mised that he would pray to God to be their rewarder; and would, for that end, offer up his last mass on the ensuing morning, for that king and kingdom.

On the next day, being the 12th of December, having celebrated early in the morning the sacred mysteries, he was called down to the sledge about ten, to be drawn to Tyburn. It was observed that neither the sheriff of London, nor the sheriff of Middlesex, was present on this occasion, which some interpreted as a testimony of their being conscious that the prisoner was unjustly condemned. Great multitudes resorted to the place of execution, to be spectators of the last conflict of this servant of God: amongst the rest, the Spanish ambassador with almost all his family. When the sledge was arrived at Tyburn, a father of the Society, who had assisted F. Holland in prison, taking him by the hand, bid him be of good courage, and behave himself like a man. To whom the confessor of Christ replied, With the grace of God, you need not fear; I shall not want courage. Then arising from the sledge, and perceiving the people to be very silent and attentive, in expectation of what he should say, he began to speak to them, (making the sign of the cross,) to this effect.

That he was brought thither to die, for being a Roman catholic priest; though this had not been made out by any legal proofs, for which he durst appeal to all and every one present at his trial. However, for the satisfaction of such as desired to know the truth, he there freely acknowledged that he was a catholic and a priest, and by God's great goodness, a religious man of the Society of Jesus, and the first of that order that had been sentenced to death since the beginning of this parliament for all which favours, he returned hearty thanks to the divine goodness.' Then he proceeded to tell the people, that there could be but one true faith, one true church, and no salvation out of it; when the ordinary of Newgate interrupted him, and bid him say his prayers to himself, whilst he talked with the two malefactors that were to die that day, and sung psalms with them. The father did so, and when the minister had finished, he began to pray with a loud voice that all might hear him, and made fervent acts of faith, hope, charity, and contrition, offering his life and his whole being to his Maker, and begging that his sufferings and death might be accepted of, through Jesus Christ's passion, &c., declaring withal, that he forgave from his heart, the judge, jury, witnesses, and all that had any ways concurred to his death; and praying for the king, queen, and all the royal family, for the parliament, and the whole nation; for whose prosperity and conversion to the catholic faith, if I had, said he, as many lives as there are hairs on my head, drops of water in the ocean, or stars in the firmament, I would most willingly sacrifice them all.' Which last words were received with a shout of the people, in testimony of their approbation.

After this the father turning himself to Gregory, the executioner, told him he forgave him also, and presented him two crowns of money, which was all he had left. Then shutting his eyes for a while in silent prayer, and a little after opening them, and looking towards his confessor, who was there in the crowd, at this signal given, received his

last absolution; after which the cart was drawn away, and he was left hanging till he quietly expired; his eyes being observed to remain fixed on heaven, and his hands all the while joined before his breast. The minister would have had the hangman cut the rope before he was dead, but Jack Catch was more humane than the parson, and delayed till his pious soul was let loose from the body; and then he performed the usual butchery. Many of the catholics found means to carry off something of his blood, &c. as relics. And even there were not wanting some amongst the protestants themselves, who highly admired and praised his virtues.

Father Holland suffered December 12, 1642, ætatis 42, societatis 19. His true character was, "That he had extraordinary talents for promoting the greater glory of God, and that he made an extraordinary use of them. His knowledge in spirituals was such, that he was termed The Library of Piety, Bibliotheca Pietatis: and whenever he was in company, whatever the subject of the conversation happened to be, he would, by a dexterous turn, bring it to some moral or gospel instruction, for the advantage of the company; imitating the great saint Xaverius, of whom it used to be said, that in his conversation with the people of the world, he would go in at their door, and come out at his own.' 1643. This year, two venerable priests were put to death at Tyburn, both of the order of St. Francis; the first was

