catholics, whom he assisted with the sacraments, but also in the conversion of many protestants. During the course of this plague, father Morse was, himself, thrice seized with the infection; and when at the third time he looked for nothing but death, he recovered again upon the receiving a letter from the superior, commanding him to desist for the future from attending the infected. Not long after this, he was apprehended by a special warrant from the lords of the council, and committed to Newgate; and at the next sessions brought upon his trial, accused of being a priest, and of having seduced his majesty's subjects from the religion, by law established. Mr. Prynne, in his Popish Royal Favourite, page 29, informs us, that there was exhibited, and read in open court, a certificate, showing that he had perverted, as they termed it, five hundred and sixty protestants in and about the parish of St. Giles in the Fields. But this part of the accusation, it seems, could not be legally proved; of the other point, viz., of his being a priest, he was found guilty by his jury; yet upon the mediation of the queen, he did not receive sentence of death; but, after some time, was bailed out, and at length sent into banishment, by the king's proclamation, in the beginning of 1641. In the time of this banishment he was not idle, but made another mission amongst the English soldiers of colonel Gage's regiment, with such diligence and zeal, that he deservedly gained the esteem of that great officer, insomuch that he usually called him the holy father. But his ardour for the greater glory of God prompted him continually to desire to return into England, where he might have a larger field to work in, not without a prospect of receiving the crown of martyrdom for the reward of his labours; nor did he desist importuning his superiors, till they gave their consent to his return. He was at Ghent when he received this welcome news in 1643, which he immediately imparted with great joy to his brethren there, going from room to room to them; and, as he made no doubt but that he was going to die for his faith, promising that he would hereafter be mindful of them. He sailed for the northern parts of England, and landed safely there, and for about a year and a half diligently laboured amongst the catholics of those provinces in those turbulent times; till going to a house on the borders of Cumberland to assist a sick person, he was apprehended upon suspicion, by some soldiers that were making search there after another person, and was sent under a guard towards Durham. In the way thither he was to lodge one night at a constable's house, whose wife was a catholic, who managed matters so as to give him an opportunity of making his escape for that time. But about six weeks after, it plainly appeared, that it was God's will he should glorify his divine name by suffering for him; when he, travelling in that county with a guide perfectly well acquainted with all the ways thereabouts, and being within a mile or two of the house to which he was going, his guide all on a sudden was puzzled, and knew not which way to turn, as if his memory had been quite gone from him; upon this they went up to the next cottage, to inquire their way, and behold, at the very door they meet a man, who looking father Morse in the face, asked, if he was not the person who lately escaped from the soldiers who were car rying him to Durham? This unexpected rencounter surprised the fa ther, who not being able to deny the truth, was apprehended, and hurried away to Durham jail, where he was close confined in a filthy lodging for several weeks, and then carried to Newcastle, to be shipped off for London. At sea he suffered much from the barbarous usage of the rascally ship-crew, and withal, had like to have been cast away in a violent storm, in which another ship was lost before his eyes; but God reserved him for a more glorious death. Being arrived at London, he was committed to Newgate, January the 24th, and notwithstanding his brother, who was an eminent lawyer, and a protestant, left no stone unturned to save his life, he was brought to the bar on the 30th of the same month, and being found to be the man who had been brought in guilty of priesthood some years before, he was, without further trial, sentenced to die as in cases of high treason, and sent back to Newgate, where, for the short remainder of his mortal life, great numbers of all sorts of people flocked to him, and were much edified by his saintly comportment and conversation. On the first of February, the day of his execution, he celebrated early in the morning, a votive mass of the blessed trinity, in thanksgiving for the great favour God was pleased to do him, in calling him to the crown of martyrdom, having first, according to custom, recited the litanies of our blessed lady, and of all the saints, for the conversion of England. After which he made an exhortation to the catholics that were present, and having reposed himself for about an hour, and performed the canonical hours of the divine office, he went to the rooms of all his fellowprisoners, and took his leave of them with that cheerfulness in his looks as astonished them