and that his prayers should not be wanting for them: but withal taking him aside, he told him, that in the extremity of want under which he had laboured, during the two last years of his imprisonment in the Fleet, he had been obliged to contract some debts to the value of about twenty-two pounds, which it would be a great comfort to him to see discharged before he died. The good father promised he would do his best to procure him that sum of money; which he set about without loss of time; and by the contributions of pious catholics was enabled to carry him the whole sum the next day; for which, in return, the holy confessor promised his prayers for all his benefactors, and in particular for the Society of Jesus.

The night before he was to suffer, he spent in watching and prayer. The following day being Tuesday, the 26th of April, 1642, about eight o'clock in the morning, he was brought out of prison, and laid on a hurdle or sledge incommodiously enough, as well because his head was laid too low, as also because the rope which he had about his neck, was drawn so straight, that he could scarce take his breath: but this being perceived was remedied in Holborn; upon which occasion the sledge being obliged to stand, some one, very courteously, offered him a glass of wine to drink, which he did not refuse; and withal he took that opportunity of informing the people of the cause for which he was going to die; viz., barely for being a priest; whilst all the standers-by were in admiration at that cheerfulness and joy, which they discovered both in his words and looks. The multitude of the people that accompanied the sledge was very great, yet no one in that great number offered to affront or insult him, but rather all showed a compassion towards him. When they arrived at Tyburn, it was with the greatest difficulty imaginable, that the sheriff's men could make room for the sledge, so great was the concourse of coaches, horsemen, and footmen, there assembled, to be spectators of the last conflict of this soldier of Christ. Yet as soon as they saw him, no other voice was to be heard in the crowd but Silence, silence,' all being desirous to hear his last words; and a great part of them standing with their heads uncovered.

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As soon as he was put up into the cart, he sent to the sheriff, who was at a distance by reason of the crowd, to ask leave to speak to the people, declaring that he had that regard to the authority of a lawful magistrate, that he would not speak without his permission. The sheriff used his best endeavours to draw nigher, but could not, and, therefore, by the means of others that were nearer, gave him the leave that he desired. But first, the servant of God, before he would speak, kneeled down in the cart, and there spent some time in silent prayer: then rising up, and disposing of his hat to a friend who was near, he waited a little while till all were silent, his countenance being all the while wonderfully serene and cheerful. He began by signing himself with the sign of the cross, and took for his text out of the gospel of the foregoing Sunday, those words of our Saviour, The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep, St. John x. acknowledging at the same time himself infinitely unworthy of that title, which properly belongs to Jesus Christ, the true shepherd of our souls, who died for us all: but withal inferring from this text that we ought also, by Christ's example, and by the

consideration of his dying for us, to be willing to lay down our lives also for him; and affirming, that to die for being a priest of the catholic church, is to die for the church of Christ, and consequently dying for Christ. There is but one God, said he, one faith, one baptism, one true church, in which is found true hope of salvation, out of which there can be none; and for this true church of Christ I willingly die; and I offer up my blood for the good of my country, and for the procuring a better understanding between the king and parliament.' Here he was interrupted by a minister, telling him to prepare himself for death, and not to stand seducing the people. The confessor replied, Sir, this is not a proper time for me to dispute with you; I beg you would not be troublesome to me now and so went resolutely on with his discourse. (though he was several times interrupted by the same minister,) proving the true church by its antiquity, universality, succession, &c., and demonstrating that the modern sects are all too new to have any claim to a succession from the apostles, or commission from Christ. His words seemed to make no small impression on the hearers, who were also astonished at his intrepidity, and that wonderful cheerfulness with which he met death.

He also gave the people on this occasion a short account of his birth, parentage, and education; acknowledging himself to be a priest, and begging of God to forgive all who had slandered him, or been the cause of his manifold sufferings, as he besought his divine majesty to forgive his own innumerable sins. After he had finished his discourse, and the rope was now fastened in order to execution, he cheerfully said, he hoped he should now be sent to heaven in a string. A minister taking him up, said it was no time now to joke: Mr. Morgan replied, indeed this was no joking matter with me, but very serious; but why should any one be offended at my going to heaven cheerfully? For God loves a cheerful giver. Then, after he had recommended his departing soul by prayer to God, the cart was drawn away, and he was suffered to hang till he was dead, and then he was cut down, bowelled, and quartered. He suffered in the fifty-seventh year of his age, April 26, 1642.

