reprieve for him, by the means of the Spanish ambassador, and others; but nothing could be obtained; the less, because it being the Whitsun holidays, neither council nor parliament met. In the mean time, great was the concourse of catholics of all ranks, to the prison, from morning till night, to see the servant of God; many desired to make their confessions to him; others begged some little thing, which they might keep in memory of him; all were edified with his words and comportment, and departed with his blessing, finding a certain spiritual joy in their souls, from having seen and spoken with him. As for his own part, he prepared himself for his exit, by a general confession of all his life, to Mr. Cheney, and waited for death, with so much unconcernedness, that as the same gentleman took notice, the two last nights of his life, he slept far more quietly than ordinary, and so sound, that it was not without difficulty they awaked him at the appointed hour of five o'clock, when he arose, the last morning, to celebrate the sacred mysteries; and he declared, in confidence, to a priest of the society, sent to him by the provincial, that he never, in all his life, had experienced so much joy as he then found in his soul, at the approach of his dissolution. Then Whitsun-Monday, in the morning, he celebrated mass, with the assistance of Mr. Cheney, with great devotion. And when the time was drawing near, when he was to go down, in order for execution, hearing the knocking at the iron grate, he took it as a summons from heaven, and cried out, I come, sweet Jesus, I come. embracing Mr. Cheney, Farewell, said he, my chamberfellow, and bedfellow, before it is long, we shall see one another again, in heaven. When he was called out to the hurdle, he went with so much alacrity and speed, that the officers could scarce keep pace with him; and here turning to Mr. Cheney, Upon this bed, says he, I shall lie alone, as you also henceforward will have your bed to yourself. Then being placed on the hurdle, he made a short act of contrition; and in the midst of mutual embraces, was absolved by Mr. Cheney, and then drawn away to Tyburn, through the streets, crowded with an innumerable multitude of people. My author writes, that he himself was eye-witness of this last profession of father Wright, who was drawn on the hurdle more like one sitting than lying down! his head was covered, his countenance smiling, a certain air of majesty, and a courage and cheerfulness in his comportment, which was both surprising and edifying, not only to the catholics who crowded to ask his benediction, but to the protestants themselves, as many of them publicly declared. He adds, that when the hurdle came over against the house where the marquis of Winchester, with his lady, children, and other catholics of distinction were waiting to see him from a balcony, he lifted himself up as much as his pinions would permit, and making the sign of the cross, gave them his last blessing, which they all received with their heads bowed down. The number of people that met at Tyburn, to be spectators of the triumph of this confessor of Christ, was computed to have been no less than twenty thousand, and amongst them near two hundred coaches, and five hundred horsemen. Thirteen malefactors were appointed to die with him, to whom the father endeavoured to give seasonable advice for the welfare of their souls, but was continually interrupted by the minister, and therefore desisted, betaking himself to silent prayer, in which he employed about an hour, standing with his eyes shut, his hands joined before his breast, his countenance sweet and amiable, and his whole body without motion, as one in deep contemplation. The minister took occasion to tell him, it was not yet too late, that he might save his life if he would renounce the errors of popery; but father Wright generously answered him, If he had a thousand lives, he would most willingly give them all up in defence of the catholic religion. The hangman having fitted the rope to his neck, the confessor made a short speech to the spectators in these or the like words: Gentlemen, this is a short passage to eternity; my time is now short, and I have not much to speak. I was brought hither, charged with no other crime, but being a priest. I willingly confess I am a priest, I confess I am a catholic, I confess I am a religious man of the society of Jesus, or as you call it, a jesuit. This is the cause for which I die; for this alone was I condemned, and for propagating the catholic faith, which is spread through the whole world, taught through all ages from Christ's time, and will be taught for all ages to come. For this cause I most willingly sacrifice my life, and would die a thousand times for the same, if it were necessary; and I look upon it my greatest happiness, that my most good God has chosen me, most unworthy, to this blessed lot, the lot of the saints. This is a grace which so unworthy a sinner could scarce have wished, much less hoped for. And now I beg of the goodness of my God, with all the fervour I am able, and most humbly entreat him, that he would drive from you that are protestants the darkness of error, and enliven your minds with the rays of truth. And as for you, catholics, my fellow-soldiers and comrades, as many of you as are here, I earnestly beseech you to join in prayer for me and with me, till