all. The little time that remained he employed in private, with another religious man of his order, in most fervent acts of faith, hope, divine love, contrition, &c., till being admonished that his time was come, he cast himself upon his knees, and with hands and eyes lifted up to heaven, gave hearty thanks to the Almighty, extolled his infinite mercy towards him, and offered himself without any reserve, as a sacrifice to his divine Majesty. Come, my sweet Jesu, said he, that I may now be inseparably united to thee in time and in eternity! welcome ropes, hurdles, gibbets, knives, and butchery! welcome for the love of Jesus my Saviour. At nine in the morning the sheriff came to the prison, and calling for father Morse, handed him down very courteously to the sledge, on which he was drawn by four horses to Tyburn. The French ambassador met him in the way in his coach, and in the sight of the whole multitude saluted him, and craved his benediction; and afterwards attended him at the place of execution, with all his retinue, begging his prayers for the common peace of christendom, and for the king and kingdom of France. The count D'Egmont was also present in his coach, to take his last leave of the confessor, who, getting up into the cart-under the gallows, and being permitted by the sheriff to speak to the people, addressed himself to them in these, or the like words, which he delivered with a loud voice. 'I am come hither to die for my religion, for that religion which is professed by the catholic Roman church, founded by Christ, established by the apostles, propagated through all ages by an hierarchy always visible to this day, grounded on the testimonies of holy scriptures; upheld by the authority of fathers and councils, out of which, in fine, there can be no hopes of salvation.' Here the sheriff interrupted him, and bid him desist from that subject, and rather tell, if he knew of any plots against the king or parliament. So Mr. Morse went on: The time was,' said he, when I was a .protestant, being then a student of the laws, in the inns of court in town; till being suspicious of the truth of my religion, I went abroad into Flanders, and upon full conviction renounced my former errors, and was reconciled to the church of Rome, the mistress of all churches. Upon my return into England, I was committed to prison for refusing the oath of pretended allegiance; and from prison, though I was then no priest, I was sent into banishment. I went to Rome, and after I had gone through the course of my studies, for seven years, I returned into England, to help the souls of my neighbours; and here, amongst other charities, I devoted myself to the service of the poor catholics and others, in the time of the late plague, and suffered nothing to be wanting that lay in me, to their spiritual comfort.' You ought not to glorify your good works, said the sheriff, and the protestant minister that stood by him. I will glory in nothing,' replied the father, but in my infirmities; but all glory I ascribe to God, who was pleased to make use of so weak an instrument in so pious a ministry; and who is pleased now to favour me so far, as to allow me this day to seal the catholic faith with my blood; a favour which I have begged of him for these thirty years; and I pray that my death may be some kind of atonement for the sins of this nation: and if I had as many lives as there are sands in the sea, I would most willingly lay them all down for this end, and in testimony of the catholic faith, which faith is the only true, the only certain faith, the only faith confirmed by miracles still continuing; in which to this day the blind see, the dumb speak, the dead are raised to life. For thy testimonies, O Lord, are made credible exceedingly. But as, Mr. Sheriff, you were pleased to ask if I knew of any plots against the king or parliament, I here declare sincerely, in the presence of God, I never in my life had knowledge of any such plot or conspiracy, much less was I myself ever engaged in any. And I hold for certain, that the present tumults, and all the calamities under which the nation groans, are to be ascribed to nothing else but heresy, and this spawn of so many sects; and that it will be in vain to look for tranquillity and happiness, or any lasting remedy for these evils, as long as this mortal poison remains in the very bowels of the nation,' Here the sheriff would not suffer him to proceed, but bid him say his prayers, and prepare himself for death. I will do as you bid me,' said father Morse, and will prepare myself, as well as I can, for my departure hence, which is indeed the thing I have been doing for these thirty years, ever since I was a catholic.' Then recollecting himself for a while, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and prayed with a loud voice to the blessed trinity, acknowledging himself a great sinner, humbly begging mercy and pardon for all his offences, and forgiving his BRIAN CANSFIELD-GEORGE MUSCOT. 