Catholike religion Iohnson I meane that religion vvhereof the POPE is supreame pastor Then a Minister asked him vvhat vvas Athanasius a catholike vvhat held he to vvhom M. Iohnson ansvvered I am not so vvel red in Athanasius to know al his opinioÌ„s The other said I am shure you haue read QuicuÌ„que vult c. vvherevnto M. Iohnson gaue no great attention but he said againe vvhat haue you not redd Athanasius creede Quicunque vult c yes said he that I haue and I beleeue it to be good and catholike But in al that said the Minister you can not find the Pope once named An argumeÌ„t meet for a Minister It it not necessarie quoth M. Iohnson the Pope should be named in euery thing that appertaineth to the CATHOLIKE FAITH Vvherevpon the rope vvas put about his necke and he vvas vvilled to pray which he did in latin They willed him to pray in english that they might vvitnes vvith him he said I pray that praier vvhich Christ taught But God doeth to whoÌ„ he praied neither needeth he any witnes there of The Ministers speaches ar euer like them selues in a tonge I vvel vnderstand Sherife But vve do not vnderstand it Iohnson I do thinke your w. doth vnderstand it Sherife If I do others do not vvherefore pray in english that others may testifie it and pray vvith you An other Minister cried pray as Christ taught Iohnson what do you thinke that Christ taught in english M. Iohnson praied in latin saying his Pater noster his Aue and Creede and In manus tuas c. so the carte vvas trailed avvay and he finished this life as the rest did al hanged vntil they vvere dead and so cut dovvne and quartered THE MARTYRDOMES OF the Reuerend Priests M. Vvilliam Filbie M. Lucas Kirbie M. Laurence Richardson vvhose right name vvas Iohnson and M. Thomas Cottam the 30 of May 1582. And first of M. Vvilliam Filbie natiue of OXFORD ON wenesday being the 30 of May these 4 venerable Priests aboue named were trailed from the Tovver of London along the streates to Tyborne about vij of the clocke in the morning when they were come to the place of execution Vvilliam Filbie being the yongest not aboue xxvij yeres of age was first taken from the herdle and being lifted into the carte he blessed him self with the signe of the Crosse saying In nomine patris filij spiritus sancti and so proceded with these wordes Let me see my brethren looking to the other which lay on the herdle there wâ—thal holding forth his handes to them said Pray for me Then speaking to the companie said I am a Catholike and I protest before almightie God that I am innocent of al these matters whereof I am condemned and I hope to be saued by the merites and death of our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST beseeching him to haue mercie on me and to forgiue me my offences And therevvithal a proclamation was red for keeping the Peace and at the end thereof was said God saue the Queene to which he said Amen The people asking him for what Queene he praied for INNOCENCIE he ansvvered for Queene Elizabeth beseeching God to send her a long quiet raigne to his good will and make her his seruant and preserue her from her enemies Vvith that M. Topcliff and others willed him to say God saue her from the Pope To whom he ansvvered he is not her ennemie therevvith the Minister of S. Andrewes in Holborne said Note that he saith the Pope is not the Queenes ennemie A ministers note And then a preacher called Charke yes said he you are a traitor for you are svvorne to the Queenes svvorne ennemie M Filbie loking aside said what do you meane I neuer toke othe in al my life Vvhat said Charke then are you not a Priest you are deceiued said M. Filbie A promis of obedience to his ordinarie but therein is no mention of the Pope it is a vow and not an othe After that on of the Sherifes men standing in the carte with M Filbie said vnto him what hast thou there in thy handkercheefe and therevvithal taking the handkercheefe from him found a litle Crosse of wodde with in it which he holding vp in his handes said ô vvhat a villanous traitour is this He vvas no more ashamed of this his Sauiours baÌ„ner theÌ„ of his crovvne the which he made shift to shaue that hath a Crosse diuerse times repeating it and diuers of the people saying the same Vvherevnto M. Filbie ansvvered nothing onely smiling at them Then the articles with the preface of the booke printed by authoritie was redd and his ansvvers vnto them It was replied against him by some vrging him further vpon the same ansvver if you hold this then you can not be but a traitor to the Queenes Maiestie for that the Pope hath deposed her by his Bul. M. Filbie said that that Bull was perchaunce called in againe by this Pope Gregorie the 13. to the sixt article he ansvvered that if he had been in Irland he would haue done as a Priest should haue done that is to pray that the right might take place to whom some replied did Saunders wel in that fact of Irland I know not quoth he I was not priuie to his doinges I neuer savv him or spake with him let him ansvver for him self Then Shreife Martine called vpon the hangman to dispacth and the roope being about his necke the Sherife said Filbie the Queene is merciful vnto you and we haue authoritie from her to carie you backe if you vvil aske her mercie INNOCENCIE confesse your fault