Records Volume 52: The Letters and Despatches of Richard Verstegan

Publications of the Catholic Record Society

Catholic Record Society

The Letters and Despatches of Richard Verstegan (c. 1550-1640) RAGY

EDITED BY

ANTHONY G. PETTI, M.A.

Published 1959

Printed in Great Britain by R.

H. Johns Limited

Newport, Mon.

PREFACE

Thelettersanddespatches ofthe Catholic exile, Richard Verstegan, have , with only a few exceptions, long remained unpublished. In viewoftheir bearing on later Elizabethan history, particularly that concernedwith the affairs of English Catholics in England and on the Continent, it has been considered desirable to edit them as a useful contribution to the publications of the Catholic Record Society, thus augmenting the volumesofletters fromtheElizabethan and Jacobean periods previously edited by Fr. L. Hicks, S.J. , namely, thoseof Robert Persons and ThomasFitzherbert,withboth of whom Verstegan frequently corresponded, though none of his despatches to Fitzherbert is extant.

The workofeditingthe letters has been extremely enjoyable and instructive, leading me along many paths and byways of Tudor historyand literature, and I am gratefulfor the betterunderstanding of the period I have therebyacquired.

Iam grateful also to those who have furthered this publication and have mademy taskeasier by their help: to theCentral Research Fund Committee of London University, who granted me a generous allowanceto pursue thework; to the Father Generalofthe Society of Jesus, Very Rev. Fr. J. B. Janssens, S.J., and the Rector of Stonyhurst College, Very Rev. Fr. F. Vavasour, for permission to publishthe originals , copies and extracts fromthe letterswhichare housed in their archives at Rome and Stonyhurst ; to the archivists who aided me, among whom I should like to thank particularly Fr. H. Chadwick, S.J., Librarian of Stonyhurst College, who has always responded most kindly and helpfully to my requests and enquiries, and was of every assistance on my visits to the Stonyhurst Archives Thanks are also due to Dr. J. Cummins of the Spanish Department, Queen Mary College, London , for checking my translations of the Spanish copies, and providing emendations for the corruptions in the Spanishtexts.

There are a number of people who have helped me in my search for information, chief amongst whom are Fr. L. Hicks, S.J., who gave me every encouragement in my work, made many useful suggestions , and placed photostats and books at my disposal, and Fr. B. FitzGibbon , S.J., who also took a keen interest in the subject, and helped me to solve some of the puzzles presented by the text. Among others who readily proferred advice was Mr. A. F. Allison ofthe British Museum, though I am happyto say that I troubled him much less than I did when I was engaged in writing my thesis on Verstegan. Other help of this nature which I received is acknowledged in the relevant places in the notes.

I should like to express my appreciation for the benefitI have derived, chiefly in acquiring a knowledge of background, from

vi PREFACE

attending the Tudor Seminar, directed by ProfessorSir John Neale and Mr. Hurstfield, at the Institute of HistoricalResearch. Lastly, though, it may be takenforgranted, by no means least, I should like to express my deep gratitude to my dear wife , who not only maintained a lively interest in my work, but also assisted me in checking the readings of the text, the translations from the Italian, and the references in the notes . It remains for me to add that any inaccuracies or errors that appear in this editionmust be consideredto be those whichI have made in spite of the assistance I have received, and I accept full responsibility forthem.

A.G.P.

PREFACE

TABLE OF ABBREVIATIONS

INTRODUCTION

APPENDICES

I. References to other correspondence

II. Calendar for the period III A note on the Code

LETTERS

Intended Where No. Sender Recipient Written

I. Southwell Verstegan London

IIIa II. Verstegan Verstegan

IIIb. Verstegan Persons Persons Persons

IV. Verstegan Baynes c . 1 December , 1591

Antwerp 12 December , 1591

Antwerp 5 March, 1592

Antwerp 5 March, 1592

Antwerp 6 June, 1592

V. Verstegan Baynes Antwerp 27 June, 1592

VIa Verstegan Baynes Antwerp 1 August, 1592

VIb Verstegan Baynes

VII. Verstegan Persons Antwerp 1 August, 1592 Antwerp 3 August, 1592

VIII Verstegan Persons Antwerp 6 August, 1592

IX. Verstegan Persons Antwerp

X. Verstegan Baynes

XI. Verstegan Baynes c mid-August, 1592

22 August, 1592

2 October, 1592

XII Verstegan Persons Antwerp 15 October, 1592

XIII. Verstegan Baynes

XIV. Verstegan Baynes

XV Verstegan Persons

XVIa. Verstegan Baynes

XVIb Verstegan Baynes

XVII. Verstegan Baynes

XVIII Verstegan Baynes

XIXa. Verstegan Baynes

XIXb

c late October, 1592

29 October, 1592

30 October, 1592 Antwerp 30 October, 1592 Antwerp

TABLE OF ABBREVIATIONS

Abbreviations of the titles of books (including the various Calendars of State Papers) and manuscripts are normally given in an easily recognisable form The following, however, should be noted

A.P.C.Acts ofthe Privy Council of England, edited J. R. Dasent

C.R.S.Publications of theCatholic Record Society

D'Ewes, JournalsSimondsD'Ewes, TheJournals ofall the Parliaments duringthe Reign ofQueen Elizabeth , 1682 edition.

D.N.B.Dictionary ofNationalBiography, 1st edition. Dodd-TierneyC . Dodd, Church History of England, edited M. A. Tierney

Foley, Records S. J.-H. Foley, S.J., Records of the English Province ofthe Society ofJesus . Morris, TroublesJ. Morris, S.J., The Troubles of our Catholic Forefathers related by themselves .

N.E.D. A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles

Persons , ResponsioR. Persons , S.J. , Elizabethae Angliae Reginae Haeresim Calvinianam Propugnatis Saevissimum in Catholicos sui Regni Edictum ... cum Responsione ad singula capita, 1592

S.T.C.-A. W. Pollard and G. R. Redgrave, A Short-title Catalogue of Books printed in England and Ireland, and ofEnglish Books printed abroad, 1475-1640 , 1926 .

INTRODUCTION

LOCATION OF MSS .

Verstegan's letters and despatches , of which eighty are extant in original or extract, are preserved in four different archives: Stonyhurst College, Lancashire ; Archives S.J., Rome ; Public Record Office, London ; and the British Museum

(a) Stonyhurst Archives These contain the largest number of the letters, which are to be foundin four of the manuscript collections gathered, cataloguedor transcribed in the seventeenthcentury by Fr. Christopher Grene, S.J. (1629-97) when they were housed at the English College in Rome:

(

i) Collectanea B, consisting of letters written mainly to Fr. Robert Persons , S.J., in Spain from 1588 to 1594, thirty-two of which were sent by Verstegan Persons probably took them with him to the English Collegewhen he went to Romein 1597 , and they werecatalogued there by Grene some time betweenabout 1670 and 1690. The collection eventually passed into the Westminster Archives where it formed part of Volume IV, pp 253-419 In February, 1921, it wasexchangedfor twovolumes fromStonyhurst , Anglia VIII and IX.

(ii) Anglia, volumes I and II, dealing with the persecution in England in the first half of the 1590s. The former contains four of Verstegan's letters, one to Persons and the other three to Roger Baynes, Cardinal Allen's secretary, and also a long report sent to Verstegan by Bl Robert Southwell, S.J. The latter volume has six Verstegan despatches , three to Persons and three to Baynes.

(iii) Collectanea M. This comprises transcripts made by Fr. Grene from papers on the martyrs and the persecution, and was compiled over a period of years, between 1676 and about 1695. The collection originally contained three parts, but the last two have perished. The only surviving volume, which runs to a little over two hundred folios, includes fourteen extracts or summaries from Verstegan's letters, most of them written to Baynes, eight being from originals which are no longer extant or exist only in Italian extracts in the Jesuit Archives, Rome.

(iv) Collectanea N.II, the second two volumes of transcriptions and notes, also by Fr. Grene There is only one Verstegan letter in this collection, a copy of one in Anglia II concerningthe martyrdom of Fr. Cornelius.

(b) Archives S.J., Rome

One of the many manuscript volumes on the English Province it houses, Anglia , 38 ii, which is in Italian, contains thirty-seven extracts and summaries from the letters, or references to them, thirty-one being from originals which have since been lost or are contained only in extract in Collectanea M.

INTRODUCTION

The letters span the years 1592-8, and were written almost entirely to Baynes. Fr. Grene selected all the extracts in the volume and translated them into Italian for Fr. Daniello Bartoli, S.J. , to whom he sent them around 1664 (as may be inferred from his letter to Bartoli, 4 September, 1664, which is on f.186 of the volume) for use in connection withDell' Istoria della Companiadi Geisu ,l'Inghil- terra, which Bartoli published in 1667, and in whichat least five of the Italian extracts from Verstegan's letters are cited

(c) Public Record Office Three items of Verstegan's correspondence are located in the Record Office, each of them having been intercepted by agents of the English government Two of them , one to Baynes in 1595 , and the other from Fr. Richard Walpole, S.J., at Seville in 1597, are in State Papers Domestic Elizabeth, and the third, to Baynes in 1594, is in State Papers Flanders.

(d) British Museum Here are preserved the only extant letters of Verstegan written in the seventeenth century They are three in number, and are all in the Cotton Collection One, a copy ofa letter to John Colville in Paris in 1603, is in Caligula E.X, which was badly damaged in the fire at Ashburnham House when the Cotton Collection was housed there ; and the other two, both addressed to Sir Robert Cotton himself, and dated 1609 and 1617 , are in Julius C.III

2.

SYSTEM OF SELECTION .

This edition contains all known letters and despatches sent by Verstegan, and those written to him. In the first group have been included all those despatches and papers which are in his hand or can safely be assumed to have been originally written by him , and, in addition, one manuscript which, although not in his hand, bearshis endorsement, namely, the copy of a Scottish proclamation (Letter No. 26).

3. THE TRANSCRIPT

The whole text of the letters is printed without any conscious omission The address and endorsements are included wherever they occur , and, in the case of the latter, an attempt has been made to identify the various hands which appear in them. Seals, when used , are also noted. Letter headings and marginalia in the hand of the writerof the letter are printed as part of the text. Those written by others, unless in the hand of the recipient, a contemporary or near contemporary, have been omitted if they are of no particularimportance (e.g. , a large number of Fr. Grene'sheadingsand brief marginal summaries). When they are noticed, it is in the notes ratherthan in the text. The spelling and word divisions (e.g., "him self" for"himself") of the original are preserved, except that modern usage has been

INTRODUCTION

adopted with i and j, and u and v (e.g., "ioye" is printed as "joye" , "loue" as "love").

In punctuation and in the use of capitals modern practice has been followed, though attention has been paid to the original punctuation , particularly in cases of possible ambiguity.

All contractions have been expanded, except those in common usetoday (e.g. , "Fr." for "Father").

The original paragraphing has been retained, and also underlinings when these appear to be significant.

Cancellations have been ignored, since none of them was found to be of importance.

Emendations of the text have been made only when the original reading is obviously wrong (e.g. , "pleople" for "people"), and in such a case , the manuscript reading is given in the notes

Words which have obviously been omitted by accident are supplied when they are required to complete the sense (e.g., "El [Dios] guarde a Vuestra Reverencia siempre" .).

Obliterated passages are noted, and some indication of their length is normally supplied in the notes Where possible a conjectural restoration is provided.

Nearlyeveryword or passage in code has been deciphered.

The following conventions are adopted in the text :

(i) Italics are used to indicate words written in a language different from the main part of the text (e.g., Latin words in an English or Italian text), though this distinction is not observed in the addresses or endorsements They are also used to signify passages which are not directly part of the text (e.g. , Fr. Grene's introductionsin some of the Italian extracts).

(ii) Square brackets denote interpolations by the editor to restore obliterated passages, to complete the sense when words have been accidentally omitted , to supply decodings (e.g., "137 [England]" , and, occasionally, to convert a date from Old Style to New (e.g., "1592[-3]")

(iii) Question mark. In addition to its normal function , this has been employed when there is doubt concerning an identity, a date, a reading or a decoding. A question mark used for any of these purposes will not appear in the test unless within square brackets

(iv) Dots indicate obliterations of one word or more which cannot be supplied by any means. They also denote passages whichFr. Grene indicated as being omittedin his transcriptions

4. TRANSLATIONS

.

Although Verstegan wrote all his despatches in English, there are a number of Spanish copies and Italian extracts from them . Translations are supplied for these when the original no longer exists , or when the extractor copy differs from it appreciably.

5. METHOD OF ARRANGEMENT

.

The lettershave been placedin strict chronological order , whether Versteganwasthesenderorthe recipient When a letterisundated, an approximate date is ventured according to the context For example, if the only indication of the date of a letter is that it reports on news sent from London, 1 May, 1593 (New Style), then allowing about ten days at the most for the newsletter to reach Verstegan at Antwerp, and two or three days' interval before Verstegan utilised it, his letter could be dated, with considerable justification, mid-May, 1593.

At the head ofeach letter the followinginformationis supplied : first, the name of the sender , the recipient (or, in the case of intercepted letters, the intended recipient), place of despatch and the date when written (always given in New Style) ; then the archive reference, the hand (holograph or copy) and a note, where applicable, of other copies of the document, in manuscript or printed.

6.

ANNOTATIONS

.

Annotations on boththe text and the subject-matter are supplied in notes at the end of each document or translation .

In nearlyall the references provided in the notes, the authorities used are cited as fully as possible, so that the information, together with any possible errors, can be traced to its source

For quotations and the titles of books, the same method oftranscription has been employed as in the text, for the sake of consistency, i.e., the spelling ofthe original is retained, but in punctuation and the use of capitals modern practice has been adopted.

When dates are mentioned in the notes , some indication is normally given as to whether they are in New Style or Old Style, when it is not clear from the context In general, correspondence and events on the Continent are dated in New Style, whilst those in England are dated Old Style with regard to the day and month , but the year is given in New Style (i.e., reckoned as beginning 1st January).

Annotations on subject-matter are numerous, but necessarilyso in view of the nature of the material , in which practically every page is crammed with news-items. Theyhave been provided with the aim of explaining and interpreting the text where it is considered requisite, and of supplying corroborative, paralleland supplementary references, although it is not pretended that these references are exhaustive

One of the biggest problems in compiling the notes wasto decide how much biographical information to provide on the people mentioned in the text. Normally, when the person alluded to is wellknown,little, ifany, has been given beyond his or herimmediate circumstances and status, or that which is necessary for an understanding of the text ; but if the person is lesser known, a fuller

INTRODUCTION

account has normally been supplied When the text appears to throw new light on a biography, this is duly noted

Anotherproblem has been to know how to deal with such major issues as the Babington plot, in whichmuch further researchmust be undertaken before a fuller and truer picture of events and their causes will appear. Here the editor has concerned himself only with elucidating or corroborating the particular points of reference in connection withthe subject.

7. THE RANGE AND FORM OF THE LETTERS.¹

The letters span the period 1591 to 1617 , the bulk of them covering the years 1592, 1593 and 1595. They were all written from Antwerp, where Verstegan lived from about the beginning of 1587 untilthe end of his life, and are predominantlyin the form of newsletters ("intelligences" or "advices" , as they were sometimes called). It is sad to think that, although more than seventy of them are extant in some form or other, had all the news-letters survived which Verstegan sent only in the last decade of the sixteenth century, there would be well over a thousand, taking into account that he wrote, on average, one letter a week to Persons and to Baynes for a considerabletime, and correspondedregularly with a number of others.

It is a pity, too, from the biographical aspect, that there is so little of Verstegan's private correspondence : only the two very human lettersto Sir Robert Cotton "None, surprisingly enough, is to be found in the various Belgian archives, including the Royal Archives, Brussels , the Town Archives, Antwerp, and the PlantinMoretus Museum

In addition, of the countless letters sent to Verstegan bysuch people as Cardinal Allen, Persons, Garnet, Southwell, Baynes, Henry and Richard Walpole, and many others, all seem to have perished except for three, one from Southwell, which Verstegan forwarded, one from Garnet, which he included in its entirety in one of his despatches , and one from Richard Walpole, which was intercepted .

For exactly how long Verstegan acted as an "intelligencer" at Antwerpis hardto say, but he appearsto have done so fromabout 1589 until at least 1605, and probably much longer (vid. Thesis , p 132). His duties in this respect, to judge from the extant despatches, was to report on affairs in England, particularly on the state of the persecutionthere, on local news fromtheLow Countries and on important events on the Continent, ofwhichhis correspondents would not have immediate knowledge.

*Some ofthematerial used in thisand subsequent sections of the Introduction is taken from my M.A. thesis , A Study ofthe Life and Writings ofRichard Verstegan (c . 1550-1640 ), London University , 1957, Chapters IV andXV.

INTRODUCTION

His method of writing a despatch was to incorporate into one letter the advices he had receivedfrom London, Rouen, Middelburg and elsewhere, occasionally providing verbatim copies (e.g., Letter No. 9), but normally condensing them or quoting extracts from them . He sometimes included verbal information, for example, that supplied by Catholic refugees from England and Scotland, and mayhave relied on travelling merchants and couriers for news from the remoter parts of Europe. The length of the despatches varies considerably, thoughthey usuallyconsist of about three or four sides of fairly closely written pages measuring roughly 12 by 8 inches. The news-items they contain are brief and succinct Letter No. 40, for example, has about twenty different items in three pages. There are a number of reasons to account for this brevity, the chief of which must have been the necessityfor speedydespatch, coupled with the fact that Verstegan, who had many other things to do and had little or no help (vid. , Letter No. 35), was normally pressed for time. Furthermore, he had to consider the cost of "portage" , which presumably affected the amount sent in a news-packet ; and the same probablyapplied to advices from England, on which most of the despatches are based On occasion , however, Verstegan found time and space to write more elaborate reports, and to include anecdotes , as for instance those concerning Burghley, Recorder Fleetwood and others, and he clearly warmed to his task, havingthe ability to narratedramaticallyand, when appropriate, humorously (vid., Letters Nos 3a, 25, 32, 48, etc.).

With a number of the despatches enclosures were sent, which might consist of manuscript copies of Acts of Parliament , proclamations, arraignments, title-pages of books, or letters written by the Privy Council on Recusant affairs. Verstegan either wrote out the copies himself or paid others to do so (vid , Letter No. 32) In some cases , the enclosurehas survived whentheletterwithwhich itwas sent has perished

8. THE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM .

Verstegan was at the centre of a very elaborate communication system in the 1590s It is difficult to over-estimate his importance in this respect. He was the connecting linkatAntwerpforanumber of leading English Catholics in England, Spain, Italy, France, and the Low Countries, despatching and forwarding letters to and from each of these countries with amazing speed and efficiency, considering the precarious state of letter-carriage at the time.

