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temporal affairs into Flanders, coming to Douay, he was inflamed with a great desire of being a monk amongst the English Benedictines of St. Gregory's in that town. His spirit being tried, he was admitted to the habit in 1614; and after having made a good progress in virtue and learning, (having for master, that learned divine, F. Leander, of St. Martin,) at the age of twenty-four, he was made priest," in 1618," and in 1622, on the 7th of March, was sent on the mission.

'At his first entrance into England, he repaired to his former master, F. Baker, with whom he lived sixteen months; and who was ravished at the exchange the young man had made, and was much more ready now to teach him in the divine law, than ever he had been formerly, to instruct him in the civil. After this trial, finding him every way qualified, he sent him to a good family, (Mr. Risden's, in Devonshire,) where, in a short time, he gained the affection of all, insomuch, that when Risden's daughter was married to Mr. P. of L. in Somersetshire, there was a pious strife between the father and the daughter, who should have Mr. Powel: but the daughter prevailed, and with this couple, he had a constant residence at L. for twenty-one or twenty-two years, behaving to the great edification of all; till the late wars forced that family from home, and obliged them to disperse themselves in different places. Whereupon, Mr. Powel repaired to his old friend, John Tre- —, in the parish of Yearcombe, in the county of Devon, and to John Coffin the parish of Parcombe. Here he had not been above three or four months, before those parts were overrun with parliament soldiers; so that no catholic could find any place of safety but in Goring's army; whither our pastor followed his flock, and there took exceeding great pains in his functions, for the space of six months, till that army being dissolved, he took ship in a small vessel, that was bound from Cornwall to Wales; and as he was sailing, on the feast of St. Peter's chair, (February 22,) his vessel was boarded by captain Crowder, vice-admiral of those seas; where two of the admiral's men knew him, and accused him of being a priest, saying that they had lately been acquainted with him in the parishes of Yearcombe and Parcombe, where, said they, he seduced the greater part of the parishes from their churches.'

Upon this the admiral told him he certainly was a priest, which, at first he would neither confess nor deny; but afterwards recommending the matter to God, and to the prayers of the blessed virgin, his angelguardian, and St. Benedict, begging to be inspired how to behave, and what answer to give on this occasion, he found himself suddenly determined to acknowledge his priestly character; so that being asked again that same morning, by captain Crowder, if he was not a priest? he cheerfully owned himself to be one; all which particulars he told a benedictine monk, who was his confessarius whilst he was prisoner in the King's-bench.

'He was, therefore, committed prisoner under deck, where the soldiers barbarously stript him of all his clothes, to his very shirt, and clothed him with most beggarly rags; and in this condition, he was detained prisoner from the 22d of February, to the 11th of May following, being Monday, when by orders of the earl of Warwick, admiral for the

parliament, he was sent up to London, and delivered to the custody of St. Catharine's jail, in Southwark. Upon the Wednesday following, he was examined by judge Roules, if he was a priest! he acknowledged he was; and by him, he was commanded to the King's-bench, with recommendation to be civilly used, as indeed he was at his first entrance; so he ingratiated himself much with divers gentlemen, who, were there prisoners for debt. On the Saturday following, he was called before the two judges, Bacon and Roules, by whom he was examined of all his whole life; of which, he gave them account as follows, to my best remembrance, for I heard it thrice read at the King'sBench bar.

'I was born in Brecknockshire, was educated at the school of Abergavenny, and at sixteen years of age, was sent by my parents, to London, to apply myself to the law, where I remained betwixt three and four years; then I went to Douay, to the monastery of St. Gregory, of the order of St. Benedict, and amongst them, I received the habit of St. Benedict, when I was about twenty years of age. There I studied, and when I was at the age of twenty-four, I took holy orders, and was made a Roman catholic priest; and at the age of twentyeight, I was sent into my country, by my superiors, to convert and assist poor erring souls; where I have remained about twenty years, in Cornwal, Devon, and Somersetshire, saying mass, hearing confessions, administering the sacraments, and using all sorts of functions of a priest.

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To this confession, he set his hand, and so was returned back to his lodging in the King's-Bench, where his best accommodation was upon mats, without bed, bolster, or sheets, and in a chamber with five more, a catholic, his bed-fellow, and some of the rest being sick persons. Here some few friends now came to visit him and two amongst others, who often importuned him to recal his former confession, and to pretend he was distracted when he wrote it, through the hard usage he had met with at sea.-But the holy man would not hear of any such advice.