doe not refuse mercie offered aske the Q. forgiuenes to whom M. Filbie ansvvered I neuer offended her wel then said the Sherife make an ende thus desiring al Catholikes to pray for him he praied saying his Pater noster his Aue In manus tuas c. and when the carte was trailing avvay he said Lord receiue my soul so hanged knocking his breast seueral times til some pulled dovvne his handes and so finished his life M. Luke Kirbie Priest and M. of arte THEN was M. Luke kirbie brought to see his fellow hang and being lifted vp to the carte he beganne thus O my frendes ô my frendes I am come hither for supposed treason although in deede it be for my conscience after praied thus O my Sauiour IESVS CHRIST by vvhose death and passion I hope to be saued forgiue me sinfull sinner my manifold sinnes and offences c. and being coÌ„maunded to torne tovvardes the place of executioÌ„ his fellow M. Filbie being beheaded and as the maner is the executioner lifting his head betvvene his handes he cried God saue the Queene to the which M. kirbie said Amen being asked what Queene An vndiscrete questioÌ„ putting a scruple into the peoples heades he ansvvered Queene Elizabeth to whom he praied God to send a long and prosperouse
mercie generally against 〈◊〉 of the Catholike societies beyond the seas the â—reater opinion of the mens excellencie and innoâ—encie daily ariseth And the povvers of the realme â—ode stil in great perplexitie vvhether it vvere â—ood to execute the rest that vvere condemned or 〈◊〉 them selues being not cruel The Q. merciful and her M. euer â—uch enclined to mercy loth they vvere to put â—em al to death knovving their innocencie in the â—atters pretended better then any man els did and â—eling the affection of the subiects of al sorts and â—e great mutation of mindes that the constant â—eath of so many qualified men were like to make â—et more loth to seeme by pardoning of them â—ithout any iote relenting Reasons vvhy they follovv this course either touching their â—ith or their supposed fact as it vvere to confesse â—eir vvrongful condemnation and their ovvne â—rmer error or to be ledd out of their intended â—urse by the out cries of the world or complaints 〈◊〉 Catholikes Therfore euen straight after the execution of â—e first Acknovvledging any offence or relenting in religioÌ„ might haue saued their liues they sent certaine vnto the condemned â—rsons to moue them to aske the Q. Mercie and â—rgiuenes and to acknovvledge onely in general at they had offended her highnes or at least to â—ent any litle in religion and they should liue â—d that they might do it vvith better pretence they brought preachers to conferre vvith some of them and vvhen that vvould not serue as is noted before thrust them into dongeons but vvhen after vj monethes they saw nothing could be obtained of those innocent constant confessors As M. Hart vvas they resolued plainely to execut them But least the last error should be worse then the first and especially for that there were not long before raised nevv brutes and muttering of vneauen dealing in the sending avvay of M. Paine so fare of to be arraigned and executed M. Paines sending avvay bread nevv concepts from vvhose mouth as they pretended before the rest vvere specially accused and condemned They sought their vvittes vvhich are in truth by long exercise and experience very pregnant of subtile inuention hovv to make them avvay vvith lesse offence to the vvorld to enduce her M. also to be vvilling they should be put to death vvhich by a certaine pitie and natural clemencie she is often hardly dravven vnto they deuised avvay hovv to make them to seeme as vvel to her M as to the people vvorthie death and in apparance plaine traitors though they vvere not guiltie at al of the crimes for vvhich they vvere endited arraigned and condemned A sinful pollicie Vvhich vngodly practise of executing them in the peoples sight for causes vvhereof they vvere neuer directly endited arraigned and vvhich in deed is by lavv no treason at al do proue againe most euidently that of the former offences whereof they vvere accused and condemned they vvere not at al guiltie Their deuise vvas to send vnto theÌ„ iiij lawiers ij of the common lavv vvho vvere the Q. Atturney and Soliciter and tvvo ciuilians D. Levves and D. Hammon To dravve out of them by vj articles or interrogatories not vvhat treasons or trespasses they had committed vvhich vvas none but what they had in their cogitatioÌ„s what were to be done vvhat they vvould doe By Ifs and And 's they vvould driue these poore men into the compasse of treason if such a thing or such a thing should fal what if they had been in Irland vvhen the rebellion vvas there vvhat vvould they haue done Vvhether there be any meanes to depose her M. or any other king for vvith these men it vvas not inough to ansvvere they al acknovvledged her for their lavvful soueraine that they neuer committed any thing in vvord nor deede against her M but they would knovv of them for the future time and for their very cogitations hart and affection vvhat they thought to be done Strange interrogatories and vvhat they meant to do for any cause hereafter that is for any Heresie Arianisme or the like or for Apostacie Turcisme or Atheisme from al which inconuenience