Our last extract gives the mode selected on the suggestion of Walsingham. (See p. 74, "State Papers.")

March 7, 1584.-" So, as not finding that easy manner of examination to do any good, we made commissions to Mr Waterhouse and Mr Secretary Fenton to put him to the torture, such as your Honour advised us, which was to toast his feet against the fire with hot boots.

(Signed) “AD. DUBLIN, Canc. H. WALLOP."

These brief extracts suffice to authenticate the history given by Dr Moran.

MARGARET CLITHEROE, daughter of a Mr Middleton, a "gentleman of a fair estate in Yorkshire," was the wife of a Mr Clitheroe, and lived in the city of York. Their house was a common refuge of missionary priests: a dangerous character to earn in those cruel days. Detected at last as protectors of the Roman Clergy, her husband fled, and she, being seized, was committed to York Castle; and after a trial, she was, of course, condemned to die, for the crime above named.

"Some say," writes Dr Dod, "that she was pressed to death; others that she had only a great weight placed on her body to keep her down in the sledge." But Dr Lingard gives a full and circumstantial account of the whole abominable transaction in his "History of England" (p. 713), quoting from the words of an eye-witness :

"The place of execution was the Tolboth, six or seven yards from the prison. After she had prayed, Fawcet, one of the sheriffs, commanded them to put off her apparel, when she, with four women, requested him on their knees that, for the honour of womanhood, this might be dispensed with. But they would not grant it. Then she requested them that the women might unapparel her, and that they would turne their faces from her during that time. The women took off her clothes, and put on her the long linen habit. Then very quietly she laid her down upon the ground, her face covered with a handkerchief, and most part of her body with the habit." Dod says, "She was endowed with a courage above her sex," and that "looking up to Heaven, she cried out," while preparing for this last trial, "Oh, how short is the passage towards eternal happiness! This or any other way is indifferent to me." Dr Lingard thus continues, "The dore was laied upon her, her hands joined towards her face. Then the sheriff said, 'Naie, ye must have your hands bound.' Then two sergeants parted her hands, and bound them to two posts. (In the print her feet are bound to two others.) After this they laied weight upon her, which, when she felt, she said, 'Jesu, Jesu, Jesu, have mercye upon me!' Which were the last words she was heard to speak. She was in dying about one quarter of an hower. A sharp stone, as much as a man's fist, had been put under her back; upon her was laid to the

quantitie of seven or eight hundredweight; which, breaking her ribbs, caused them to burst forth of the skinne." She suffered at York, March 25th, 1586.

Dod says that, meanwhile, her husband not daring to appear, their children were carried away by order of the government.

Her son William was sent first to Cambridge, and then to Oxford; and the strong impressions which his mother's holy life, and example in death, had produced upon him, even in childhood, made him ultimately embrace the Roman faith.

He then left England for Douay, 1604. (See "Church History of England," vol. ii. p. 179.)

Dr Challoner further tells us that this heroic woman refused to plead, that she might not bring others into danger. Also that her little children, who wept and lamented for their mother (of course, making the trial of her constancy the more severe), were taken up, and being questioned as to their religion, and answering as she had taught them, were severely whipped; and the eldest, but twelve years old, sent to prison. Mr John Mush, her confessor, who had suffered imprisonment for his faith, and had received sentence of death (though he died in the course of nature after all), wrote the life of this holy woman.

The history of Mr WILLIAM DAVIES, priest, is is too lengthy to be given, and his apprehension by the Protestants for the usual cause, his Roman priesthood.

On the first occasion of his imprisonment, he was cast into a disgusting dungeon, separate from his companions, between two walls of the Castle of Beaumaris, where he remained in solitary confinement for a month; when his patience so gained on his jailer, that he allowed him for one hour a day, between eight and nine in the morning, to come out of his dungeon to breathe a better air, and to converse with his companions in another part of the castle. They then contrived means to procure a vestment, and other necessaries, to say Mass; which Davies celebrated every day; and afterwards punctually returned to his dungeon.

By degrees, the jailer became still more indulgent, insomuch that Davies and his companions wanted not opportunities of making their escape. But they would not requite their keeper's kindness by exposing him to the danger such a proceeding would entail upon him.

During this imprisonment, many had recourse to him for spiritual counsel, absolution, and comfort, from some forty miles round; and those who could not visit, wrote to him; so great was his reputation for sanctity. And others came to dispute with him; among others, one Mr Burgess, a noted preacher, who brought with him two sacks of books.

When the assizes came, Davies and his four companions were tried and condemned; and, no way dismayed, he immediately began the Te Deum with a joyful voice, in which the rest joined him;

In the

till they were silenced by the officers. meantime, the people murmured aloud at the injustice of the sentence, till the judge, to appease them, ordered him back with his young companions to prison; till the Queen's pleasure should be known, but said that, as Davies was a priest, he must suffer the penalty of death; while the others might be excused.

After this, he was ordered from Beaumaris to Ludlow, where he was forced into a Protestant church to be present at the service, under pretence that it was only for a disputation. Here he called God and the angels to witness that he had been brought there by stratagem, and that he would die a thousand deaths rather than communicate willingly in a service of which he disapproved.

He was then ordered back to prison; then from Ludlow, to a dungeon of the most horrible character at Beudley, in company with felons; who, however, showed him attention and respect; thence to various other prisons, and at last back to Beaumaris again, to his great satisfaction, because the Roman religion was so little known there, he thought the people might benefit by his death.

Some gentlemen of his own faith, hearing of his removal there, formed the design of rescuing him, while on the road thither; but only hearing from them of their intention, he said that 'he would not go along with them.'

Here in the Castle of Beaumaris he found his four companions, who rejoiced to see him; and