Southwell at once embraced him, and said, "You could not bring me more joyful tidings. I regret that I have nothing left of greater value, but accept this night-cap, as an evidence of my gratitude."

This gift the jailer held in great estimation, and never parted with it while he lived.

On arriving at Tyburn, and being unbound, he wiped his face from the mud which the jolting of the hurdle had cast on it, and threw the handkerchief to a friend he saw in the crowd. The latter was silent and decorous; and he spoke to them for a short time. A few words of his discourse here follow :

"Whether we live, we live unto the Lord; or whether we die, we die unto the Lord; therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. Of which, most clement God and Father of mercies, through the blood of Jesus Christ, I, in the first place, crave forgiveness for all things wherein I may have offended since my infancy." He then prayed for the Queen, then for England, and then continued

"Since I perceive that I am not permitted to speak at greater length, I deliver my soul into the hands of God, my Creator, earnestly beseeching Him that He may preserve and strengthen it with His grace, and grant it to continue faithful in this final conflict.

"For what may be done to my body, I have no But since death, in the admitted cause for

care.

which I die, cannot be otherwise than most happy and desirable, I pray the God of all comfort that it may be to me the complete cleansing of my sins, and a real solace and increase of faith to others.

"I die because I am a Catholic priest, elected into the Society of Jesus in my youth; nor has any other thing during the last three years" (since his apprehension) "in which I have been imprisoned, been charged against me. This death, therefore, although it may now seem base and ignominious, can, to no rightly thinking person, appear doubtful, but that it is, beyond measure, 'an eternal weight of glory' to be wrought in us, who look not to the things which are visible, but to those which are unseen."

He was firm in his delivery, and was often interrupted by Protestant teachers; but the audience in general was moved to much commiseration for him.

Afterwards he frequently ejaculated, "Holy Mary, Mother of God, and all the Saints, pray for me!" And signing himself with the cross, he said, "Into Thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit. Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth, my God; and, O God, be merciful to me a sinner," &c.

The car being removed from under his feet, he continued to beat his breast, and to make the sign of the cross-the executioner having so awkwardly applied the noose as that he was not strangled; upon which the latter pulled him by the legs to ease his agony.

Happily the martyr's whole behaviour so touched the spectators, that when, according to the sentence, the executioner was about to cut him down, that he might be butchered alive afterwards, neither they nor the superintending magistrate would permit him to do so.

Lord Mountjoy, who was present, was so struck by the holy sufferer's constancy, that he exclaimed, May my soul be with this man's!" He was amongst those who prevented the cutting down, till his soul was released from its last sore conflict. He was executed at the age of thirty-three.

RICHARD THIRKILL (or Thirkeld) was born at Cunsley, Durham; and seems to have been rather advanced in age before he went abroad, for he was called an old man in the account of his death, which took place four years after he was made priest. (See Dr Bridgewater's "Collections," fol. 116.) He was ordained in the year 1579, after his education at Douay and Rheims. As he was coming home from that service, he lifted his hands to heaven, and cried out, "O good God!" Then, directing his discourse to one of his companions, he said, "God alone knows how great a gift this is that hath been conferred upon us this day." "He con

One of his intimate friends writes, sidered how excellent and singular a gift it was to offer up daily to God for his own, and the whole people's salvation, the precious blood of Christ, the spotless and undefiled Lamb. And the fre

quent meditation of this gift produced in his soul that daily increase of divine love, and heavenly courage, that there was now nothing in life he desired more than, in return for what Christ had done for him, to shed also his blood in Christ, and for Christ." The writer continues that he had often heard him say that, for eight whole years he had made it the subject of his prayers, that he might one day lay down his life for his faith; which was granted to him in the following manner :

His mission was chiefly in and about York; where, on the 24th of March, nine days after the execution of Hart, going by night to visit a Catholic who, for his conscience, was confined in the prison upon the bridge, he was apprehended upon suspicion of being a priest; which he readily owned, saying, "I will never deny my vocation, do with me what you will."

He was carried before the Lord Mayor, and to him as boldly confessed what he was; who sent him for that night to the house of Standeven, the High Sheriff; who then found out and plundered his lodging, seized his church-stuff, books, &c. After this, he was committed to the Ritcote prison on the next, where he remained till May 27th, the day of his trial. In the meantime, he was twice examined by the Dean of York and three of the Council, concerning his character and functions; and he was very free in his answers, only excepting when any other person was concerned. In answer to their inquiries, he said that he had

gone abroad for conscience' sake, that he might serve God better, and had returned to his own country in order to give souls to God and his Church; confessing also that he had said Mass, and performed the other functions of his ministry, as occasion required. They touched upon the question of the supremacy; but the Dean seemed unwilling to have that matter pressed home.

What were the dispositions of the soul of this holy man in the horror and solitude of his prison, we may learn from his letters, six having been published by Dr Bridgewater-all edifying, and full of the spirit of the martyrs. We extract from one written to a friend under his spiritual care :—

"The world, dear daughter, begins now to seem insipid, and all its pleasures grow bitter as gall; and all the fine shows and delights it affords appear quite empty and good for nothing. Now it is seen that there is no true joy, no object, no agreeable pleasure, that can afford any solid delight, but one alone; and that is Christ. I experience now that the greatest pleasure, joy, and comfort, is in conversing with Him; that all time thus employed is short, sweet, and delightful; and those words that, in this conversation, He speaks to me, so penetrate my soul, so elevate my spirit above itself, so moderate and change all fleshly affections, that this prison of mine seems not a prison, but a paradise ; my crosses become light and easy; and the being deprived of all earthly comfort, affords a heavenly joy and happiness.