with God, either in mental or vocal prayer; and that the little time which he spared from his holy exercise was constantly employed in charitable offices about such of his fellow-prisoners as by sickness or age stood in need of help. He was particularly assiduous with regard to his brethren, the other three priests; the more, because being the youngest, by far, he looked upon it his duty to serve them and assist them upon all occasions; and this he performed with pleasure, and at the same time with so much humility, deference and respect, as if he had verily believed them not only his seniors in years, but his superiors in authority-and was glad to be serviceable to them even in the lowest menial offices.

Thus did this holy priest employ himself during the three years of his imprisonment: but when the assizes drew near, and he had notice given to prepare for his trial, he shut himself up in a more strict retirement, and a more exact spiritual retreat for a whole month; joining, during that time, to his prayer and contemplation, rigorous fasts, with other penitential exercises. For as he was by nature very timorous, and withal, very sensible of his own weakness, so was he remarkably careful to place his trust in God in all dangers, and exceedingly diligent in the use of prayer and other proper means to obtain from him, who strengthens the weak, such grace and helps as were necessary for his support in the day of battle.

His hearing before the judges was quickly over; for having owned himself a priest to the pursuivants and soldiers, who, with threats of death extorted this confession from him, and these appearing witnesses against him, he could not, and would not deny the truth; and so committing his cause to God, and his condition to the favour and compassion of the court, he said no more, but with a meek and humble deportment waited in silence the return and verdict of the jury, who after a short deliberation brought him, and his two companions, in guilty of their indictments; and the same day they all received sentence of death in the usual form.'

Mr. Whitaker was drawn with the other two to the place of execution, on the 7th of August, and was the last that suffered. He was naturally of a faint-hearted and fearful disposition; and at the approaches of death showed evident marks of the dread and anguish that assaulted his soul. This gave occasion to both his companions, in their turns, to exhort and encourage him; and to the protestants, to tempt him with proffers of life, if he would conform. But, notwithstanding his natural fears were heightened by the sight of the barbarous butchery of his companions, and that scene of blood which he had before his eyes, the Almighty, whom he earnestly invoked, supported him by his powerful grace; and when it came to the upshot, he generously told the sheriff, his resolution was fixed to die in the profession of the catholic faith ; use your pleasure with me, said he, a reprieve, or even a pardon, upon your conditions, I utterly refuse.'

When he was upon the ladder, he prayed devoutly and earnestly; and having now the rope about his neck, he prayed for his enemies, declaring that he freely forgave them, and that he heartily desired to die in perfect charity with all the world Then resuming his former ejacu

latory prayers, while he was calling for mercy, and recommending his departing soul into the hands of his Saviour Jesus Christ, he was suddenly flung off the ladder, and executed. He suffered at Lancaster, August 7, 1646, in the thirty-third year of his age, and the eighth of his mission.'

RICHARD BRADLEY AND JOHN FELTON, PRIESTS, S. J. CONFESSORS.

THESE two religious fathers both died confessors of Christ within the same month, some part of this year, 1646. The former falling into the hands of the pursuivants, was committed close prisoner at Manchester, and died of the jail disease, before he was brought to his trial. The latter, venturing to go into Lincoln in a disguise, in order to assist father John Hood, who looked for his trial and death at the next assizes, was there apprehended upon suspicion, and after some weeks imprisonment in that city, in great want of all things, was translated to another jail, and lodged in a cold room in the winter season, where the wind blew in on all sides. Here he continued destitute of all human aid and comfort, and continually afflicted with the blasphemies and other immoralities of the wretches, his fellow-prisoners, till after seven months, no witnesses appearing against him, he was discharged indeed from prison, but with his health and strength so much impaired, that he died within a month. See Florus Anglo-Bavaricus, page 73, 74, who informs us, page 75, that father Felton, for twenty-seven years, never omitted preaching on all Sundays and holidays.

THOMAS VAUGHAN, PRIEST, CONFESSOR.

