The Year 1612

WILLIAM SCOT, Priest, O.S.B *

WILLIAM SCOT, who in religion was called Father was a gentleman by birth, and bred up to the study of the civil law in Trinity Hall in the University of Cambridge. He was converted by reading Catholic books, and went beyond the seas, where he was for some time alumnus of one of the Spanish seminaries, I believe of that of Valladolidy and from thence entered into the Order of St. Benedict y being one of the first of the English that entered himself amongst the Spanish monks of the congregation of Valladolid. He was professed in the famous abbey of St. Facundus in the town of SahaguUy and, having received the holy order of priesthood, returned into England to labour there in the vineyard of his Lord.

For a welcome at his first arrival at Londony he beheld the priest,¹ by whom he had formerly been taken into the Church, hurried away to death for his faith and character; and he himself within three days aftei was apprehended and cast into prison for the like cause. He was kept in confinement for about a twelvemonth, and then transported into banishment; and this happened to him more than once; for a certain contemporary author informs us, that he was several times imprisoned, and several times banished. [Post crebros car ceres et exilia: Apostolatus Bened., p. 247.] In his last banishment he went to Dozuayy and lived there for some time amongst his brethren in their monastery of that town. But he returned again to his Master’s work, and quickly fell into the hands of the persecutors. His chief adversary who caused him to be prosecuted and condemned was George Abbot, who from being Bishop of London was advanced to the Archbishopric of Canterbury. Mr. Scot upon his apprehension was brought before this Protestant prelate to be examined; he refused the new oath of allegiance, but neither confessed nor denied his priesthood. The chief proof that was brought for his being a priest, was, that as he came by water from Gravesend to London, upon some danger of being discovered, he flung into the Thames a little bag, where were his breviary and faculties with some medals and crosses; which bag a fisherman catching in his net, had carried to the said George Abbot.

The following account of his trial and death was written by an eye-witness, whose manuscript relation is preserved by the English Benedictines, in their monastery of Doway, who favoured me with a copy of it.

On Monday the 25th of May, Mr. Scot was removed from the Gatehouse to Newgate, in order to take his trial in the sessions which were to begin at the Old Bailey the following Thursday. Whilst he was here preparing himself for his last conflict, his conversation gave great edification to his fellow prisoners; but it was particularly taken notice of, that he seemed much mortified, when any one would be saying, that it was not likely the Court would proceed at that time to the execution of any priest. On Thursday morning, when he understood by the jailer that the Bishop of London [King'] would be at the session-house, to attend his trial at three o’clock that afternoon, he began to take heart, and to prepare himself for that hour. At which time he and his companion Mr. Newport were conducted to the Old Bailey; where were sitting the Lord Mayor, the Bishop of London, the Lord Chief Justice Cook, the Lord Chief Justice of the Common-Pleas, the Recorder of London, with many other justices. Here Mr. Scofs indictment was read; which, he i6i2]

WILLIAM SCOT said, contained and therefore he pleaded not guilty. They urged him to say directly, whether he was a priest or no; but this he would neither confess nor deny, saying, that it was the business of his accusers to make it out that he was a priest. They would needs infer from hence that he certainly was a priest; and Lord Chief Justice Cook urged, that in cases of prcemunire it was judged sufficient to find any man guilty, if he neither owned nor denied the fact. Mr. Scot replied, that however it might be in cases of prcemunire, it was certain that in cases of life and death they were to proceed only according to what had been legally made out by witnesses.

It was then objected, that he had been sent into banishment as a priest, and that by his accepting of this banishment with the rest, he had sufficiently owned himself a priest. He answered that he had never accepted of any banishment; that he had been released indeed with others, at the request of the Ambassador of Savoy; but when he obtained this liberty, which he had never petitioned for, he neither owned himself a priest, nor ever promised himself, or any other for him, to his knowledge, that he would not return again into England. And whereas the Bishop of London was very active in this cause, Mr. Scot told him it did not become his lordship, or any one of his cloth, to meddle in causes of life and death. But this did not silence the Protestant prelate, who amongst other things urged against the prisoner, that in the bag mentioned above was found a paper giving leave to say Mass above or below ground, &c. Giving leave! said Mr. Scct^ hut to whom? Was my name there expressed? If not^ your lordship might have kept that argument to yourself^ with the rest of the things in the hag.

