manded him to be silent, he told them, it was an exceeding great joy and pleasure to him to see the courage and constancy of these catholics, in maintaining so good a cause, and that it was his duty to exhort and encourage them on these occasions.

Upon this, one of the judges calling upon him by his name, said, Richard Thirkill, come up to the bar; what can you say for yourself, why sentence of death should not be pronounced upon you, as you have been here arraigned and found guilty of high treason? Mr. Thirkill replied, That he had yesterday brought five reasons out of the holy fathers, by which he had demonstrated that he was not guilty of high treason, "viz. in his exercising the power of the keys in absolving sinners ;" but these reasons were not regarded, and the judge immediately proceeded to pronounce sentence, by which he was to be carried back to the place from whence he came, and from thence to be drawn to the place of execution, and there hanged, cut down alive, dismembered, bowelled, and quartered. Which sentence, as soon as the confessor had heard, falling on his knees, he gave most hearty thanks to God, and pronounced aloud these words, Hæc dies quam fecit Dominus, &c. This is the day which the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice therein. Then, that his presence might no longer encourage the other catholics, he was hurried out of the court, and thrust into the lowest dungeon in the castle.

On the next day, he was drawn from the castle to the place of execution, where he suffered according to sentence, though as to the particulars of his words and actions there, my author complains he could not get any certain account of them, such care was taken to prevent the catholics, and the rest of the people, from being present at his death; guards being set for that purpose at the gates, the lord mayor having ordered, that day, a general meeting of the citizens, under pretence of making a proper choice for the militia; however, my author was assured, by persons of credit, that he was cut down alive, according to the letter of the sentence: and that the faithful might not gather up any of his blood, they had ordered a great fire of straw to be made upon the place, to consume all, in such manner that nothing of it might be found.

He suffered at York, the 29th of May, 1583. He is called Thrilkill by Dr. Bridgewater, and bishop Yepez, and Thrilkeld, by cardinal Allen, in his answer to the book, called the Execution of Justice in England, or Justitia Britannica.

JOHN SLADE, SCHOOLMASTER, AND JOHN BODY, M. A.*

THESE two are commonly joined together, because they were tried and condemned at the same time, and for the same cause: though they never suffered at the same place, nor on the same day. Mr. Stow makes mention of them in his chronicle of 1583. John Slade, schoolmaster, says he, and John Body, master of arts, being both condemned

* From a Douay manuscript, and other memoirs.

of high treason, for maintaining of Roman power, were drawn, hanged, bowelled, and quartered.'

Mr. Slade was born in Dorsetshire: and, after his education at home, in grammar learning, going abroad, was, for some time, a student in the canon and civil law in the university of Douay, and a convictor of the English college in that city, and therefore has a place in Raissius's catalogue of the martyrs of that community. At his return home, having little or no opportunity of exercising his talent in the law, in the circumstances of catholics in this kingdom, he became a schoolmaster, as we learn from Mr. Stow, above quoted. Mr. Body was born in the city of Wells, in Somersetshire; his father was a wealthy merchant there, and had been mayor of the town. He was brought up in New College, Oxford, where he took his degree of master in arts; and for some time studied the canon and civil law: but not liking the established religion, he went over to Douay college, (the common refuge, in those days, of such as left England for the catholic cause) where he arrived May, 1, 1577, and was, for some time a convictor in that house. After his return home, both he and Mr. Slade were so zealous in maintaining the old religion, that they were apprehended upon that account by the enemies of their faith, and prosecuted upon the article of the supremacy. My manuscript lays their death at the door of Cowper, bishop of Winchester, as particularly busy in procuring their condemnation; but if Heylin's chronology, in his Help to English History, be exact, by which, he makes Cowper to have entered upon the bishopric only in 1584, he could not have prosecuted them in 1583, at least, not in quality of bishop of Winchester.

They were both arraigned together at Winchester, and there tried and condemned; and, what was very singular in their case, is, that according to Dr. Saunders, or rather, Mr. Rishton, "1 3 de Schismate Angl.," they were twice, at different times, sentenced to death upon the same indictment; which cardinal Allen, in his answer to Justitia Britannica, cap. 1, imputes, to a consciousness, in their prosecutors, of the first sentence having been unjust and illegal. The whole and sole cause of their condemnation was, that they denied the queen's spiritual supremacy, and maintained that of the pope, as appears, from the account of their trial and execution, published by a protestant, and an eyewitness; printed at London, by Richard Jones, the same year they suffered, viz. 1583.

