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secular priest of the Scottish nation, who was certainly executed at York that day; not precisely for being a priest, but for persuading the queen's subjects to the catholic religion. For which supposed treason he was condemned to die, and was drawn, hanged, and quartered at York, suffering all, with admirable constancy. Molanus calls him, a priest of Douay college: but this circumstance is not found in any other catalogue, nor have I met with his name in the journals of the college.

ALEXANDER CROW, PRIEST. *

ALEXANDER CROW was born in Yorkshire, and, for some time, followed a trade in York. But going beyond the seas, out of his zeal to God and his country,' says my manuscript, he fell to his studies at Rhemes, and became a priest; being, both for his said zeal and virtue, well esteemed of by his superiors, and by them sent in an orderly mission into England, for the salvation of souls," anno 1584." After he had laboured here some time, with much edification to all that knew him, he was taken at South Duffield, coming thither to christen a child of one Cecily Garnet; and at the assizes held at York, in November, was arraigned and condemned, for being a priest, and remaining in England, contrary to the laws of the realm. He was hanged, drawn, and quartered at York, the 30th of November, 1586,'" according to this relation; but Yepez, Wilson, Molanus, Raissius and the manuscript annals, say 1587; being about the age of thirty-five.'

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The manuscript annals give this short account of Mr. Crow, anno Eliz. 29. On the 30th day of the month of November, Alexander Crow, a priest of Douay college, after he had strenuously laboured in those difficult times, in gathering together the sheep of Christ that had been scattered, falling into the hands of the wolves, stoutly laid down his life, for Christ and his sheep, being put to death at York, in the like manner as the other martyrs above mentioned. '

But the bishop of Tarrasona, in his history, above quoted, has something very remarkable, relating to Mr. Crow, which we must not omit. His words are as follows; Another thing, not less worthy of notice, happened to a priest of the seminary of Rhemes, named, Alexander Crow, in the year 1587. This priest, and soldier of Jesus Christ, was a prisoner in York Castle, where, after much ill treatment, he received sentence of death: whereupon, he began to be exceedingly comforted, and to show so great joy in the court, that all that were present, took notice of it; and returning to the prison, (where, he was lodged with another catholic,) he could not contain himself all that day, so great was the satisfaction he conceived, by thinking that he was to die the next morning. When the night came, and the time of going to bed, he told the other catholic, to take his rest; but, for my part, said he,

* From the Journals of Douay college; from Dr. Champney's manuscript annals of queen Elizabeth, and another manuscript in my hands, by one that knew him, and from the History of the Persecutions of England, by Yepez, bishop of Tarrasona, 1. 2, c. 18, p. 128.

for this one night which remains of life, I am willing to watch in prayer with Christ our Lord. And when the other catholic insisted that either the father should come to bed also, or should admit him to bear him company in his watching; he would not consent, but bid him go to bed, and leave him alone. The catholic submitted, and went to bed, and the priest, lighting a taper that was there, and setting it upon the stool, knelt down, and began to enter into very quiet prayer, as his companion took notice, who remained awake to see what passed.

After one hour of silent prayer, the father began to speak, (as if he was holding a colloquy,) and by little and little to enter into a heat, so that his voice began to change like a man that was disturbed. At length, getting up, he went to the bed where his companion lay, and touching him with his hand, asked him if he was asleep? his companion answered, No. The priest begged of him then, that he would recommend him, to the best of his power, to our Lord, because he stood in need of his prayers. So he returned again to his place, and began in the same manner to be troubled as before, giving signs in his exterior of being in great anguish, and, as it were, out of himself, till, at length, he put out with his own hand, (like a man in anger,) the taper that was burning by him; with all this his trouble did not cease, but he still continued, as it were, in a conflict and agony, sometimes speaking low, and begging the assistance of our Lord and the Saints; at other times raising his voice as one angry and in a rage, and this lasted for the space of half an hour after he had put out the light; whilst the poor gentleman in bed was not a little terrified at seeing and hearing what passed; and begged of our Lord, as well as he was able, to deliver him from this affliction, for he plainly perceived that he was in a conflict.