The Bishop still urged him to answer, if he was a priest, or no. My Lord^ said he, are you a priest? No, said the prelate. No priest, no hishop, said Mr. Scot. I am a priest, said the Bishop, hut not a massing priest. If you are a priest, said Mr. Scot, you are a sacrificing priest, for sacrificing is essential to priesthood; and if you are a sacrificing priest, you are a massing priest, [For what other sacrifice have the priests of the new law, as distinct from mere laics, to offer to God, but that of the Eucharist, which we call the Mass?] If then you are no massing priest, you are no sacrificmg priest; if no sacrificing priest, no priest at all, and consequently no hishop.

But as Mr. Scot perceived the judges were resolved to proceed upon bare presumptions to direct the jury to bring him in guilty; he told them he was sorry to see his cause was to be committed to the verdict of those poor ignorant men who knew not what a priest was, nor whether he was a man or a mouse. Then turning himself to the jury, he said, it grieved him much that his blood was to fall upon their heads; but withal bid them consider, for the securing their own consciences, that nothing had been alleged against him but mere presumptions; and as he was not to be his own accuser, they were to proceed according to what had been legally proved, and not upon presumptions. The jury withdrew, but quickly returned again, and gave in their verdict by the mouth of the foreman, guilty; which word Mr. Scot had so sooner heard, but he fell upon his knees, and said with a loud voice. Thanks he to God; adding, that never any news was more welcome to him, and that there was nothing that he had ever wished for more in his life, than the happiness of dying for so good a cause. Then turning himself to the people he said, ‘ I have not as yet confessed myself a priest, that the law might go on its course; and that it might appear whether they would proceed to condemn me upon mere presumption and conjectures without any witness, which you see they have done. Wherefore, to the glory of God, and of all the saints in heaven, I now confess I am a monk of the order of St. Bennet^ and a priest of the Roma?i Catholic Church. But be you all witnesses, I pray you, that I have committed no crime against his Majesty or my country; I am only accused of priesthood, and for priesthood alone I am condemned.’

Mr. Newport^ a man of great zeal and fervour, who had twice before been imprisoned and sent into banishment, and through the desire of martyrdom had returned a third time upon the mission, and had been a third time apprehended; after seven months’ imprisonment (during which he had prepared himself, as he had done for many years before, for the conflict for which God had designed him) was brought to the sessions-house with Father Scot^ but for want of time was not tried that afternoon, but sent back to prison; to which Mr. Scot returned with as much calmness and unconcernedness in his looks, as if nothing had been done that day against him. The next morning, being Friday^ Mr. Newport alone was brought to the bar, where he acknowledged himself to be a priest, and that he had been twice banished, &c., but denied the indictment, not owning himself guilty of any treason against his king or country. The Recorder told him, it was high treason for a priest ordained beyond the seas to return into England. Mr. Newport answered, Whatever it might be by the law of England, it could be no treason by the law of God; that their new laws were made according to their new religion, and could not be of any force against the law of God, and that authority which Jesus Christ Himself had given to priests, ' ■ 326

WILLIAM SCOT in those words, Go, teach all nations^ &c. And as it could be no treason to be a priest, so he could not comprehend how he could be a traitor for returning into his own country, having been always both at home and abroad a faithful subject to his Majesty. He added that by the laws which they had lately made against priests, they might condemn Christ Himself if He were upon earth, because He was a priest. The Recorder told him, that priests were the first men that had plotted against his present Majesty. No, no, said Mr. Newport, but Protestants and Puritans were the men that plotted against him, and sought to rob him of his life, whilst he was yet in his mother’s womb. These and other such like words, says my author, who was present at his trial, he spoke with wonderful constancy and fortitude. He seemed very unwilling his blood should lie at the door of the poor ignorant jury; but was obliged to acquiesce to the custom of the law. The twelve brought him in guilty; which verdict he received with great courage and cheerfulness. The Bishop of London was present at his trial, but said nothing; for he had gained but little credit, even amongst Protestants, by what he had said the day before at the trial of Father Scot.