(a) The correspondents From his own letters, those of his contemporaries, and from the depositions and confessions in the State Papers of the period, it is possible to derive a reasonably good idea of the identity of those whom Verstegan served as an intelligencer and agent.

INTRODUCTION

(i) England. Verstegan had at least three or four correspondents in England, each of them well informed on public affairs, one of their sources on information being someone who was apparently in a high position at Court (cf. Cal. Spanish, 1587-1603 , p. 633), to judgefrom the contents of some of the news-letters, and from the copies of important documents which were sent, including some of Lord Burghley's letters (vid., Letter No. 37).

It is to be noted that it was byno means a one-way communication betweenEngland andAntwerp. Versteganwas able totransmit letters to England with the ease and frequency with which he received them, and in addition was able to send across books and money

His chief correspondent in England was Fr. Henry Garnet , the Superior of the Jesuit Mission there until his execution in 1606 , and it is safe to assume that the large majority of the reports which were despatchedto Verstegan from London came from him. Although, for reasons of security, Verstegan does not directly name his informants in England, referring to them by code numbers, if at all, there is at least one news-letter from London which is definitely known to be Garnet's (vid , Letter No. 9 and its endorsement), and twoor three others, quoted at lengthbyVerstegan, bear marks of his style of writing a despatch (cf., extracts in Letters Nos 37, 40 and 41).

Thereis also record of his sendingVerstegana number ofvaluable papers, including a copy of a letter from the PrivyCouncil to the Commissioners for recusancy in Lincolnshire, and the autograph confession of Anthony Tyrell (vid., Letter No. 32). He may also have despatched the drafts of the 1593 recusant acts before they were finally passed in Parliament (Letter No. 29). Garnet himself, in some of his letters to Persons, refers to his correspondence with Verstegan, whom he terms his "friend in Anvers" (vid., Letter No. 55, note 2) ; and Henry Walpole stated in his confessions that Verstegan was Garnet's agent, receiving and forwarding his letters (S.P. Dom Eliz , vols ccxlviii, no 13 , ccxlix, no. 44)

Anothercorrespondentwas Robert Southwell, who communicated with Verstegan from about 1590, or earlier, until he was arrested and imprisoned in June, 1592. One long report from Southwell to Verstegan has survived (Letter No. 1 ), though it has not been previously ascribed to him In a postscript of his letter to Fr. Persons, 5 March, 1592, (3a) Verstegan mentions that he had been expecting to receive news from Southwell for the past three days, and that the delay had probably been caused by contrary winds. There is also a reference in Henry Walpole's letters (edited A. Jessopp, p 23) to Verstegan's arranging with Southwell for the conveyance of a sum of money. Walpole mentions another of Verstegan's informants in his confessions, a certain "Spillor" , probably Robert Spiller, of whom B

INTRODUCTION

little seems to be known Some information about his activities is given in A. J. Loomie's excellent Ph.D. thesis, Spain and the English Catholic Exiles, 1580-1604 , London University, 1957 , pp. 626 ff. It has been suggested , by Fr. Grene among others (Archives, S.J., Rome, Anglia 37) that Spiller was an alias of Fr. Anthony Rivers, S.J. , who also used the name Roger Nevell. It is likely that Fr. John Gerard, S.J. , was another correspondent of Verstegan, though there is no evidence of this ; and there are a few others besides, one or two of them laymen, including a Dutchman (vid , Letter No. 32), but there is no means of identifying them . It seems that whoever they were, most of them lived in or around London, which could be considered their collecting centre for information.

There is a possibilitythat Versteganhad an informantinScotland also, but it is more likely that news on Scottish affairs was relayed to him from London, as appears to have been the case with news concerning Ireland.

(ii) Spain. Verstegan was an intelligencer first and foremost for Fr. Persons, and sent despatches very frequentlyto him at Madrid, Seville and Valladolid , and later, at Rome, when Persons moved there in 1597. This servicemayhave been continued until Persons's death in 1609, and certainly Verstegan was still informing him until 1605 , but his extant despatches cover only the period 1591-5. Persons thought very highly of him, and in his memorandum to Martin Idiaquez, the King of Spain's secretary, in 1596, recommendedhim as a valuable informanton English affairs (Cal. Spanish, 1587-1603, p 633).

In addition to the despatches , Verstegan sent Persons numerous documents, including copies of the letters of Burghley and Walsingham, and books, a particularly large consignment being sent in October, 1593 (cf., Letter No. 43).

Persons, in turn, wrote to Verstegan regularly, acknowledging receipt of despatch (a necessity, since correspondence could so easily go astray), and giving instructions concerning the printing of his books , the manuscripts of which he regularly consigned to Verstegan for publicationat Antwerp (vid., my thesis, pp. 117 ff.; Letter No. 15). He also enclosed letters for forwarding , and sometimes a bill of exchange also to defray some of Verstegan's numerous expenses

Another person informed by Verstegan was Sir Francis Englefield, resident at Valladolid, and at the Spanish Court at Madrid, where he was held in high regard, and he may have drawn on Verstegan's despatches , among others, to inform the King on English affairs. These despatches seem to have beensent to Engle-

"There is a short biography of Englefield in Fr. Loomie's thesis, pp. 66 ff. Having become blind in the latterpart of his life, he was entirelydependent on his secretaries for the transaction of his correspondence , and unfortunately for him theywere not all to be trusted

INTRODUCTION

xix field from about 1590, or earlier, until shortly before his death in 1596, but although Verstegan sometimes refers to them (e.g. , in Letter No. 32) only one is extant (vid , next paragraph) They may however , have formed the bases of some of the extant Spanish avisos on English affairs.

Occasionally, Verstegan despatched letters for Persons and Englefield in the same packet, probably to save the expense of sending them separately, and to avoid unnecessary duplication , since at least some of the despatches were intended for both of them to read (e.g., Letter No. 40). Persons disliked this method of despatch, however, and wrote a memorandum on the backof one of the letters (No. 41) to the effect that he would have to tell Verstegan to discontinue the practice.

Other correspondentsin Spain, not so much for news as for the transaction of business principally connected with the affairs of the English colleges there, included Fr. Richard Walpole, S.J. , Prefect ofStudies at Seville and later at Valladolid , who, amongst other things, arranged with Verstegan for the transporting of books from Antwerp to help in the formation of a library at the Seville College ; and Fr. Juan de Pineda, S.J., for whose book , Commentariorum in Job, libri tredecim , Verstegan sent copperplates which he himself had engraved (vid., Letter No. 72). (iii) Italy. Most of the correspondents were centred at Rome, though there may have been some at Venice and Milan, who even if they did not directly communicate with Verstegan, may nevertheless have forwarded his letters.

The most important of those at Rome for whom Verstegan acted as intelligencer and agent was Cardinal Allen, who resided there from 1585 until his death in October, 1594. Verstegan sent him frequent news-letters either directly addressed to him (there are two such in the text, though one is a copy, and the other an extremely brief Italian extract) or via his secretary and majordomo, Roger Baynes

The earliest record of Verstegan'sservices forAllen fromAntwerp is in a spy's report for the English government dated December 1590, in which he is described as the "Cardinalle's agent" . (vid. , thesis, pp 117-8) He is also referred to in this capacityin Henry Walpole's confessions , and a letter of his to Allen is mentioned in the correspondenceof his fellow exile at Antwerp, Richard Hopkins, in January, 1594 (vid , p 134) Verstegan seems to have supplied Allen with books and papers in much the same way as he did Persons, and among the documents he sent him was a printed copy of the proclamation of October-November, 1591 (vid., Letter No. 2)

Fr. JosephCreswell, S.J., also received news while he was Rector at the English College, Rome, 1589-92, as appears from Henry Walpole's letters, and he purchased books from Antwerp through Verstegan'sagency (vid , thesis, pp. 125, 134) Versteganmayhave

INTRODUCTION

communicated with him when Creswell went to Spain in 1592 , but there is no evidence that he did so.

If the deciphering in Letter No. 57 is correct, it shows that Verstegan forwarded at least some of the letters from Jesuits in England (Garnet chiefly) to the Father General in Rome, Claude Aquaviva, a considerable number of which have survived. The person at Rome with whom Verstegan communicated most frequently was Roger Baynes,¹ and their correspondence must have continued long into the seventeenth century Baynes probably passed on most of the despatches he received to Allen, and after the Cardinal's death, to Enrico Caetani, the Cardinal Protector of England. Baynes seems also to have been Verstegan'sintermediary for distributing letters to prominent Catholics at Rome (iv) France. Little can be ascertained of Verstegan's correspondence with Catholics in France, but there is sufficient evidenceto indicatethat it must have been fairly extensive In a list of exiles in State Papers Domestic for the year 1590 he is referred to as conveying "divers paquets" to and from Paris (vid my thesis, p 132). Verstegan himself alludes from time to time to letters he was sending to Thomas Fitzherbert, who was intelligencing at Rouen and Paris in the early 1590s (e.g. , in Letter No. 47) ; and also writes of one from Fitzherbert which he was forwarding to Persons (in No. 32) There is, too, at least the one letter which he sent in 1603 toJohn Colville (No. 78), a politicalintriguerresiding in Paris at the time, who had managed to convince a number of exiles, including Verstegan, of the sincerity of his conversion to Catholicism . (v) The Low Countries There were chiefly two people here for whom Verstegan acted as agentin receiving and despatchingletters, both of them living a short distance from him, at Brussels One

From the little information available on this interesting exile it appears that hewasborn in England in 1546, fled to the Continent in 1579, arriving at the English College, Rheims, in July, 1579. He travelled with Allen to Rome in 1585 , and soon became his secretary and major-domo, while his suitability as an agent for English affairs at Romewas quicklyrealised. After Allen's death he lived on in Rome in one of the houses belonging to the English College, to which he made a number of bequests on his death in 1623. His will is still preserved in the College archives(see further KnoxAllen, 1stand 2nd DouayDiaries ; Foley, Records, S.J., vi; Gasquet, History of the Venerable English College).

A biographical notice of Baynes is contained in Anthony Copley's declaration to the Privy Council in 1596 (Strype, Annals, iv, p 386) : "Cardinal Allen hath about him divers Englishmen, as Mr. Banes, who hath been long outof England, and sometimes in Polandwith the young cardinal ofthat country; a gentleman of some forty yearsofage, or rather upward, well languaged , and otherwise well qualified, discreet, secret and inclined to high matters He is a cardinal's secretary of outlandish languages" Baynes'stwo literary works, The Praise of Solitarinesse , 1577, and The Baynes of Aquisgrane , 1617, are discussed in A. C. Southern's Elizabethan Recusant Prose, 1559-82 , pp 332-30 It is tempting to think that Baynes was "Ro. Ba. " , the author of a biography of St. Thomas More.

INTRODUCTION

was Fr. William Holt, S.J., Vice-Prefect of the English Mission in the Low Countries until 1598, who administered the funds allocated to the exiles by Philip II Walpole stated in his confessionsthat Holt received all his intelligences from England and elsewhere via Verstegan; and in Letter No. 32 Versteganmentions a large packet of despatches he had received for him from Persons .

The other recipient of news-letters from Catholics in England and on the Continent, as also appears from Walpole's confessions, was Hugh Owen, ¹ a very influential Welsh exile always closely associated with Holt, who was himself an intelligencer for Englefield and others in Spain.

During the time he was in the Low Countries, Henry Walpole also made use of Verstegan as an agent, particularly whiledeputising at Brussels for Holt when he was with the Duke of Parma in France (vid. his letters, edited Jessopp). He mayhave occasionally communicated with him from Spain as well, and certainly read a number of the letters to Persons, since he endorsed some ofthem (e.g., Nos 29 and 32).

Yet another personassociated with Versteganin his intelligencing was the treacherous Jacques Francisco, who played a double game so successfully as agent for the King of Spain, and at the same time for the English government, that he fooled a number of the English Catholics in the Low Countries. He had the freedom of Verstegan's house for a time, and apparentlyhanded on to him adviceswhichhe received from Middelburg (vid my thesis, p. 136). Itis possiblethat Franciscosupplied the despatchfrom a Dutchman at Middelburg which Verstegan incorporated in Letter No. 40

There were , of course , many other Catholic intelligencers in the LowCountriesat that time, includingHugh Owen , RichardHopkins and ThomasCovert, to nameonly a few, but undeniably, Verstegan was the most important in view of the number of highly placed Catholics whom he served, and ofthe frequency and efficiencywith which he was able to convey the despatches His efforts and achievementsin this respectare particularlyremarkable considering thathewasfully occupiedwith numerousother activities, including assisting in the publication of many Catholic books, in writing some of them, and in engraving ; he was in poor healthfor over a year, and, as he himself states, he had no help, and had to do all the work himself (Letter No. 35).

(b) Method ofdespatch Althoughlittle can be ascertainedofthe way in which Verstegan conveyed the news-letters , it has been considereduseful to supply what few details there are.

(i) Preparation for despatch. Each of the letters was normally made ready for despatch by being enclosed in one large envelope or packet, together with any enclosures and other letters which 'Two important sources for Owen's biography are A. H. Dodd, "Two Welsh Catholic Emigrés discuss the Accession of James I" , Bulletin of the Board ofCeltic Studies, vol 8, pp 344-58 ; Fr. Loomie's thesis, pp 403ff

INTRODUCTION

Verstegan was forwarding, directed to the same recipients, but some were sealed up separately either with papered seals or seals pendent from a doubled tag (to judge from the slits in the paper of the lettersin question), and were probablysent individually

(ii) Routes . There are only fragments of information about the routes used . From Letters Nos 3a and 47 it appears that the despatches from England were sent direct from Antwerp, butfrom which English ports is hard to say. The most usual ports, for example, Dover, would be fairly carefully watched, but officials were not above being bribed.

The normal route of the official post-couriers between England and Antwerp was via Calais, or, occasionally, via ports in Holland (Hatfield House MSS , V, p 112) Verstegan may have used this post for mail which was not of very great importance

In another Letter (No. 57), Verstegan mentions that the most convenient and usual method of despatching to Rome was via Venice, though Milan was used for a time It is possible that letters to Spain were conveyed most of the way by sea, and those to France probablyby land.

(iii) Frequency , and time taken for delivery. News-letters were sent and received by Verstegan for all the countries he served in an almost continuous stream, broken, as it seems, only by unfavourable winds, and occasionalinterception by an English agent, always a hazard, though it is to the credit of the communication system that apparentlyonly three letters were lost in this way, and not one of these was to a correspondent in England There was, however , a short period in 1592 during which Verstegan sent no letters to England because he had learnt that an English spy wastrying to find out how he wassendingthem (vid , Letter No. 15)

It is difficult to judgethe exact frequency with whichVerstegan receivedor despatched, but it can be estimated from his statements in the letters, that he wrote or forwarded to correspondents in England, to Persons and to Baynesabout once a week , andreceived from them letters for himself and others at roughlythe same rate

The time taken for despatch is equally difficult to gauge, but to judge once again from the letters, it appears that it took, on average, fromabout fiveto ten daysbetweenLondon andAntwerp, fromtwo to three weeksbetween Antwerpand Rome, and from three weeks to a month between Antwerp and the various towns in Spain, though one packet, possibly sent by the official post, seems to have takenfour months to reach Seville (vid. , Letter No. 72) To Paris and Rouen it must have taken only a few days.

(iv) Means of conveyance Obtaining carriers for letters to and from Catholics in England would appear to have been a serious problem, but Versteganseemsto havefound no difficulty in doing so , even though, in the course oftime, the English government cameto learn of his methods of conveyance and of his agents throughthe reports of informers and from extorted confessions .

INTRODUCTION

Two people in particular are mentioned in the State Papers. Domestic and Hatfield House MSS. for the period as carriers for Verstegan. One was "Laurence" , an English exile from Sheffield , who worked as a bookbinder at Antwerp He went to and fro with great ease for Verstegan and Sir Timothy Mockett and others (vid., Thesis, p. 139). Thesecond was Andrew Buzeline, a merchant of Lille, who transported books to England for Verstegan, and probablydid the same for his letters He is mentioned as intending to convey to England copies of Newes from Spayne and Holland, which was printed at Antwerp under Verstegan's supervision in 1594 (vid., Thesis, p 127a) Other carriers included John Hasnet, who is referred to in Walpole's confessions

That the carrierswere able to come and go so freelywas duein part to the ease with which officials could be bribed (R. Lechat , Les Réfugiés Anglais dans les Pays-Bas Espagnols , p 76) and the great skill with which the letters were concealed ; some would be hidden in the cargo of a merchant's goods as books were (vid Thesis , p 127), and there is an instance of letters being stuffed inside coat-buttons (Cal Dom Eliz , 1591-4, p 162) Among otherdeviceswas the false addressingof a letter to make it appear that it was directed to a merchant or even to a Calvinist refugee dwelling in London (Lechat, loc. cit.).

The conveying of letters on the Continent was a comparatively simple matter, and although private carriers must have been used where possible, the bulk of the correspondence was probably committed to the official post. To facilitate reliable delivery, Verstegan had put himself on excellent terms with the Antwerp Postmaster, Charles de Tassis (Thesis , p. 140) and probably with the official couriers also, one of whom was called Joos

The main disadvantage of this method of despatch was that letters were liable to be intercepted, either by theft or offer of money, and, in fact, in addition to the three letters from the Verstegan correspondence that were intercepted, there were many others written by Catholics on the Continent which found their way into the hands of the English government. The same thing sometimes happened to the correspondence of the English agents, a famousexample ofwhichwas a letter written by Burghleydefending his ancestry, the interception and subsequent publicationof which caused him a great amount of vexation (vid, Thesis, p. 140)

(v) Cost and maintenance . It seems that Verstegan was responsible for paying the "portage" on all letters he sent fromAntwerp, and at least some of those which he received from London. He would not necessarily pay portage for the whole distance that a letter had to travel In Letter No. 57, for example, he mentions that for a despatch from England which was to be forwarded to Rome, he had paid the postage to Antwerp , and from Antwerp to Venice. In this case, a contact in Venice may have met the cost

INTRODUCTION

between Venice and Rome, or Baynes may have done so in a "cash on delivery" system.