HENRY HEATH, PRIEST.-O. S. F.*

HENRY HEATH was born at Petersborough, about the year 1600. His parents were protestants, who brought him up to learning, and sent him to St. Bennet's college in Cambridge, where he remained about five years. The life he led here, whilst yet a protestant, was far more religious than that of his companions; and his ardour for learning was so great, that he rose at two in the morning, winter and summer, to his studies being now made bachelor of arts, and chosen librarian of the college, and having before observed, as he thought, some defects in the principles of his religion, he was resolved, having gotten books and opportunity, to examine the matter more thoroughly. Wherefore being willing to hear both sides speak in their own cause, he first reads Bellarmin, and then Whitaker against him. But behold, instead of satisfying his doubts by this inquiry, he discovers another defect, viz., the unfair dealing of Whitaker in citing his authors, whereas he found Bellarmin always faithful in his quotations. This made him think better of the catholic religion, and eager to look farther into it. Upon this he reads the ancient fathers, and finding them to deliver the catholic faith, he is inflamed with the love of the old religion, and seeks to communicate the same sentiments to his fellow collegians; four of whom by his means not only left the college, but soon after the world too, and all became religious men, three in the holy or

* From Certamen Seraphicum, p. 63, and from his life, printed in English, at Douay, anno 1674.

der of St. Francis, and the fourth in the society of Jesus. Mr. Heath, upon those proceedings, perceived that Cambridge would quickly be too warm for him, and therefore quitted the university, and came up to London in order to be reconciled to the catholic church. With this view he applies to the Spanish ambassador, but meets with no countenance. Then he addresses himself to a catholic gentleman," Mr. George Jarnagan," who also rejects him, suspecting his sincerity. In these straights, not knowing how to meet with a priest, or which way to turn himself, he remembers what he had read of the devotions of catholics to the saints, and especially to the blessed virgin, and what helps they received by applying to her for her intercession, and is resolved to make a trial of this devotion; when behold, on a sudden, the same Mr. Jarnagan, who had a little while before rejected him with reproach, meets with him, treats him most courteously, and conducts him to Mr. George Muscot, a strenuous labourer in the Lord's vineyard, afterwards president of Douay college, who heard his confession, reconciled him to God and his church, and sent him over to Douay, recommended to Dr. Kellison, then president of the college, who received him kindly, and admitted him amongst the convictors of that community.

Mr. Heath had not been long at Douay, when seeing at the college some of the English friars who had been lately established in that city, and being informed of their rule and manner of life, he found a strong call to embrace that penitential institute. He communicated his desires to his confessor, and by him to the president and seniors, who approved of his vocation, and recommended him to the superiors of the English Franciscans, who willingly received him, first to the habit, and then after a year's noviceship, (in which he gave great proofs of a most solid virtue,) to his religious profession. In religion he took the name of brother Paul, of St. Magdalen, and for about nineteen years that he lived in the convent, he led a life of extraordinary perfection.

He fasted four or five of the seven days of the week for many years together, upon bread and small beer; he constantly wore a rough haircloth, and an iron chain or girdle under his habit; he used frequent disciplines besides those of the order; when he slept, he seldom indulged himself even the poor convenience of the straw bed allowed by the rule, but spreading a blanket upon the floor, laid himself down in his habit upon it; and after rising at midnight with the rest of the community to matins, he frequently prolonged his prayer till prime in the morning. As to his interior, it appears by certain regulations which he made for himself, and which were found, written in his own hand, after his death, that he obliged himself constantly to make a meditation after matins, to practice aspirations of the love of Jesus a hundred times in the day; to mortify upon every occasion his eyes, his tongue, his passions, and affections; to support the defects of all, without murmur: to suffer incommodities and want of necessaries, with a pure resignation; to regard God and his service only, and not to seek the affection and esteem of creatures; to abstain from recreations; to retrench all unnecessary discourse, &c., to which he added these three rules: 1st. Of renouncing all right and authority in every thing whatsoever, even in my good name, and corporal conveniences: that I may willingly suffer

myself to be spoiled of all things for God's sake. 2dly. Offering myself as a servant to every creature, that I may do him all good, expecting no profit thereby, although I may, but crosses and afflictions. 3dly. To live as absolutely dead to the defects of others, that I may continually find out and lament my own defects.'

His constant attention to God did not hinder him from making great progress in the sciences, both human and divine; for the attaining to which, he had both good opportunities and great abilities; no less than thirty treatises, on different subjects, of his compiling, are still preserved in his own hand-writing, in his convent, as lasting monuments of his learning. He was for many years first reader, or professor of divinity, and gained great esteem in the university. He was also twice guardian, or superior of his convent, and was preferred to other honourable employs in his order, as that of custos, custodum, commissary provincial in the parts of Flanders, &c., of all which he acquitted himself with great prudence and vigilancy. In the mean time, his charity for his poor countrymen that had gone astray from the fold of Christ, was very remarkable, and he laboured with great zeal and success in reclaiming as many of them as came in his way, from their errors and sins.