THIS gentleman, though he did not suffer at the common place of execution, was, nevertheless, a martyr for his character and religion; and that, in the time of these troubles, though I have not met with the certain year of his death. Mr. Austin, in his Christian Moderator, published under the name of W. Birchly, part II., giving a list of the priests executed in several places, during the parliamentary persecution which begun in 1641, closes it with this short account of our confessor; Mr. Thomas Vaughan, after very hard usage aboard captain Molton's ship, soon after died at Cardiffe, in South Wales.'

He was of the ancient family of the Vaughans, of Courtfield, and was nephew to the famous Dr. Giffard, who from a priest and professor of divinity in the English college then residing at Rhemes, became a monk of the venerable order of St. Bennet, and first president general of the English congregation; and at length was made archbishop of Rhemes, and primate of France. Mr. Vaughan, as appears by the Douay diary, entered student in the English college of Douay, anno 1622, and having taken the college oath, was by Dr. Kellison, then president, presented for holy orders to his uncle, the archbishop of Rhemes, from whom he received all his orders in September, 1627, and

was from Douay sent upon the English mission, the 27th of August, 1628. Other particulars relating to him, I have not been able to find. Some time also during these troubles, though I have not found the precise year, died prisoner for his faith and character, Mr. Thomas Blount, another priest of the secular clergy. He was a younger son of James Blount, Esq; performed his humanity studies at St. Omer's; was sent from thence to the English seminary of Valladolid, but after six months' stay there, returned into England: then going abroad again, he entered himself a convictor in the English college of Lisbon, anno 1635, where he finished his studies, and was made priest. He was sent upon the mission, April 14, 1642, and having for some years discharged the duty of a laborious missioner in the worst of times, he was apprehended and committed to the common gaol in Shrewsbury, and died there.

And now we are speaking of priests that died prisoners for their religion, we must not omit to mention father Robert Cox, in religion called father Benedict, an eminent religious man of the venerable order of St. Bennet, who, after having received the sentence of death, and endured a long and tedious martyrdom in prison, died in the Clink, anno 1650. We are forced to pass over the sufferings of divers other priests in those evil days, for want of proper record.

1647, &c.-From the year 1646, till the year 1651, I find not any priests put to death for their character; though otherwise the persecution against catholics did not cease, and the sequestrators were every where busy in sequestering and plundering their estates, as well real as personal. That the reader may have a better idea of the sufferings of catholics in this kind, I shall here transcribe some pages out of Mr. Knaresborough's manuscript collections, concerning these sequestra

tions.

The sequestration of two parts of the catholic estates, real and personal, pursuant to several ordinances of the lords and commons, A. D. 1643, 1644, &c.

The first of these ordinances bears date April the first, 1643, appointing certain persons, there named, to be commissioners or sequestrators for the several counties of England and Wales; and empowering them forthwith to seize as well all the moneys and other personal estate, as also all the manors, lands, and other real estates of notorious delinquents, that is to say, of all persons who had then raised, or should afterwards raise arms against the parliament; or who had voluntarily contributed, or should contribute any moneys, horse, plate, arms, ammunition, or other aid or assistance, towards the maintenance of any forces raised against the parliament.

And also two parts of all the estates of every papist, or which any person had in trust, or for the use of any papist; this to be let, set, sold, and converted and applied to the uses of the parliament, towards supporting the charges of the war.

A second ordinance passed the 19th of August the same year, con

taining an explanation and further enlargement of the fore-mentioned ordinance for sequestering the estates of delinquents and papists. In this is explained, who are to be deemed papists, and who are liable to the penalty mentioned above; that is, of having two parts of their estate seized for the use of the parliament. These are, first, all such as have willingly harboured any popish priest since the 29th of November, 1642, or that should hereafter harbour any. 2dly, all that had been already convicted of popish recusancy. 3dly, or that have been at mass any time within one whole year, before the 26th of March 1643, or should hereafter be at mass; or whose children, or grand-children, or any of them living in the house with them, or under their tuition, shall be brought up in the popish religion. Finally, all such persons, as being of the age of twenty-one years, should refuse to take the oath of abjuration, "by which they abjure and renounce transubstantiation, &c,” which oath, any two of the committee-men, or any two justices of the peace; or for want of these, the mayor, bailiffs, or head officer of any city or town corporate, had power to tender to any suspected papist. All these are here declared liable to the penalty above mentioned; that is, two parts of three of their whole estates, real and personal, were to be forthwith seized, sold, and disposed for the uses of the parliament.