No figures are available for the various items of expenditure connectedwith portage, but Verstegan comments that it was very dear (Letter No. 32) and that from London to Antwerp was the dearest of all, by far, and necessarily so "to the end thinges be well don" (No. 57).

To defray his expenses, Verstegan seems to have been allocated money from various sources It is highly likely that Cardinal Allen arranged for sums to be paid to him at Antwerp, and Creswell probablydid the same while he was Rector at the English College, Rome From Walpole's letters it appears that his expenses were also partly defrayed by Holt and Owen at Brussels(vid., Thesis, p. 146).

The chief source of reimbursement must have been Fr. Persons who , in addition to sending him bills of exchange (vid., Letter No. 8), also arranged for him to be paid a regular allowance, record of which has survived for the period 1597-1605 (vid., Thesis , pp. 143 , appendix, pp. lxvii-lxix).

(

c) Code In common with manyother despatchesoftheperiod, code was used in the letters, though only sparingly, being reserved for occasions when particular secrecy was to be observed in the naming of important people, places or subjects

There are two different sets of code, one for Verstegan's correspondence with Baynes, and the other for letters to Persons, though both are based on the same system. In each there is a word and a letter substitution code The latter was normally used in the case of nouns for which no word substitution existed and appears only very occasionally.

(i) The Verstegan-Baynes code This was the same as that used bya number of others in the Low Countries when writing to Rome, for example, Henry Walpole in his letters to Creswell, and, apparently, Fr. Holt when writing to Allen (vid , Appendix III), and does not appear to have altered between 1591 and 1595. It consists entirely of numbers, two or three digits for word substitutionand two digitsfor letters

The word code follows no decipherable pattern , and can be decoded only from the context, except when, on occasion , the recipient has supplied the plain text above the code or in the margin Phelippes also tried his hand at deciphering certain passages in one of the intercepted letters, but despite his ability and experience, his efforts cannot be entirelytrusted, as is indicated in the notes of the letter in question (No. 61) This code must have contained a large collection of numbers In the extant letters, Versteganused nineteenofthem, but there were probablyabout five times as many.

¹It has been considered unnecessary to make a distinction here between code and cipher.

INTRODUCTION

The letter code is much simpler, and it has been found possible to supplythe key It contains a recognisableprogressionwith the alternation of two series of numbers The only complication is thattwo numbers are used for each of the vowelswhen bothappear in one word , the larger precedingthe smaller

The following tables have been compiled from the code in Verstegan's letters and from those of Walpole to Creswell, the former being referred to by the number of the letter, and the latterby the page number of Jessopp's edition. A bracketted question mark follows a deciphering when it is probable but not certain, and one without brackets, when it is doubtful but possible. A question mark appears on its own when no decoding has been attempted

VERSTEGANBAYNES CODE , c 1591 -c. 1595

A. Word SubstitutionCode

B.Letter SubstitutionAlphabet

(ii) VersteganPersons Code . This is a little more complicated than theprevious one, for although the same system wasemployed for word substitution (two or three digitsfor eachword), the letter substitution mixes numbers, letters and abbreviations. For lack of sufficient examplesit has not been found possibleto provide the key to this code. A number of the readings supplied in the table are highly conjectural , and although it has been assumed that this letter substitution code, like the word substitution code and the Verstegan-Baynes code did not alter between the years 1592-5 (the period covered by the extant examples) it may well have done so , for at least have been transposed. VERSTEGANPERSONS CODE , c 1592c . 1595

A.Word-substitutionCode Code Plain Text

England

12, 15, 32, 43

Paget (?)

Morgan

Verstegan

?

Garnet

?

Spying ?

B.Letter SubstitutionAlphabet

INTRODUCTION

9. CONTENTS OF THE LETTERS , and their contributionto thehistory oftheperiod. The letters contain a large store of items of information on events in England and on the Continent, particularly for the years 1592 to 1595 , and ought not to be overlooked or lightly treated, since they are based, for the most part, on the reports of those who were on the spot and who made it their business to be wellinformed.

(

a) Religious History. An especially useful amount of material is provided on the religious history of the period, which is best enumerated under three main headings.

(i) Catholics in England and Scotland An informativeintroduction to the state of Catholics in England and the persecution they were undergoing is provided in Southwell's long report to Verstegan (Letter No. 1). It summarizesthe persecution up to and including the latter end of 1591 , and then gives forebodings, all too justified, of what was to follow as a result of the proclamation of OctoberNovember, 1591. The whole document is a heartfelt and fiercely intense utterance of one who was at the very centre of the persecution, and who, with truly tragic irony, was himself to undergo the torture and martyrdomwhich he described.

It is interesting to note that this letter figured to a great extent in two printed replies to the proclamation mentioned above , Southwell's Humble Supplication, published long after his death, and Verstegan's Declaration ofthe True Causes, 1592,

Amongst the items of information on anti-Catholic legislation are details of the commissionsset up in accordancewith the 1591 proclamation (Letters Nos 3, 3a) and copies of the two 1593 recusant acts beforethey were finally passed withamendmentsin Parliament (No. 29)

Many martyrs appear in the letters, including the Jesuits, Southwell, Cornelius and Walpole ; the seculars Bayles, Jones , Beesley, Genings , White, Plasden , Patenson, Portmort, Page, Lampton, Davies and Freeman; and the laymen, Wells. Lacev, Ashton , Errington, Knight, Gibson and Abbot. Chief prominence amongst these martyrs is given to Robert Southwell, a personto whom Versteganwas obviously veryattached, although he may never have met him, and one who profoundly influenced his poetry. Most of Southwell's via dolorosa , from his sudden and dramatic arrest, through his torture under Topcliffe and long languishing in prison, to his trial and execution , is vividly depicted in the letters, which are therebya most valuable source for his biography

There are details of other missionaries (as, for instance, John Gerard) whomanagedto pursue theirworkwithoutsuffering martyrdom, although in many cases they endured their share of torture and imprisonment . In addition , there may be found numerous references to laymen who endured every manner of hardship for

the Faith, including Richard Webster, Gratian Brownell, Robert Grey, Edward Atslowe, William Wiseman, Thomas Darrell, and the two gentlewomen, Ann Tesh and Bridget Maskew.

By contrast, the letters also mention those priests and who turned apostate and even informer against their former brethren. Amongst these are Christopher Parkins, formerly a Jesuit, who went on a number of diplomatic missions for the English government, Thomas Bell, later a fierce polemist against the Catholic Church, and John Cecil, who became a successful informant and agent provocateurfor the English government.

A certain amount is provided on Catholic affairs in Scotland , particularly that concerned with the Catholic nobility. There is, for example, a copy of the proclamation and band (promulgated only in manuscript) which were issued as a result of the affair of the Spanish blanks (Letter No. 26) ; and a despatch of December, 1593 (No. 46) completely devoted to Scottish affairs which notes amongst manyother things, the Catholic sympathies ofJames' wife , Anne of Denmark.

(ii) Catholicson the Continent Most of the materialin theletters on the English Catholics abroad centres round the Low Countries, where a considerable number of them were exiled at the time. Verstegan provided only scattered items of informationconcerning them, but, fortunately, these are veryilluminating.

A recurrent theme is the extreme poverty and wretchedness in which most of the exiles were living for the most part of the 1590s , whether or not they were pensioners of the King of Spain Pensions were paid very infrequently, and when the money was eventually received, it proved to be only part of what was due , and did little more than cancel some of the debts which had been contracted in the interim .

The situation was so desperate that a number went begging from door to door ; a few, including Sir Thomas Markenfield, actually died of hunger, whilst many others were gravely ill because of malnutrition Verstegan himself fared little better than the rest , and was often afflicted with "perturbations of want"

Manyofthe exiles appearin the letters, although onlyfleetingly: Holt, Owen, Sir William Stanley, with references to the campaigning of his regiment, and the accusations of his pocketing "dead pays" ; William Rainolds and his conferences with Verstegan concerning the compilation of an ecclesiasticalhistoryof England ; the Earl of Westmoreland and his dissoluteness , Thomas Morgan and his banishment. Others include Persons's brother, George, Charles Browne, AnthonyTunstede, Thomas Covert, Peter Phillips, the musician, and manyothers.

There are allusions to the divisions and factions among the exiles, principally to that concerned with the nomination of a cardinal as successor to Cardinal Allen, in which there were two

INTRODUCTION

main parties, those who were in favour of Robert Persons , and the supporters ofOwen Lewis, the Bishop of Cassano .

A few details are supplied on some of the seminaries on the Continent, as, for example, a hint of the troubles brewing at the English College, Rome, in 1595, the urgent need of a library at the Seville College, and reference to the episode in which six young students together with Fr. Baldwin, who was in charge of them , were captured by English ships whilst travelling from St. Omers College to Valladolid

(iii) The Puritans . There is a relatively large and extremely important amount of material on the Puritans and their persecution by the Anglican episcopacy A number of references are made to John Penry, including his arrest and the fact that he was commonly held to be Martin Marprelate, and there is an accurate copy ofhis indictment. Allusions are also made to the arraignment and execution of two other Puritan leaders, Henry Barrowand John Greenwood, and amongst the despatches Verstegan sent was a reportof the indictment and proceedings at their trial (Letter No. 33). Only one other record of this trial is known to exist, and it has never been published

Other informationincludes a referenceto the bodyof a Puritan, Roger Rippon, being placed by his brethren in front ofthedoorof Richard Young, with an inscription of protest on the coffin lid; and an account of the emigration of a party of Puritans with one of their leaders to Holland as a result of the persecution following the passingofthe 1593 recusant acts, one ofwhichapplied asmuch to the Puritans as it did to Catholics

(

b) Political History

Although the despatches by no means supplya full or perfectlybalanced picture of political events in the period, they contain manydetails which can be consideredto bea useful contributionto such a picture.

(i) England. The political scene in England in the early 1590s is presented as being dominated by Burghleyand, to a smaller extent his son, Robert Cecil; they were able to sway the Queen to their will and to controlthe government of the countryto the detriment of its nobility, people and general welfare Burghleyis described as still "ruling the roost" despite his age and infirmities, and as attemptingto make himself a "dictator in perpetuum" byincreasing and consolidating the power of himself and his family, and diminishing the influence of would-be opponents.

In 1592 he is reported as striving to make his elder son, Thomas, Lord Deputy of Ireland, and his younger son, Robert, Secretary of State (a wish fulfilled in 1595, according to Letter No. 63 , although he was not sworn in until a year later), while at the same time he was dissuading the Queen from appointingthe Earls of It has been found convenient to make these subdivisions, although it is realisedthat politics and religion areso closelyassociated in the Elizabethan period as to be almost inseparable.

INTRODUCTION

Essex, Huntingdon and Shrewsbury to the Privy Council. He was also endeavouring to match his grandson, William Cecilwith the Lady Arabella, a possible claimant to the throne of England Burghley is also mentioned as seeking to acquire the marquisate ofNorthampton.

The Cecils' domination is represented as being universally unpopular, though since the deaths of Leicester and Hatton there was little effective opposition to them The Earl of Essex is shown as a prominent opponent, however, and even as early as 1592 and 1593 he is depicted as an antagonist and rival of Robert Cecil , although in recent years this rivalry has been played down by historians.

An ever-present feature of Elizabethan political history is the profusion of conspiracies and intrigues The letters give details of a number of them, many being labelled as "Papist plots" of some kind or other, though the majority were rigged or at least encouraged, for political rather than religious ends, by the English government.

Amongst those alluded to is the Babington plot, on which a detailed commentary is provided by Southwell (Letter No. 1) who was in London at the time, and was well-informed on the workings of the plot. His account is not fully accurate, but is capable of substantiation on a large number of points ; and if it does little else , it serves to show the contemporary Catholic viewpointofthe conspiracy Other "plots" mentioned include those involving Cahill, William and Yorke, Lopez, and the Hesketh affair. Prominent in most of these plots were numerous government agentsand informers Some of these appearin the letters : Nicholas Berden, a key spy of Walsingham, Robert Poley, who figured prominently in the Babington plot, and Roger Walton, an inexperienced agent connected with the Lopez plot, whose accusations against innocent persons eventually reboundedon himself. Another spy was Michael Moody, who was principally engaged in reporting on the activities of the Catholic exiles in the Low Countries and in endeavouring to aggravate the factions among them.

Wider aspects of the political scene presented in the letters are the relations between England and Scotland, France, the Low Countries and Spain from 1592 to 1595. The main features ofthe relations with Scotland are the various embassies betweenthe two countries to clear up differences on both sides, to obtain James' co-operation in the persecution of Catholics, and, in particular, to secure the forefeiture of the Catholic nobles, and to curb border incidents. Inreturn, James was offered anannuityand an assurance that nothing would be done to help the Earl of Bothwell. Policy towards Franceis shownas mainlyconcernedwith assisting Henry of Navarre against the League which was being supported principally by Spain A dilemma arose when Henry became a Catholic in 1593, but current feeling in England was that he had

INTRODUCTION

done so only to gain his own ends, and although the aid given him was diminished for a time, it did not cease.

The Dutch Provinces were also receiving English help in their revolt against Spanish domination, though from about 1592 onwards, it was more grudginglygiven In that year it was decided to transfersome of the English troops stationed there to Britanny ; and in 1593, Elizabeth attempted to make the Provinces maintain the remaining English garrisons themselves.

The relations between England and Spain were markedlyhostile, although in 1593 there was talk of a peace treaty being made through the mediation of the Emperor of Germany In 1591, fears, apparently unjustified, were voiced of a possible second Spanish attempt to invade England, and partially as a result of this , the propagandist proclamation of October-November, 1591, was promulgated Again, in 1593 there was rumourof another Spanish invasion, this time of the Channel Islands, and these were strongly fortified in readiness .

There is frequent reference to attacks on Spanish shipping by English men-of-war and "adventurers" , and to the great amount of plunder which was acquired by this means, the most notable example being that obtained from the captured Portuguesecarrack, the Madre de Dios in August, 1592. The marauding expeditions mentioned in the despatches include thoseofthe EarlofCumberland, Drake, the London merchants Watts and Lane, and others. The Spanish were not always on the receiving end, however, and it is recorded in a letter of 1593 (No. 37) that Spanish ships bringing reinforcements and supplies to the castle of Blaye in Bordeaux , utterly routedthe blockading English fleet.

Information on the political scene in Scotland and Ireland is given from time to time; in the case of the former, the picture which presents itself is that of King James caught between the opposition and conspiracies of the ministers on the one hand, and of the Scottish Catholic nobility on the other. Ireland is shown to be in a state of continuous unrest culminatingin the Tyrone rebellion , which increased in intensity throughout the last decade of the sixteenth century (ii) The Continent. An ample amount of material is supplied on political affairs on the Continent, particularly those concerned with events in France and the Low Countries during the turbulent years 1592-5 , in which warfare continued almost unceasingly. News on French affairs centres round the fortunes of Henry of Navarre and his gradual rise to power and near supremacy; that concernedwith the Low Countries deals mainly with the progress of the war between the Dutch of the Northern Provinces, under their leaders Philip and Maurice of Nassau, and the South under the governor-generals Alexander Farnese, Ernest and Albert, the two Counts of Mansfelt, and the able but generally unsuccessful commander, Verdugo.

INTRODUCTION

Little is to be foundon Spanish affairs, apart from reports about the treasure ships from the West Indies, on whichSpanish finance depended so much There are, however, a number of reports concerning other countries, for example, Germany, Italy, Poland , Russia and the great menaceto Christendom, Turkey.

(b) Social and economic history. As seen through the letters England was financially in a very poor state. The country was being drained by the cost of maintainingwars in France and the Low Countries, by the numerous heavy taxes and subsidies, the many loans which were seldom repaid, by bribes and the general rapaciousnessof the Queen and her ministers. Food was expensive and scarce , partly on account of the frequent droughts Beggary was rife, particularly amongst the disabled soldiery returningfrom the wars , and in 1592 and 1953 the government had to take a number of measures to endeavour to remedy this situation.

To add to these troubles there were serious outbreaks of the plague in London, in other parts of England and in Wales, and it claimed many thousands of victims, especially in 1593, a serious plague year, which disrupted London There were also in London at the time a number of riots against foreigners, chiefly instigated by the apprentices, who claimed that they were depriving them of their employment.

Among the many and varied interesting details on English social history for the period are reports on events at Court, including runawaymarriages, which seem to have been a frequent feature, even though they inevitably incurred the Queen's displeasure; Court gossipinvolvingleading politicalfigures ; an oblique reference to the "School of Night" ; mention of a "blasinge starr"; a girl who slept for fifteen days and was tried as a witch; thedrying-up of the River Thames and numerous other events Above all there isa wealthofbiographical details on important people, for example, the Cecil family, the Earl of Essex, the Earl of Cumberland, Sir Walter Ralegh, Sir Robert Sidney, the bishops Middleton and Fletcher, the sea captains Cavendish and Cocke, and many others from various walks oflife.

(d) Literary history. Items relating to literary history are concerned mainly with polemic works, a great number of which are mentioned in the letters. There are, for instance, allusions to the pamphlet war between the episcopacyand the Puritans, including the works of Bancroft and Matthew Sutcliffe on the one hand and of Barrow, Greenwood and Penry on the other ; and it is to be noted that Verstegan was normally able to procure copies of nearly all works of this nature, though of course, it was much easier to obtain books printed with licence than those printed secretly

There is mentionalso ofthe manypamphlets attackingBurghley, and oftwoinparticular : Spenser's MotherHubberd'sTale, inwhich it can clearly be seen that, in Verstegan's mind at least, the fox

INTRODUCTION

and the ape were intended to represent the Lord Treasurer and his son Robert Cecil respectively ; and Thomas Nashe's Pierce Pennilesse his Supplication to the Divell (1592), in which the same allegorical references are used. There is also mentionof another "epistle to the devil" , circulated apparentlyonly in manuscript, from which Verstegan quotes an amusing extract.

Other works circulating in England which are mentioned in the letters include a manuscript pamphlet by the apostate priest, Thomas Bell, to the effect that it was permissible for Catholics to attend a Protestant church ; and Garnet's reply to it, An Apology against the Defence of Schisme. Verstegan also writes of another work by Sutcliffe, this time against Catholic theologians and polemists, Matthaei Sutlivii de Catholica , Orthodoxa et Vera Christi Ecclesia , libri duo, in which three of Verstegan's own works are attacked.¹

A few precious pieces of information are supplied on the compilation and printing of Catholic books in Antwerp . In a letter dated 29 October, 1592 (No. 15) Verstegan writes that Persons's A Relation of the King of Spaine's Receiving in Valliodolidwould soon be off the press, and that his Responsio would also shortly be completed. A later letter, dated 30 April, 1593 (No. 32) refers to discussions Verstegan had held with William Rainolds about the compiling of a two-volume ecclesiastical history of England, a work which never materialised as such, but which was the precursor of two works by Persons, A Treatise of Three Conversions of England, whichappeared in 1603 and 1604 and Certamen Ecclesiae Anglicanae, three large manuscript volumes which were never printed.