CHRIST IESVS defeend her M. and the realme alvvaies whether yet if for any such crimes that the frailtie of Princes is subiect vnto she should be deposed vvhat then vvould they counsel the people to do or whether may she for any such matters be depriued To vvhich thinges being proposed vnto them by the said iiij lavviers the xiij of May 1582. in form of vj. articles or demaunds they ansvvered in the feare of God and simplicitie of hart as you see set dovvne hereafter seuerally together with the articles them selues euen as they vvere published by authoritie which ansvvers though conceiued of her M. and some other her Ministers as though they were tokens of their il affection tovvards her that thought any cause might euer happen for vvhich she might worthely be depriued and in some part seeming at the first sight to the simple to be odious and vndeutiful though in deede by no lavv nor reason they can be dravven to any treason and therefore not much vrged in their arraignements though some of them had geuen the same ansvvers to the like demaundes before as they haue set dovvne also in the same libel Yet they thought good to publish them and to make theÌ„ more odible to the shew they ioyne to them certaine passages of D. Saunders and D. Bristovves vvrittings A strong practize and a preface to al that of their ovvne making vvhich should thus not onely passe abrode amongest the subiects for a warning but specially vvas to be redd and spred as an other litle liueret vvas at the death of the former but this novv with more authoritie at the place and time of execution Vvhere there was appointed the strangest thing that euer we haue seen The second arraignemeÌ„t and coÌ„demnation euen at the gallovves redd or heard of as it were a nevv arraignement whereat not novv xij men representing the countrey but the whole people should be iudge therfore at the daies of their death euery one there as he vvas put into the cart was willed to confesse the treason which being denied of them euery one vpon their saluation and death Antony MuÌ„day brought to the gallovvs then Antony Munday one of the former false accusers was brought furth before al the presence called for by the Sherife who was redy to auouch whatsoeuer you would to their faces though of the seuen executed those twoe daies he neuer I thinke savv none beyond the seas where the treason was fained to be contriued saueing only M. Kirbie of vvhom in particular he could say nothing neither Yet it serued them for a pretie coulor to say in the hearing of the multitude Loe here is one of your companions the Popes ovvne scholler to aduovv it to your face But when they found the foole in deede could say
euery trifle yet they beleeue our othes no farther then is for their seruice and our affliction for I haue heard Norton him self say that svveare they neuer so fast he vvil not trust them except they goe to the Church meaning their schismatical seruice This same man not discouered onely of il affection but iustly put into the Tovver for seditious wordes plaine treason so much as would haue hāged an hundereth Catholikes honest men yet much complained that he vvas so vnkindely dealt withal M. Norton tooke great vnkindnes that a fevve rashe wordes which of many wise men were not misliked of as he saith could not be forgiuen but with such difficultie Specially to him that was so necessarie for their seruice that neither the citie of Lōdon to which he was a feed man nor the parliament wherein he did many good offices alvvaies nor the Prince in her commissions for religion wherein he was much emploied could spare him And M. Nortons wife if she wil be as plaine to the Counsel as she is to some of her neighbours can tel if M. Secretarie him self remember it not vvho put vnto this same Norton being then for the said treasons in the Tovver and iustly in disgrace with her M. to pen matters of state to set dovvne orders and articles to be treated of against Catholikes in the parliament and other places the said persons can tel you perhaps what he meant by these wordes often vttered in his disgrace Norton his suspicious vvordes VVORTHY WORTHY Marreth al but GRACIOVS GRACIOVS may make VVISER VVISER to amend al. the rack would picke as good matter out of this as out of any poore Catholikes breast in Englād And he to whom he vvrote these wordes Defend me and spare me not according to the Irish prouerbe can read the riddel The said Mistris Norton can tel also where her husband did lay vp Stubbs booke Stubbs his booke against her M. for a secret treasure which geare vvel sifted vvould bevvray vvorse affection and intention to then they shal euer find in Catholikes whilst they liue This Stubbs being the Q deadly enemie then in the Tovver for his traiterous booke vvas of M. Lieutenants Counsel in al things M. Lieutenants frendlines tovvardes the Q. ennemie far better entreated for his comfort and diet then the earle of klanrickard vttering to him al examinations of Catholikes vvhat other secresies soeuer to vvhom also Charke Stubs pervsed Charkes booke one that vvas once put to silence for puritanisme or a vvorse matter if worse can be sent his booke against F. Campion to be perused vvhich things the Lieutenant vvould neuer haue done or permitted if he had borne