HUGH GREEN, ALIAS, FERDINAND BROOKS, PRIEST.*

MR. HUGH GREEN, who was known upon the mission by the name of Ferdinand Brooks, or, as he is called in Mr. Ireland's diary, Ferdinand Brown, was born in London, about the year 1584, and after an academical education at Cambridge, became a convert, and went abroad to the English college at Douay, where he was admitted to the usual oath, and received alumnus, July 7, 1610. He was confirmed at Cambray, September 25, 1611, was advanced to the minor orders, and made sub-deacon at Arras, December 17, deacon, March 18, and priest, June 14, 1612. He sung his first mass on St. John Baptist's day, June 24,

* From the Douay diary, and a manuscript relation of his death, by an eye-witness.

and left the college on the 6th of August following, in order to enter himself amongst the capuchins; but the want of health, or some other impediment preventing his going through with that difficult enterprise, he went over upon the English mission, where he laboured for many years, his residence being at Chediok, in Dorsetshire, the seat of lady Arundel.

When king Charles set forth his proclamation, commanding all priests to depart the nation by a certain day, and that at their utmost peril, Mr. Green took a resolution to withdraw upon this occasion, as many others had done. The lady of the house opposed the thing, saying it was to no purpose, the time allowed in the proclamation being now elapsed. Mr. Green had not seen the proclamation, but said with some assurance, that there remained two or three days, and therefore he would make the best of his way to Lime, the next seaport, not doubting but he had yet time sufficient to have the benefit of the proclamation.

When he came to Lime, and was going on board a vessel bound for France, he was roughly accosted by a custom-house officer, inquiring his name and his business there; Mr. Green very freely told him he was a catholic priest, and that as such he was leaving the kingdom, in obedience to his majesty's late proclamation. The officer answered, that he was mistaken in his account, the day fixed in the proclamation for the departure of priests and jesuits being already passed; and therefore he was not to be allowed the benefit of the proclamation. And, whereas, he had owned himself a priest in his hearing, he must be had before a justice of peace. Accordingly, a constable was called, and Mr. Green was carried before a justice; and notwithstanding his pleading his good intentions of obeying the king's orders, and that he hoped where the mistake was only of two or three days, advantage would not be taken of his unwary but candid discovery of his character, to the endangering of his life: he was by the justice committed to Dorchester jail, and after five months imprisonment was tried and condemned to die, as in cases of high treason, barely for being a priest. The following account of his martyrdom is copied from Mrs. Elizabeth Willoughby's MSS., who was an eye-witness.

Upon Wednesday before the sentence of death being given against him by judge Foster, he said, Sit nomen Domini Jesu benedictum in scula. 66 May the name of the Lord Jesus be for ever blessed." He should have died upon Thursday, and to that end the furze was carried to the hill to make the fire, and a great multitude of people were in the streets, and at the gate, and lanes, to see the execution. But our great martyr, did desire to die on Friday, the which was by a friend of his procured of the sheriff, though with very much difficulty, being opposed by Millard, the master keeper. And it was noted, that after his sentence he never went to bed, and eat but very little, scarce enough to sustain nature; yet he was very cheerful and full of courage to the last.

Now I beseech our Lord to put his words into my memory, that I may especially relate them, for I have a great scruple to add or take away and therefore I have had the help of a true servant of God, who was attentive at his death; yet we being two weak women cannot punctually remember all. Much admired was his devotion: he

kneeling on the hurdle made his prayer, and kissed it before he lay down upon it, and continued his prayers until he came to the place of execution. Then he was taken from the hurdle, and stayed on the hill a good distance from the gallows, until three poor women were hanged two of them had sent him word the night before, that they would die in his faith. O! what comfort was this to God's true servant! who did all which was possible to see and to speak with them, but could not. Then they sent again to desire him, that when they had made a confession of their sinful life at the gallows, and should give him a sign, that he then should absolve them. The which with great joy on his part, and much benefit, (I hope,) on theirs, was performed: they two turning their faces towards us, and throwing forth their arms, cried out to him, God be with you, sir; and so died: but the third woman turned from us, towards the press of people, and so she died, her face or speech never tending towards us.

