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pursuivant straight to Oxford for Mr. Maine and some others: the rest appeared and were sent to prison; but by chance Mr. Maine was then in his country, and being advertised by his countrymen and friend, Mr. Ford, (then fellow of Trinity college, in Oxford, and of late martyred) that there was process out for him, he took shipping on the coast of Cornwall, and so went to Douay, when the seminary there was but newly erected.

Here, "being taken into the church," falling to divinity, and keeping the private exercises within the house diligently, and doing the public exercises in the school with commendation, after some years he proceeded bachelor of divinity, and was made priest. And desirous partly to honour God in this sacred order, and to satisfy for that he had dishonoured him by taking the sacrilegious title of ministry; partly inflamed with zeal to save souls, he returned to England, "being sent by Dr. Allen, afterwards cardinal, first president of Douay college," together with Mr. John Payne, who was since martyred, "where he arrived safely," anno 1576. Mr. Maine placed himself in his own country, with a catholic and virtuous gentleman, Mr. Tregian,“ of Volveden, or Golden, five miles from Truro, in Cornwall, passing in the neighbourhood for his steward."

In the year 1577, in the month of June, the bishop of Exeter being in his visitation at Truro, was requested by "Mr. Greenfield," the sheriff of the county, and other busy men, to aid and assist them to search Mr. Tregian's house, where Mr. Maine did lie. After some deliberation, it was concluded, that the sheriff and the bishop's chancellor, with divers gentlemen and their servants, should take the matter in hand. As soon as they came to Mr. Tregian's house, the sheriff first spoke to him, saying, that he and his company were come to search for one Mr. Bourne, who had committed a fault in London, and so fled into Cornwall, and was in his house, as he was informed. Mr. Tregian answering, that he was not there, and swearing by his faith, that he did not know where he was; further telling him, that to have his house searched, he thought it great discourtesy; for that he was a gentleman, and that they had no commission from the queen. The sheriff being bold, for that he had a great company with him, swore by all the oaths that he could devise, that he would search his house, or else he would kill, or be killed, holding his hand upon his dagger, as if he would have stabbed it into the gentleman.

This violence being used, he had leave to search the house. The first place they went to was Mr. Maine's chamber, which being fast shut, they bounced and beat at the door. Mr. Maine came and opened it (being before in the garden, where he might have gone from them.) As soon as the sheriff came into the chamber, he took Mr. Maine by the bosom, and said to him, What art thou? he answered, I am a man. Whereat, the sheriff being very hot, asked if he had a coat of mail under his doublet? and so unbuttoned it, and found an Agnus Dei case about his neck, which he took from him, and called him traitor and rebel, with many other opprobrious names.

They carried him, his books, papers and letters, to the bishops, who, when he had talked with him, and examined him about his religion,

confessed that he was learned, and had gathered very good notes in his book, but no favour he showed him. Thence the sheriff carried him from one gentleman's house to another, till he came to Launceston, where he was cruelly imprisoned, being chained to his bed posts, with a pair of great gives about his legs, and strict commandment given that no man should repair unto him.

Thus he remained in prison, from June to Michaelmas; at which time the judges came their circuit. The Earl of Bedford was also present at Mr. Maine's arraignment, and did deal most in the matter.' "Several heads of accusation were exhibited against him at his trial, as,

"1st. That he had obtained from Rome a bull, containing matter of absolution of the queen's subjects. This was no other than a printed copy of the bull of jubilee of the foregoing year, which they had found amongst his papers.

"2dly. That he had published this bull at Golden, in the house of Mr. Tregian.

"3dly. That he had maintained the usurped power of the bishop of Rome, and denied the queen's supremacy.

"4thly. That he had brought into the kingdom an Agnus Dei, and delivered it to Mr. Tregian.

"5thly. That he had said mass in Mr. Tregian's house.

"There were no sufficient proofs of any of these heads of the indictment. And as to the bull, it being only a printed copy of the grant of the jubilee of the past year, now of no force, and no ways procured from Rome by Mr. Maine, but bought at a bookseller's shop at Douay, out of curiosity to see the form of it, it was very certain that the case was quite foreign both to the intent and to the words of the statute. Yet judge Manhood, who behaved himself very partially in the whole trial, directed the jury to bring him in guilty of the indictment, allêdging, that where plain proofs were wanting, strong presumptions ought to take place; of which, according to his logic, they had a good store in the cause in hand, knowing the prisoner to be a popish priest, and an enemy of the queen's religion."