161 enemies and persecutors, as he hoped forgiveness from God. He also prayed for all christian kingdoms, and most particularly for England; and in conclusion, recommended his departing soul to God, in those words of his dying Saviour, Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit; and so the cart was drawn away, and he quietly expired. His quarters were set up on four of the gates of the city, and his head on London bridge. He suffered February 1, 1644–5, ætatis 50. BRIAN CANSFIELD, PRIEST, S. J. CONFESSOR. He was commonly known by the name of Christopher Barton, was a zealous and laborious missioner, and a man of great mortification. He was apprehended at the altar, saying mass, hurried away in his vestments to the next justice of peace; and after divers injuries and affronts which, like his master, he suffered with invincible patience, was cast into a filthy prison, where the stench, and other incommodities of the place, put an end to his mortal life in some part of this year, 1645. See Florus Anglo-Bavaricus, p. 72. GEORGE MUSCOT, ALIAS, FISHER, PRIEST AND THIS worthy gentleman, whose memory will be always dear to the English college of Douay, and whose pastoral zeal and great sufferings in the cause of religion will ever challenge an esteem and veneration from all that have the interest of religion at heart, justly claims a place in these collections, though he neither suffered at the place of execution, nor died in prison. For if he was not actually executed, he came as near it as ever man did; and if labouring for the salvation of souls, in spite of threatening dangers, be deserving the gallows, never man better deserved it. The summary of his life and sufferings is contained in his epitaph, engraved on the marble under which he lies interred in the chapel of our blessed lady, in the parish church of St. James in Douay, and is as follows: Post plurimos in Anglia pro fide catholica exantlatos labores cum ingenti animarum lucro, hic quiescit reverendus admodum dominus Georgius Muscottus, sacerdos Anglus qui post carceris squalores viginti amplius annis toleratos, post damnationem pro fide ad patibulum, ad ignem, ad membrorum discerptionem, ferali crate ad portam carceris egressurum præstolante, et populo ad spectaculum currente; vita interim ad preces reginæ Angliæ a rege ampliata, ad præsidentiam collegii Anglo Duaceni a summo pontifice evectus est; quod adeo præclare administravit, ut disciplina reflorescente, rem familiarem quadrienij spatio, VOL. II. 21 etiam calamitosis temporibus, ultra viginti millia florenorum adauxerit; et tandem meritis ipsemet auctus, ærumnis et morbis attenuatus, corpus gracile terræ, animam divitem cœlo, odorem optimum boni exempli omnibus sacerdotibus reliquit. Obiit anno ætatis 65, sacerdotij 40, præsidentiæ 5, die 24 Decembris, anno 1645, in ipsa vigilia nativitatis Domini: qua die ipse olim in fœdissimum lacum inter latrones detrusus, inibique per triduum detentus suavissimos reportavit fructus; nam ex decem facinorosis, qui morte mulctabantur, novem ad fidem catholicam reconciliati sunt.-Requiescat in pace. Englished thus;-After a great many labours undergone in England for the catholic faith, with very great profit of souls, here reposeth the very Reverend Mr. George Muscot, an English priest, who after having suffered the incommodities of a prison for above twenty years; after having been condemned for the faith to the gibbet, to the fire, to the dismembering and quartering of his body, the fatal hurdle waiting at the gate of the prison for his coming out, and the people running to the sight was, in the mean time, at the intercession of the queen of Eng land, reprieved by the king, and advanced by the pope to the presidentship of the English college of Douay, which he governed in such manner as both to give a new life to the discipline of the house, and in four years to improve, even in the hardest times, its temporal estate by the addition of above 20,000 florins; and at length he himself being improved by merits, reduced by sufferings and infirmities, bequeathed his emaciated body to the earth, his rich soul to heaven, and the excellent odour of a good example to all priests. He deceased in the 65th year of his age, the 40th of his priesthood, the 5th of his presidentship, on the 24th of December, 1645, on the very vigil of the nativity of our Lord, on which day, he having heretofore been thrust down into a most filthy dungeon amongst felons, and kept therein for three days, had produced most sweet fruits: for out of ten malefactors who were condemned to die, nine were reconciled to the catholic faith.—May he rest in peace. PHILIP POWEL, ALIAS MORGAN, PRIEST, O. S. B.-1646.* PHILIP POWEL, commonly known upon the mission by the name of Morgan, was the son of Roger Powel and Catharine Morgan, both of very ancient families, and virtuous, though not rich. He was born in the parish of Tralon, in Brecknockshire, on Candlemas-day, 1594, and brought up in grammar learning in the common school of Abergavenny, where he was noted for being always very towardly, though amongst many rude companions. At the age of sixteen he was sent to London to study the law under F. Augustin Baker, who before he was a monk, was a famous lawyer in the Temple, with whom he continued till he was near twenty years old; at which time, being sent by him on some * From three manuscripts preserved by the English benedictines at Douay. |