'Now, I also noted that our martyr's charity in this short time of life was not unrewarded; for God of his mercy was pleased to yield him the like comfort, by a reverend father of the society of Jesus, who was there on horseback to absolve him, the which with great devotion and reverence, taking off his cap, and lifting up his eyes and hands to heaven, he received from him.

'I cannot but bless God to see the magnanimity of these two, the holy martyr and that reverend father. The one being at the point of death, with such comfort as his cheerful countenance expressed; and the other not apprehending the great danger he was in to be taken by the rude multitude, of whom he should have found no mercy.

Now, is our martyr brought to the foot of the ladder by the sheriff, where falling upon his knees, he remained in devout prayer almost half an hour: then he took his crucifix and Agnus Dei from his neck, and gave them to this devout gentlewoman, my assistant in this relation; and his beads he gave to another; also he gave the master-keeper his handkerchief. And last of all to me most unworthy, he gave his book of litanies, &c., also from the gallows he threw me down his band, spectacles, and priest's girdle. Then turning himself to the people, and blessing himself with the sign of the cross, he began:

There be four principal things, which all men ought to remember; death, judgment, heaven, and hell. Death is a horror to nature; but that which followeth, is much more terrible, viz: judgment, if we die not as we ought; and as we dispose ourselves to good or evil in this life, so shall the measure of our punishment or glory succeed. I am here condemned to die for my religion, and for being a priest: we know there must be priests, for God foretelling of the church by the prophets, saith, Thou art a priest for ever, according to the order of Melchisedech, Ps. cix. And, From the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof, there shall be a clean sacrifice offered in my name, Malach. i. Now four things are to be considered. A God, a sacrifice, a priest, a man. God must be served by sacrifice, this sacrifice must be offered VOL. II.

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by a priest, and this priest must be a man: such am I, and therefore I must die. Wherefore do we receive holy unction, and are made priests, but to offer sacrifice to God? But I am condemned for being ordained by the see of Rome: St. Paul saith, The Romans have the catholic faith, Rom. i. &c., and gives God thanks that their faith and his were one; of which catholic faith I am. Against this Roman faith, all the sectaries cried out; and all heretics that have been since Christ oppugn this faith, and yet truly out of it none can be saved.

There be four things more, one God, one faith, one baptism, one church. That there is one God we all acknowledge, in whom, from whom, and by whom, all things remain and have their being. That there is one faith appears by Christ's praying that St. Peter's faith, (he said not faiths,) should never fail; and he promised to be with it, to the end of the world. That there is one baptism; we are all cleansed by the laver of water in the word. That there is one church, holy and sanctified doth not St. Paul say, that it is a glorious church without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing? Now the marks of this church are sanctity, unity, antiquity, universality; which all of us, in all points of faith believe. 66 Here the ministers interrupted him, and would have disputed with him; but he said, he had been five months in prison, and in all that time, not any one of them came to dispute with him. There he would not have refused any of them; but now, that his time was too short for disputation. So he went on." But some will say, We are fallen off from this church of Rome: but in what pope's time, in what prince's reign, or what are the errors, none can discover. No, this holy church of Christ did never err. We have often offered public disputation, but it would never be accepted. No, this church can never be impeached of falsehood in matters of doctrine; though scholars in school points may differ, but never in points of faith. God is the author of all truth, and he hath promised to be with it even to the consummation of the world, St. Matth. xxviii., until we meet all in the unity of faith, and knowledge of the Son of God; to the end we be not carried away with every blast of doctrine; because many heresies have risen with diversities of doctrine to oppugn the truth of God's church, as heretofore Arius, Nestorious, Wickliff, and others, so now in these our latter times, Luther, Calvin, Zuinglius, and the rest, whose doctrine at this present hath so inveigled the judgments of this kingdom; for God cannot be divided, nor served in many faiths. And although there have been many heretics, yet this Roman church resisted, confounded, and condemned all heresies and Luther himself confesses, that his religion was not begun by God, nether should it be ended by God.

Here a minister, (one Banker, some say it was the minister, who formerly had been a weaver, and now is chaplain to Sir Thomas Trencher,) cried out with a loud voice, He blasphemeth, stop that mouth of the blasphemer, cast him off the ladder: and so much noise was made by the multitude, that the sheriff, to content the people, desired our martyr to leave off that discourse; and silence being made, I truly pity our poor country, said he, with all my heart, to see what di