10. RELIABILITY OF THE DESPATCHES , and their relation to other news-letters of the period.

It is important to note, first of all, that the despatches should not be placed in the same category as the public news-sheets, bulletins and corantos, such as were published in England, the Low Countries and other countries of Europe at the time, in which the news was prepared, in most cases at the expense of veracity, for propagandist purposes , or for sensational effect, which would ensure a ready sale Verstegan's letters were intended for private individuals who wanted information which was as accurate as possible; otherwise there wasno point in going tothe hugeexpense of such a carefully planned communication system, in which so many precautions were taken to ensure precision and safety of despatch. Versteganhimself was unquestionably reliable in thepresentation ofthe material at his disposal, and, as can be seen from the letters

"I am very grateful to Fr. T. Clancy for providing me with a copy of the title page and details of the contents of this work.

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and from his more scholarly publications (for example, A Restitution of Decayed Intelligence in Antiquities), he exercised a discrimination and accuracy which although certainly not flawless , were of an extremely high standard for that time, hence his wide-scale employment as an intelligencer, and the high value placed on his services by Persons and others It is true that on occasion he interpolated his own partisan comments, particularly on matters concerning the persecution of Catholics, as might be expectedfrom one who had himself suffered from that persecution, but this would not necessarily alter the truth of the report.¹

The same discrimination was exercised by Verstegan in the selection of his sources, particularly on events in England, and he relied principally on the reports of trusted correspondents, chief among whom was Fr. Garnet, who was very well-informed. When he considered that a news-item he was using in his despatch was not perfectlysound, Verstegan would preface it with the comment "it is thought that" , or "we hear that" , and sometimesadd "the truth thereof we have no certainty" .

The reliability of the despatches is chiefly to be vouched for by the fact that the vast bulk of the news-items they contain which are stated as actual events2 can be amplysupported by other contemporary references (as the notes endeavour in somemeasure to show), whilst, on the other hand, they are rarely contradicted by information from trustworthy sources. There is a high degree of accuracy, even in those details, for example dates and figures, aboutwhichthe Elizabethans were particularly vagueand untrustworthy. There are, however, a certain number ofnews-items which, as yet, can neither be definitely substantiated nor refuted because they happen to contain new information. These should not be lightlyregarded in view of the generalreliability ofthe despatches. Errors do occasionally appear, but normallyonly whereVerstegan stated that he was using uncertain information, and he made every effort tocorrect sucherrors in subsequentdespatches (e.g. , in Letter No. 63 concerning the person executed with Fr. Henry Walpole).

Froma comparison withother news-letters oftheperiod, private and otherwise, Verstegan's letters emerge extremelywell from the point of view of reliability, regularity (even in their incomplete state) and, despite their seeming brevity, their relative completeness . The most ready comparison that can be made is with the contemporary Fugger News-Letters, of which two volumes of selections were first printed in 1924 and 1926 respectively. Although Verstegan's letters do not span as large a number of years,

1A survey of the various types of English news-sheets in the period is given in M. A. Shaaber , Some Forerunnersof the Newspaper in England, 14761622, 1929 .

"Itis importantto notethat suchthings as reports ofCourt gossip andrumour were notmeant to indicate that they were necessarily true, though they can often be proved to have been, but that theywerecurrent.

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and are not extant in by any means the same bulk, they are more than a match for them in accuracy when dealing with events on the Continent (though it appearsthat on a fewoccasions Verstegan used the same sources as theAntwerpcorrespondent of the Fuggers for suchinformation), and are vastly superior on eventsin England

11. BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF VERSTEGAN

Itis intended to publishshortly a full-scale studyof Verstegan's life and writings, so that it is not necessary to provide more than a brief biography here . For further details and supporting references the reader is referred to my thesis. Acknowledgements for biographical material which has not been derived from my own research will be made in my forthcoming book . Although not a leading figure in history or literature, Verstegan did attain a position of considerable importance in both these spheres, and certainly a far greater one than has been accredited to him His career was remarkable Born in London of Dutch descent , he lived for ninety years (in itself an achievement), and, to the very last he was engaged in some important activity or other

He was a fervent Catholic, and endured two imprisonments, the risk of execution on at least one occasion, and close on sixty years of exile for his faith, fleeing to Paris, then to Rome, to Paris again, and finally to Antwerp, where he settled about 1587 and died in 1640. As the previous sections of this introduction have endeavoured to show, he was the trusted agent and intelligencer for manyprominent Catholic exiles on the Continent, and was one oftheir main links of communication at AntwerpbetweenEngland, the Low Countries, Spain, Italy and France He also seems to have facilitated the sending of missionary priests to England via Antwerpand Middelburg . Before he fled to the Continent hehelped to operate a secret printing press in London, and later, although he did not have his own press, as has sometimes been suggested , he edited numerous Catholic books

Verstegan was a great linguist and scholar . He seems to have known about nine languages , and this proved of considerable help in his philological work. He was a fine engraver, and probablyalso a carver and painter. Most important of all, he was a gifted and prolific writer. He wrote over thirty books and pamphlets, in English, Latin, French and Dutch, and these comprise poetry, devotional, polemic and journalistic writings, historical and philological works, an itinerary, translations and imitations, character writings, epigrams, and various satirical works. These writings contain manyinteresting features. Forexample, the Restitution of Decayed Intelligence in Antiquities is one of the first books seriously to derive the ancestry of the English race from the Saxons, and contains the first systematic list of Old English words ; it also includesthefirst English versionofthe Pied Piper story. Verstegan's

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Primer was the first one of the Roman usage to be printed in English as well as in Latin His itinerary, translated fromthe German, is likewise the first of its kind in English Thetranslationof Otto van Veen's Emblemata Amorum places him among the very few writersof emblem verse in English. His effectiveness in polemic and satirical writings is borne out by the number and vehemence of the replies they evoked, the most notable perhaps being that of Francis Bacon in answer to A Declaration of the True Causes. Another of his works, the Descriptiones, precursor of the Theatrum Crudelitatum, nearly caused a political duel between Elizabeth and Henry III of France. Dutch literature Verstegan has gained at least a moderate place for his epigramsand his character writings, whichwere, incidentally, the earliest written in Dutch. In Verstegan immersed himself in the struggles and controversies of his time . He unceasingly attacked the Elizabethan government, especially its master-mind, William Cecil, and consideredthat they were leading England to destruction, morally and economically No less vehemently did he attack the Dutch Calvinists, "rebels" against the King of Spain He was involved in the controversy on the English succession and in the internal quarrels ofCatholics , ranging himself with the so-called "Spanish" and "Jesuit" supporters as opposedto the "Scottish" and "Appellant" parties, and in all these dissensions and polemics he ardently and uncompromisinglypursued the ideas he consideredto be right

Details of Verstegan's life are set out below under convenient headings:

Life in England, c 1550-82 Verstegan was descended from a prominent Dutchfamily from Gelderland in Northern Holland. His grandfather, Theodore Rowland Verstegan, emigrated to England towards 1509, when Henry VII died, and probablymade his way directly to London, and perhaps to St. Katherine's -by-the-Tower , a liberty much frequented byforeigners, where his son and grandson were reputed to have lived He married in England and died shortly afterwards, leaving a nine months' old son called John , who was to be Richard Verstegan's father. In view of the poor finances of the family, John seems to have taken up the trade of cooper, in which he did sufficientlywell to give Richard a good education. He had at least one other son besides Richard, who followed his father into thetrade.

Theexact date and place of Richard Verstegan's birth are unknown, but he seems to have been born about 1550 in the parish of St. Katherine's -by-the-Tower No information on his boyhood survives, thoughit may be easily assumed that as he went up to Oxford, hemust have shown a certain aptitudeforstudyduringhis school days. He entered Christ Church College, Oxford, in 1564 , paying his way by being a sizar. He is listed in the matriculation registers for the session 1564-5 under the name "Rychard Row-

INTRODUCTION

land" , Rowland being the surname, adapted from the second of his grandfather's Christian names, which he used throughout his life in England He was naturally precluded from taking a degree, being a "Papist" , but neverthelessprobablyspent about four years at the university, during which time he doubtless devoted a certain amount of his time to the subject for which he showed a great predilection later on the history and antiquities of England

Verstegan left the University probablyby 1569 and 1570 at the latest. Returningto London, he had, almost of necessity, to turn to a trade, since it was very difficult for him to enter one of the professions without taking the Oath of Supremacy He decided to become a goldsmith, and worked as an apprentice for a master goldsmith, Philip Cratell, becoming a freeman of the company in 1574. It was doubtless by this trade that he became the skilled engraver he afterwards proved to be

Two years later, in 1576, he published hisfirst book, an itinerary, dedicated to Sir Thomas Gresham, with the title, The Post of the World. Wherein is conteyned the antiquities and originallofthe most famous cities in Europe; withtheir tradeandtraficke; withtheir wayes and distance of myles from country to country; with the true and perfectknowledge oftheir coynes, the places oftheir martes andfayres; and the raignes of all the kinges of England. This compact but comprehensive little work was printed by Thomas East, who, like Verstegan was a Catholic, and suffered a brief period of imprisonment in the Poultry in 1577, probably on account of secretly printing St. John Fisher's A Spirituall Consolation . Verstegan himself was imprisoned in the same prison, "forreligion" inJanuary 1578, but was released after a few days The exact nature of the offence is not known.

It may have been from East or perhaps from William Carter , who operated a secret press on Tower Hill, near where Verstegan lived, from about 1578 to 1579, that he learnt about printing in his spare time in order to assist in the publishing of Catholic books , for Verstegan was in charge of a press at Smithfieldwhichprinted in February , 1582, A True Report of the Death and Martyrdom of M. Campion, Jesuite and Prieste, & M. Sherwin & M. Bryan, Preistes, at Tiborne the first of December, 1581. The press was discovered, and a number of people connectedwith thepublication were arrested, but Verstegan escaped, and made his way as quickly as possible across the Channel to France. It is possible that he wasmarried at the time of his flight, and that his wifeaccompanied him into exile

At Paris and Rome, 1582-86. Verstegan next appears in Paris, where he is referred to as associating with leading Catholic exiles there, both clerical and lay ; and amongst those with whom he consorted were some of the best musicians of the day, including Nicholas Morgan, Richard Morris and John Dowland, the famous

INTRODUCTION

lutenist composer, who confessed that he owed his conversion to Catholicism partlyto Verstegan's persuasion.

Soon after reaching Paris Verstegan quickly resumed the work of supervising and editing Catholic books, at least two of which are known to have been edited by him in this period, both being printed at Paris in 1583 : A Treatise of Christian Peregrination , written by M. Gregory Martin, Licenciateand late Reader ofDivinitie in the English Coledge at Remes, and A Refutation of Sundry Reprehensions, Cavils and False Sleightes by which M. Whitaker laboureth to deface the late English translation of the New Testament , and the Booke of Discovery of Heretical Corruptions,¹ written by William Rainolds, with whom Verstegan was later closely associated at Antwerp.

Besides editing and verbal argument (such as helped to convert Dowland), he endeavoured to further the Catholic cause in various ways during his stay in Paris, one of which was by his engravings

One of these, accompanied by Latin verses, is a portrait of Mary Queen of Scots, who was looked on by the exiles as the mainhope of reclaiming England for Catholicism, and another, in the form of a large broadsheet, in two sections, entitled Typus Ecclesiae Catholicae et signa quibus ea cognoscitur and Typus Haereticae Synagogae et eiusdem proprietateswhich he published in 1585after his return from Rome.

Towards the end of 1583 , Verstegan set to work on a pamphlet with copperplate illustrations on the persecution in England, Briefve Description des diverses cruautez que les Catholiques endurent en Angleterrepour lafoy Stafford, the English ambassadorin Paris received information about the work and managed to procure full details of it and copies of two of its pages whilst it was passing through the press. Just as the work was completed, Stafford caused the printing house to be raided by the French authorities early in January, 1584, and Verstegan was taken and imprisoned, but not before some copies of the work had been distributed.² Hearing of Verstegan's imprisonment, William Allen, Girolamo Ragazzoni, the Papal nuncio, and others, earnestly appealed to Henry III, as a result of which he was quickly released despite all Stafford's efforts and remonstrances with the King, and was sent offto Rome out of harm's way with a letter of introduction from the nuncio.

Hearrived in Rome in April, 1584 , and after stayinga fewdays at the English College, went to deliver his letter of introduction to the Papal Secretary of State in the hope of receiving monetary

Although I have normally refrained from citing authorities for the sake ofbrevityinthisbiography,IfeelImust mention A.C. Southern'sElizabethan Recusant Prose, 1559-82 , in which these two works and Verstegan'spart in editing them are discussed (pp 348, 481-2, 458, etc.)

2At least one copy of this Paris edition is extant , its existence was made known to me by Mr. John Bossy, to whom I am very grateful

INTRODUCTION

aid, but was disappointed Despite this rebuff, he stayed on in Rome, and probablyearned his livelihood by assisting in printing and by engraving. Whilehe was there hearranged for thereprinting of the pamphlet with which Stafford had interfered in Paris, the work being published by the Roman printer, Franciscus Zanettus It bore the title: Descriptiones Quaedam illius inhumanae et multiplicis persecutionis quam in Anglia propter fidem sustinent. Towards the end of the year Verstegan returned to Paris, since the troubleover the Januaryincidenthad died down, and renewed his efforts there for propagating the Faith, publishing in January, 1585, the Typus Ecclesiae Catholicae and Typus Haereticae Synagogae broadsheetengravings already mentioned, whichhe dedicated to the Duke of Guise.

Activities in Antwerp, 1586-1605 . With the victories of Alexander Farnese over the Northern Provinces, a large number of exiles flocked into the Southern Netherlands, particularly to such centres as Brussels , Malines and Antwerp. Verstegan came with them, arriving at Antwerp in late 1586 or at the beginning of 1587. The first reference to him there occurs in the ledger books of the Plantin Moretus printing house , where he opened an account beginning from 5 March, 1587, on which day he purchased, among other things, a Martyrologia The name of it is not given, but doubtless it was one of the contemporary persecutions, whichmayhave helpedhim in thecomposition of a type of work on the same lines as the Descriptiones , but on a much larger scale, the Theatrum Crudelitatum Haereticorum Nostri Temporis, printed by Adrian Hubert, which was completed by mid-August, 1587. The work is divided into four sections , two of which deal with the persecutions under Henry VIII and under Elizabeth, including the martyrdoms of St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher and the sufferings and execution of Mary Queen of Scots Each section is illustrated by a number of fine engravings which Verstegan executed himself The Theatrum caused a great stir and ran to many editions, both in Latin and French It was followed by a broadsheet by Verstegan on the same lines as the Theatrum and the Typus Ecclesiae, which was called Speculum pro Christianis Seductis, published by the Plantin press in 1590. There was also a French version of this broadsheet, but no copy of it has survived

Verstegan's first years at Antwerpwere filled with everytype of work to further Catholic action, and henever sparedhimself despite frequent attacks of illness and exhaustion. He had charge of financing the printing of Catholic books in Antwerp, and also saw a great number ofthem throughthe press, includingall of Persons's works which were printed by Arnout Conincx One of the most noted books which he supervised in press was A Conference about the Next Succession which appeared in mid-1595 He may also have had a hand in the writing of certain sectionsofthis book .

INTRODUCTION

He was so occupied with numerous Catholic activities that he had little opportunity of writing books during the 1590s, but he did manage to compose a reply to the proclamation of OctoberNovember, 1591, A Declaration of the True Causes of the Great Troubles in 1592, a work which is based partly on the long letter from Southwell (No. 1). This consisted mainly of an attack on Burghley expressed with all the fierceness and intensity characteristic of all the polemic literature of the period, and to judge from contemporary reports, it had a telling effect on the English Court Francis Bacon was commissioned to write a reply to the pemphlet, but this was never printed, being circulated only in manuscript . Such a reply would probablyhave done the English government more harm than good if it had been published, since it would have drawn greater attention to Verstegan's pamphlet.

The researchof Fr. Loomie (op. cit.) has demonstrated that itis almost certain that Verstegan and not Fr. Creswell, as is normally suggested , was the author ofthe English abridgement of Persons's Responsio , entitled An Advertisement to a secretarie of My L. Treasurer's of Ingland, which was published at Antwerp about August or September, 1592, shortly before the Responsio appeared Among Verstegan's other occupations was the despatching of letters and books between England, the Low Countries, Spain, Italy and France, as has already been discussed earlier in this Introduction. He also facilitated the sending of missionaries and others into England and was able to procure passports for them. He was financed in this work chiefly by Cardinal Allen and Fr. Persons , who arranged for him to be paid regular sums of money at Antwerp.

These payments seem to have been made solely to reimburse him rather than to provide for his means of sustenance also, since funds were hardly adequate for this purpose. However, shortly after his arrival at Antwerp, a pension was procured for Verstegan from the King of Spain, payable at the Brussels court . A large number of exiles were pensioners , but unfortunatelyfor them, the money theyweredueto receivewas not paid out withanyregularity. So great had been the strain on the Spanish treasury, especially since the Armada, that it could ill afford to pay the pensions Payment became so restricted that only those who were due to receive it by direct order of the King of Spain or the governorgeneral of the Low Countries were actually paid, and then only sporadically Versteganwas hardly better offthan thebulkofthe exiles, and on the few occasions that his pension of thirty crowns amonthwas actuallypaid, it hardly met the debts he had incurred whileawaitingreceipt of it He was, therefore, in a state near to penury throughoutthe 1590s .