Friday in the afternoon the two confessors of Christ were again brought to the bar; and being asked what they had to say for themselves, why the sentence of death should not pass upon them; they replied, That they could not be justly condemned, either for being priests, or for returning into England, for neither the one nor the other could possibly be criminal; as nothing else could be objected against them. The Recorder would not suffer them to proceed; but taking occasion from that constancy and alacrity which appeared in their countenance (by which, as well as by their courageous answers, the people were much edified) to reproach them, as if they had not behaved with that modesty as other priests had done before them, hoping thereby to disgrace them with the standers-by, who had very much applauded them, he pronounced separately the sentence of condemnation against them in the usual form. After which, their hands being tied, they were sent back to prison; where they remained that night full of joy at their approaching happiness, and giving great comfort and edification to their fellow-prisoners.

The next morning, being the 30th of May, at six of the clock, they were brought out to the hurdle. And first Mr. Newport was appointed for the right-hand side, who laid himself down with a smiling countenance, and lifting up his hands, which were tied, in the best manner he could, gave his benediction to the people. Then Father Scot, who had come down in his religious habit, with a design to have wore it at his execution, but was ordered to put it ofT again, advanced to the hurdle; and standing over it declared to the people, ‘ That he was a faithful subject of his Majesty, and daily prayed for him; and that he begged of God to turn away his stripes and punishments from this island; that he wished as well to the King as to his own soul; and had never harboured so much as one evil thought against him; and that if by his death he could do any service to the soul or body of his sovereign, he should be no less willing.to die for his service, than he was now to lay down his life for God’s honour and the testimony of the truth.’

After this speech, at which my author says he was present, Mr. Scot was pinioned down upon the hurdle, and so drawn to Tyburn with his companion, and there executed according to sentence. May 30, being Whitsun Eve^ 1612.

RICHARD NEWPORT, alias SMITH, Priest *

He was born in Northamptonshire; and performed his studies abroad partly in the College of Rhemes (if he be the Richard Smith whom I find in the Doway Diary sent to Rome in 1586) and partly in that of Rome^ where he was made priest. From hence he was sent upon the English mission, and behaved himself in such a manner as justly to acquire the character of a laborious missionary; being withal remarkably successful in bringing home many strayed sheep to the fold of Christ, to which his apostolical way of living did not a little contribute. He was several times apprehended and cast into prison, and twice banished. His name occurs amongst those who were transported in 1606; at which time, we are told, he took that opportunity of making a pilgrimage to Rome, there to pour forth his prayers at the tombs of the Apostles, in behalf of this afflicted Church, and to obtain of God, by their intercession, grace and constancy for himself to fulfil his ministry amidst so many difficulties and dangers, as he expected to meet with upon his return to England.

’Tis true, he had been strictly charged by the Council not to come back into any of the British dominions at his utmost peril; but then he had learnt from the example of the Apostles, that in things relating to the functions of his ministry, he was to hearken to² i6i2]

God rather than man. To England therefore he returned, and though he was apprehended again and banished a second time, he again came back at the first favourable opportunity.

Being apprehended for the third time, the persecutors were now resolved to make sure work with him, and effectually to silence him for ever. To this end they brought him upon his trial, on an indictment of high treason, for being a priest, and returning into England contrary to the statute. We have already seen his behaviour at the bar; and how by his jury he was found guilty of the indictment, and in consequence of this supposed guilt, was condemned to die the ignominious death of traitors; which he suffered with constancy and courage, in the company of Mr. Scot, May 30, 1612.

JOHN ALMOND, Priest.

JOHN ALMOND, who in his examination before the Bishop of London calls himself Francis Lathome, and who was known upon the mission by the name of Molineux, was born on the skirts of Allerton near Liverpool, in Lancashire, and brought up at school at Much-Wooton in the same county. From hence he passed over into Ireland, and so abroad into the world. He must have left home when he was about fifteen or sixteen years old, if he be the Almond whom I find in the Doway Diary sent from Rhemes to Rome in 1582; but then he must have been more than ten years abroad, which is the time that my old manuscript affirms he employed beyond the seas to improve himself in virtue and learning. Certain it is, that he was at least forty-five years old w^hen he suffered, though his grey hairs seemed to speak him older; and that he did not return to England till 1602, at which time I find in the register of Doway, that John Almond, priest, coming from Rome visited the College of Doway on his way to England. T. W. also, in his Catalogue, informs us that he was a priest of Rome; and there publicly sustained theses of universal divinity with great applause in 1601. I have met with little or nothing of the particulars of his missionary labours, only my author (the manuscript) gives him the following character, in his introduction to the account of his death: —³

