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council, and examined again; not now concerning their faith, but why they, being priests, had presumed to come over into England? How they had employed their time here? with whom they had conversed? and upon what subjects? what acquaintance they had amongst catholics, &c.? To these questions the servants of God answered, that they came over upon no other errand, but to win souls to Jesus Christ, and to teach them the catholic faith; that this was their whole business here; and that they neither knew, nor treated, nor thought of any thing else, but how to discharge this great duty, though they were sensible of the danger which they thereby incurred by the laws; but they thought this was the least they could do for the honour and service of him who had died for them; and for whom they should be glad to sacrifice their lives. But as for any other catholics, they could not be prevailed on to name any, or bring any into danger. Upon this, they were sent back to their prisons, and the queen's council was informed of all that had passed.

Soon after this, an order came down from the council, to have the prisoners sent up to London; who, pursuant to the instructions given from above, were set upon Rosinantes, with their hands tied behind them, and the two priests also, for greater disgrace, with their legs tied under their horses' bellies; and, in this manner, were conducted, under a strong guard, from Oxford to London, being treated all the way with great cruelty by their guards, and affronted and abused by the populace, more especially when they came to London, where they were attended from the very skirts of the town to the gate of the prison by an insolent mob, loading them with reproaches and injuries, which they bore with an invincible patience, setting before their eyes the sufferings of their Redeemer. And to add to their affliction, a young gentleman of the university, a graduate in arts, who, out of pure compassion, had attended them all the way from Oxford, and afforded them what service he could, was, in reward of his charity, taken up as soon as he came to London; and, whereas, the persecutors could not proceed against him with any colour of law, they charged him with being mad, and as such, confined him to Bedlam, to be there treated (as one that had lost his senses) with low diet, and to be beaten into his senses again. In which manner, they kept him a long time, for no other fault, but that of his having been serviceable to these servants of God in their journey.

After they had remained some days in prison, at London, they were carried before secretary Walsingham, the capital enemy of the catholics, who put the like questions to them as the vice-chancellor had done before: to which, Mr. Nicols would give no other answer, but, that they were all catholics, and that he, for his own part, was, though unworthy, a priest of the holy Roman church. If you are a priest, said the secretary, then, of course, you are a traitor. A strange consequence, honoured sir, said Mr. Nicols, since, it is certain, that they, who first converted England from paganism, were all priests. But they, said the secretary, did not disturb the nation as you do, nor stirred up seditions against their sovereigns. To which the confessor replied, that, if preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, if instructing the ignorant in the

catholic faith, be disturbing the nation, or stirring up sedition, then were they equally guilty; if not, both we and they are equally innocent; nor can there be any treason in the case. With this, the two priests were ordered to Bridewell, where they were tortured, and hanged up in the air, for the space of five hours together, to make them confess by whom they had been harboured or entertained, &c. But these torments, they bore with great courage and constancy, and generously refused, to the end, to name any one who might be brought into trouble upon their account. Artifices were also employed, and a pretended convert was sent to Mr. Nicols, desiring to be addressed by him, to some priest, that was at liberty, for further instructions. But the man of God, who was very discreet, discovered the trick, and would have nothing to say to the false catechumen. After this, they separated the two priests from each other, and thrust Mr. Nicols down into a dark and stinking dungeon, full of nauseous insects; but translated Mr. Yaxley from Bridewell to the Tower, where he was every day put upon the rack, till, at length, it was resolved in the council, that he should be sent back to Oxford, to be executed there, for an example to the scholars, and other inhabitants of that city.