Verstegan devised various ways of trying to obtain money. One of these was to ask for a permit for importing English cloth, thoughthis seems notto have been granted him until 1612. Another

INTRODUCTION

was to obtain the privilege for printing a Primer in Latin and English He achieved more immediate success in this, and in 1599, chiefly as a result of his labour in compiling, translating and providing illustrations, was published the Primer or Office of the Blessed Virgin Marie, which fulfilled a very real need amongst the English Catholics, and was reprinted a large number of times. Verstegan was involved in some of the numerous quarrels that arose among English Catholics towards the end of the century, including those unjustifiably caused by the publication of the Conference about the Next Succession, which accentuated the differences between the so-called Scottish supporters and the Spanish party to which Verstegan belonged; and the controversy over the election of a cardinal in succession to William Allen, who died in October, 1594, in which Verstegan supported the candidature of the unwilling Persons as against that of the eager Owen Lewis, Bishop of Cassano He was a firm friend of Fr. Holt, who administered the funds and general affairs of the exiles at Brussels , and vigorously defended him when he was attacked by the anti-Jesuit factionin the LowCountries He also wrote manuscript pamphlets, no longer extant, against the"Scottish nobles" in the LowCountries and against the Appellants, whichdrew biting replies fromWilliam Watson and Anthony Copley.

The turn of the century marked a large increasein the number ofthe booksVersteganpublished First appeareda small pamphlet, Brief et Veritable Discours de la Mort d'aucuns Vaillants et Glorieux Martyrs, 1601, containing a relation of the priests and laymen who had been martyred in 1600. The work is unsigned, but it is highly probable that it was compiled by Verstegan, as also the Dutch version of the work, Cort ende Waerachtich Verhael van het Lijden van Sommighe Vrome ende Glorieuse Martelaers, which appeared contemporaneously, both works being printed by Hieronymus Verdussenat Antwerp

The same year he published a collection of his English poems , some ofwhichareveryfine, Odes inimitationofthe Seaven Penitential Psalmes, with sundry other poemes and ditties tending to devotion and pietie. It is unnecessaryto say anythingabout the book here , since it will be given detailed treatment in my forthcoming book , as will all ofVerstegan's majorworks. The next book he published was a translationof a work on a theme very prevalent at the time, in view of the many executions, massacres and plagues , and was entitledA Dialogue of DyingWel First written in the Italian tongue by the Reverend Father Don Peeter of Luca, a Chanon Regular, a Doctor of Divinitie andfamous Preacher , 1603

The crowning work of this period was his extremely scholarly and thorough book on Old English history and antiquities , A Restitution of Decayed Intelligence in Antiquities concerning the most noble and renowmed English Nation, which he dedicated to King James, to whom the exiles looked at this time with the expectation

of religious toleration, though their hopes were quickly to prove unfounded.

Life at Antwerp, 1606-40 .

Fromabout 1606 onwards, Verstegan's prominence in the affairs of English Catholics began rapidly to diminish His role as intelligencer seems to have ceased around this time, and although he was still very much concerned with Catholic action, he turned his attention to polemic against the Dutch Calvinists rather than the English Protestants. He was also coming to accept his exile as permanent, and evidentlyfully acclimatised himselfto the way of life in the Low Countries. Nevertheless, he still concernedhimself in the publication of Catholic books at Antwerp and elsewhere, as appearsfrom numerous allusions to him between 1605 and 1621 , including an incident concerning Henry Jaye, an English exile who later established himself as a printer at Malines, whichalludes to him as a "printer servant" to Verstegan.

In 1608 , Verstegan collaborated in an emblem book, the Amorum Emblemataof Otto van Veen, for one edition of whichhe provided commendatory verses and an English verse translation for each emblem that the book contained By strange coincidence, it was two years after his translations of these "emblems of love" that he remarried, being about sixty years of age at the time His bride was Catharina de Sauchy, a young and apparently rich jonkvrouw of Antwerp, and the wedding took place 17 October , 1610, in the church ofSt. Walburgis It is not known exactlywhen Verstegan's first wife died, but since the last known reference to her is in 1602, it must have been some time between that date and 1609 or early 1610 .

Whatever fortune Verstegan may have gained by his marriage was temporarilyaugmented when, in 1612, he obtained a passport for the importation of English cloth such as he had sought twenty years earlier . It was an extremely valuable one : for 2,000 white cloths, and at a time when the import of all other English cloth had been prohibited by an ordinance of the Archduke ; and it naturally caused consternation and annoyance among the English merchants

Verstegan's marriage seems to have drawn him even closer to the Dutch way of life, and from 1610 onwards he wrote nearlyall his works in Dutch, drawing copiously in them on material reflecting Dutch society, culture and tradition. The first of these Dutch writings was a small, single sheet embodying an attack on the Calvinist sect and its origin, Oorspronck and teghen woordighe staet van de Calvinische Secte, alsoo die nu versheyden is in vierprincipale deelen, printed at Antwerp by Robert Bruneau who had printed A Restitution The Oorspronck seems to have had a wide circulation , and was translated into other languages . A pamphlet written in refutation of it mentions a German version which had been sold openly in a Frankfurt marketin September, 1613 .

INTRODUCTION

His next work was on Dutch antiquities , having been partly adapted from A Restitution. It bore the title, Nederlantsche Antiquiteytenmet de bekeeringhe van eenigheder selvelanden tot het Kersten Gheloovedeur S. Willibrordus , 1613. It was so popular that it ran to at least thirteen editions, the last appearing about 1832 . Verstegan's works appeared in the greatest profusion from 1617 right up to the time of his death, and during that time at least fourteen of them were published. There is space only to mention them here, thoughsome ofthemare of considerable importance in Dutch literature, and a number are interesting as reflecting to a very marked degree the influence of English writers. They include three volumes of epigrams and epitaphs, published in 1617 , 1624 and 1641 (posthumously) ; two sets of character writings, one published in 1619 and in 1622 in an augmentededition, and another in 1630, in most of which works religious satire appears in great abundance. There are two serious polemics against the Dutch Calvinists and "rebels" De Spiegel der Nederlandsche Elenden , 1621 , and Oorloge gevochten met die Wapenen van die Waerheydt en van die Reden, 1628 ; at least three journalistic satires for Abraham Verhoeven's news-pamphlets, Nieuwe Tijdingen; and various other light, humorous works, De Gazette van Nieuwe-Maren, 1618 , a type of parody of news-letters and avisos, and books either to sharpen the wits or to drive away melancholy, De Wet-Steen des Vertants, 1620 , De Medecijne teghen de Droefheyt en Melancholie , c . 1625-6, Medicamententeghen de Melancholie, 1633 .

Comparatively little is known of the latter part of Verstegan's life Most of the informationwhich has survived concerns mainly financial transactions involving the buying and selling of houses . In the Antwerp Schepenbrieven for July, 1625, it is recorded that he and his wife bought themselves a fine house, "The Golden Glove" , quite near their old home in Oudaen Straat in the Meer district. The cost of the house was apparentlytoo much for them to pay at once, for a week later they sold an interest on the house . Three years later, they bought a second house in the Meer . As in the case of the previous house, it was found necessaryto sell an interest in their property The later twenties seem to have been the wealthiest period in Verstegan's life, for in addition to these houses, he purchased a third in 1629 .

Nothing more is heard of Verstegan's private life until 1639 , when he and Catharina had to settle the debts they had contracted in the course of buying their houses. In order to do this they first raised a new and larger interest on "The Golden Glove" , and then paid offthe debts with the money theyreceived by this means Verstegan left the management of these transactions to his wife; he was probablytoo feeble and sick to manage them himself.

At the beginning of 1640, after ninety crowded years, Verstegan lay dying. He made his will 26 February, in which he made his wife heir to all his possessions, except for a bequest to the poor

INTRODUCTION

or religious houses of a sum of money that his wife wouldfind good and expedient to donate No children are mentioned in the will, or any other beneficiaries. He died two or three days after making his will, and his funeral took place 3 March at the parish church of St. Jacob. Catharina, although she had apprently been a good and faithful wife, did not mourn her husband long, for in the followingmonth, on 21 April, she married an Irish captain, David Collins (or Gellens) at the same church in which her husband's funeralhad taken place seven weeksbefore. Richard Verstegan was very much a man of his time , affected by its religious and political upheavals, and by its literature and learning. During his life he witnessed the change in England from the restored Catholic monarchy under Mary I to Protestantism under Elizabeth and James I, to the rapid growth of Puritanism and the beginning of the conflict between Charles I and his Parliament

During his very full life he was acquainted with people from everyorder of society and from every branch of art and learning. In the earlier part of his life he was known to practically every ruler in Europe, including the Pope, Philip II, Elizabeth and Henry III, Farnese , Archduke Ernest and Archduke Albert. He was also known by most of the eminent statesmenin his day: the Cecils and Francis Bacon, who must have wished to see him on the rack and then on the scaffold, the Duke of Guise, Pinart, Idiaquez, the various English ambassadors abroad, and the numerous people to whom he dedicated his works, among them Sir Thomas Gresham and Louis Vereycken The foremost Englishmen in the Catholic Church for the most part thought highly of him and madegrateful use of his services.

In the sphere of learning he was acquainted with many distinguished scholars, antiquarians , geographers , historians and collectors. These included Justus Lipsius, Cornelius Kilian, Abraham Ortelius, Ludovico Giuccardini, Richard White of Basingstoke, Richard Stanyhurst and Sir Robert Cotton. His circle of friends seems to have also included the architect Wencelaus Cobergher, the poets Jean Bochius and Anna Roemers Visscher, and the famous painter, Van Dyck The musicians amongst his acquaintance were John Dowland, Nicholas Morgan, Richard Morris, Francis Tregian and Peter Philips.

Verstegan's writings were as much influenced by their age as his life was. Manyof his efforts were directed towards propaganda for the Catholic Church in the form of attacks on the Reformers, martyrologies and devotional works ; and he aided the cause in which he so fervently believed, not only by his writings, but also by his engravings, and by the printing, editing and circulatingof the works of others His controversial pamphlets are typical of their age: virulent, unrelenting and abusive, particularly in their profusion of epithets of scorn . The martyrologies, also products of

INTRODUCTION

their age, are forthright in their depiction of cruelties and outspoken in their commentaries His devotional works were intended to fulfil a very real need of his time when such books were scarce , and also formed part of a movement towards increasing thefervour of devotion towards the Blessed Virgin

His other works are also indicative of their period : a new and more scientific approach to the study of antiquity and linguistics, the demand for itineraries in an age of increased travel, and the desire for purely recreational works to act as "medecines against melancholy" . There are also the writings which make use in some way or other of the store of classical literature which had not long since come to light, as for example, the character writings and epigrams. It is difficult to allocate to Verstegan a particularplacein history, literature or art. In history he was not a leading personality, but was always an important figure in the background In literature hedid not excel at anythingin particular, but he made considerable contributionsto manyof its genres. In manyways, his engravings were the most important and successful part of his creative work. They were normally of a very high standard of execution , and fulfilled their purpose very effectively .

APPENDIX I

References to correspondence of Verstegan which is no longer extant

(a) Verstegan the sender .

To whom addressed

Persons

Persons

Baynes

Baynes

Baynes

Persons

Englefield

Allen

Baynes

Baynes

Baynes

Richard Walpole

Pineda

Baynes

Date

21 February , 1592

24 July, 1592

15 August, 1592

28 August, 1592¹

26 September, 1592¹

c. February, 1593

c. 30 April, 1593

2 December, 1593

19 March, 1594

9 April, 1594

18 March, 1595

11 April, 1597

c. April, 1597

3 October, 1597

Reference Letter No. 3a

Letter No. 8

Letter No. 10

Coll. M. 127

Coll. M. 127

Letter No. 32

Letter No. 32

Cotton, Titus B .II, f. 224

Anglia, 38 ii, 195

Anglia , 38 ii, 195

Letter No. 57a

Letter No. 72

Letter No. 72

Anglia 38 ii, 201 v.

"Possibly the date of the English news-letter on which the despatch was based

INTRODUCTION

(b) Verstegan therecipient

c. July, 1592

Baynes 25 July, 1592

Persons 9 September, 1592

Persons

March, 1593

Fitzherbert c. April, 1593

Baynes

Calendar

No. 32

1593

APPENDIX II

the period coveredby the Letters

APPENDIX III

A note on thecode in the letters of HenryWalpole andWilliam Holt. A comparisonwiththeVerstegan-Baynes code (vid, Introduction, section 8, c ) shows that Fr. Henry Walpole in his letters to Fr.

INTRODUCTION

Creswell and Fr. William Holt to Cardinal Allen used nearly the same if not the identical code .

Unfortunately, there areonly two examplesof the lettersubstitution code, both of them in Walpole's letters (ed Jessopp, pp. 32 , 44) The first reads "Provincial" , in a sentence which partily decoded, with the aid of the Verstegan-Baynes word substitution code runs : "112 [Fr. Southwell] writeth to the 51 53 50 55 73 4941 46 71 48 [Provincial] for 166 to come into 137 [England]". The second word decoded reads "Creake" who is described with obvious prejudice in a list of "rebells, traytors and fugityves in Lansdowne MSS 68, No. 70 as "Raphe Creake, a moste wicked rayling fellow"

.

Walpole uses twenty different numbers from the word substitution code , ofwhich nine are common to the Verstegan-Baynes code (vid. , first table in section 8, c of Introduction). The other eleven numbers are as follows : 37, 104, 110, 111 [Hugh Owen?], 113 [Creswell?], 116, 119, 121 , 124 , 164 , 166

The possibility of deciphering some of the word substitution code aids the elucidation of a number of passages in Walpole's letters, e.g., letter to Creswell, 17 October, 1591 (Jessopp, p 44) : "I am glad for the cause and 107 [Persons] if 113 [Creswell?] go to 140 [Spain]... " In the same letter : "It grievethme to hear so many dislikes of 111 [Owen ?] and 108 [Holt] ; good words would mend much" In an earlier letter to the same person, 25 July, 1591 (Jessopp, p 31), Walpole writes : " I heard lately from 112 [Southwell], and so , I think, did 113 [Creswell ?]. 114 [Garnet] is extremelysick, God send him recovery" .

In Holt's letter to Cardinal Allen, 6 January, 1594 (Lansdowne 96, ff 79-80, printed in Strype, Annals, iv, pp. 206-8, misdated 1593) there are six numbers, 130, 161 , 212, 215, 229, 229, 232 , which although apparently part of the same series as the Verstegan-Baynes and Walpole-Creswell word substitution code , are, with oneexception, not to be found in either The onlynumber in common is 215 [priest (s) ?], possibly to read as 225 [Fr. General] which fits the context better

A table of all the numbers belonging to the word substitution codeas used byVerstegan, Walpole and Holt for the period 1591-5, with decipherings where possible, is given below. For Verstegan the letter reference is provided, for Walpole, the Jessopp, and in the case of Holt, theStrype.

Letter References

d . L.Simple bringstel .. Cumberland with 8 ت سےہے % aboute their ordinary refin Tusfawr bycontentsinbriefoftheslind tother . Spopes istogoforter фолес O Stanley Williams Stanton&mi

$ Cdo Eartolycomend then contoyou . 787

Anlarged the letter morethenI purposed attheobginingI also contoyou(comitt mw comend may sgs to Godmid20of Dours Cody absurdly

Richard Fordbogan

THE LETTERS AND DESPATCHES OF RICHARD VERSTEGAN

I. FR . SOUTHWELL ? TO VERSTEGAN

.

London ? c. beginning of December , 1591 .

Stonyhurst, Anglia 1 , no 70, f. 122. Contemporary copy. Summary by Fr.Grene, Stonyhurst, Coll M, 148e ; shortextracts printed in Dodd-Tierney, iii, pp 77ff; the section on the Babington plot printed by J. Morris in Letter -Books of Sir Amias Poulet , 1874, pp 386-8 Fr. Grene suggested (Coll M, 148e) that Versteganforwarded this despatchto Baynesat Rome , but he may equally well have sent it to Fr. Persons in Spain.1

Fr. Grene's hand Generall heads of the persecution in England, anno ut videtur, 1592

CAPUT PRIMUM

CAP. 1 , n. 1. Cum lex iubeatsingulosin menses 20 minas a recusantibus solvi, they make the yeare of thirtene monthes, and take thirteene score pounds of every recusant.2

Justice Yong and higher magistrates, as Tirel him selfconfessed under his hand and oth (for he most deeply avoweth it in his letter to the Queene), bad him say masse, heare confessions and minister sacraments; so in the end he told them what, and to whom he had done it, so seekingto entrap folkes, and makingmen to breake their owne lawes, of purpose to draw them in to their penalties.³

Their spies, as namely, Burden, Baker, Vachel, have pretended them selves to be Catholikes, and that by the warrantise and advise of their superiors They have heard Masse , confessed and received only of purpose to discover Catholikes and to entrappe them.5

They made one purposely to seeke to be reconciled by one Mr. J. Gerard , now in Wisbich, and came to confession to him, and al this to entrappe the priest, as in deed he did, apprehending him atthe same instant Theliketheyhaveoften attempted with others.

In prison, when they have not certein notice of any whether they be priests or no, they urge them by al extremities to confesse that ; or if they know it, they presse him with such odious interrogatories as they thinke wil be most disgraceful or hateful to the people, as, about deposition ofthe Queene, about excommunication, about her religion, whether she be a schismatike or heretik etc.; of future thoughts, what they wil doe if the King of Spaine make warre, etc. and al this to entrappe us in their lawes, and against the just course of the law of England and nations, by which such interrogatories can not be put, or, at lest, not enforced to be answered ?

Catholikes' suites, be they never so just, they very seldom take effect unlesse it be by extreme bribery to some of the Councelor 1

judges. Great suites which are of consequence they suspend stil undecided, not suffering any sentence to be geven in them , to the undoing of Catholikes oftentymes.

The Queene during the tyme of the wardship of the heyres generals of the last Lord Dacres enjoyed their living many yeres, the case by her learned Counsail havingbene thought most plaine on their side. And when they came to age and were sued bytheir uncle, the sute was still held in suspense, their evidencieskeptfrom them, the rents taken for the Queen of great part thereof, and no judgement suffered to be geven in the case, though the right were apparant ; til their uncle being beggered by the sute, and finding that they wold never suffer ether him or them to have justice, was enforced to flie the realme, because he saw their faire promises and supporting him in his sute was not for love or good they meant to him, or intent they had to make an end, but only to undoe the heyresgeneral, and to seeke, by long discussingthe matter, whether any vantage might be taken for the Queen to sease upon it ; which in the end she did of a great part, under title of concealed land.⁹

The like happeneth to most Catholikes, whom if any Counseiler take against, they are sure, be their cause never so apparantly good, they shal have no justice

The pursevants from a gentleman, in searching his howse , tooke a bag of mony of three score pounds The gentleman, coming to the Secretary Walsingham to complaine ofthe wrong and the theft , was answered that the Queen's men must be considered; and if he put the matter in sute, it should cost him much more . 10

The judges wil openly say that the Papists shal have no law at their hands , sith theywil not obey the lawes, namely, those against religion.