‘ Upon Saturday, being the 5th of December, 1612, between seven and eight of the clock in the morning, came to suffer at Tyburn, for the Catholic rtXigion, John Almond, a man of the age of forty-five, by his own relation; yet in his countenance more grave and staid, beginning to be besprinkled with hairs that were white — who having tarried beyond the seas about ten years to enable himself by his study with learning and virtue, returned into his native country, where he exercised an holy life with all sincerity, and a singular good content to those that knew him, and worthily deserved both a good opinion of his learning and sanctity of life; a reprover of sin, a good example to follow; of an ingenious and acute understanding, sharp and apprehensive in his conceits and answers, yet complete with modesty, full of courage, and ready to suffer for Christ, that suffered for him. Of his stature, neither high nor low, but indifferent; a body lean, either by nature or through ghostly discipline; a face lean, his head blackish brown; in his conversation mild, learned and persuasive, and worthy to be remembered of those that did converse with him. As I said, not only a sharp reprover of sin, but a good encourager besides, by his own example, of those that sought the way to heaven, which he himself found at the last by persecutions, crosses, and many afflictions.’ So far the manuscript.

Mr. Almond \N2iS apprehended on the 22d of March, 1611-2, and brought before Dr. John King, lately advanced to the bishopric of London. What passed in his examination here was penned by himself, of which I shall here set down an abstract.

‘ Bishop. What is your name? Almond. My name is Francis. B. What else? A. Lathome. B. Is not your name Molineux? A. No. B. I think I shall prove it to be so. A. You’ll have more to do than ever you had to do in your life. B. What countryman are you? A. A Lancashire man. B. In what place were you born? A. About Allerton. B. About Allerton! mark the equivocation; then, not in Allerton? A. No equivocation; I was not born in Allerton, but in the edge or side of Allerton. B. You were born under a hedge, then, were you? A. Many a better man than I, or you either, has been born under a hedge. B. What, you cannot remember that you were born in a house? A. Can you? B. My mother told me so. A. Then you remember not that you were born in a house, but only that your mother told you so; so much I remember too.

‘ B. Were you ever beyond the seas? A. I have been in Ireland. B. How long since you came thence? A. I remember not how long since, neither is it material. B. Here is plain answering, is it not? A. More plain than you would give, if you were examined yourself before some of ours in another place. B. I ask, Are you a priest? A. I am not Christ; and unless I were Christy in your own grounds, yours I mean, I cannot be a priest. B. Though you cannot be one in our grounds, are you one in your own? A. If I be none, nor can be any in your grounds, which allow no other priesthood, nor other priest but Christy and you are bound to maintain your own grounds, and uphold the truth of them, you might w’ell forbear this question, and suppose for certain that I am no priest. B. Are you a priest, yea or no? A. No man accuseth me. B. Then, this is all the answer I shall have 1 A. All I can give unless proof come in. B. Where have you lived, and in what have you spent your time? A. Here is an orderly course of justice, sure! What is it material where I have lived, or how I have spent my time, all the while I am accused of no evil?

‘ B. Will you take the oath of allegiance? A. Any oath of allegiance, if it contain nothing but allegiance. And with that the Bishop reaches out his arm for the oath, lying towards the middle of the table; which I perceiving said, That oath you cannot with a good conscience offer. B. Yes, that I can; and I thank God, I have taken it myself seven times. A. God forbid! B. Why? A. You have been seven times perjured. B. Wherein } A. In taking this false clause: And I do further swear that I do from my heart abhor ^ detest y and abjure as impious and hereticaf this damnable doctrine and position y that princes excommunicated or deprived by the Pope may be deposedy &c. B. There is no perjury nor falsehood in it. A. If in taking it you abjure that position as heretical which is not heretical, then is it perjury and falsehood to take it. But in taking it you abjure that position as heretical which is not heretical, ergOy &c. B. I grant your major y I deny your minor. A. No position in your grounds can be heretical, unless it be expressly censured for heretical, by the Word of God, or the contradictory expressly contained in the Word of God. But this position is not expressly censured for heretical by the Word of God; nor is the contradictory expressly contained in the Word of God. ErgOy it is not heretical. B. It is censured as heretical by the Word. A. Allege the text, give us a Bible. B. Bring in a Bible. Then turning it with an evil will, he said it was censured in the 13th of the Romans. A. You mean those words. He that resisteth power y resisteth God^s ordinance. But I ask. Where is this position censured? There is not one word of the position in hand. Other place he alleged none. B. You would have it censured in express words? A. You are bound to bring a censure in express words: which, because I see you cannot, answer this consequence: This position is not set down at all in the Bible; ergo, it cannot he censured by the Bible. He answered not; but said, I was a proud arrogant Jack. To which I replied, God forgive you, your words trouble me not; and so two several times more I prayed God to forgive him, when he miscalled me and abused me in words.