This resolution was no sooner taken, than the prisoners, under the same guard, as before had brought them up to town, and with the like cruel treatment, were conducted back again to Oxford, to be tried at the assizes there; and that none of them might escape, sir Francis Knollys, one of the privy council, was appointed to be present at their trial, to overawe the jury, that they might bring in a verdict agreeable to the inclinations of the court. And first, the good widow, their hostess, was tried, and cast in a præmunire, condemned to the loss of all her goods, and to perpetual imprisonment; which sentence, she received with joy, only regretting, that she was not to die with her ghostly fathers. Then the two priests were condemned to die, as in cases of high treason: and, lastly, Mr. Belson and the servant being convicted of having been aiding and assisting to the priests, were, on that account, sentenced to die, as in cases of felony. They all received their respective sentences with cheerfulness, giving thanks to God for the honour he did them, of dying for his cause; and mutually embraced one another, with extraordinary marks of the inward joy of their hearts. They were drawn to the place of execution, on July the 5th, 1589, still retaining the same serenity in their countenance, and joy in their hearts; and meeting there, with an infinite multitude of people, assembled to see their last conflict, they saluted them, saying, Behold, we are here brought to die for the confession of the catholic faith, the old religion, in which our forefathers and ancestors all lived and died.

The first that was called upon to go up the ladder, was Mr. Nicols, who, after having made his prayer to God, and to the people, the profession of his faith, would have spoken more at large upon the subject, but was interrupted, and forbid to go on; so recommending his soul into the hands of his Creator, he was thrown off the ladder, and happily finished his course. He was followed by Mr. Yaxley, who, after having embraced the dead body of his companion with great affection, and recommended himself, in this, his last conflict, to the prayers of his

happy soul, going up the ladder, and beginning to speak to the people, was, in like manner, interrupted; and, after a short profession of his faith, was also flung off. The standers by seemed to have a more than ordinary compassion for him, upon account of his youth, beauty, and sweet behaviour, and the consideration of his family; but all these things he despised, for the sake of his master; for whom he willingly offered himself a sacrifice. Their bodies were cut down, bowelled, and quartered; and their heads were set on the old walls of the castle, and their quarters, over the gates of the city. Some false zealots disfigured their faces, cutting and hacking them with their knives, because of the extraordinary beauty which was observed in them; and it was much taken notice of, that in the disposing of their quarters, the right hand of Mr. Nicols, instead of hanging down from the shoulder, as is natural on the like occasions, stood up, erected on high, and turned against the city, in the posture and manner of one that was threatening.

THOMAS BELSON, GENTLEMAN. *

THOMAS BELSON was born at Brill, the seat of the family, in the county of Oxford. I find him in the Douay diary at the college of Rhemes, in 1584: from whence, he departed for England, on the 5th of April of that year, in the company of Mr. Francis Ingolby, priest, who suffered at York, in 1586. We have already seen how he was apprehended in the company of Mr. Nicols and Mr. Yaxley, examined both at Oxford, and at London, and finally tried and condemned with them, for his hospitality and charity to them; and God was pleased he should be their companion in death; for no sooner was Mr. Nicols and Mr. Yaxley dead, but Mr. Belson was also ordered up the ladder to finish his course. He first embraced the dead bodies of his pastors, which were then in quartering, and begged the intercession of their happy souls, that he might have the grace to imitate their courage and constancy. He added, that he looked upon himself very happy, that he had been their ghostly child, and was now to suffer with them, and should quickly be presented before the Almighty, in so good company. And thus, with great cheerfulness, he delivered his body to the executioner, and his soul to his Maker.

The last in the combat was Humphrey Prichard, a Welchman, a plain, honest, and well-meaning soul; and, as our authors all agree, a great servant of God; who, for twelve years, had done signal services to the poor afflicted persecuted catholics in those evil days. He came to the gallows, with a cheerful and smiling countenance, and being now upon the ladder, and turning to the people, he said, I call you all to

* From the same writers, and the Douay diary.

witness, in the presence of God, and of his holy angels, that I am a catholic, and that I was condemned to die, for the confession of the catholic faith; aud that I die willingly for the catholic faith. A minister that stood by, told him, that he was a poor ignorant fellow, and did not know what it was to be a catholic. To whom Humphrey replied, that he very well knew what it was to be a catholic, though he could not, perhaps, explain it in the proper terms of divinity: that he knew what he was to believe, and for what he came there to die; and that he willingly died for so good a cause. With that he was thrown off the ladder, and so reposed in the Lord.

They all suffered, July 5, 1589.