Ifby a Catholike's losing his sute, the Queen maybe but a trifle the better, or gaine any thing by it, he is sure to be cast , be his cause never so good.

CAPUT 2.

There is no evil publikely done but streyt they father it on Papists. London was on fyre not long since. Catholikes streyt were said to have bene the authors, though it were expressely knowen what the chaunces were, and by whom they came . 11

Hacket (a most blasphemous man calling him self greater then God, and hanged, condemned, and commonly knowen to have bene a Puritan and highly esteemed by that sect), when they saw his blasphemies so great and were ashamed of his death, they streyt gave it out that he was a Papist, which many of the vulgare sort did verily beleeve and say . 12

They ofevery priest lightly geve it out after his death, and before , in his absence , that he wold have killed the Queene , and that he came to prepare peoplefor an invasion, no suchwordor saingbeing ether touched in his inditement, or proved with any colourable

argument, nor ever so much as thoughtby the priests them selves . So did they by the two last martyrs, Mr. Beselyand Mr. Scot, most impudently and falsely, without any likelihod or shew . 13

They since, as often before, raised a report that there were certaine priests and Papists come out of Spayne to kil the Queen , and caused , thereupon, watches in the innes and great adoeno such imaginationbeing in any man's head but their owne , nor any priests being then come over 14

The matter of Babington waswholyof their plotting and forging, ofpurpose to make Catholikes odious and to cut of the Queen of Scots. The chief plotters were the Secretary, Lecester and the Treasurer;15Poly, the Secretarie's, man was the chief actor in ithere in England ;16 Gilbert Gifford, by his owne confession , their actor init both here and in France 17 Poly was for a fashon put in the Tower, but had what he wold ; and in the end, having theirpoysoned the Bisshop of Armacan with a peece of cheese that he sent him , was let out , 18 and is nowin as great credit as ever, beingas deepely to be touched in al things, and as much to be proved against him as any that were executed He was continually with Ballard and Babington ; he heard Masse , confessed, and in al things feyned to be a Catholike, and stil learned his lesson of Mr. Secretary : whom they should draw in to the plot, and19 what plot they should lay, and what course they should take that might best serve the turne, forwhichal this devise was entended. He brought the copy ofthe letter penned by Mr. Secretary him self, or by his direction , that Babington writt to the Queen of Scots, and upon which she was afterward condemned for having answered it as she did ;20 Naw , her secretarie , and Curle having bene by the same Secretary hyred with seven thousand pounds to betray their maistresse , as it was found in a byll in his study after his decease, as hathbene credibly reported . 21 Poly now liveth like him self : a notoryous spie, and ether an atheist or an heretike . 22

Also, the same appeareth by Gilbert Gifford's letters to Philips the decipherer, and Philips also to Gilbert Gifford, who purposely was made priest (as he confessed) to play the Secretarie's spie,23 and acknowledged that he was his chief instrument in this plot; and Philips' lettershaving bene taken unto him, wherein the same is most manifest.

Savage also, being at the Court long before that any of the Counsell tooke notice of the matter, was by the Queen her self pointed at, and two pensionerscommaunded to have an eye unto him that he should do her no harme, being knowen to be one of the agents, and yet permittedto go free, because they had not yet entrapped al they sought to bringin. 24

Also, one of Polie's principles was (as appearedbythegentlemen's words and speeches at the barre) that none of the graver sort of Catholikes, or those that were esteemed wise, should have any notice of their entents, because they doubtles wold sone have

LETTERS OF RICHARD VERSTEGAN No. I smelled the fraud and trayne that was layd for them ; but only yong gentlemen whose greene heads and aspiring myndes were easie to be deceived, and apt to be induced in to any high attempt Yea, they had so wrought Mr. Ballard the priest, that none ofthe same calling were acquainted with his intent, they fearing that if the graver priests should have heard, they wold have found the deceit andhindered the course that was entendedtoaltheirundoings; as , in truth, it was easie for any that saw the raw devise and more then childish folie ; and so lavish talke of it that the Protestants knew it before Catholikes, and the actors, long before their apprehension, pointed at in the streets of London, and yet not touched until the matter was brought to that passe to which the Counsell wold have it come25 .

While Gilbert Gifford was in England, he had continual accesse and intercourse with the Secretary Walsingham, and in being in daunger of the lawes because he was deacon, went neverthelesseat ful libertiewithout feare ; and when he went over, it was of purpose to sett forward this action ; and from thence he continuallywritt to Philips, and received lettersfrom him. 26 And (Ighesse) Ballard was by his meanes and with his instructions sent in to England 27

At the same tyme, Mr. Martin Array having bene released and to go over sea , being by a round summebought fromtheshambles , he desired of Mr. Secretary some 20 dayes to dispatch his businesse , where at the Secretary pawsing, "No" , saith he, "yow shal have but fourtene, for, within the tyme yow require, the coasts wold be to hote for yow"-as, in truth, it fel out, for about that tyme was Babington's matter disclosedby the Counsell, watch and ward kept every where, and much feare shewed where it was al prevented, and an uglymatter made against Catholikes of a drift of their owne devising ; which sheweth who was the author of al this devise , knowing it long before, and yet furthering it until their end was atchieved, and al things rype to reveale their owne plot as the Catholikes' endevour, who, in truth, were lest acquainted with it. 28

When any Catholike sueth to courtyers or great personages for favour in respect of their conscience, they wil answere , as divers have done , that "if he were troubledfor theft or murther, I durst be bold, but for religionor Papists I dare not medle".29

In the lawesbydivers clauses and names and penalties theymake Catholikes odious, as the lawes shew .

If any one want worke or mony, streyt if he can rayle against Catholikes or print any thing to their disgrace, it is currant , and goeth presently abrode cum privilegio. And many poore printers and needy libellers make the best part of their living by our slaunders,30

Nopamphlet written ordinarilybut theraylingagainstCatholikes is one part of the booke .

No sermon lightly made but Papists are ever part ofthe theme

and a principal common place or common supplyfor want of other matter. 31

Stages are beholden to Papists for many of their enterludes , Catholiks being now made the fable of England;32 ballades, minstrels' songs and al dities of enterteynement at innes spiced with some quipp or jest against religion. 33

In the Star-chamber, at the beginning and ending oftermes , the Lord Chauncellour should want the best part of his matter, and the Lord Tresurer the musike he most liketh, if Catholikes were not notoriously slaundered and inveyed against.

Ordinaries and banquets are ever accompanied with hyred spokesmenagainst Catholikes, who make an occupation offorging tales against them.

When any priest first cometh, they, having intelligence of it, streyt geve out by their spies that a spie is come over, and that he was sent over by the Counsell of purpose to be priested to play the spie.

No Catholike man can have any office in the Common Welth , al the offices and preferments being armed with the Oth of Supremacy against every Catholike 34

They commonly cal Catholikes traytors, nether can any action of slaunder be heard against the miscaller, be the poore Catholike never so much disgraced by it. 35

They falsely geve out in proclamations, bookes and pamphlets, as wel at home as abrode, that none are here troubled for their conscience , but only for other crymes, except by a little pecuniary summe (as they cal it) which infamy, though most impudent and false their owne lawes and judgements daily witnessing the contraryyet are they so shamelesse as publikelyto proclayme it, print and divulge it abrode . 36 And at every araignement or execution, Catholikes are commonly offred lives and liberties ifthey wil but go to church ; which doubtles can be no satisfaction for any temporal treason, but only for matters of religion. 37

CAPUT 3

How many wayes Catholikes are pilled and impoverished, it is almost infinite to rehearse, first by the lawes , which are sufficient interpreters of their owne extremitie.

Catholikes' livings are begged first by one , then byanother , and the38 poore Catholike inforced to compound withal, and to buy his owne three or fower tymes over. 39

Theybuy and selCatholikes likecalvesin the market, and ifthey be in prison, their best course to get out is to seeke to be the pennyworth of some catchpoll, who, for a reward of his service, is often permittedto have the sale of some prisoners' libertie . 40

In the law that prescribeth two parts of recusants' lands and goods to the Queen for recusancyewhen they can not pay thirtene

score pounds by the yere, there is a proviso that the owner shal not be tenant to his owne lands, nor take them of the Queene ; but they are geven to some hungry companions, who oftentymes cut downethe woods, spoylethe grounds and make a most careles havocke of al things. 41

In subsidies and taxes Catholikes are always used with most extremitie, paying after the rate of better then they are in worth or calling. Also, in lones of mony and Privie Seales they are sure to be set at the highest summes42

Iwil not repeat the spoylesof pursevants bothfor their fees and other filtched boties, which they commonly carie away without hope of recovery.

Many gentlemen's sonnes have for being Catholikes bene disherited by their owne parents and kinsmen . 43

CAPUT 4.

Catholikes in their kinred and frends are many ways molested. First, when their wives are great, they are forced to shift them from place to place to conceale their lying in, lest their children should be christened heretically ; and sometimes want the sacrament wholy through the malice and fault of the ministers, and want of due matter or forme of baptisme . 44

Manywomen with child have bene delivered before their tyme, to the danger of them selves and children, by the sodeyne and violentfrights of pursevants, who lyke pitylesse furies rage every where alike without compassionor care of the diseased . Catholikeshavenolessedifficultieto avoid the dangerofchurching and purification then of lying in, being watched in both respects by malitious eyes.

The children of Catholikes have bene sometimestakenfromtheir parents and forced against their conscieunces, as Mr. Price's were . 45

Theyare nether suffred to keepe Catholike scholemaisters , 46 nor to send them over (but by stelth), that none might be broughtup Catholikely . 47

No Catholike is permitted ether to stay in any college of the Universitie, or in any Inne of Court of Chauncery, so that ether they must be idiotes, or fly the realme to get learning 48

Many children are rejected by their parents, 49 and wives put from their husbands, because they are Catholikes Yea, many parents betrayed by their children and by their other heyres, as Sir Thomas Fitzherbertby his nephew;50 and husbandes and wives kept in awe, ech by other, if the one be a Protestant.51 The like misery in servants.

Al frends in Court and Counsel are afrayed to speake in any Catholike's behalfe, al sutes finding more favour then that.

It is the very drift of Julianus Apostata that these men have devised against Catholikes They can not be alowed in the

Universities iftheybe recusants,nor in the Innes ofCourt . Catholike scholemaisters are forbidden They are not permitted to go over sea to studie, but they are counted as fugitives ; so that ether they must be ignorants, or heretically taught , no other way being left unpunishable

CAPUT 5.

The libertie of Catholiks is at twentie dayes warning when it is at the most ; and everyof the bettersort bound in great bondsand suerties for his appearance52 Yet this libertie is very great in respect of their commonest usage, for they are for the most part in prison, or in restrayntat some men's howses ; nether permitted toenjoytheir landes, howses and countries, nor to converseor spend that they have emong their neighbours.

They are continually in their libertie vexed with serches and pursevants, in daunger of their lives by such things, which they them selves53 perhaps brought in to the howse.

Over such Catholikes as are abrode they set such watches, that, if there be any meanes to make them fal in to their hands, they fayle not to put it in practise by their spies and catchpols, who, under good pretenses , sometymes worke the undoing of good howses . 54

Their serches are very many and severe . Their chief times for them are when Catholikes are most busie to serve God, as on Sondaies , holy daies, Easter, Christmasse, Whitsontide and such very great feastes. They come ether in the night or early in the morning, or much about dinner time ; and ever seeke their opportunitie when the Catholikes are or wold be best occupied, or are likely tobeworst provided, or lookefornothing.55 Theywillingliest come when few are at home to resist them, that they may rifle coffers and do what they list 56 They locke the servants and mistress of the howse and the whole familie up in to a rowme by them selves while they, like yong princes, goe rifling the howse at their wil.

Their maner of searching is to come with a troupe of men to the howseas thoughthey come to fight a field . 57 They besetthehowse on everyside , then they rush in and ransacke everycornereven women's beds and bosomeswith such insolent behaviour that their villanies in this kind are half a martyrdome . 58 The men they commaund to stand and to keep their places ; and what soever of price cometh in their way, many times they pocket it up, asjewels, plate, monye and such like ware, under pretense of Papistrie . 59

Both before and after the serches , they pretend emong the neighbours to have had intelligence of great matters, and infame those that they serch for dangerous persones, thus to coulour their owne cruelty; and yet al is mere forgeryand falsehode. When they find any bookes, church stuff, chalices or other like things, they take them away, not for any religion that they care

OF RICHARD VERSTEGAN No. I for, but to make a commoditie ; selling afterward by their brokers to one Catholike thatwhichthey have robbed from an othereven those things that are most expressely forbidden by their owne irreligious lawes, as, beades, medals, chalices , Catholike bookes , etc.

There have divers, under the names of pursevants, come with feyned commissions , and have robbed Catholiks' howses and others.

In Yorkshire, many Catholikes' howses were by such rifled to their great vexation and losse. In Worcestershire , one Mr. Reynford, a gentleman, was robbed of better then one hundred marks by theseforged companions, they being assisted in their robberyby justices of the shire. And it hath bene put in practise by divers counterfeit mates, who make an occupation of it, and , evenwith the aydeof the constables and officers, have spoyledmany poore Catholiks, and yet no remedy can be had against these miseries . 60

The pursevants are for the most part bankrouts and needy fellowes, ether fled from their trade for dett and by the Queene's badge to get their protection , or some notorious wicked man , whose godles disposition is apt to be emploied to any mischief ; in so much that it is a great encrease of Catholikes' misery, and a thing almost untolerable to flesh and blood to have so base and infamous castawaysto come and crow over61 the best gentlemanyea noblemanin his owne howse, and use such imperious and princely behaviour as wold move choler to the most patient mynd, the vylenes and contemp[t] of so base a commaunder considered . They oftentymes breake wals, untile howses unseale chambers, pluckupbordes , to the owner's great losse and trouble, and yet no satisfaction for these dammages made

CAPUT 6.

When ether Catholike or priest is apprehended, they streyt lay hold on al he hath and thinke it their owne, unles they be of great callingthat they dare not offer such usage. From priests they take al, purse, horse, apparell, bookes and what soever els they find of his

The varietie of prisons is otherwhere entreated . 62

The maner of imprisonment of priests is that first they are kept in Topliffe'showse , or some other catchpol's . Topliffeever useth to torture them by his private authoritie before they part out of his dores, and keepeth their taking so secret, that somtymes it is long ere it be knowen wheretheparty apprehendedis, lest the rumor of his torturing should be spread abrode 63 From Topliffe's house he is caried to Bridewell There he is hanged up by the hands in manacles, and examined upon al hateful and odious points, and

used with such extremitie , that his death is far lesse misery then this bloody usage in this place. If they find him constant, heis caried to some other prison, and there kept close prisonnier with as hard usage as may be . 64

In prison, if they have not relief, or be not able to pay, they are used like dogs, throwen in to dongeons. If theybe able to pay, they must pay what price the keeper wil, or els they are most pitifully used . 65

Many tymes, Catholikes are taken and put in prison ; and there they lye a long tyme before there is any inquiryof the cause of their committing; and though it were but some pursevant's malice that cast him in ,yet he is not lett out without great vexation, losse and misery . 66

Every catchpoll may be a meanes to throwe any ordinary man in prison, if he be a Catholike And if any Protestant beare any evil will, or owe any monie, or for some other like cause malice a Catholike , if he do but cry "Traytour" in the streetesor causea pursevant to arrest him, he may be sure to have him clapt fast inough in prison . 67

They torture those that be taken with manacles, in which some hang 9 houres together, al their body being borne uppon their hands, so that oftentymes they swound uppon the torture, and are hardly recovered and yet oftentimes hanged up againe ; thus Mr. Bales , Mr. Jones , Mr. Norton, Mr. Randal and almost al the priests that have bene taken any time this fyve yeare 68

Theywhipppriests naked, as they did Mr. Beseleyand Mr.Jones, in such cruelsort that the persecutors them selves said that they had charmes to endure so patiently such tortures . 69

Topliffe useth to keep them from sleep by watchingthem until they are almost past their senses and halfe beside them selves , and then beginneth to examine them a fresh in that impotentmode 70

Some, as namely Mr. Jones, was tormented in Topliffe'showse by the privie partes, and hailed by them downe a paire of stayres -so filthy and shameles is their crueltie.71

For thretts and terrours it is needles to report them , as also their barbarous lyes and slaunders that they give out of priests after their apprehensions, seeking to make them al infamous with Catholikes them selves, until their deaths and arraignements prove these reporters lyers.

If they confesse not enough in their tortures to make their arraignement the more odious, then they worke while they are in prison by suborned spies that shal pretend frendship and seeme to pitie their case and offer them helpe to cary letters, messages, or fetchmony if they have it in keeping of any Catholike , and other such devises ofpurpose to entrappe them, to knowto whom they resorted, and what they have, that these may be troubled, and the more matter made against them selv[es], or some booty gotten by these ravening felowes . 72

CAPUT 7.

In judgements, they urge the Catholikes withquestionsmorethen by law they are bound to answere , seeking to entrappe them and to make them undoe them selves by their answeres , or in shew to deny their faith . 73

They choose a jury which they are sure wil alwaies crye guilty at their pleasure.74

One witnesse is inough against a Catholike, as they use the law , and they that sitte on the Benche are taken for witnesses against thosewhom they are to judge Yea, dead men's witnesseis brought against us; and the deposition of one forsworne wretch, that a dead priest said such a thing, was brought and accepted for the condemning of a poore Catholike.75

They threatned Sir Thomas Gerard and Benet, as they both in their owne defence have since alleged, that if they wold not accuse the Erle of Arundel , they them selves should dye for it; and so, with feare of death, enforced them to beare false witnesse against him . 76

When any Catholike or priest is arraigned, they ever farse the enditement with manyodious lyes of conspiracie for killing the Queene, stirring the subjects to rebellion from their obedience , etc. And yet, when they come to proofes , they can prove nothing in the world but that he is a priest, or relieved priests ; and yet, nothing els being witnessedyea, that not knowen but by the priest's confessionthe jury crieth "Billa vera" 77 to al the enditement, and the wholeenditement is enrolled as if the party had bene convicted of al that it conteyned And uppon this they bragthat none hath bene arraigned but for treason, as (say they) their enditements shewin the records ; whereas , if theyhad recorded no more then they proved, as in al lawes they were, they should not have one priest (Ballard excepted)78 that ever had any imagination of treason proved against him . 79

CAPUT 9.80

The fruitthatpriests do is unspeakeable . 81 It was not longsince thatthe use of sacramentswas veryrare, priests shunned for feare, and very few found that refused to go to church ; where as now , confession and receiving are the greatest comforts that Catholikes esteeme of, and infinite are desirous to use and to have the helpe and presence of priests, for the benefite of their sowles . 82

If some priests have falne, yet can it not be much marveiled at, considering the rigourof the persecution But sure it is a manifest miracle that emong so many, so few scandals have risen, especially these thingsconsidered: first, here is no superiour over any, every one being equal with other, and in none more power to controle then in other ; and therefore, more then the law of conscience and feare of God, here is nether censure nor other temporal or spiritual

penalty that can be accordingto the ecclesiasticaldiscipline practised upon any which hetherto (God be thanked) hath litle needed And so , men not standing in awe of these bridles, it is marveile they keepe so happy a course as they do. Secondly, their attyre, conversation and maner of life must here, of force, be stil different from their profession;83 the examplesand occasions that move them to sinne, infinite; and therefore, no doubt a wonderfulgoodnes of God that sofew have falne. Thirdly, the torments to priests most cruel and unmerciful , and able to dante84 any man without singular grace; and this also encreaseth the merveile. In summe, where only vyce escapeth unpunished, and al vertue is suspected and subject to reproch, the very use and libertie of sinning being so common, and al oportunities so ready, it is the finger ofGodyea, and his strong hand and high armethat keepeth so many and so yong priests in the flower of their age from infinite scandals .