‘ Then leaving the oath, which he was weary of, he asked. Have you gone 10 the church? And added, I forgot it before; but I go beyond you now. A. I have not gone to the church. B. Will you go? A. I will not: Is not this plain dealing? B. Now you deal plainly. A. If it would not offend you, I must tell you that you went beyond youself: for you confessed even now that you should have asked it before, and so go beyond yourself in asking it now. Much more passed betwixt us before about a disjunctive position, wherein the Bishop needeth not to boast of his logic; at part of which a certain Dean coming in, after the Bishop was weary the Dean began to talk of the Pope’s power to depose kings, saying. It was essential to the Pope, and a matter of faith in our doctrine. To whom I replied. It was not essential to the Pope’s power, nor any matter of faith; and that, whether the Pope could or could not depose, it was perjury to take the oath in their grounds, and ours too; which, I said, I would undertake to demonstrate before all the bishops in England, or else I would lose my hand and my head. The Dean said, I was too quick with him; and that my logic would deceive me, if I builded so much upon it; wishing me to look to a good conscience. I replied. It was my conscience which I did stand upon, and therefore refused the oath for the reasons alleged. Yet to give satisfaction, this oath I offered that I would swear. I do hear in my heart and soul so much allegiance to King James (whom I prayed God to bless now and evermore) as he, or any Christian king could expect by the law of nature, the law of God, or the positive law of the true Church, be it which it will, ours or yours. The Bishop and the Dean said they were fair words; but the Dean added, he knew well which Church I meant; to which I answered. Let you and me try that, and then put it out of question; but he was deaf on that ear.

‘ Then the Bishop bade me put my hand to my examination. I first perused it; and in the end of it, where the register had set down. Being asked whether he would take the oath of allegiance, he answered. He could not without perjury; I bid him add also, as I had said, / could not in their grounds nor ours; the Bishop would not suffer him to add that, but said I should have another time; upon that, I put my hand to it, though I said he had put it in by halves. Thus ended the pageant, saving that I said publicly (giving the honour to God) that I had not sworn any oath, not so much as in faiths in sixteen years before; and therefore they needed not wonder that I now refused an oath with falsehood and perjury in it.

After this examination he was committed to Newgate, from whence after some months he was brought to his trial upon an indictment of high treason, for having taken orders beyond the seas, by authority of the See of Rome, and for remaining in this kingdom contrary to the laws. At his trial, he shewed, it seems, the same vivacity of wit and resolution, as he had done in his examination; but was brought in guilty by his jury, though he neither confessed nor yet denied his being a priest; and what proofs were brought of his being such, does not appear.