On Friday, the 29th of May, he was cast into the common jail, being the next day, to be judged upon his confession : here the miseries of his lodging far exceeded the former, insomuch, that it cast him into a most dangerous pleurisy. As soon as he began to get a little strength, he was carried to the King's-Bench bar, in Westminster-hall, on Tuesday, the 9th of June; and his indictment, drawn up from his own confession, being read, the clerk demanded of him, art thou guilty, or not guilty? The holy man answered, with a great deal of meekness and courage, That I am a priest, I freely did confess, and now acknowledge again; but guilty of any treason or crime against the state, I am not. The judge then said, Mr. Morgan, you are to answer directly to the demand, are you guilty, or not guilty? He replied, I have acknowledged myself a priest and a monk, but I am not guilty. -The judge demanded, by whom he would be tried? By God, and by his country? He answered, If I must needs be tried, I will permit myself to be tried by the country. So he was conducted back to prison.

On Friday, the 12th of June, he was again carried to the King'sBench bar. His indictment being again read, and the jury present, the judge asked him, (Mr. Morgan,) what can you say for yourself? He modestly replied, that the proceeding against him ought to be deferred; for, first, said he, I doubt whether you, my lord, have any just power derived from his majesty to try me, or no. Secondly, his majesty's flag flying in a civil war, all trials of life and death cease. He was permitted to say no more, but conveyed by two tipstaffs to a bye seat, whilst the jury sat upon him, and then was called again to the bar, to hear their verdict, who brought him in guilty; so he was sent back to the King's-bench prison.

Tuesday, the 16th of June, he was called again to the bar; he desired the favour to speak, which being granted, he pleaded that Henry VIII. made a statute of qualification of all statutes; and that the reason of queen Elizabeth's statute against priests, was her fears and jealousies of the queen of Scots, and the Spaniards; and that it was conceived at that time, that all the priests in England had a relation to them both; but that now the case was altered; that the king's person was absent, and no plot could be executed by him upon it, so that both the person and the cause being taken away, this latter statute might receive the benefit of mitigation, which point was long argued by him and the judge, in presence of many lawyers, for it was term-time. He added, that according to the letter of queen Elizabeth's statute, he was not guilty, not being taken in England, but on the sea. But all would not do. So judgment was pronounced by judge Bacon; upon which the holy man, with a cheerful countenance and pleasant voice, lifting up his hands and eyes towards heaven, said, Deo Gratias, thanks be to God, adding, I have not here room, by reason of the throng, to give God thanks on my knees; but I most humbly thank him on the knee of my heart. Then he made an offering of himself, in a loud voice, to his Saviour Jesus Christ, praying, that the shedding of his innocent blood might not increase God's wrath upon this kingdom, but rather be a means to appease it. Then he prayed for the king, queen, and their posterity; for the judge, jury, and all who were any way guilty of his death. The judge said, you do us wrong; you have received judgment, and cannot plead your innocent blood. The blessed man replied, My lord, I have said; I will not offend. The judge bid him make choice of what day he would die. He answered, with a pleasant and modest aspect, as always, My lord, consider, it is not an easy matter, or a thing so compassed, to be provided to die well. We have all of us much to answer for, and myself have not the least share; therefore, my lord, consider what time your lordship would allot to yourself, and appoint that to me. Yet the judge made him the same proffer a second and a third time; to which he lastly replied, he would by no means be an allotter of his own death, or be any way guilty of it; but would leave it to his lordship's discretion. So, being promised he should have a competent notice, he was sent back to his lodgings in the prison.

"It was admirable to see how pleasant, how affable and liberal he was towards all; in a word, his comportment was such, that his fellowprisoners, of their own accord, drew up a certificate of his innocent

and virtuous behaviour, signed by twenty-nine gentlemen, all protestants, excepting six, whom he had reconciled in prison, (viz: captain Bromfield, Mr. Martin, Mr. Dutton, Mr. Hierome, Mr. Richabie, &c.) This gentleman last named had a most wicked custom of swearing; the blessed man once hearing him swear, whilst he was drinking amongst his companions, (after his reconciliation,) goes to him, calls him out, pays his shot, and so severely reprehends him, that to this day the man was never heard to swear an oath, as his fellow-prisoners can testify.'

In the common side of the prison, where he was now lodged, the holy man was placed in a little low earthen ward, in which there were eleven lodgings; and bore with patience all the nastiness and miseries of the place. His office, it seems, was to sweep the ward, which he did with great delight. One whom he had reconciled, desiring to do that office for him, he refused the courtesy, and gave God thanks, that he had this opportunity of serving the poor and prisoners.