that good affection to her M. as he requireth in Catholikes or if he and his fellovves might be posed in their thoughts and of the time future and their intentions to come And it may be one of these fellovves deuises or some other of like spirit and inuention An other nevv practise and persecution to send the poore Catholikes whom they haue ruined at home to Terra Florida there to exercise their religion and to haue freedom of conscience a strange coozenage and craft to be rid of the poore gentilmen vnder pretence of their prefermēt but most men of the realme wish rather the puritans there as an humor that our cōmonvvealth had more need to be purged of Vvho are also better acquainted in those parts as being once sent thither out of Geneua by Caluin when the french made the like attempt vvith as good successe as I feare these shal haue which in truth can not by the lavv of God and good conscience if I take it right possesse those partes which by former composition and by decree of Alexander the vj pertaineth to an other Prince It is the Catholikes that haue iustly possessed England these thousand yeres it is no reason they should be thrust into the Indes for their dwelling but this is their art to weaken our side against the day of their ful reueng which may be reckoned amongest the greatest of our persecutions and to proceed of a shrevvder head then Nortons But al these deepe distresses calamities and iniuries The conclusion of the preface vvith an exhortation praier which we suffer not so much at her M. handes or her grauest Counsellers as by these sinful irreligious persons their il enformers vve do from the bottome of our harts forgiue and desire God of his vnspeakable mercie to turne avvay his heauie hand of iustice from the Realme and from euery one that either procured or consented to the deaths of these his blessed Saints or the trouble of his holy Israel vvhose blood and death most deare in our Lords sight I pray CHRIST IESVS they cal not for vengeance but for mercie and grace tovvards their persecutors that they may rather with penance consider in this life against vvhom they haue pricked then see and feele it to their confusion in the next But whatsoeuer fal through this great sinne or our other offenses either to their ennemies or to vs their frends that are yet left in this vvretched world in the worst daies that were this thovvsand yeres and in the heauiest and most douteful condition of our countrey that was since the cōuersion these Martyres are blessed The blisse of these martyrs soules safe free past al mortal miseries in the hands and garde of God vvhere the torment of malice can not touch them nor such reach them of whom our Sauiour said Be not afraid of them that kill the body and after that haue no more to do They are exceding happy certs that liue not these dooleful daies but a thousand times more happy that haue the grace and priuiledge to yeld any drop of bloud for the appeasing of Gods wrath and assvvaging this publike rage of sinne and heresie Their deaths precious their soules in glorie their memories in benediction their names eternal The honor of their bodies yea euen their bodies vvhich were the infirme part of these noble Machabees though hanging on ports pinnacles poles gibbets though torne of beasts and birdes yet rest in peace and are more honorable sacreed and soueraine then the embaumed bodies of vvhat worldly state soeuer in their regal sepulchres That day and hovver they stoode in the carte in misery and desolation as it seemed to the simple yet euen then were they more happy then al the multitude that beheld them neuer a wise man that there stoode thought othervvise though the present paines and briefe ignominie seemed to fooles carnal men to be extreeme miserie but al those were so momentaine that their better part was in heauens blisse before their bodies were cold or out of the bouchiers hand their soules praied vnto both by their happy fellovves openly and by many a good man secretly before their bonnes were cold Because S. Augustine geueth vs that rule That we must
soule And euen as the carte passed avvay M. Cottam said ô good Lavvrence pray for me Lord IESVS receiue thy soule which he repeated seueral times Al this time M. Cottam vvas with the Sherife and the rest of the Ministers vpon the ground hauing the rope stile about his necke I could not wel heare what persuasions the Sherife and the Ministers had vvith him But I doe coniecture that if he would renounce his faith he should haue his pardon For I hard him wel vtter these wordes I vvil not svvarue a iote from my faith A notable constancie for any thing yea if I had ten thousand liues I would rather lose them al then forsake the CATHOLIKE FAITH in any pointe And vvith that he was lifted vp into the carte againe And the Sherife said withal dispatch him since he is so stubborne Then he vvas turned backvvard to looke vpon M. Richardson vvho vvas then in quartering which he did saying Lord IESVS haue mercie vpon them Lord haue mercie vpon them O Lord geue me grace to endure to the end Lord geue me constancie to the end which saying he vttered almost for al the time that M. Richardson vvas in quartering sauing once he said Thy soule pray for me and at the last said O Lord vvhat a spectacle