the other, (though they were accused to have plotted together,) till they all met at the bar to take their trials; which, with many other arguments too long to be here inserted, prove abundantly, that they were, indeed, no plotters, and that their only guilt was their religion. Hence our English catholics have ever looked upon them, no less than the others, as martyrs of religion; and so has the greatest part of christians abroad, French, Spaniards, Italians, Germans, as appears by the honours showed to the relics of the one sort, no less than of the other, by people of all these nations, which they have earnestly sought, diligently preserved, and highly esteemed; and have attributed many miraculous cures to them, insomuch, that some of the most celebrated authors abroad have employed their pens in writing their history, as of great and glorious martyrs, as the truly learned and pious Diego de Yepez, bishop of Tarrasona, and father Ribadaneira, have done in Spanish, Polinus in Italian, &c. They are also recorded amongst the most famous martyrs, by father Lewis de Granada, in his catechism; and by Bozius, the learned orotorian, in his excellent work, de Signis Ecclesiæ, lib. 12, sect. 517, they are likewise mentioned with the highest honour, by Cardinal Baronius, in his annotations upon the Roman martyrologie, Dec. 29. It is true, the apostolic see, has not, as yet, thought fit, by any solemn decree, to declare them martyrs; yet has not been entirely silent, in their regard. Gregory XIII., as we learn, from : the bishop of Tarrasona, in his history of the English Persecution, 1. 2, c. 5, allowed in 1582 their relics to be used in the consecration of altars and his successor,* Sextus V., in his bull, which begins, afflicta et crudeliter vexatæ Anglorum reliquiæ, directed to the whole church, as an exhortation to assist the college then residing at Rhemes, makes an honourable mention of them as glorious martyrs. Paul V. also allowed the same college to sing a solemn mass of thanksgiving, upon occasion of the death of any one of the priests executed in England, for religion and a plenary indulgence to such as having confessed and received were present at that mass. To say nothing of other grants of the same nature, made to other colleges and convents. Some will, perhaps, be surprised, to find in these memoirs, such frequent mention of the racking and torturing of priests, and others, that suffered in queen Elizabeth's reign; because these things are not usual in this kingdom, nor supposed to be agreeable to our laws. I am not lawyer enough, to decide how far these violences may be justifiable by our constitution; certain it is, they are not now in use: but we must be utterly strangers to the history of that reign, and must contradict all kinds of monuments, and innumerable cotemporary writers, if we deny that they were in use in those times. This is what Cecil himself, in his book, entitled, The Execution of Justice in England, written in vindication of the proceedings of the government against catholics, offers not to deny, though he would have his reader believe that these rackings were not for matters of religion, but treason; and were not so severe as catholics pretended; but Cardinal Allen, in his Sincere and Modest Defence of the suffering Catholics, written in answer to the aforesaid book, confutes both these assertions, p. 10, 11, &c., whose words I shall here set down: 'The place serveth here to say somewhat of their racking of catholics; which they would have strangers believe never to be done for any point of religion. As for example, (say they, in the addition to the end of the libel,) none is asked by torture, what he believeth of the mass, or of transubstantiation, or such like. Whereas, indeed, it no less concerneth religion, to demand and press us by torture, to declare where, *'Sixtus V. Bulla afflictæ, &c. ex sancto illo anglorum seminario multos fere quotidie prodire audimus, qui deo juvante in Angliam ad confirmandos catholicorum, animos redeuntes, gloriosis, et apud posteros quoque illustribus futuris martyris, suam erga catholicam fidem, et hanc sanctam sedem devotionem usque ad sanguinis et spiritus effusionem testentur.' Bullar. t. 2, p. 346. in whose houses, what days and times, we say or hear mass: how many we have reconciled; what we have heard in confession; who resort to our preachings; who harbour catholics and priests; where such a jesuit, or such a priest is to be found; where catholic books are printed, &c., which things being demanded of evil intent, and to the annoyance of the catholic cause, of God's priests, and of innocent men; no man may, by the law of God and nature, disclose, &c. 'Yet, these were the interrogatories for which the famous confessor, Mr. Briant, was tormented with needles thrust under his nails; racked, also, otherwise in cruel sort, and especially punished by two whole days and nights famine, &c. The like demands were put to the blessed martyrs, Campion, Sherwine, and others, upon the torture; and, of this latter, was asked, where Father Parsons and Campion were; and whether he had said mass in Mr. Roscarock's chamber; and what money he had given him. Mr. Thomson, a venerable and learned priest, was put to torments, only to get out of him, to what end he kept certain portable altars, and where he intended to bestow them. And the young man, Carter, was examined upon the rack; upon what gentleman, or catholic ladies, he had bestowed, or intended to bestow, certain books of prayers, and spiritual exercises, and meditations, which he had in his custody; which may suffice to refute the adversaries' asseveration; that none have been tormented for other matter than treason. 'But the words of Mr. Thomas Cottam, uttered in sense, at the bar, and thus, verbatim, left in writing, discover the case more plainly, &c. Thus, therefore, he spoke, and avouched openly, in the presence of the rack-masters; indeed, quoth he, you are searchers of secrets; for you would needs know of me, what penance I was enjoined by my ghostly father, for my sins committed; and I acknowledge my frailty, that, to avoid the intolerable torment of the rack, I confessed, God forgive me, what they demanded therein. But, when they further urged me to utter also what my sins were, for which that penance was enjoined me: I then answered, that I would not disclose my offences, saving to God, and to my ghostly father alone. Whereupon, they sore tormented me, and still pressed me with the same demand; and I persisted, that it was a most barbarous and inhuman question; and that I would not answer, though they tormented me to death. Thus spoke Mr. Cottam at his arraignment, wherewith the enemies being ashamed, the lieutenant of the Tower, there present, began to deny the whole: whereunto, Mr. Cottam replied again thus; and is not this true? Here is present, Dr. Hammond, with the rest of the commissioners that were at my racking; to whose consciences I appeal, God is my witness, that it is most true; and you know, that Sir George Carie did ask me those unnatural questions; deny it if you can. 'As for the moderation, which, by your libel, you would have the world believe, her majesty's ministers have ever used in giving the torment to the persons aforesaid, and to other catholics: the poor innocents, have felt it, and our Lord God knoweth the contrary, &c. Look in your records, what suspicion of treasons, or great matters, you could have in young Sherwood, who was the first in our memory, that was put to the rack for matters of conscience, when no man dreamed of any of these new-feigned conspiracies. How often have you, by famine, and filthy dungeons, tormented the happy young confessor, Mr. John Hart; which could not now be, after his condemnation, for any thing else, but for his religion; and because he would not yield to one Reinolds, a minister, with whom you appointed him to confer? For what other cause did you threaten the torture to Mr. Osburne, but to make him confess that he had said mass before the true noble confessors of Christ, my lord Vaux, and Sir Thomas Tresham ? &c. We speak nothing of the pitiful extremities you have brought divers unto, by horrible fetters, stocks, dungeons, famine, "Thomson, Borschoe, Henslow, Clifton," or of the death of well near twenty happy catholics, at once infected and pestered in York prison, &c. Of all which inhuman dealing we will not impeach the superior magistrate, much less the sovereign but surely the inferior ministers of that pretended justice cannot be excused of most cruel and sacrilegious dealing towards God's priests, and other innocent persons. And as for the particular handling of Father Campion and Mr. Briant, (whom the libellers make example of their mild and gentle entertainment upon the torture,) we refer all indifferent readers to the said Briant's own Latin epistle of that matter: and for the other, "Father Campion," they say true, indeed, that after his first racking, |