my last moment; and when I shall come to heaven, I will do as much for you. God bless you all; I forgive all men. From my heart I bid you all farewell, till we meet in a happy eternity.' Having spoken to this effect, he again recollected himself awhile in prayer, and then the cart was drawn away, and he was suffered to hang till he quietly expired. His dead body was cut down, headed, bowelled, and quartered. His friends were permitted to carry off his head and quarters, which were translated to Liege, and there honourably deposited in the college of the English jesuits. He suffered the 19th of May, 1651, ætatis, 48, societatis, 22. As father Wright's comportment in this last stage of life, was admired by the generality of the protestants that were spectators of his death, so it gave occasion to several conversions, a thing very usual on the like occasions. 1654. From the year 1651, till the year 1654, I find no mention of any priests put to death for their character and religion; but in the year 1654, being the first of the usurpation of Cromwell, Mr. John Southworth was drawn to Tyburn, to suffer for his conscience, of whom we shall now treat. JOHN SOUTHWORTH, PRIEST.* JOHN SOUTHWORTH was born in Lancashire, in the year 1592, being a younger son of the ancient family of the Southworths, of Salmesbury, formerly possessed of a considerable estate, but which, ever since the beginning of the reign of queen Elizabeth, has been in a declining condition. He was sent for his education to the English college of Douay, and was an alumnus and priest of that house, from whence he was sent upon the English mission the 13th of October, anno 1619. The first seat of his missionary labours was his native country of Lancashire; where, after some years employed in his functions, he was apprehended, brought upon his trial, and condemned, for being a priest, in 1627. However, he did not suffer at this time, but was reprieved, and continued a close prisoner in Lancaster castle, where in the following year, as we have seen elsewhere, he was the man that gave the last absolution to father Arrowsmith, when he was going to martyrdom. From Lancaster castle he was, I believe, removed to London, and committed to the Clink, for there I find him in April 1630; when, as Mr. Prynne complains, "in his Royal Popish Favourite, page 18, 19," he was, at the instance of the queen, released with fifteen other priests, and delivered to the marquis de Chasteauneuf, the French ambassador, to be transported beyond the seas. If ever he went abroad, as the author above quoted seems to question, he quickly returned again to his master's work, and laboured so diligently therein, that he is complimented by Mr. Prynne, p. 24, with the title of A Dangerous Seducer;' who also informs us, that he was afterwards committed again to the Clink prison, by the lords of the privy council's warrant; and yet for all that, had liberty to walk abroad at his pleasure (as most priests, says the author, during their imprisonment had, the more safely to seduce, as he calls it, his majesty's good subjects, and open masses in their prisons to boot) whereupon being apprehended, and brought before some of the high commissioners, and refusing to give bond to appear before them, he was sent to the Clink, by their warrant, under the seal of the court, dated June 24, 1640, (to which they found him to be formerly committed by the lords, and to be then a vagrant prisoner,) to be there detained under the keeper's custody, &c. But within a few days after, he was absolutely released by secretary Windebank's warrant.' So Mr. Prynne. Who goes on in the following page: How dangerous a seducer this Southworth, alias, Southwell, was, appears by this petition of Robert White, subcurate of St. Margaret's, Westminster, to the archbishop of Canterbury against him, in the last geat sickness, 1636, which Most humbly showeth, that the petitioner, ever since the beginning of this grievous visitation in Westminster, &c., hath observed two popish priests to frequent Westminster, one of which is called Southwell, "Southwork" who is, and long hath been a prisoner in the Gate * From Mr. Knaresborough's collections, and other memoirs in my hands, and from a manuscript sent me from the English college of St. Omer's. house, but lives about Clerkenwell. This man, under pretence of distributing alms, sent from some of the priests in Somerset-house, or other papists, doth take occasion to go into divers visited houses in Westminster; and namely, to the houses of one William Baldwin, and William Stiles, in the Kemp-yard, in Westminster, and there finding Baldwin near the point of death, did set upon him, by all means, to make him change his religion; whereunto, by his subtle persuasions,. Baldwin easily consented, and received the sacrament from him according to the church of Rome, and so died a Romish catholic. And in the same manner he also perverted William Stiles, who also died a Romish catholic. And Southwell, to colour and hide these wicked practices, doth fee the watchmen, and other poor people thereabouts, &c. And thus, under a pretence of relieving the bodies of poor people, he poisons their souls.' The petitioner adds, that divers poor people, newly turned Romish catholics, do commonly frequent the mass at Denmark-house; and three of those poor people watched all night with William Stiles, immediately