The day appointed for his execution was the 5th of December, 1612, when being brought out of Newgate between seven and eight o’clock in the morning, he stept with a smiling countenance into the sledge prepared for him, and so was drawn to Tyburn. When he arrived there, being taken off the sledge, and having his hands untied, he put off his hat, and blessed God with a loud voice, that He had held him worthy, and had brought him to that place to die for His name and glory. Then asking what he was to do, the Sheriff told him that he must get up into the cart that stood under the tree, where he must die. Which he did, though not without much difficulty, the cart being high, and his legs weak and stiff with his ill and cold lodging for ten days before. Being up, he cheerfully said, I am now, I thank God, up; and kneeling down, he first blessed himself with the sign of the cross, in token that he was not ashamed of Christ, Who was crucified thereon for his redemption; then prayed a little to himself; afterwards rising up he mildly asked the Sheriff, whether it would please him to permit him to speak to the people; who very courteously told him he might. He having leave to speak, kneeled down and said, Domine labia mea aperies, et os meum annuntiabit laudem tuam. And then protesting that he would speak nothing derogating to the power of his sacred Majesty, or injurious to any person whatsoever, he proceeded and told the people that he was a Catholic, and came thither to die for the Catholic religion, and for Christ's cause. Who had shed His blood for him and his redemption. That he was glad and willing to lose his life for His honour, and sorry he had no more lives to lose, nor more blood to shed for the cause of nis Blessed Redeemer. That he did acknowledge from the bottom of his heart, that his Majesty King James the First was true and lawful king of these realms; and had the same power and authority over his dominions, and his subjects therein born, which the king of Spain, or the king of France had in theirs; that he himself was his true subject, and had never harboured so much as any treasonable thought against him, which he did protest freely and sincerely before God and the whole host of heaven. Moreover, that if he had known of any treasonable design against the King or State, any way whatsoever, he should think himself obliged to have put a stop to it, to the utmost of his power. Then he earnestly prayed to God for the King and all the royal family, and that his posterity might inherit the crown of England for ever. Adding again, that he acknowledged his authority for making laws, and that his subjects were bound to obey them.

But here he was interrupted by a minister who asked him. How then he, being a priest, offered to come into the kingdom against those laws? Mr. Almond answered that Christ was the greater King, and that laws made against Christ's laws were not binding; and that in case he were a priest, which they had not proved him to be, he had a commission derived from Christ — ^Who sent His disciples to teach all nations (St. Matt, xxviii. 19) — to come and teach in England; as he supposed Protestants, if their religion were true, might be sent into Turkey, India, or elsewhere, for saving of souls, notwithstanding the laws of those countries might make it death so to do. The minister farther objected that he had at his arraignment delivered dangerous doctrines, as that a priest had power to absolve and forgive any man that should kill a king, and that he had treated the bench with disrespect. He answered that the minister did mistake him and belied the Catholic doctrine, and that he had dealt modestly at his arraignment, which he referred to the standers-by. And for matters of murthering kings, he declared murther to be a heinous crime, and of a king most of all; and that the doctrine of the Catholic Church no ways encouraged any of her children to commit any sin whatsoever, much less murder or treason, but on the contrary teaches them humility, patience, long-suffering, and obedience. And yet the greatest sinner that ever was — even a king-killer — than which he thought none could be worse, through true contrition, confessing himself with hearty repentance to his ghostly father, and ready to make satisfaction according to his power and the rules of the Catholic Church, might be forgiven through the merits of Christ's bitter passion, one drop of Whose Precious Blood was sufficient to have saved ten thousand worlds, how much more one sinner, though never so vile. And that Christ himself had declared as much {St.John xx. 27), and given this power to His Church, and the true ministers of the sacraments thereof, that whose sins soever they did remit should be remitted, &c.; and that this was his doctrine and meaning, and there was his warrant. And then he pressed the minister to tell him if this were not the Protestant doctrine also, who could not deny but it was, if the sinner had faith. But then he asked what satisfaction could be made for the death of a king. Mr. Almond replied that faith was not sufficient, except it was applied aright; for the devils believed and trembled, and yet would not be saved; and that Christ's death had made satisfaction. The minister pressing farther with an argument concerning faith and satisfaction, Mr. Almond denied the consequence, but withal desired that he might now be allowed to pray, when another minister interrupting him, asked if he had not equivocated in his former answers and protestations of loyalty. Mr. Almond protested upon his soul. No, as he should answer before God; nor had spoken with any mental reservation, and that the only reason why he had refused the oath of allegiance, as they called it, was out of tenderness of conscience by reason of the ensnaring clauses contained therein; protesting withal, that if the Pope, or any foreign prince whatsoever, should by war and hostility invade this his native country, and thereby seek to overthrow the State, or make a conquest of the kingdom, or divest his Majesty of any of his dominions, he ought to be resisted by every good subject to the best of his power, and that by force of arms; and that this was the Catholic doctrine and religion, which was to be brought in by preaching and miracles, after the example of Christ and His apostles, and not by blood and force of arms: that this he had ever professed and taught, and this he was ready to seal with his blood.