WILLIAM SPENSER, PRIEST.*

WILLIAM SPENSER was born in Yorkshire, and educated in Douay college, during its residence at Rhemes: from whence he was sent upon the English mission, in 1584. The particulars of his labours and sufferings I have not found, only that he was apprehended, tried, and condemned, for receiving holy orders beyond the seas, by authority derived from the bishop of Rome, and coming over to England, and there exercising his priestly functions. He received the sentence of death with an undaunted courage, and suffered with great constancy; being hanged, drawn, and quartered, at York, the 24th of September,

1589.

With Mr. Spenser was hanged, one Robert Hardesty, a layman of great probity and piety, for having harboured and relieved the confessor of Christ, knowing him to be a priest.

CHRISTOPHER BALES, OR BAYLES, PRIEST.-1590.†

CHRISTOPHER BAYLES was born in the parish of Cunsley, in the bishoprick of Durham, and performed his studies abroad, partly in the English college of Rome, and partly in that of Rhemes. From the latter he was sent priest upon the English mission in 1588. Here, after some time, he fell into the hands of the adversaries of his faith; and besides the miseries usually attending imprisonment, suffered much

From the Douay diary, catalogues, and Dr. Champney's manuscript.

+ From Ribadaneira's Appendix, c. 4, Dr. Champney's manuscript, and the bishop of Chalcedon's catalogue.

from their cruelty, being grievously racked, in order to oblige him to confess where he had said mass, and by whom he had been entertained or relieved; insomuch, that, at one time, he was hung up in the air for twenty-four hours together; all which he bore with wonderful patience and courage, though, otherwise, of an infirm body, and inclined to a consumption. At length, being brought to the bar, he was arraigned, tried, and condemned, upon the statute of the 27th of Elizabeth, for being made priest beyond the seas, and coming into England to exercise his priestly functions. When sentence was to be pronounced upon him, and the judge, according to custom, asked if he had any thing to alledge for himself? He desired to ask one thing, which was, whether St. Augustin, the monk, sent by the people of Rome, to preach the christian catholic faith to the English, was guilty of treason in complying with that commission, or no? to which, when the court had answered, that he was not: Why then, said the confessor, do you arraign and condemn me for a traitor, who do the same thing as he did? and to whom nothing can be objected, but that what might equally be objected to him? they told him the difference was, that, by their laws, his case was now made treason; and without any further arguing, proceeded to pronounce the sentence of death in the usual form. He was drawn to Fleet-street to a pair of gallows, erected over against Fetterlane, and was there hanged, bowelled, and quartered, March the 4th, 1589-90.

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On the same day, were hanged, Nicholas Horner, a layman, born at Grauntley, in Yorkshire, for relieving and assisting the said Mr. Bayles; and Alexander Blake, also a layman, for the same cause. Of all these, thus writes Mr. Stow, in his chronicle, Christopher Bayles, made priest beyond the seas, was convicted of treason, for remaining in this realm contrary to a statute: Also, Nicholas Horner, and Alexander Blake, convicted of felony, for relieving of Bayles, contrary to the like statute. These were all executed on the 4th of March. Bayles was hanged, bowelled, and quartered, in Fleet-street; Horner was hanged in Smithfield; Blake, in Grays-inn-lane.'

The bishop of Tarrasona, in his history of the English persecution, book 11, chap. 18, Numb. 3 and 4, relates of Mr. Horner, that he was apprehended once before, for harbouring priests, and at that time, was kept so long in a filthy dungeon, that, with the dampness of the lodging, one of his legs was mortified, so that he was obliged to have it cut off. But that, whilst the surgeon was at work, God was pleased to favour him with a vision, which so strongly drew his attention, and so sweetly entertained him, that he was not at all sensible of so painful an operation. After this, the persecutors having some compassion for him, set him at liberty. Till, being accused a second time, of relieving priests, and convicted of this felony, and not consenting to save his life by going to the protestant church, he was condemned to die. The night before his execution, finding himself overwhelmed with anguish and fear, he betook himself to his prayers, and then seemed to perceive a crown hanging over his head; and lifting up his hands to take hold of it, to see what it should be, he could feel nothing. Afterwards rising from his prayers, he perceived the same crown still over his head, and that,

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