At length he saw him coming towards the bed, reciting, with much joy, the psalm, Laudate Dominum de Cœlis, &c. Praise ye the Lord in the heavens, &c., continuing it to the end; and then, as one inebriated with an abundance of consolations, he broke out into other praises of our Lord God, admiring his unspeakable mercies, and his divine sweetness towards the children of men. He set himself down on the bed by his companion, not having been able for many days to lift his feet up from the ground for the great weight of the bolts and chains, and remained, as one asleep, for a quarter of an hour; but, at length, he broke out again into the praises of God, and asked his companion, if he had not been frightened? The gentleman answered, he had; and withal begged of him, that he would tell him what was the meaning of that great noise, and of those changes and alterations he had discovered that night; the priest answered, That though, as to his own part, it would signify little to relate it, yet, as it might be of some comfort to the catholics to know what had passed, he would tell him the whole

matter.

After a while, said he, that I had been in quiet prayer, my flesh began to creep upon me, and my hair to stand on end, and I perceived myself quite changed, and, on a sudden, I saw before my eyes a most ugly monster, which began to terrify me; and when I least looked for it, assaulted me with these words: Thou thinkest to-morrow to be a martyr, and to go straight to heaven, but I assure thee it will not be so,

for I know thou art condemned to hell, and that the sentence is passed against thee in God's tribunal, which cannot be recalled; and to-morrow, though thou shalt be drawn to the gallows, thou shalt not be executed, but they will keep thee two years longer in prison, with these bolts and chains which thou hast on, and will give thee only two morsels of black bread, and a little water every day; and thou shalt be abhorred by all, and shall lead the most miserable life that ever man led upon earth: therefore, that thou mayest be delivered from so great sufferings, it will be better for thee at present to put an end to thy life by a knife or a halter, and not wait for to-morrow. And though I shook him off, said the father, many times, answering what God put in my mind, he never left off importuning me, and whatever way I turned my eyes, he placed himself always before me, giving me intolerable trouble with his horrid figure. And when I extinguished the light, it was that I might no longer see so frightful a sight, but he still continued terrifying and molesting me very much, and the conflict went on still increasing, till our merciful Lord, taking pity of my weakness, sent me succour from heaven. And this was, that at the time when I found myself in the greatest straights, I saw a great light come in at the door, with two persons, who, as I believe, were our Lady and St. John the Evangelist; who, by their presence, gave me unspeakable comfort; and then the monster that had troubled me began to draw back and tremble, and one of them said to him, Begone from hence thou cursed creature, thou hast no part in this servant of Christ, who will shed his blood to-morrow for his Lord, and will enter into his joy Immediately the monster disappeared, and they likewise, leaving me so full of consolation that I cannot express it. Upon this, I came with great joy of heart, and canticles of praise in my mouth, and sat me down here in the manner that you saw, not being sensible whether I was on the ground or in bed, in heaven or in earth. This one thing I beg of you for Christ's sake, that you do not speak one word of this to any one till you see my race finished, and till I am delivered of the burden of the flesh.' Having said this, they both glorified our Lord, and so continued till the morning, discoursing together, with great satisfaction, of heavenly things, &c.

But the impudent enemy was not contented with having failed in this first attempt, but returned again to persecute this Soldier of Christ, who being now upon the ladder, at the gallows, in profound prayer, before the hangman had put the rope about his neck, the devil envying the happiness with which God rewarded his servant, and the consolation that he gave him in prayer, flung him down off the ladder; but yet he received no manner of hurt, though the fall was very high, and with great violence, as it appeared to the standers by. This gave occasion to the heretics, that were there, to cry out, that the papist was in despair, and that he wanted to kill himself. But the father mounted the ladder again, and told them with a great serenity of countenance and of heart, smiling, It is not as you think, my brethren, that I had a mind to kill myself; but it was the enemy who wanted to rob me of this glorious death, and out of envy, flung me off the ladder; and this is not the first time that he has sought to deprive me of the crown which God gives me; who has permitted him to do what he has done in your

presence, that you might know how little he is able to do; for, how much soever he has sought it, he has not been able to do me any hurt, either in soul or body; neither can he do any hurt to the servants of God, more than their Lord is pleased to permit for their greater good; and upon this occasion, speaking more at large, and with greater liberty, to the people, he delivered many things of edification, exhorting them to the catholic faith and passing through the usual course of the ordinary butchery, he gloriously finished his career, and went to enjoy his God for ever.

This year, 1587, I find in the Douay memoirs, mention of two others, the one a priest, the other a secular gentleman; both some time members of Douay college, who perished in prison for religious matters. The priest was Martin Sherton; the gentleman's name was Gabriel Thimbleby.