Then being almost unstripped, having nothing on but his waistcoat and breeches, the halter having been long about his neck, he kneeled down and began to pray, by giving thanks to God who had strengthened him by His grace, and brought him thither to shed his blood for the Catholic religion, which he most firmly believed to every tittle without the least doubt or wavering. And here again he was interrupted by a minister that stood near, who told him he had forgot to ask forgiveness of his sins. Mr. Almond replied he did not do well to interrupt him, that he could not do all at once, and yet he could do that without the minister’s counsel. Then rising up he pulled several things out of his pockets, which he flung away, looking round about in the disposing of them as his affection guided him. He also flung away some three or four pounds in silver amongst the poor that crowded about the gallows, saying, ‘ I have not much to bestow or give, for the keeper of Newgate hath been somewhat hard unto me and others that way, whom God forgive, for I do; for I having been prisoner there since March, we have been ill-treated continually, but now at last without charity; for we were all put down into the hole or dungeon, or place of Little Ease, whence was removed since we came thither two or three cart loads of filth and dirt. We were kept twenty-four hours without bread or meat or drink, loaded with irons, lodging on the damp ground, and so continued for ten days or thereabouts.’ Here Mr. Sheriff told him that the keeper had done nothing but by orders, and was commanded to do what he had done. I had thought, said Mr. Almond, it had been done of his own head; but since it was done by power, I will neither resist it, nor speak farther of it. Then turning to the executioner he gave him a piece of gold of eleven shillings, adding, ‘ I don’t give thee this to spare me, for I am ready, as my duty doth bind me, to lose both life and blood, and therefore he might, if he would, rip him up alive, and cut off his hands, for that no torment was sufficient to satisfy his obedience to his Redeemer; wishing he had the heart of St. Vincent or the body of St. Laurence to be broiled upon a gridiron; for he was ready to suffer all, even to be pulled in pieces joint by joint without any favour, so much he hoped God would strengthen him with His power, and that all that blood which he had to shed for his master Christ was too little, and not enough.’ And then kneeling down again, he humbly acknowledged himself to be a sinner, and earnestly begged God’s mercy and forgiveness; not doubting but that what sins soever he had committed, which he confessed were many, Christ, by His mercy. His death, and the shedding of His blood would remit and pardon, and that He would now accept his willingness to shed his blood for His glor}^ Of which words a minister presently taking hold, asked Mr. Almond, What! do you match and compare, then, your bloodshedding with Christ's blood-shedding, as if Christ were not able to work your salvation without your own means? ‘You mistake me,’ quoth Mr. Almond; ‘ my sins, though venial, deserve Christ’s wrath and punishment. It is His death alone, and the shedding of His blood alone, that is not only sufficient but also efficient to save us all. I have not much more to say — one hour overtaketh another, and though never so long, at last cometh death. And yet not death, for death is the gate of life unto us, whereby we enter into everlasting blessedness; and life is death to those who do not provide for death, for they 'are ever tossed and troubled with vexations, i6i2]

miseries, and wickedness; but to use well this life is the pathway, yet through death, to everlasting life.’

Then being in his shirt he kneeled down, and often repeating. In manus tuas Domine^ &c. (Into Thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit: Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth!) he waited whilst the hangman prepared for the execution, at no time shewing either any sign of fear or faint-heartedness through all the course of his martyrdom; but as he began smiling, so he continued constant with a cheerful countenance, instantly desiring all the professors of the true Catholic religion to pray for him and with him. And he often repeated upon his knees, looking up towards heaven. In manus tuas^ &c.; and so with a sure hope having commended himself to God, he protested he died a chaste maid^ which he did acknowledge was Christ's special grace, and not his own ability or worthiness, and that he ever hated all carnal acts, and such sins for which the Catholic religion or profession had been slandered; for which grace he rendered thanks to God. Then, ‘ I have been,’ saith he, ‘ indicted and accused that I was a priest, but I will neither confess nor deny the same; but at the last day when all secrets are revealed, and Christ shall come in glory to judge the world, to Whom I hope I am now going. He will then reveal what I am.’ Then being ready to die, having stood long in his shirt, the weather being cold and the morning frosty, yet shewed he no shivering, nor once to quake, but most readily yielded his hands to be tied by the executioner; and the cart being ready to be drawn away, he asked if it were not good, or the fashion, to have a handkerchief over his eyes? The people cried. Yes; one offering a foul one, which was refused. Mr. Almond said it was no matter; then a stander-by gave him a clean one, and tied it over his face, which still looked cheerful. Then he desired the executioner to give him a sign when the cart was to be drawn away, ‘ that he might die with the name of his blessed Saviour that sweet name of comfort in his mouth.’ He often repeated these words. In manus tuas Domine^ &c., and the sign being given, he Jesu, Jesu, Jesu! and then hanging for about the space of three Paternosters ^ some of the standers-by pulling him b)'’ his legs to despatch his life, he was cut down and quartered, his soul flying swiftly to Him that redeemed us all, for Whose quarrel he protested he died. So far the MS. written by an eye-witness.