The jury that went upon him were chosen men for the purpose, and thought him worthy of death, whether there came any proof against him or no, because he was a catholic priest; such is their evangelical conscience. After the twelve had given their verdict, 'guilty' "judge Manhood gave sentence on him, in the usual form, as in cases of high treason; which Mr. Maine heard with a calm and cheerful countenance, and lifting up his hands and eyes to heaven, answered, Deo gratius, thanks be to God. He was to have been executed within fifteen days, but his execution was deferred until St. Andrew's day; upon what occasion I know not, says my author; but the Latin manuscript says the occasion was, that judge Jeffries being dissatisfied with the proceedings of his colleague; and the privy council, informed of all that had passed, they thought proper to have all the judges meet upon the matter; that, accordingly, they met, but disagreed in their sentiments, several of the older and wiser of them being of judge Jeffries's opinion. However, such was the iniquity of the times, that the council concluded that the prisoner should be executed for a terror to the papists. My

author says, the sheriff, who went to court, and was there made a knight for his late service in this cause, was the man that procured the dead warrant to be signed for Mr. Maine's execution, which he sent into the country, to the justices there."

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Three days before he was put to death, there came a serving-man unto him, and willed him to prepare for death; for, saith he, you are to be executed within these three days at the farthest. Which kind admonition, Mr. Maine took very thankfully, and said to the servingman, that if he had any thing to give, he would rather bestow it upon him than on any other; for he had done more for him than ever any man did. After that advertisement he gave himself earnestly to prayer and contemplation until his death. The second night after he gave himself to these spiritual exercises, there was seen a great light in his chamber, between twelve and one of the clock, insomuch that some of the prisoners that lay in the next rooms, called unto him to know what it was (for they knew very well that he had neither fire nor candle.) He answered, desiring them to be quiet, for it did nothing appertain unto them.

'At the day of his execution many justices and gentlemen came to see him, and brought with them two ministers, who did dispute with him, whom he confuted in every point; but the justices and gentlemen, who were blind judges, would hear nothing of that; but they affirmed that the ministers were much better learned than he. Although they confess he died very stoutly, whereat they did much marvel, telling the ignorant people, that he could avouch no scripture for his opinion, which was most untrue; for I know by the report of honest men that were present, that he did confirm every point in question with testimonies of scriptures and fathers; and that abundantly.'

"It was upon this occasion, (according to the Latin manuscript) that his life was offered him, if he would renounce his religion; which when he refused to do, they pressed him at least to swear upon the bible, that the queen was the supreme head of the church of England, assuring him of his life if he would do this; but if he refused it, he must then be hanged, drawn and quartered, according to sentence. Upon this " 'he took the bible into his hands, made the sign of the cross upon it, kissed it; and said, the queen neither ever was, nor is, nor ever shall be, the head of the church of England.

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He was to be drawn a quarter of a mile to the place of execution, and when he was to be laid on the sledge, some of the justices moved the sheriff's deputy, that he would cause him to have his head laid over the car, that it might be dashed against the stones in drawing; and Mr. Maine offered himself that it might be so, but the sheriff's duputy would not suffer it.

When he came to the place of execution, "which was the marketplace of the town, where they had on purpose erected a gibbet of unusual height, being taken off the sledge," he kneeled down and prayed; when he was on the ladder, and the rope about his neck, he would have spoken to the people, but the justices would not suffer him, but bid him say his prayers, which he did very devoutly. And as the hangman was about to turn the ladder, one of the justices spoke to him in this manner :-Now villian and traitor, thou knowest that thou shalt

die, and therefore tell us whether Mr. Tregian and Sir John Arundel did know of these things which thou art condemned for; and also what thou dost know by them? Mr. Maine answered him very mildly: I know nothing of Mr. Tregian and Sir John Arundel, but that they are good and godly gentlemen; and as for the things I am condemned for, they were only known to me, and to no other. Then he was cast off the ladder saying, in manus tuas, &c., and knocking his breast.