It was in the year 1641, that father Heath seems to have taken the resolution of quitting his convent, and entering upon the English mission, and this in hopes of meeting there with the crown of martyrdom. Two priests had been put to death in 1641, and seven more were sentenced to die for the same cause, that is, for their being in orders, and exercising their functions in England. Amongst the latter was father Colman, a Franciscan, a cotemporary of father Heath, and his intimate friend. It was in the month of December, 1641, that these confessors received the sentence of death, and the news no sooner reached Douay, but father Heath took up his pen, and wrote an excellent letter to these seven condemned priests, who daily looked for the dead warrant. Take here a part of the letter in his own words, which clearly demonstrate the spirit of the writer, and the desire he had of bearing part of their sufferings.

O ye most glorious men! most noble friends, and most courageous soldiers of Christ Jesus! How great is my unhappiness, that I am not permitted to come to you, that I may be partaker of your chains, and offer myself to be consumed with that ardent love of Jesus Christ, which in your trials hath made you so constant and victorious over human fears. O good Jesus! what is the crime I am guilty of, for which I am not to be permitted to enjoy your company, seeing there is nothing in this world I desire more? nor indeed is it possible that any thing can satisfy me, so long as I am kept from you. Wherefore I humbly beseech you, for the love of God, to pray for me, that I may come to you, and never be separated from you.'

6

About the same time, he wrote to his provincial for his consent, that he might go upon the mission. This letter runs in much the same strain as the former. Alas! most dear sir, says he, I only require this; your obedientials; after this, nothing stays me; if I can get your consent but in one word, I will not endure to be kept from you a moment's time. Why, sir, you cannot allow that soldier to be a man

of courage, who hearing that the army is drawn up in battle array, the drums and trumpets sounding to the charge, and yet shall indulge himself at home in sloth and cowardice. I am unfit, I deny not, and altogether unworthy to discharge this apostolic duty, or presume to suffer for the name of Christ; but his apostle has assured us, that virtue is perfected in infirmity, and that God hath chosen the foolish, that he may confound the wise. Our most benign Lord inspire you to hasten your consent, and I shall eternally remain your poor child.'

PAUL MAGD.

His provincial returned him an answer, that after some time he might be permitted to leave his convent, and go upon the mission, but that as yet he could not be spared: upon this he applies himself to father Angelus Mason, the commissary provincial residing in Flanders, and casting himself upon his knees, with abundance of tears besought him to send him away, for that he found such strong desires of going upon the mission, that he perfectly languished away, and could not rest night or day and that he thought the likeness of the hangman putting the rope about his neck was always before his eyes; which last words, (says this superior, page 99,) he spoke with such a feeling, and with such an emphasis in their delivery, that had you seen him, you would have said the man did verily think himself standing under the gallows, in the hands of the executioner. But though father Mason, (who afterwards wrote the life and martyrdom of father Heath, in his Certamen Seraphicum) was very much affected with his words, yet he could not be induced to yield, for the present, to father Heath's petition; who being strongly pursuaded, that his desire to go to England was a call from God, was resolved to try one other expedient, which, as we shall see, procured what he desired.

He was wonderfully devoted to the blessed virgin, and had seldom or never failed to obtain of God Almighty, what he had particularly recommended to her prayers and intercession. Of this, my author* alledges these wonderful instances: when he was guardian of the convent, a pestilential fever had taken root there, and carried off some of the religious; others were ill, and himself not without some suspicion of having contracted the infection: but what added to his affliction, was, that the wants of the community were at the same time extraordinary great, with little prospect of relief from any quarter. Here he applied himself to this mother of consolation, and immediately his tears were dried up, and his fears dissipated; his sick brethren recovered, and a plentiful and seasonable supply of necessaries for the support of his convent (reduced, at that time, almost to the extremities of want) was brought in by the citizens. His father had, hitherto, continued protestant, proof against all arguments, and now upon the brink of his grave; father Heath recommends his almost desperate condition to the care of the virgin Mary; when, behold, on a sudden, the feeble old man, aged fourscore, crosses the sea, and unexpectedly calls for his son in his convent at Douay, there to abjure his errors, and to be taken into the

* From an epistle or prayer found in father Heath's own hand. VOL. II.

18