before he died, and the next day went thither to mass. A most wicked course, says he, if it should not be remedied. Upon this, Southwell, soon after was apprehended, indicted, arraigned, and the premises fully proved against him by sundry wit nesses; and yet, by the queen's and Windebank's powerful means, his final trial was put off, to the great discontent of the people, and he not long after, released.' So far Mr. Prynne, p. 25. Any other prticulars relating to Mr. Southworth's missionary labours, I have not been able to find, for want of proper memoirs; or any more of him, till his final apprehension, in 1654, when, upon information of one Jefferies, a pursuivant, says my St. Omer's MS., whom he had in fee, he was taken out of bed at night, by Colonel Worsley, and upon his own confession of having exercised his functions since his reprieve, he was condemned, and dragged to Tyburn upon a sledge, placed between two coiners,' &c. ་ As to what passed at his trial, the only account that I have been able to find, is penned by a protestant, (who appears to have been a moderate dissenter) in a pamphlet, entitled, "A Letter from a gentleman in the city to a gentleman in the country, about the odiousness of Persecution," printed in 1687, p. 27. The last popish priest, says this author, that was put to death in England, for being a priest of the Romish church, was put to death in the time of Cromwell. I suppose we are not to doubt of the passionate heat which inflamed those who were then in authority against the papists and popery. They looked upon the papists as mortal enemies to their government, and as fast friends and devoted servants to the crown and royal family. Notwithstanding which, when the said priest came upon his trial at the sessionshouse, in the Old Bailey, and upon his arraignment pleaded that he was not guilty of treason, but acknowledging himself a priest of the Roman church; it clearly appeared, that those who were his judges, did their utmost to preserve his life, and to prevent the execution against him, of those laws, upon which he stood indicted; for they did for many hours suspend the recording of his confession, making it their endeavour to prevail with him to plead not guilty to the indictment. They pressed him to this in the public court, assuring him, that if he would so plead, his life should be safe; and that they had no evidence, which could prove him to be a priest. And when the old man “aged about 72,” would not be drawn to deny himself to be a priest, taking it to be a denying of his religion, and that the court was compelled to give judgment against him, the magistrate who gave the sentence, jeant Steel, recorder of London," was so drowned in tears upon that sad occasion, that it was long before he could pronounce the sentence, which the law compelled, as he professed, to give.' So far this writer of Mr. Southworth's trial and condemnation. 66 ser As to his execution, he was drawn to Tyburn on the 28th of June, 1654. What happened upon this occasion, take here from an eyewitness, in a letter dated the thirtieth of the same month. 'As I arrived here I was invited to be a spectator of the martyrdom of Mr. Southworth, an ancient secular priest. He had formerly been condemned and reprieved, in Lancashire, &c. At his execution, though it was a stormy and rainy day, there came thousands of people, with a great number of coaches and horsemen. He made a speech at the gallows, which I send you with these, according to a copy I had from one of the same profession, who stood under the gallows. The large particulars I have not as yet, nor seek to send, on confidence you will have them from better hands. Priests fly hence apace, as presaging a greater storm. There are others in hold, and search made after more. All are in fears and suspense, not knowing where to dispose themselves, the times are so hard. There is now another priest brought from Newcastle, taken at mass, with the man of the house; who may the next session expect their doom. There were five coiners hanged, drawn, and quartered, with Mr. Southworth. He was clothed in a priest's gown, and had a four-cornered cap.' His speech was as follows: Mr. Southworth's Speech at Tyburn. 'Good people I was born in Lancashire. This is the third time I have been apprehended, and now being to die, I would gladly witness and profess openly my faith, for which I suffer. And though my time be short, yet what I shall be deficient in words, I hope I shall supply with my blood, which I will most willingly spend to the last drop for my faith. Neither my intent in coming into England, nor practice in England, was to act any thing against the secular government. Hither I was sent by my lawful superiors to teach Christ's faith, not to meddle with any temporal affairs. Christ sent his apostles; his apostles their successors; and their successors me. I did what I was commanded by them, who had power to command me, being ever taught that I ought to obey them in matters ecclesiastical, and my temporal governors, in business only temporal. I never acted nor thought any hurt against the present protector. I had only a care to do my own obligation, and discharge my own duty in saving my own and other men's souls. This, and only this, according to my poor abilities, I laboured to perform. I had commission to do it from him, to whom our Saviour, in his prede |