And to the end that a full discovery might be had of the catholic estates, so that it should be morally impossible for them to convey away any part of their effects, or conceal or screen them from the commissioner's knowledge, by the assistance of their protestant friends, or otherwise, the said sequestrators were further empowered by this second ordinance, to examine, upon oath, any person suspected to be aiding in concealing these men or their effects, or entrusted for them, or who should owe any thing, or be indebted to any papist; and if the said persons should refuse to be examined, or to declare the whole truth, they were to be committed to safe custody till they should conform, and make the discovery insisted upon by the commissioners.

And for the more speedy and effectual seizure of the personal estates of the said delinquents and papists, the commissioners had power to authorize their several collectors and agents employed under them, to break open all locks, bolts, bars, doors, or other strength, where moneys or goods were, upon probable grounds, suspected to be concealed, and seize the same into their possession; with this further engagement to to such as were assisting to the sequestrators, that for their reward, they were to have one shilling in the pound, of all moneys, lands, or goods, as they should discoverer; and for their indemnity, the protection of both houses of parliament; and to be esteemed as persons who did acceptable service to the commonwealth.

6

Finally, amongst the remarkable instructions given to the sequestrators, consisting of thirteen articles, that of number six ought to be carefully remembered, viz: You are to seize two parts of the estates, both real and personal, of all papists, (as they are papists,) and the whole estates of all other sorts of delinquents mentioned in the said ordinance, whether they be papists or others; and you are to understand by two

parts of papists estates, two of their whole lands, and two of their goods into three to be divided.

'Armed with these powers, the sequestrators set out towards their respective divisions, and fell to seize, sell, or let, the estates of papists wherever they could come at them. And in the south and midland counties they made quick despatch; bringing under sequestration, either as delinquents or convict recusants, the whole body of the catholics without exception. But as the progress of the parliament's victories was not so quick in the north and west, so neither could their committees execute their powers with that undisturbed freedom, nor make their seizures and commit their plunders with the same unlimited and uncontrolled tyranny, as they did in those counties which had been more early reduced, &c.

But after his majesty's affairs declined, and his forces were so weakened, as not to be able to make head against the rebels, then the sequestrators poured in upon those other provinces, and fell upon all the estates of the royalists and catholics, not hitherto sequestered, with rage and fury.

After the independents came in play, they made great changes in their commissions, and put in sequestrators of their own party: but the harvest then was in a great measure over. The catholic estates had already been under sequestration seven or eight years, and the prosbyterians had plundered them to the bare walls, so that there was nothing left to these new sequestrators. However, as they were a hungry crew, they were resolved to have something from the papists, though less; and thus they made new inquests, and forced many of these oppressed people to undergo new compositions, upon pretence that they had not been sequestered according to the full extent and meaning of the late ordinances.

'Of the sufferings of the catholics in general, and of the miserable state to which they were reduced by these sequestrations, take this short but faithful account from a contemporary writer, an eye-witness of their oppressures, viz., Mr. Austin, under the name of William Birchley, in his Christian Moderator, part I. p, 9, &c.

Of the papists, says he, some are sequestered for delinquency, and those of all cavaliers, (cæteris paribus) the most severely, though of all the most excusable, because wholly depending upon the pleasure of the late king, and infinitely obliged to his royal lenity; noting it as an unanswerable argument of their fidelity and gratitude toward such as deal with them in mercy, as also that their declining to receive the oaths of supremacy and allegiance, for which they have heretofore been so violently persecuted, proceeded not from any aversion to civil obedience, but because there were mingled in those oaths certain expressions of a pure spiritual nature, repugnant to their consciences, and altogether unnecssary to the common security.

Others are equally punished, that is, their whole estate sequestered, allowing only a fifth part for their wives and children, though in true reason they are altogether justifiable, having never been in any engagement, but found only in some garrisons of the king, whither they were driven for refuge, being put out of the protection of the parliament by

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