They both suffered with great constancy. Mr. Slade was hanged, drawn, and quartered at Winchester, October 30. Mr. Body at Andover, November 2, 1583. My manuscript relates, that, as he was drawn along the streets on a hurdle, his head being in danger of being hurt by the stones, an honest old man, pitying him, offered him his cap, in part to save his head; which Mr. Body, with thanks, refused, adding withal, That he was just now going to give his head, life, and all, for his Saviour's sake. Cardinal Allen also informs us, from the printed history of his execution, that Mr. Kingsmel having called upon him, at the gallows, to confess the crime for which he was condemned, that the people might know the cause for which he died, Mr. Body, after he had professed his obedience and fidelity to the queen, in all civil matters,

spoke thus to the people, Be it known, said he, to all you that are here present, that I suffer death this day, because I deny the queen to be the supreme head of the church of Christ in England. I never committed any other treason, unless they will have hearing mass, or saying the Hail Mary, to be treason. His mother, as my manuscript relates, hearing afterwards of her son's happy death, made a great feast upon that occasion; to which, she invited her neighbours, rejoicing at his death as his marriage; by which, his soul was happily and eternally espoused to the lamb.

I find, also, amongst those that suffered this year, 1583, in an old catalogue, kept in Douay college, the name of William Chaplain, priest, of whom it is there said, obiit in vinculis, that he died in bonds or in prison. He was made priest at Rhemes, in 1581.

GEORGE HAYDOCK, PRIEST.-1584. *

GEORGE HAYDOCK was son to Evan Win Haydock, Esq. of Cottamhall, near Preston, in Lancashire. The father, after the death of his lady, went abroad to the English college of Douay: and, though he was well advanced in years, resuming his studies, was, after some time, made priest; and returning into England, laboured for some years with great fruit, in the vineyard of his Lord He was also agent, or procurator, for the college; which office he discharged to the general satisfaction of his brethren. Two of his sons followed the same course of life, as the father had made choice of. Richard, who went with his father to Douay, in 1573, and was ordained priest in 1577; and going afterwards to Rome, became at length, doctor of divinity: and George, of whom, we are now treating, who had also his education for four years, at Douay college, where he learnt his humanity; and from thence was sent to Rome, where he went through his course of philosophy, and began his divinity. But the climate not agreeing with his health, he was obliged to leave Rome, being, as yet, only deacon, and to go into France, where he remained at Rhemes three months, and was made priest; and from thence, returned into England, to labour there for the benefit of the souls of his neighbours.

He had scarce arrived at London, when, by the treachery of one Haukinson, he fell into the hands of the pursuivants on the 6th of February, 1581-2, in St. Paul's church-yard, and was, by them carried into the church, where one of the ministers conferred for awhile with him, and offered him his liberty without more ado, if he would renounce the pope; which, Mr. Haydock refusing to do, the pursuivants carried him, and Mr. Arthur Pits, (whom they also had apprehended) before Mr. Popham, the queen's attorney, by whom they were strictly examined; as they were again, the next day, by Cecil, lord treasurer, who sent them both to the Tower. Here, between Norris the pursuivant,

* From Dr. Bridgewater's collections, fol. 133, and from the journals and other memoirs of Douay college.

and Sir Owen Hopton, the lieutenant of the Tower, Mr. Haydock had all his money juggled away; and, that the matter might be kept the more secret, the lieutenant lodged him in a remote place, by himself, suffering none of his friends to come near him. By which means, for a year and three months, he was not only deprived of all human comfort and assistance, but also, of the benefit of the sacraments, excepting once, when a zealous priest contrived a way of coming at him, and administering the holy mysteries to him.