As for Dr. King^ Bishop of London, who is supposed to have been the principal promoter of Mr. Almond's death; instead of reaping any joy from the execution of this good priest, he is said to have been ever after a man of sorrows. And if we may believe what is confidently asserted by the Catholic writers of those times, he was before his death favoured by a grace seldom granted to persecutors, to become himself a Catholic, and to die in the communion of that Church which he had cruelly persecuted. In the preface of a book published in his name after his death, and called The Bishop of London's Legacy^ he is introduced thus addressing himself to our martyr: ‘ O happy Almond, who here upon earth didst mask thyself under the name of Molineux! in thy blood, even in thy blood did I wash my hands. It was I that did further thy death. Be thou, O blessed saint, who now seest and hearest me {Quid non videt, qui videntem omnia videt? What does he not see, who sees Him that sees all things?) — be thou, I say, out of thy seraphical charity, as propitious to pray for the remitting of that crying sin, as I am ready to acknowledge the sin; and let thy blood (guilty of no other treason than in not being a traitor to Christ and His Church) not resemble the blood of Abel, which cried for revenge against his brother, but rather the blood of Christ, which prayed for pardon of His crucifiers ’ {Epistle to the Reader, p. 10).

Mr. Almond suffered at Tyhurn, December the 5th, 1612, in the forty-fifth year of his age, the eleventh of his mission.

JOHN MAWSON, Layman.=^

I FIND this name in the list of those that suffered this year (1612) for the Catholic religion, but with little or no particulars. He was apprehended whilst he was actually hearing Mass; but as this is not capital by our laws, he must have suffered on some other charge. Whether it was for being reconciled to the Roman Catholic Church, or for assisting priests, or for being instrumental in the conversion of others, &c., my"^ short Memoirs do not inform me, only that he suffered 2it Tyhurn, upon the penal statutes then in force against tht English Catholics.

This year 1612, according to B. W. in his manuscript concerning the EnglislT Benedictine Congregation, Thomas Hill, D.D., who from a Seminary priest, educated in the Colleges of Rhemes and Rome, became a monk of the said congregation, was condemned to die for his priestly character; but was not executed. He died afterwards at Doway in 1644, in the eighty-fourth year of his age, the fifty-third

John Mawson. — See Worthington’s Catalogue of Martyrs.

i6i6]

THOMAS ATKINSON of his priesthood, and the thirty-third of his religious profession. He was the author of a little book of motives to the Catholic religion, entitled, A Quartron of Reasons^ &c., which Archbishop ^^^0/ undertook to answer.

During the three following years 1613, 1614, and 1615, though the Catholics were still great sufferers, on account of their recusancy, by heavy fines, close imprisonments, &c., yet I find none put to death for their religion. In the latter end of 1615, I find in the Douay Diary Mr. Smithy Mr. Blount^ and Mr. Brown, priests, sent into banishment from Wisbeach Castle, and in the same year Father Robert Edmonds, O.S.B., died a prisoner for his faith in the Gatehouse. But in the year 1616 the sword of persecution was again unsheathed, and no less than four priests and one layman were put to death upon the penal statutes.

Footnotes

1. Ven. William Scott. — From Weldon’s Manuscript concerning the English Benedictine Congregation; and from a relation of his trial by an eye-witness; see also Camm, Life of Roberts. ↩

2. Ven. Richard Newport, alias Smith. — From Dr. Worthington’s Catalogue; see also Folev, Records, vii.; Weldon; Rubens. ↩

3. Ven. John Almond. — From a copy of his examination before Dr. King, Bishop of London, written by himself; and from an old Manuscript by an eye-witness of his death, amongst the Collections of the Rev. Mr. Knares-borough; see also Acts of E. M. ↩