Some of the gentlemen would have had him cut down strait way, that they might have had him quartered alive; but the sheriff's deputy would not, but let him hang till he was dead.' The Latin manuscript says, "he was, indeed, cut down alive, but falling from the beam, which was of an unusual height, with his head upon the side of the scaffold, on which he was to be quartered, he was by that means almost quite killed; and therefore but little sensible of the ensuing butchery. His quarters were disposed of, one to Bodwin, one to Tregny, one to Barnstable, and the fourth to remain at Launceston castle: his head was set upon a pole at Wadebridge, a noted highway. The hangman, who embrued his hands in his innocent blood, in less than a month's time became mad, and soon after miserably expired. And it is particularly remarked, that not one of those whom Mr. Maine reconciled to the church, could ever be induced to renounce the catholic truth, which they had learned from so good a master. Mr. Tregian, the gentleman who had entertained him, lost his estate, which was very considerable, for his religion, and was condemned to perpetual imprisonment; and several of his neighbours and servants were cast in a premunire as abettors and accomplices of Mr. Maine: Sir John Arundel was also persecuted and cast into prison upon this occasion.

"Mr. Maine suffered at Launceston, in Cornwall, Nov. 29, 1577, of whom, thus writes Mr. Stow, in his chronicle of this year :". Cuthbert Maine was drawn, hanged, and quartered at Launceston, in Cornwall, for preferring Roman power.'

The persons that were condemned with Mr. Maine, and cast in a premunire, were Richard Tremayne, gent., John Kemp, gent., Richard Hoar, gent., Thomas Harris, gent., John Williams, M. A. John Philips, yeoman, John Hodges, yeoman, and James Humphreys, yeoman; all neighbours or servants to Mr. Tregian.

JOHN NELSON, PRIEST.-1578.*

JOIN NELSON was the son of Sir N. Nelson, knight, and was born at Shelton, near York. Being come to near forty years of age, and hearing of the college lately established at Douay, in Flanders, he went over thither, in the year 1574, in order to qualify himself there, by virtue and learning, for the priestly ministry, by which he might be of service to his native country, in reclaiming sinners from the errors of

From a printed account by an eye-witness of his death; and from an old Latin manuscript of Douay college.

their ways. Accordingly, being judged by his superiors duly qualified, he was by them presented to holy orders, and was ordained priest at Bynche, by the archbishop of Cambray, in June, 1576, at the same time with Messieurs John Colington, Jonas Meredith, Roger Wakeman, and Richard Chapman. And he was sent upon the English mission the 7th of November, the same year.

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Mr. Nelson was taken in London, upon the first of December, 1577, late in the evening, as he was saying the mattins for the next day following, and was presently sent to prison upon suspicion of papistry, as they term the catholic faith. And, after five or six days,, he was brought forth to be examined before the high commissioners. Here they tendered him the oath of the queen's supremacy, which he refused to take; and being asked, why he would not swear? he answered-Because he had never heard, or read, that any lay prince could have that pre-eminence. And being further demanded, who then was the head of the church? he answered, sincerely and boldly :That the pope's holiness was, to whom that supreme authority in earth was due, as being Christ's vicar, and the lawful successor of St. Peter. Secondly. They asked him his opinion of the religion now practised in England? to which he answered, without any hesitation :That it was both schismatical and heretical. Whereupon the bid him define what schism was; he told them:-It was a voluntary departure from the unity of the catholic Roman faith. Then (seeking to ensnare him) they further urged, what is the queen then, a schismatic or no? He answered-He could not tell, because he knew not her mind in setting forth, or maintaining of, the religion now publicly used in England. The commissioners replied, that the queen did both promulgate it and maintain it; and pressed him to tell them, if she did so, whether then she were a schismatic and a heretic, or no? Mr. Nelson paused awhile, as being unwilling to exasperate his prince, if he might have chosen, but yet more unwilling to offend God and his own conscience, and to give scandal to the world, then he answered, conditionally-If she be the setter forth, said he, and defender of this religion, now practised in England, then she is a schismatic and a heretic. Which answer, when they had extorted out of him, they said, he had spoken enough, they sought no more at his hands.

So he was sent back to prison, and about seven weeks after was brought forth to his trial, where the same questions being again proposed to him, and he answering still the self-same to every question, as he had done before, sentence of death was pronounced against him, as against one guilty of treason, February the 1st, 1577-8. When the sentence was pronounced against him, he never changed his countenance, nor did there ever appear in him any sign of a troubled mind: but he took his condemnation very meekly, and prepared himself with a good courage for death. The jailor's wife, moved with compassion, offered him wine, thereby, as she thought, to assuage the heaviness of his mind. But he

Bishop Yepez, in his history of the English persecution, 1. 2, c. 63, relates, that the devil, whom Mr. Nelson had forced out of the body of a possessed person a few days before, had threatened him, that he would have him taken up in a week, and that it should cost him his life.

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