It is a singuler comfort to see how willingly they venture their lives, never sleeping one night in securitie, nor eating a bitt of bread without feare ; but, like men ever in hazard of their liberties and lives , they are stil in expectation of the persecutour; yet, nothingdismayed with al these frights, theystil pursue their labours and attend to gayne sowles, ryding, going, toyling and wearying them selves in al kind of travailes . 85

And God hath so framed the myndes of Catholikes that, notwithstanding al dangers , theyare in regard oftheir conscience contented to venture lives and livings for priests' safetie, ratherhazarding that they have then that they are, and preferring God and their sowle before al earthly things

The reverenceand respect of Catholikes to priests is very much ; and whereasthere are now no prelates nor bisshopsto honour the clergie, God hath so disposed their myndes that everypriest is as much reverenced as heretofore bisshops.

Theyso muchesteeme the blessingof a priest that theynotonly aske it every day at their first meeting with priests and their last parting from them, but if any other come betwene these tymes to aske benediction, they al aske with them, never weary, yea, never almost satisfied with being blessed, so hath God planted in their harts a reverent and loving regard to this function . 86

CAPUT 10 .

It is straunge to see how God maketh the whole realme to tast ofthe same scourges that Catholikes are wronged with.

First, in the lawes there is no justice used, sutes being more caryed with favour then right, and rather overruled by authoritie then law; never so many at law and in controversie as now; never lesse helpe by law then now, al things being governed by bribes and partialitie. 87

How infamous our nation is now in al Christendome it is to

plaine. In France they are counted church-robbers, cruel and unmercyful ; in Portugalcowards and yet bloody, the pirats ofal seas , the sowers of sedition in al countries, the maynteyners of al rebellions ; at home, butchers of their ownesubjectsand persecutors of the Catholike Church In summe, no nation of Christendome thisdayso infamous inal countries asthe English forvice,forcruelty, for unfaithfulnes and breach of al leagues with their frends and confederats, and for al other odiouspartsand this to requite their infaming of Catholikes . 88

As theyspoileus , sowasEngland before this tyme neveracquainted with so common beggery, the people never so needy, oppressed , on the one side, withraising of rents, paying fynes, and infinite devises of gentlemen to undo their tenants ; on the other side, never so manysubsidiesexacted inthree kings' tymes as in this onlyqueene's; so manytaxes, and fiftenes, one ever overtakingan other ; and no peny being so soone warme ina poore man's purse, but the subsidie gatherer is ready to fetch itand this with such extremitie that, ifthere beno mony, theytake cattle, selling them at halfe theprice ; and leaving manypoore folkes and their children ready to famishe , to serve theQueene, or, rather, to maynteyne the King of Navarre, 89 or to helpe Don Antonio,90 or to send men in to Flaunders , 91 to the consumption of English treasure and disturbance of Christian princes. 92

There were never such devises heard of to get monye in England as are now ryfe. One beggeththat none may sell cardes but sealed with his seale, and thus come in thousands ; an other that nonemay sellstarch but warranted by him; the like of wines and almost of al kind ofware 93 The lands of the halls of London and hospitals, and other places of reliefe, bestowed on courteiers , to the undoing and misery of many. What the Queene's takers doe all England feeleth. In wood, provision, corne, they take as much for others as for heryea, much moreand half under the price ; and this being general in al countries, and more then ever was heretofore allowed, it is no smal oppression.94

Their losse of frends abroad every one knoweth ; none but the Turkes favouring their endevours,95 they having so exasperated their neighbourseven heretikeswith piracy, that they no lesse detest them then their bitterest enemies . 96 At home it is almost incredible how much the chief persecutours have bene , and are hated. Lecester, a most violent [man?], 97 was no sooner dead but al England cursed him, and rejoyced that so wicked a man was gone. 98 The Secretarie had the like praiers after his death , none sorowing his absence but a few catchpolls and spies that lost their occupation with his lyfe The Treasurer, yet surviving, a man nether loved in Court nor Country, frendly to none but for his gayne, nether welcome to his peeres nor inferiours, but even like a storme in the ayer that al feare and shunne, but none loves . 99

Never lesse neighbourhod amongthe people , neverlesseagreement in the peeres ; every one drawetha sundryway and standeth in feare of his nearest frends. The whole realme is so ful of makebates100 and factions that, when they beginne to worke, there can be no invasion of equal misery to the civill mutinyes that are likely to ensue .

The liberties of the subjects in manythings empaired None can go oversea without license101a thing to English eares unheard of before the tyrannie of this tyme. The marchants have lost their best places of traffike, and have no farther scope on the sea then to portes of lest proffitt. 102 The nobilitie is become so servile that if they be not to the humour of the Treasurer, they mustnotlive in their countries, they must be tyed to the Courtor allotted their dwelling, as ifthey were perpetual wards None ofthem permitted . to cary any countenancein the common welth, unlesse it be some few whose wisedomes he can easely overreach; al the rest ether drawne to consume them selves , and brought to beggery (as many are), or kept under, like peuples with a rod, not daring to speake what soever they thinke, but, like babish fooles , forced to geve ayme whiles other hitt their markes . 103

The leuetenants and justices of shires so servilely subject that they go at every pursevant's commaundement to assist them and serve them in their offices, which are the basest and most hateful ofal other ; and, ineffect, the bestofthe shires is atevery promoter's commandement to folow at his tayle night or day, as experience sheweth. The commonsand meanergentlemen are in suchextreame bondage that, be they never so much oppressed with taxes and exactions, yet, putting the finger in the eye and sighing out their sorow ,theydarenot open theirmouthes somuch as once to complaine or aske any mitigation, so base is their servitude in recompenceof our captivitie. 104

The prisons in no king's tyme ever so ful of detters , theeves , murderers and al kind of wicked persons ; al vice being so ryfe that manysinnes are esteemedno faultes, and the verygreatest rekened but sleight matters ; so that al their penalties can not be sufficient to keepe their prisons empty Never so many hanged and executed forvice ;105 never in England so much blud sheddwithout warre. Soldyerssentfurthagainst theirwills in to France, Flanders, Portugall, and nether maynteined in the field with vitails, nor payed their salarye, nor usedwith curtesy, but put to al adventures til famyne or maynnes make themimpotent; and thensent home to pester the country with beggers, the high waies with theeves . and al places with idle and most vicious vagabonds; for if they aske them pay, they are whipped or hanged. If they have it not, they are distressed, and no order takenfor them but to lett them range about the country expecting their day, when they may at once pay them selves with the best good and blood in England . 106

Infinite widowes and fatherles children left in extreme misery by the sending out of their husbands to foreyne wars, while they at homepyne for famine ;107 and this not to good , but to the overthrow oftheir country, against which , by these meanes, they have stirred alChristendome, and made it the most hatefulnationunder heaven , or, at lest, in Europe.

And in how litlesecuritie it standeth for al these infinite charges and death of serviceable men, it may be easely gathered by their daily and extreme feares, whichthey ether feyne to cosin thepeople and to draw them the easelier to satisfie their greedy exactions,108 or, in truth, they feele, in respect of the most tickle and hazardous state of them selves and the whole country, first for the foreyne forces whichare great and justly incensed against us by our piracy, surprising and invading others' countries And thoughthey have so disarmed the realme bothof men and munition, and impoverished it in monye that since the Conquest it was never in so beggerly and unfurnished an estate, yet seeke they no atonement with their enemies, nor meanes of composition ; meaning to see the people destroyed in almost an unpossible resistance, and then to flye, or make their partie good by selling the realme. There is much more cause of feare in respect of the civill factions there at home, and unspeakeablediscontentement of al estates , who do but attend a beginning to roote out the causers of their servilitie, namely, as the most auncient, so the most malitious and cruell counsellour of Her Majesty ; to whome al lay the undoing of the realme, not condemning her whose sexe is easie to be misled, nor the rest of her Counsell, whose willes are violently overruled, 109 but him only who with feyned surmises and odious fictions hath robbed the commons, dispeopled the country of the best soldyers, kept the nobilitie in thraldome, and the gentlemen in the basest servilitie that England ever knew ; a man that consumeth his prince of more then20 thousand pounds by the yeare, ofwhichhe at the lest pickethxii out of the Court of Wards, which was never more ful of wards and sutes, yet never so litle beneficial to the princeto omit his fleesing her of the subsidiemonye, of recusants'landsand goods, ofinfinite Exchecquer gaines , unseene and unknowen but to him selfand his complices . 110

Thirdly, to what exceeding miseries and dangers are al men subject, in regard that, if Her Majestie should dye, there is none knowen whom to folowor to accept as their prince, and there being so many and so different stiles and competitours to the Crowne , no invasion could be more violent; yea, not any way so daungerous as onely Her Majestie's death, which no man can prevent, and yet al men shal feele Then these soldyers who have wanted theirpay wil fetch it out of the best purses ;111 then the divisions of sects , echnow condemningother, wil be as ready to be ech other's ruines ; then every one fearing other as ether different in religion, or not agreingin one competitor (both titles of deadly dislike), wil be ready

to shunnehis former neighboursand to seeke echother's overthrow ; then privatequarelsofnoblemenandgentlemenwil, bypartstaking, grow to open uprores ; then country against citie, one against an other, like a company of mad men, al fearing, none obeying, none ruling but by sworde and fier, al lawes ceassing and the course of justice sleeping , there being none to execute it by law or accepted authoritie. Then, if any foreyne power be ready to assalt us (as they pretend the King of Spayne to be), what better opportunitie can be taken then to come to a people dismembred among them selves, dismantled of their chief fences, headlesse and lawlesse ? And, assuredly, those competitours that are not likely to prevaile, yethave stirred and shewed their good wil to displaceal the other , yea, al those that thinke their enemy factionlikely to treade them downe, wil be rather willing to admit a stranger to their helpe, then looke for pardon in never pardoned quarels ; among which , competency for the Crowne is the chiefest, and murder of their adversaries' frends the second (both which must needs be then incidentto those tymes and broyles) ; and yet take they away al hope of reconcilement . 112

Now let indifferent thoughts judge whether the Treasurer with reason make so many outcryes against Catholiks and brute such imaginary fearesof a few disarmed priests, who nether have power , wil, not pollicie to medle in the disturbance of the realme, having only folowed their bookes, as his owne spies and infinite others can witnesse upon their owne sight and knowledge But these are but false laroms todrawmen's considerationsfrom greater miseriesand general calamities that hang daily over the whole realme , and are only staied upon the tikle uncertaintyof Her Majestie's life ; which though he both foresee and fynd, yet, being ful owner of Her Majestie's determinations, and ruling her at her owne best liking, he hath no care to prevent, hoping to have the realme so much at his owne commaundement and to be so mightily backed by the factionthat he privily fostereth, that he may be able to commaund the best competitour and to make his own composition with him for his most commoditie, which is the only ground of his love , and god of his devotion. And that being provided for, and his owne interest likely to ensue, he careth not though he make both the commons and gentry to pay their best blood for his preferment, and the nobilitie's dead bodies and decayedfamilies steppes for his mountingto his intended heighth . 113 And if in Lecester'sand the Secretarie's time, whom both for wit, favour and might, he feared as countermyners of his practises, he notwithstandinghad plotted furture matters, and even in his minoritie of Secretaryship designed the courses of future government (as it hath bene both noted and proved byas wise as himself, andreveeledby his own compartners), how much more wil he now dare to attempt, having absolute regiment over Her Majesty, not suffring her to make officers but whom he liketh, and drawing her and her Counsell to be but the

cyphers to al his numbers? He hath the whole treasure of the realme in his custody, beside his priv[y]114 coffers, which with so many, so gainfuland great offices he hath this 33 yeres bene filling; beside the helpe of infinite bribes, extorsions and traffickes , with which he never w[as]114 long unacquainted. And how can it be imagined but that he, having powerto his wil, and wil to the highest ambition, worketh now on after hope, and keepeth al England at his devotion for a prince, if he chance to survive Her Majestiewhich God ofHis goodnes never permitt . 115

His continual endeevour to make his sonnes mighty, the one being now a Counsellor, and he continuallylabouring to have the other Deputy of Ireland, is manifest proofe of some farther reach then the eyes of most looke into . 116

In summe , he suppressing al the Counsell's authoritie with his owne , and crossingal that theyendeevour if it be not tohisliking, sheweth thathe is already at that point that none daregainsay or , at the lest, none can resist that which he wil have done ; and wel may it be feared what farther strength growth in this might and wil wil reache unto.

Lecester, in revenge of his crueltie against Catholikes , the same daysevennight that he had caused divers priestsand other Catholikes to be cruelly murdered in London in divers places of the citie and about the same, he sickened, being, in truth, as is verily thought, poisoned and prevented by one to whom he at that very time had intended the same . He was as ugly a corse as he was filthy in maners. He dyed without any signes of a Christian, more like a dog then a man. His stomake was with the poison eaten, and great holes made therein ; and he then discovered to be a most hated creature in the realme, every one cursing him and banning him to al mischief according to his desert . 117

The Secretarie Walsingham, a most violent persecutour of Catholikes, dyed almost in like maner, never so much as naming God in his last extremities, and yet he had his speach, as he shewed by telling the preacher that he heard him and therefore he needed not to cry so lowdwhich were his last words In the end, bis urine came forth at his mouth and nose , with so odious a stench that none could endure to come neere him.118

Lecester's lands were presently seased on for his dettes to the Queene, and he as much disgraced that way as if he had bene rather hated of her then so great a favorite . 119

Likewise, the Secretary died a begger, owing more then his land wold pay; and his favour in the exacting of his dett tothe Queene as litle as might be, in respect of the creditt that alive he seemed tocarye . 120 Suchis the just judgement of God to make themfeele the iniquitie of theirdealings by those whose authoritie theyabused to molest Catholikes

Addressed A Monsieur Verstegan, Gentilhom Anglois.

NOTES

1 The manuscript, which is unsigned , appears to be a copy of a news-letter writtento Versteganby Fr. Robert Southwell, who corresponded with him at this time. Itcontainsa largenumber ofpassageswhich closelyresemble, bothin substance and presentation, correspondingpassagesin the Humble Supplication, completed by Southwell towards the end of December , 1591 (printed 1600 with false imprint 1595) To illustratethe closeness ofthe similarity, the relevant sections in the Humble Supplication are printed in the notes. The only difference between the passages in question is that those from the Humble Supplication are more polished and contain a great profusion of imagery, which is almost entirely lacking in theabove letter. But suchstylistic differencesare readily explainedbythefactthat whilst one work was composed in the form of an epistle to the Queen , presumably to be printed, the other was a despatch , no doubt writtenin haste , designed to give news of the persecution as conciselyas possible

Although the letter is undated (apart from Fr. Grene's conjecturalnote), it can be assigned with reasonable certainty to late November or the beginning of December , 1591, since it contains oblique references in caput 2 and caput 10 to the proclamation published in November, 1591 (vid Letterno 2, note 6), and terms Beesely and Scot, who were executed in July of that year, "the two last martyrs" , no mention being madeof the seven who were tried 4 December and martyred 10 December Thus , the above letterwas writtentwoor three weeks beforethe completionofthe HumbleSupplication, though the earlier part of this work may have been writtencontemporaneouslywiththe letter, or even a few daysearlier. (For the date ofthecomposition of the Humble Supplication vid R. C. Bald's edition of the work, p xi).

2 Act of 23 Eliz , c i, 1581 : "An act to retain the Queen's Majesty's subjects in their due obedience" Cf. Humble Supplication, pp 42-3 (quoted from R. C. Bald's edition, 1953, since it appears to be the most authoritativetext) : " ... there are 20 pounds by the moneth exacted of such as are able to pay it, after the rate of 13 moneths by the yeare (an account unusuall in all other causes) as the lawes commonly read , printed and practised doe witnes" The 20 pounds per monthwas the fine to be exacted of recusants for not attending church.

3 Anthony Tyrell was a priest who apostatised and recanted a number of times before this eventual reconciliation to the Church shortlybefore his death. In February, 1587 he wrote a letter to the Queen retracting the accusationshe had made against a number of Catholics, particularlyat the timeof the Babington plot, and revealedthat he had been urged by Justice Young, amongst others, to continue his priestly duties in order to discover information against Catholics for the Government Tyrell's letter is printed in Strype, Annals, iii, pt 2, pp 425ff See also Fall of Anthony Tyrrell, printed in J. Morris, Troubles of our Catholic Forefathers, 1875, ii, pp 475ff

Richard Young, a London magistrate, was a violent persecutor of Catholics , and for this reason , his name appears frequently in Verstegan's despatches.

4 It is difficult to identify Baker and Vachel with any certainty, but the Burden alluded to is Thomas Rogers, who used the nameNicholas Berden as an alias He was one of Walsingham's most valuable spies, as appears from his letters, a great number of which are recorded in Cal . Dom . Addenda, 1580-1625 .

5 Asimilar complaint is madeby Richard Holtbyin his despatchtoGarnet in 1594 : " . they have subornedsuch a number of secret spies, who ,

undercolourofCatholicreligion, do insinuate themselves into our company andfamiliarity, andthatwithpretence ofsuchzeal, sincerity and friendship, thatit seemeth a thingalmostimpossibleeither to decipheror avoid them " (Morris, Troubles, iii, p. 121).

