The next night, when every body is asleep, the sportsman cautiously creeps up to the wall, and one of the prisoners lets down a basket from the window whence the sign was given, and draws up what is put into it. The same plan is generally adopted for the other prisons; but the variety of places requires a variety of methods, and the zeal, charity, and bravery of the Catholics is greatly conspicuous in designing and accomplishing these dangerous services."

After the coast had been somewhat cleared by confining the "capital doctors and priests" in Wisbeach, and the other recusants, already committed, in the other castles, the council undertook a general raid against all the Catholics of England. The chief of them were sent for to London, to answer before the council. Letters were directed to the Bishops to summon and commit those who were not summoned to London; but they were told to be careful not to permit them "to come many together at a time," for fear they should know their strength.' Those who were summoned to London had first to give bonds for their appearance, and were then committed, some as prisoners to their own houses, some to those of their Protestant friends, and others to the castles prepared for them.

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Father Parsons quotes a long string of names of persons committed. The following were the chief of them. The Earl of Southampton, Lord Herbert, Lord Compton, Lord Paget, Sir Thomas Fitzherbert, Sir John Arundell, Sir Alexander Culpeper, Sir John Southworth, Sir Nicholas Poyntz, Sir Thomas Gerard, Sir George Peckham, John Talbot of Grafton, William and Richard Shelly, Ralph Sheldon, Thomas and Francis Throgmorton, John and Edward Gage, Nicholas Thimbleby, William and Robert Tirwhit, Richard, Culpeper, John Walker, Mr. Towneley, Mr. Guilford, Robert Price, Peter Titchbourne, Erasmus Wolseley, John Gifford, Brian Fowler, Thomas Cross.179 Both of these events, the proclamation and the

persecution, were described by Dr. Allen, who wrote as follows to the Cardinal Cofomo from Rheims, Sept. 12 (N.S.), 1580:180

"MOST ILLUSTRIOUS AND REVEREND LORD CARDINAL,—Not long ago I sent your eminence the late proclamation of the Queen of England against the Catholics of her dominions; not, indeed, professedly against their religion, but against their suspected treason and conspiracy with the refugees. In it she tells her subjects, that the Pope and the King of Spain had been long and earnestly entreated by her enemies and the refugees to make war against her; she boasts that she is quite prepared for it, and that she fears no foreign forces; she commands her subjects to stand fast in their duty and fidelity; and she says she fears neither rebels within, nor the land or sea forces made ready without. Moreover, she declares that in future she means to deal more sharply than her habit or her nature inclines her with those of her subjects who are guilty of any conspiracy with the refugee rebels. Soon after the publication of this edict, by crier, through the whole realm, she orders that in each county all the more powerful and notable Catholics should be apprehended, and committed either to prison or to the custody of heretics. This was immediately, almost suddenly, put in execution; at the same time the strictest search was made for priests, particularly for two lawyers whom we sent over this summer, and for the Jesuits. But the Catholics take such pains, and use such care in concealing them, that up to this time very few have fallen into the enemies' hands. They have only taken two priests of Rheims and one of Rome.

The number of gentlemen now in prison is so great that they are obliged to remove the old prisoners for religion-the Bishop of Lincoln and several other ecclesiastics-to other strong places far distant from the city, to make room for the new prisoners. The same thing had already been done at York. But many think that the reason of this was, that the priests kept prisoners in those cities were converting all the chief citizens and many of the nobility, and persuading them by their life and example to persevere. Those gentlemen are treated most severely who are known to have sons in the seminary of Rome or of Rheims. This persecution is heavier, and extends to more persons, than any of those before it. For before this they never

committed any of the nobility; who, however, are not in prison, but only given into the custody of heretics.

It is supposed that they do all this to prevent any Catholics joining the enemy, if there is to be any; for they are horribly afraid of what is to be. And perhaps they have made quite sure of those whom they have shut up, whatever turns up. But as for the rest, who escape the present danger by dissimulation or other shifts, they are rather provoked and irritated to make some attempt, when God gives opportunity, not only to deliver their own souls, but their friends' also who are so unhandsomely imprisoned.