hast thou made vnto me the vvhich he repeated twise or thrise and thē the head of M. Richardson was holden vp by the executioner INNOCENCIE who said as the maner is God saue the Queene to vvhich M. Cottam said I beseech God to saue her and blesse her withal my hart I wish her prosperity as my lieage and soueraine Queene cheefe gouernesse By this it is euident that al vvas for religion and not at al for treason They vvilled him to say and supreme head in matters ecclesiastical to vvhom he ansvvered If I vvould haue put in those vvordes I had been discharged almost two yeres since Then the Sherife said You are a traitor if you deny that M. Cottam said No that is a matter of faith and vnles it be for my conscience and faith I neuer offended her Maiestie vvith that he looked vp to heauen and praied secretly and vttered these vvordes That is 〈◊〉 Lord thou hast suffered more for me In te domine speraui non cōfundar in eternum O domine tu plura pro me passus es c tvvise more repeating plura Then the Sherife said to him Yet Cottam cal for mercie and confesse and no dout the Q. vvil be merciful vnto you Vvho ansvvered my consciēce geueth me a cleere testimonie that I neuer offēded her to vvhom he vvished as much good as to his ovvne soule vvhose estat he so fauored and honored that for al the gold vnder the cope of heauen he vvould not vvish that any on heare of her head should perish to do her harme And that al that here he did suffer was for sauing his soule desiring almightie God for his svveete Sonnes sake that he vvould vouchsaffe to take him to his mercie saying that him onely he had offended desiring God that if there were any more vnspoken which were conuenient to be spoken that he would put it into his minde novv And then he praied desiring al the whole world of forgiuenes and that he did from the bottom of his hart forgiue al. A warning That the sheading of innocent bloud crieth veangeance against the realme Adding that the sinnes of this realme hath deserued infinite punishment and Gods iust indignation desiring him of his mercie that he would turne his wrath from them and cal them to repentance to see and acknovvledge their sinnes And desiring al Catholikes to pray with him after he had said his Pater noster and in his Aue the carte was driuen avvay and so hanged til he was dead and being stripped naked as he hanged within his sherte he did were a shert without sleues of very course canuas dovvne beneath his midle Vvhich belike was a sherte of heere for the punishment of his body wherevvith England is not now acquainted The maner and order of his apprehension And because the order and maner of M. Cottams first apprehension wil cleere him from al suspition of treason and treacherie and yeld an inuincible argument of loyaltie and innocencie I wil set it downe briefly but yet truely to the great cōtentation and satisfaction of al good Catholikes and to the confusion and ignominie of al our bloudy persecutors and aduersaries SLEDD that Notorius varlet and infamous Iudas I wil not say wicked homicid hauing entēded to worke some mischefe came from Rome in the company of diuers English men whose names and markes he toke very diligently being come to Lions found M. Cottam there who hauing entered into the societie of the name of IESVS at Rome and being there fallen into a consuming and lingering sicknes was by his superiors sent to Lions to trie if by change of aire he might be recouered The cause of M Cortams cōming out of the Societie of his retorne to England but the sicknes so grevve encreased vpō him that he vvas made an vnhable and vnfitte man for them and therevpon they dismissed him and trauailing in his company for some daies ioruneis vnderstood of him belike that he ment very shortly to repair home to his natiue coūtrey wherevpō Sledd tooke his markes more exactly and precisely and being arriued at Paris there he presented the L. Embassador with the names and markes he had taken Vvho sent them ouer to the Q. Counsel and from them they were sent to the searchers of the portes M. Cottam son after his arriual at Rhemes being a Deacon and a good preacher long before was made Priest hearing of company that were ready to goe into England made great hast to goe with them and ernest shute to haue leaue partely for his health specially for the great zeal he had to gaine saue soules He arriued at Douer about the xvj or xviij day of Iune in the yere 1580 in the company of M. Iohn Hart M. Edvvard Rishton tvvo lerned Priests which both are also condemned and an other lay man After these iiij had bene searched vnto their skinnes and nothing found vpon them M. Cottam staied at the port and M. Harte staied and taken for M. Orton to whom he nothing at al resembled M. Cottam was likevvise staied by reason the markes which Sledd had giuen of him were in deede very cleere apparēt in him And for the auoiding of charges one Allen then Maior of Douer Steuens the searcher requested the lay man M. Cottams companion who named him self Hauard to cary him as a prisoner to my L. Cobhame who agreed very easily therevnto But assone as they were out of the tovvne I can not in conscience nor wil not quoth Hauard being my self a Catholike deliuer you a Catholike Priest prisoner to my L. Cobham But we wil