It was also very observable in this blessed man, that he daily increased in pleasantness and cheerfulness, as he grew nearer and nearer to heaven, even to his last hour, as many can witness, (says my author) and myself can, being with him daily. On the 28th of June, being Sunday, near eight in the evening, an officer came from the judges, to advertise him that Tuesday morning next following, was appointed for his death; beginning first with an apology, how unhappy he was to be the messenger of such sad tidings; at which the holy man, imagining what it was, joyfully said, Welcome, whatever comes; God's name be praised! The manner and cordiality of his speech so daunted the officer, that he could not read his charge, but the blessed man looking over his shoulder, prompted him; then, after giving him many thanks, called for a glass of sack and drank to him, (saying, as it is in another manuscript, O what am I, that God thus honours me, and will have me die for his sake! which words drew tears from the eyes of a protestant that was standing by,) after which he withdrew to praise and give thanks to God. Many such like things were daily observed in his comportment.

The last of June, (the commemoration of the martyrdom of St. Paul,) being come, our confessor having first spent the precedent night with his confessarius, except two hours in which he reposed, having finished his confession and private devotions, celebrated the divine mysteries with tears trickling down his cheeks. Then, "being called for," he went with great cheerfulness to the hurdle, on which he was drawn from the common jail of the King's-bench, to Tyburn. In the way some presented him with wine, and he taking the glass in his hand, asked leave of the sheriff to drink to his coachman, meaning the carter, that drove the horses. When he was come to the place of execution, arising from the hurdle, he knelt down upon his bare knees under the gallows, and there for some time prayed in silence; then rising, he stepped up into the cart, and making the sign of the cross upon himself, saying with a loud voice, in nomine patris, &c., he began to speak upon the text, spectaculum facti sumus, &c. We are made a spectacle to God, to angels, and to men. All you, said he, that are come to behold me, may think you are come to a sad spectacle, but

to me it is not so. It is the happiest day, and greatest joy, that ever befel me; so that I may say with the prophet, hæc dies quam fecit Dominus, &c. This is the day which God hath made; a day wherein I may truly rejoice in my soul: for I am brought hither, a condemned man, to execution: for no other cause or reason alledged against me, than that I am a Roman catholic priest, and a monk of the order of St. Bennet. And this I freely confessed myself. This confession and cause only bringeth me hither to execution. I give God thanks, that he has honoured me with the dignity of a priest, and I glory that I am a monk of this holy order, which first converted this kingdom from being heathens and infidels, to Christianity, and the knowledge of God; St. Augustin, being their leader, sent by St. Gregory the great, pope of Rome, with forty other monks.

'Here the sheriff interrupted him, and bid him tell none of his old stories and tales, and ordered the hangman to do his office, who immediately tied up the holy man to the gallows. What he spoke afterwards, was to express himself, how freely he forgave all who were accessory to his death; and to pray for the king, queen, prince and royal progeny; and for a happy peace for the nation and the true knowledge of God; desiring all catholics to pray for him. Then he knelt on the side of the cart, (for being tied up he could not kneel down,) and made his prayer to himself; which being ended, lifting his eyes to heaven, and giving the appointed sign, he received absolution,'" from one of his brethren in the crowd, probably the same from whom we have copied the greatest part of this narration." Then giving some money to the hangman, and pulling his cap down over his eyes, he waited in silent prayer, for the cart being drawn away about a quarter of an hour; for the carter, whose office it was, having a horror of concurring to the death of so holy and innocent a man, withdrew himself into the thick of the throng, and would not drive the eart away; but another was found to do the job, and the man of God was suffered to hang till he expired. His dead body was cut down, bowelled, and quartered; but his head and quarters were not set up, as usual, on the gates and bridge, but buried in the old churchyard in Moorfields; and this by petition of the common-council of London to the parliament, hoping, as it is supposed, by this means sooner to obliterate his memory, and the impression which his comportment had made upon the people. His clothes and shirt, dyed with his blood, were redeemed of the hangman for 41. by father Robert And-, a Benedictine. He suffered June 30, 1646, ætatis 53, relig. 33, missionis 26.

One of his fellow-prisoners expressed his esteem for him, by the following lines:

'He was of princely race, of British blood,
Nor yet the twentieth part so great as good,
Sufficient, and so qualified withal,
That he did seem to be without a gall.

Mild, patient, stout: his hand to every poor
Most open, till they blush'd to ask him more.

Most temperate, and most constant to his Christ, &c.

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