LETTER XVII.

CHARLES I.

SIR,

YOU are almost entirely silent on the condition of the roman-catholics during the reign of Charles I. -I. You should have mentioned the artifices then used to inflame the public mind against them; their sufferings and loyalty:--II. And the solemn judgment of archbishops and bishops of Ireland, against the toleration of the roman-catholic religion.

XVII. 1.

Artifices then used to inflame the Public Mind against the Roman-catholics; their Loyalty and Sufferings.

THEY were very great.-Stories, the most absurd and ridiculous, were propagated to inflame the popular spirit against them.-Reports were spread of foreign fleets threatening the coasts; of an army of papists training to the use of military weapons under ground; of a plot for blowing up the Thames, and drowning the faithful protestant city*. What should be said of the celebrated Hampden, who introduced into the house of commons a tailor

* Examination of Neale's History of the Puritans by Grey, 2, p. 260.

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of Cripplegate, who avowed that, walking in the fields, near a bank, he overheard, from the opposite side of it, the particulars of a plot, concerted by the priests and other papists, for a hundred and eight assassins to murder one hundred and eight leading members of parliament, at the rate of ten pounds for every lord, and of forty shillings for every commoner, so murdered? Or of the house of commons, who, upon this deposition, proceeded to the most violent measures against the catholics; and, under pretence of greater security, ordered the trainbands and militia of the kingdom to be in readiness, and placed under the command of the earl of Essex? Or of the house of lords, who adopted the tailor's report, and ordered it to be printed and circulated throughout the kingdom?

The monarch was, from nature and principle, averse to measures of cruelty and oppression; but was easily persuaded, when he thought his interest required it, to sacrifice the catholics to the fury of their enemies.

The consequences were such as might have been expected: proclamation after proclamation issued out against these unhappy victims of popular delusion; incarcerations, tortures and banishments, repeatedly followed; twenty-three priests were hanged and embowelled, and many others were condemned, and perished in prison.

As a specimen of the manner in which the executions of the priests were conducted, I shall

transcribe the account given of the execution of the reverend Mr. Hugh Green, by an eye-witness.

Upon a proclamation of Charles I. commanding all priests to depart the realm by a certain day, he went for that purpose to Lime, in Dorsetshire, and was going on board a vessel bound for France. But he was accosted by a custom-house officer, who asked him his name and business: Mr. Green freelytold it him. The officer observed to him, that the day was passed; that he was not entitled to the benefit of the proclamation; and immediately caused him to be apprehended, and carried before a justice of peace. He there pleaded his good intentions of obeying the king's orders, and hoped that, as the mistake was only of a few days, advantage would not be taken of his candid, though unwary, discovery of his character. He was, however, sent to Dorchester gaol; and, after five months, was tried and condemned, as in cases of high treason, barely for being a priest.

The following account of his martyrdom is copied from Mrs. Willoughby's manuscript *:

Upon Wednesday, upon the sentence of death being given against him by judge Foster, he said, "Sit nomen Domini Jesu benedictum in secula, (may "the name of the Lord Jesus be for ever blessed). "He should have died upon Thursday; and, to that "end, the furze was carried to the hill to make the Doctor Challoner's Memoirs of Missionary Priests, vol. 2, p. 217.

"fire; and a great multitude of people were in the "streets, and at the gates and lanes, to see the "execution. But our great martyr did desire to "die on Friday, the which was, by a friend of his, "procured of the sheriff, though with very much difficulty, being opposed by Millard, the master keeper. And it was noted, that, after his sentence, he never went to bed, and eat but very little, scarce enough to sustain nature; yet he was very "cheerful, and full of courage to the last.

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"Now, I beseech our Lord to put his words "into my memory, that I may expressly relate "them, for I have a great scruple to add or take away; and, therefore, I have had the help of 66 a true servant of God, who was attentive at his "death; yet we, being two weak women, cannot "punctually remember all. Much admired was "his devotion: he, kneeling on the hurdle, made “his prayer, and kissed it before he lay down upon "it, and continued his prayers until he came to the place of execution; then he was taken from the

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hurdle, and stayed on the hill, a good distance "from the gallows, until three poor women were "hanged. Two of them had sent him word be"fore, that they would die in their faith. O! what "comfort was this to God's true servant, who did "all which was possible to see and to speak with "them, but could not. Then they sent again to "desire him, that when they had made a confession "of their sinful life at the gallows, and should give him a sign, that he then should absolve

them; the which, with great joy on his part, "and much benefit on theirs, was performed.

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They two, turning their faces towards us, and

throwing forth their arms, cried out to him, "God be with you sir,' and so died; but the "third woman turned from us to the press of the people, and so she died, her face or speech never tending towards us.

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"Now I also noted, that our martyr's charity, "in this short time of life, was not unrewarded; “for God, of his mercy, was pleased to yield him "the like comfort, by a reverend father of the society of Jesus, who was there on horseback to "absolve him; the which, with great devotion and "reverence, taking off his cap, and lifting up his eyes and hands to heaven, he received from ❝ him.

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"I cannot but bless God to see the magnanimity of these two, our holy martyr, and that "reverend father;-the one, being at the point of

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death, with such comfort, as his cheerful coun"tenance expressed, and the other not apprehend"ing the great danger he was in, to be taken by "the rude multitude, of whom he should have "found no mercy.

"Now is our martyr brought to the foot of the "ladder by the sheriff, where, falling upon his

knees, he remained in devout prayer almost half "an hour; then he took his crucifix, and agnus "Dei from his neck, and gave them to this devout gentlewoman, my assistant in this relation; and

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