A little before his happy end, he had another place assigned for him, where he was not so narrowly watched, but that, sometimes, his friends, might come to see him. By which means, he had both an opportunity of communicating oftener, and others were greatly edified by conversing with him, and beholding his humility and patience for besides all other incommodities of his imprisonment, which he had to endure, he was continually struggling with a lingering disease, which he had first contracted in Italy, and which now returned upon him in prison, and frequently caused most violent stitches and pains. After he had been a long time tried in this school of patience, it pleased God that he should, at length, be called forth to give proofs of his fortitude and courage also, in the profession of his faith, and in sealing it with his blood. He was brought, therefore, before Mr. Fleetwood, the recorder of the city, and others, to be examined; upon which occasion, he showed so much intrepidity in maintaining the cause, that the examiners being resolved to make away with him, put those murdering questions to him; what he thought of the power of the pope, and of the queen, in spirituals? To which he readily answered,That he believed the bishop of Rome was, under Christ, the chief head of the church upon earth; and that this dignity and authority could not belong to the queen, or any other This was enough. However, to make him more odious to her majesty, they pressed him still further, and did not leave off till, by force of questions and inferences, they had brought him, though against his will, to say, that the queen was a heretic, and, without repentance, would be eternally lost. This examination was upon the 18th of January, 1583-4. On which day, the church celebrates the festivity of St. Peter's chair, at Rome. And it was a subject of great satisfaction to Mr. Haydock, that he should be called forth to maintain the authority of the successor of St. Peter, on that day of his chair, as he signified afterwards to his companions.

woman.

On the 6th of February, (the very day on which he had been first apprehended, two years before,) he was carried from the Tower to Westminster hall, and there arraigned for high treason, with his four companions, Mr. Fenn, Mr. Hemerford, Mr. Nutter, and Mr. Munden. They were all brought in guilty by the jury; and the next day received sentence of death, as in cases of high treason. The cause for which they were sentenced to die, is thus set down by Mr. Stow, in his chronicle, 1584. The 7th of Feb. John Fenn, (he should say James,) George Haddock, John Munden, John Nutter, and Thomas Hemerford, were all five found guilty of high treason, in being made priests beyond the seas, and by the pope's authority, since a statute made in anno primo, of her majesty's reign; and had judgment to be hanged, bowelled, and

quartered; who were all executed at Tyburn, on the 12th of February.' So Mr. Stow, who takes no notice of the pretended plot of Rome and Rhemes, which they were also pleased to charge upon them; their very adversaries being sensible there were no grounds for any such accusation.

Mr. Haydock received the sentence of death with incredible joy, returning hearty thanks to God for so great a favour: and whereas his apprehension and his arraignment both happened on the day of his patroness, St. Dorothy, virgin and martyr, he attributed this happy event to her prayers, and marked it down in the calender of his breviary; which, when he was going to die, he bequeathed to Mr. Creagh, archbishop of Armagh, at that time prisoner in the Tower for the catholic religion. In the mean while, being wholly intent on preparing himself for his happy passage, he was alarmed by a rumour spread about the city, which was brought to him in the Tower, that the queen had changed her mind, and he was not to suffer. Upon which, when his friends congratulated with him, he, on the other side, who saw himself, as he thought, just in the haven, and was very unwilling to be drove back again into the midst of the dangers of the tempestuous sea of this mortal life, conceived a great grief; but his confessarius, a man of great prudence and experience, encouraged him, assuring him, that these rumours were industriously spread about, only to make the world believe that the queen was averse to these cruelties, to take off the odium of them from her majesty, as if they were extorted from her against her inclinations; and that such reports as these, as it had been found in the case of Mr. Forde, Mr. Shert, &c., were indeed a sign that he and his companions would certainly suffer. Upon this, Mr. Haydock was freed from his fears, and wholly applied himself by watching, fasting, and prayer, to prepare for his last end.

On the 12th of February, (Dr. Bridgewater says the 13th,) Mr. Haydock, early in the morning, said mass in his chamber, to prepare himself by the holy viaticum for his journey into eternity: and then, with his four companions, was drawn through the streets from the Tower to Tyburn. When they were come to the place, Mr. Haydock, though the youngest of them all, was first ordered up into the cart; into which he ascended with great alacrity. Here, the rope being now about his neck, he was called upon by Spencer, the sheriff, and by the ministers, to confess his treason against the queen, and to ask her pardon. He answered, I call God to witness, upon my soul, that I am innocent of the pretended treason; and therefore I have no occasion to ask her pardon. He added, withal, that he acknowledged her for his queen, and wished her all happiness, and had offered several prayers to God for her that very day: and that such was his disposition, in regard to her majesty, that if he were alone with her in a wilderness, where he might, without danger, do to her what he pleased, he would not hurt her with the prick of a pin, though he might have the whole world for so doing.

The sheriff, who showed himself a bitter enemy to Mr. Haydock and his fellow confessors, told him, that, since his condemnation, they had discovered far more heinous crimes of him: and, upon this, the infamous Munday was called for, who pretended, that he had heard