And certainly the whole Catholic population, afflicted in soul and body by this disgraceful tyranny of one woman, beseeches God with unspeakable yearnings to grant some redemption. For this we exiles cry out to our most holy Father, the highest minister of justice upon earth; for this the prisoners groan to him; for this innumerable afflicted souls, his own sheep, stretch forth their hands to him. Not that we doubt that the wellknown compassion of the most holy Gregory can do more than it does; or that he, our only father upon earth, can wish us better or greater things than he does; but that we may at least somewhat relieve our most just sorrow for our people by communicating our calamities to our most holy Lord and loving Father, and to your kindness. Certainly, all thinking men prognosticate that this new cruelty will do hurt to our enemies. Whether they intend to do more than imprison is as yet uncertain; further measures are expected after the meeting of Parliament, which is supposed to be soon about to take place. Our religion is only exalted above its condemners by this persecution, and by the admirable constancy which it calls forth. And it is made clear to all, that the question now is not about religion, of which our enemies have not a bit, but about the stability of the empire, and about worldly prosperity. May the Lord Jesus long preserve your lordship to be our great defence! Your Eminence's most humble servant in the Lord, WILLIAM ALLEN.

Rheims, 12 Sept. 1580.

P.S.-I have sent you a page of the English Calendar, that you may see how solemnly the festival of Elizabeth's birthday

is kept on the 7th of September, so as totally to eclipse that of the Blessed Virgin on the 8th, which is omitted. See the pride of the queen, who is not content with the festival of her coronation, but must have her birthday kept besides."

Neither Parsons nor Campion, who were on the spot, describe this persecution with so much bitterness as Dr. Allen at Rheims. This we may attribute partly to a generosity which feels more pain at seeing others suffer than at suffering; partly to a consciousness, which Allen could not but have felt, that the persecution was in some measure to be attributed to himself and the foreign meddlers who were perpetually interfering in the political affairs of England, with the object of restoring religion there. In spite of the laboured attempt of Parsons to prove the contrary, it is abundantly clear that Allen was deeply implicated in the plots of the day. The last part of the foregoing letter would have been treasonable in the eyes of all lawyers, especially when we connect his passionate appeal to the Pope with the Papal expedition against Elizabeth which at the very time had descended upon the coast of Ireland, and about which the nuncio at Paris had just sent off this news to Rome: "The Earl of Desmond, and Dr. Nicholas Sanders, and all the Catholic army, are still encamped in their old place—a strong position. They were, at the date of my advice, waiting for foreign aid, without which they can do little or nothing. But we heard yesterday by letter and authentic report that five great ships full of soldiers and munitions of war-sent, it said, by the Holy See-reached in safety some port in Ireland a few days ago.'

181

The Jesuits were satisfied with the fruits of this first expedition. They found the country people more inclined to be Catholics than the inhabitants of the towns:-"the infection of ministers bore most rule with artisans and

merchants:"-but the best part of the nobility and gentry, who dwelt on their estates, together with their tenants and dependents, remembered the virtuous life and just proceeding of those of the ancient religion, especially when they saw and felt the present contrast. It was a comfortable thing, says Parsons, to see the universal inclination of so infinite a people to the Catholic religion; but an incredible sorrow to witness the rents and breaches, the wrenches and disjointures, which the preaching of new doctrines for twenty years had made in the consciences and belief of that good people, which had lived so many ages in one faith. The breach between the Protestants and Puritans was already of many years' date. But this year Puritanism had given birth to a new development, that of the "Family of Love," which had already gained several of the queen's household, and especially of her guard, and against which she published a proclamation dated Richmond, October 3, in this year. The peasant mind had already begun to ferment. In May, Hammond, the plough-wright of Hethersett, had suffered the loss of his ears for blaspheming the queen and council, and was afterwards burnt in the castle-ditch at Norwich, for saying that the New Testament was a fable; that Christ's blood is not necessary for salvation; that He neither rose again nor ascended into heaven; that there is no Holy Ghost; and that there are no sacraments. Parsons maintains that this denial of all Christianity was a logical development of the principle which renounced the authority of tradition to determine the canon of Scripture and explain its meaning; rejected all merit in order to amplify God's mercy; denied Christ's descent into hell, and the assistance of general councils by the Holy Ghost; and prepared the way for rejecting all the sacraments by rejecting five of them.