This year also about thirty priests were committed prisoners to Wisbitch castle in Cambridgeshire. Several had been sent thither in the foregoing years; but most of these being dead, the whole number of prisoners there, at this time, were thirty-three priests, and one lay gengleman, viz, Thomas Pounds, Esq., a zealous catholic, and great sufferer for his faith.

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NICHOLAS GARLICK, PRIEST.-1588.*

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NICHOLAS GARLICK,' says Mr. Bagshaw, was descended of honest parentage, in a little town called Vinting, in Glossopdale, within the county of Derby and was, for the space of seven years, schoolmaster at Tidswell, (in the same county,) so well discharging his duty therein, that, by his good and most charitable care, he had of his scholars, as if they had been his own children, he caused three of them to take the same venture, and most happy course that he himself did, (viz., to go over) to the English college, then at Rhemes; who were all made priests, and returned to their country with happy success, by increasing servants of God unto their mother, the catholic church; whereof one, called Christopher Buxton, was martyred, October 1, 1588," at that memorable place of our former saints of England, Canterbury.'

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Mr. Garlick was made priest, as appears by the Douay journal, in the latter end of March, 1582, and was sent upon the English mission, January 25, 1582-3. How long he laboured here, before his first commitment, I have not found; but certain it is, that he was a prisoner in 1585; and was one of those priests who were sent into banishment

From the journals or diary of Douay college; from the catalogue of martyrs drawn up by order of the bishop of Chalcedon, in 1626; from Dr. Champney's manuscript history of the reign of queen Elizabeth, and from two other manuscript relations in my hands; the one sent over by Mr. Robert Bagshaw, priest, some time scholar to Mr. Garlick; the other, by the reverend and learned Mr. Richard Broughton, vicargeneral of the northern parts, penned by one that was present at the execution of Mr. Garlick, and his two companions.

that year. Upon this occasion, he made a short visit to his mother college, where he arrived October 17; but on the 19th of the same month, he set out for England, in the company of Mr. John Harrison, priest, who afterwards suffered in the same cause. Mr. Garlick's missionary labours seem to have been in his own country of Derbyshire, where he was apprehended some time between the Lent and Summer assizes, 1588, together with Mr. Robert Ludlam, who was afterwards his companion in death. They were taken in the house of Mr. John Fitzherbert, by George, earl of Shrewsbury, and committed to Derby jail, where they found Mr. Richard Sympson, who had been condemned in the Lent assizes before, for being a priest: but was reprieved, as it was commonly apprehended and spoken, because he either actually had gone to the protestant church and service, or had made promise, or given hopes, he would so do. Him these two confessors of Christ encouraged, in such manner that he did not only repent him of his act or promise, but, as we shall see by-and-by, suffered death with them at the Summer assizes, being within one fortnight, or a little more, after the imprisonment of the said Mr. Garlick and Mr. Ludlam.

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At these assizes, these two glorious men, says Mr. Broughton's manuscript, with much constancy and Christian magnanimity, without the least sign of fear or dismay, professing themselves to be catholic priests, greatly rejoicing in that sacred calling and functions, were condemned to the terrible death of drawing, hanging, and quartering, for being of that holy religion and profession; and were, thereupon, after many hard usages, cruelly put to death at the said town of Derby, July 24, 1588.'

They were all three drawn together on hurdles, to the place of execution; where, when they were arrived, it seems Mr. Sympson was to have gone first up the ladder; but whether he showed, on this occasion, some signs of fear, as Dr. Champney's manuscript signifies, or whether it was, that Mr. Garlick only apprehended a danger lest his companion's courage should fail him, if he were to be the first in the combat, he hastened to the ladder, and kissing it, went up first, and with remarkable joy and alacrity, finished his course.

ROBERT LUDLAM, PRIEST.*

He was born of honest parentage, near Sheffield, performed his studies abroad in the English college, then residing at Rhemes; where he was made priest, and from thence sent into England upon the mission, anno 1582. Mr. Bagshaw gives him this character, that for his modesty and good life, and zeal to win souls to God, he was beloved of all that love the catholic church.' He was apprehended, tried, and condemned, at the same time, and for the same cause, as Mr. Garlick, viz. for being a catholic priest, and remaining in this realm contrary to the

* From the same manuscripts.

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