"Marginal note in another hand "cave" , probably to indicate that the Gerard referred to cannot be John Gerard the Jesuit, who was never imprisoned in Wisbech, and was not arresteduntil 1594 (vid P. Caraman, John Gerard, 1951). It is possible that the priest Alexander Gerard is intended, who was imprisonedin Wisbecha short time after October, 1588 , and was still there in 1595. He was arrested in Lancashirein May, 1588, and sent first to the Tower, and then to the Gatehouse, before being confined in Wisbech Castle (vid C.R.S., II, pp 280, 282, 284 ; C.R.S., XXI, pp 189, 196 ; Cal Dom Eliz , 1581-90, p 544, Morris, Troubles , ii, p 267). "J. Gerard" could possibly be the copyist's error .

7 Cf. Southwell's letter to Aquaviva, August, 1588 (C.R.S., V, pp 321ff) A similar setof interrogatories was posed to Campionand those martyred withhim, asAllen records in his Briefe Historie, 1582, sig. Al.ff. Numerous instancesofsuch questions being put to the martyrs in this period areto be found in C.R.S. , V (e.g. pp 62, 76, 84, 171 , 243). Allen states in his True, Sincere and Modest Defence, 1584, p 31 , that because the English government hoped that the answers given by the priests "wold be odious in the sight of the simple, and speciallieof zealous Protestantes(as it fel out in deed), they devised to publish and read them to the people . that therbytheymight at leastconceive that theywere worthie of death for other causes, though not for that whereof they were condemned ,, and soether less pitie them, or lesse marke the former unjust pretensed matter of their condemnation"

8 "Heirgeneral" is a term used to includeheirs femaleas well as heirs male . It is the equivalent of heir-at-law , that is, one who succeeds to property by right of blood.

i.e. "land privilyheld from the kingby a person having no title thereto" (N.E.D.). The situation concerning the Dacres, a Cumberland family, was as follows : William3rd Lord Dacre left four sons, Thomas , Leonard, Edward and Francis Thomas, 4th Lord Dacre, left a son, George, 5th Lord Dacre, and three daughters The Duke ofNorfolkmarried Thomas' widow , and obtained the wardship of the heir, George, who died in his minority, leaving his sisters his co-heirs, all of whom married sons ofthe Duke of Norfolk The title was contested by Leonard, their uncle , the eldestsurvivingbrother ofThomasandconsequentlyheir male (Concerning the suit vid Collectanea Topographica et Genealogica, 1838 , V, pp 317ff .). At the time of the Northern rising, in which he was implicated, Leonard Dacreseized the castles of Greystock, Naworth and other houses oftheDacresas his own inheritance and, under pretenceof protecting his own and resisting the rebels, gathered a force of about 4,000 men. Eventually he was defeated by Lord Hunsdon who had ordersfrom the Queen to arrest him, and he fled first to Scotland and then to the Low Countries , where he died in 1573

In 1586 Southwell became chaplain to Anne Dacre, one of the co-heirs, who was married to Philip Howard, Earl of Arundel He must therefore have had a good knowledgeof the Dacre estates

10Various complaints againstpursuivants appearin Cal S.P. for the period. For other instances of theft vid R. Simpson , Edmund Campion , 1896 , p 441 ; Morris, Troubles, iii, pp 15, 18, 19, etc.

11 Cf. Humble Supplication, p 41. "If any displeasing accident fall out wherof the authors are either unknowne or ashamed, Catholiques are made common fathers of such infamous orphanes , as though none were so fitt sluces as they to let out of every man's sinke these unsavoury reproaches ; not so much but the casuallfiers that somtimes happenin London, the late uprores betwene the gentlemenand the apprenticeswere layd to our charge, though th' occasioners of both were so well knowne that thereport againstus could not but issue from an undeserved malice . " A contemporary MS on the persecutionin England (in Coll E, Oscott, printed Morris, Troubles, iii) gives details of the fire to which Southwell was probably alluding "Certain houses in London accidentally by negligence of servants set on fire and burnt; they gave out this was done by Catholics" (p 21) Blame was laid on Catholics for the Great Fire of 1666, also (cf. Stow's Surveyof London, ed Strype, 1720, i, 226).

12 Cf. Humble Supplication, p 41. " ... Hacket, a man so farr from our faith as infidelity it self, and a little before so notorious a Puritane that he was of chiefe reckoning among them , when his blasphemies grew so great and his articles so impious that madeallChristian eares togloweand his adherentsto blush, then was he posted over to us for a Papist, and soe namedto the vulgar sort " Vid alsoMorris, Troubles, iii, p 21. William Hacket , a mad religiousfanatic, was executed 28 July, 1591 for preaching heresyand blasphemyin Cheapside A contemporary accountof Hacket and his teachingsis given in R. Cosin, Conspiracie for Pretended Reformation, 1592. See also Southwell's letter in C.R.S., V, p 332

13 Cf. Humble Supplication, p. 41. " . the sclaunders forged against priests aftertheir executions , purposely reserved til the parties were past answering, and then devulged to make them hatefull" George Beesley alias Passelaw and Monford Scott were martyred in Fleet Street, 2 July, 1591. Vid. C.R.S., V, p. 203, containing a letter from England dated 1 October, 1591 , which states concerningScott that "to make him more odious, they examinedhim in public once more , and asked him what he thought should be done if the Pope ordered someone to murder theQueen" (translation from the Spanish) Cf. Strype, Annals, iv, p. 91.

14 This appears to be a reference to the proclamation of Oct.-Nov, 1591 .

15 In the Humble Supplication (pp 17-18), Southwell lays the chief responsibilityforthe Babington plotonWalsinghamand his agents Hewritesthat the conspiracy was "both plotted, furthered and finished by Sir Francis Walsingham and his other complices , who layd and hatched all the particulers therof, as they thought it would best fall out to the discredit of Catholiques and cutting off the Queene of Scotts" . Walsingham was blamedforthe plot by Babington also, accordingto the accountof a priest named Davis (printed in Challoner, Memoirs of Missionary Priests, 1741 , i,p. 214) whotermstheplot a "tragedy" ofwhich "Sir FrancisWalsingham was the chief actor andcontriver , as I gatheredby Mr. Babington himself, who was with me the night before he was apprehended" See also "Life of Father William Weston" (Morris, Troubles, ii, pp 181 ff.)

It is to be noted concerning the charge made against Leicester and Burghley in the aboveletterof complicity in the plot, that theywereboth anxious to secure Mary's speedy death, that Leicester was well informed of the workings of the plot, as can be seen from Walsingham's letterto him 9 July, 1586 (vid. Bruce, Leycester Correspondence, Camden Society, p 341-2), and that Burghley gave orders for a house to be set aside for Poley's use in connection with the plot It was in this house that the conspirators met, and in its garden Ballard was arrested (vid Anthony Hall's letterto Burghley, 12 February, 1593 , Strype, Annals, iv, p 233)

16Southwell expresses the same opinion in the Humble Supplication, p. 18 " ... it is knowne to all that Poolie , being Sir Francis Walsingham'sman, and throughlie seasoned to his master's tooth, was the chiefe instrument to contrive and prosecute that matter, and to draw into the nett such greene witts, as (partly fearing the generalloppression , partlyangledwith golden hookes) might easily be overwrought by Master Secretarie'ssubtill and sifting witt. " Poley's part seems to have been underestimatedin recent works on the plot, and the fact has not been taken into account that, as mentionedin the previous note, on Burghley's orders , a house was placed at his disposal which he used for playing the part of a generous host to Catholics and, in particular , to his fellow conspirators Among those to whom Poley offered the full use of his house was Fr. Weston , but Weston was extremely suspicious of him, as he relates in his autobiography (vid Morris, Troubles , ii, pp. 169ff)

17 The confession referred to is probably the fourth of those which Gifford madewhilein prison in Paris, and is dated 14 August, 1588. A copy of it is printed in Hatfield House MSS. , iii, p 346ff

18 Richard Creagh, Archbishop of Armagh (Armacan) endured over twenty years' imprisonment in the Tower and elsewhere. He is referred to in S.P. Dom Eliz. , vol. clxviii, no. 74 as follows : "1585 , May 27. Tower Ri Creaghe, a dangerous man to be among the Irish for the reverence that is by that nation borne unto him, and therefore fit to be continued in prison" (Morris, Amias Poulet , p 386) See also Acts of the Privy Council, vii, viii, etc ; C.R.S., II Presumably Creagh died some time between November, 1586, the last recorded date of his imprisonment (C.R.S., II, p 264) and September , 1588, when Poley was released It has never been proved that Creagh was poisoned , but it was commonly believed at the time of his death (vid Cath. Encycl., 1908, iv, p. 469)

Nicholas Williamson, in his disposition of 7 April, 1595, while a prisoner inthe Gatehouse , allegedthat "CreichtonchargethPooleytohavepoysoned the Bishop of Divelinge" (Dublin) It is possible that this is a confused referencetoCreagh(cf. F. Boas, Christopher Marlowe, p. 288, n 2)

The Humble Supplication (p. 18) refers to Poley's imprisonment in a similar way to the account given above, with the notable exception that no mention is made of Creagh being poisoned : "And though nonewere soe deepe in the very bottome of that conspiracy as Pooley himself , yet was he not so much as indicted of any cryme, but after a little large imprisonment (more of pollicythen any punishment) sett at liberty, and in more credit then ever he was before" . Poley was imprisoned in the Tower in August, 1586, and after periods of intermittentfreedom, was eventually released about Michaelmas , 1588 (vid F. Boas , op cit , pp 126-7)

19 MS. "and and"

20Cf. Southwell op cit p 37 (quoted from 1600 edition since it is closerto the above) : "It is further knowen that the coppie ofthat letterwhich Babbington sent to the Queene of Scots was brought ready penned by Pooliefrom Mr. Secretary, the answere whereofwas the principal grounds oftheQueene's condemnation" R. Bald'sedition reads "was broughthim" , presumably the reading in the Petyt MS on which Bald bases his edition. Hedoes not notethat the printed textof 1600 omits "him" . It is interesting to observe thatone MS version of the Humble Supplication Ellesmere 2089, reads "Phillipps" for "Poolie" (cf. Bald's edition p 54) in view of thefactthattheBabingtonletterof 12 July, 1586, was deliveredatChartley by Thomas Phelippes

21 Much the same account of the bribe is given in the Humble Supplication (p 21), but the accusationagainstNau and Curle is moreexplicit "There was also found in Sir Francis Walsingham'saccompts after his decease , a note of7,000 li bestowed upon Nawand Curle, who, beingthe Queene's sceretaries , framed such an answere as might best serve for the dittyof a bloudy rhyme, and fitt his intention that rewarded them with soe liberall a fee " A. Strickland, Letters of Mary Queen of Scots, iii, 1843 , p 249, gives details ofa payment madeto Nau by the English government of£73..0s ... 2d , which, as she notes, proves that he was "long before the fatal catastrophe . . . the paid agent of Queen Elizabeth" . One contemporary account of Mary's death, La mort de la Royne d' Escosse 1588, pp 143-4 holds that, soon after Mary's execution, Nau took withhim to France ten thousand livres, and when he was embarked he lamented that he had left another ten thousand behind him in England, as the people in the boat were reported to have heard The account mentions further that Nau's assets in France could be reckoned at one hundred thousand livres, a fortune he had amassed during his twelve years in England. (There is a translation of this passage in J. Stevenson's introduction to Nau's History of Mary Stewart, 1883 , pp. lxiiiff.)

22 For information on Poley's later yearsvid. Boas, op. cit , and Letter no. 40, note 11

23Marginal note in another hand: "Enquier of this point of Gilbert's examiners" . Cf. Southwell op cit , pp 18-9 : "It is also knowne by Philips the decipherer'sletters to his partie practitioner , Gilbert Gifford, in whose chest and chamber they were taken at Paris, and by Gilbert Gifford's owne examinations, that thesegentlemen [i.e. the conspirators] were brought and sould , being drawne blindfould to be the workers of their owne overthrow ... " Gifford fled to France shortly before the conspirators were arrested, and was ordained priest at Rheimsin March , 1587 (Knox, Douay Diaries, p. 214) He wasarrestedin a Paris brothel in December , 1587 , and died in prison in 1590. The letters seized after his arrest do not appear to have survived .

24Cf. Humble Supplication pp. 22-3 wherethe same account is related, but with the imagery which is lacking in the above letter: "John Savage, likewise, whenhe came unto the Court was soe well knowneto be a chicken of that fether, that two pensioners were chargedto have a spetialleye upon him and to watch him soe long as he stayed there, and yet was he sufferedto goe up and downe the Court and usually to haunt thepresence till all the irons were hott that were layd in the fier to seere the creditt of poore Catholiques , and to give the Queeneof Scotts her death'swound" . Savage came to England in August, 1585, with the avowed intention of assassinating Elizabeth, and for this purpose later joined forces with Babington

25 Cf. Southwell, op cit , pp. 20-1 .

26 Gifford was ordained deacon at Rheims in April, 1585 , (Douay Diaries). Letters from Gifford to Walsingham and Phelippes are printed in Pollen, Mary Queen of Scots and the Babington Plot, Scot Hist. Soc , 1922 , and amply bear out the above statements.

27 Marginal note in another hand : "Enquire of this point" Chateauneuf , the French Ambassadorwasof the same opinion in his memoir (printed in A. Labanoff Lettres de Marie Stuart, 1844 vol vi, pp. 275ff.). ... ledit Gifford repassa en France, où étant et ayant communiqué avecceux qui l'avaient envoyé, il fit passer en Angleterre un prêtre anglais nominé

Ballard " But according to Gifford's letter to Walsingham, 11 July, 1586 (printed inPollen, op cit , pp 105-109) Ballard had notmetGifford to discuss the plot before 10 July, 1586. It seems unlikelythat Gifford was trying to misleadWalsingham on thispoint.

28The Humble Supplication, p. 22 contains the same account of Array's interview and the inferences to be drawn fromit, though the priest's name is not mentioned There is also a reference to Array in an abstract of one of Southwell's letters written at the time (Foley, Records S. J., i, p. 331) : " ... Martinus Arraius ... hathprocuredbymoneyto be pardoned his life, but shall be banished " . Southwell succeeded Array as chaplain to the Countess of Arundel, and would have obtained his information from her (C.Newdigate, The Month, vol clvii, 1931 , p 249) TheCountess probably provided the money with which Array secured his release Array was sent on the English Mission in 1579. He was arrested by the pursuivants Newell and Worsley 13 June, 1586, and examined three days later His release was obtained on 23 July or a little before (Cal Scot ., 1585-6, p 543) and, as may be inferred from Southwell's account of the interview with Walsingham, was warned to leave England before the end ofthe first weekofAugust, by which time the hue and cry would be raised over the Babington conspiracy Even as early as two weeks before the warning given to Array, in fact before the Babington letter of 6 July was deliveredat Chartley, Phelippes was advising Walsingham "to laya strait watch at the ports, for on Babington's apprehensionthere will be plenty of fugitives" (Cal Scot , 1585-6, p 509)

According to Berden'sletterto Walsingham, December , 1586, Arraydid not leave England, but fled to the North and practised his priestlyduties there (Morris, Troubles, ii, p. 165).

29 Cf. Southwell's letter to Aquaviva, 31 August, 1588 (C.R.S., V, pp 321ff ; translation pp 325ff ) "A certain lady went to a man of note, asking him to use his influence that the death of one of the condemned might be delayed The first question was whether the person whose cause she pleaded were guilty of murder She replied that he had not been condemned of any such thing but only for the Catholic religion 'O dear , ' said the gentleman, 'for his religion ! If he had committed murder I should not have hesitated to comply with your request; but as it is a question of religion, I dare not interfere' " Cf. also "Life of Fr. William Weston" (Morris, Troubles , ii, p 196)

30Cf. Humble Supplication, p 40. "Our sclaundersare commonworke for idle presses; and our creditts are daily solld at the stationers' stalls , every libeller repayring his wants with impayring our honors, being sure that, when all other matters faile, any pamphlett against us shalbe wellcomed with Seene and allowed " Numerous examples of anti-Catholic pamphletscan be found in Arber, Transcript of the Registers ofthe Company of Stationers, vol 2. For instance, on p 275b the following works are listed : Dehortacon from Papistrie ; Warres betwenethe Romaines and the Catholiques ; Pageant of Popes ; Jesuites' Challenge

31 The sermons of John Prime are a good illustrationof this, e.g., A Sermon briefly comparingthe estate of King Salomon and his subjectes with Queene Elizabeth and her people, 1585 ; The Consolations of David, 1588. See furtherJ. Haweis, Sketchesofthe Reformation and Elizabethan Age, 1844 , Pp 165ff Although Haweis does not mention Prime, he provides illustrations fromthebitterlyanti-Catholicsermons ofmanyotherpreachers

32 One ofthe earliestofthese "enterludes" satirising Catholicsin Elizabethan period was performed at Court in January, 1559 (vid Cal Venetian ,

1558-80, p 11) Southwell may have been referring to suchplays as the anonymous Troublesome Reign of John, King of England, performed c . 1588-9, and John Lyly's Midas, performed c . 1590 See further E. M. Albright, Dramatic Publication in England, 1580-1640, 1927, pp 94ff, and I. Ribner, English History Play in the Age of Shakespeare, 1957 , pp 81-5 , etc.

33 For an account of ballads against Catholics vid. C. H. Firth's article "Ballads and Broadsides " in Shakespeare's England, ii, pp 521ff Those mentioned include four denouncingand deriding the Pope on theoccasion of Elizabeth's excommunication, and a group by Munday and Elderton on theexecution of Edmund Campionand his companions . (One of these is printed by H. Rollins , Old English Ballads, 1553-1625 , 1920, pp. 64ff.).

34 The Oath of Supremacywas imposedby Statute 1 Eliz c i, and its scope enlarged by Statute 5 Eliz c. i

35 Cf. Persons's letterto Agazzari, 17 November, 1580 (L. Hicks, Letters and MemorialsofFr.Persons, C.R.S.,XXXIX, 1942, p 56) : " ... in proclama- tions as well as in discourses and sermons they are made infamous in the eyes of the people under the name of traitors and rebels " (translation). See also Morris, Troubles iii, p 20

36Cf. Humble Supplication, pp 39, 40, 42. Verstegan makes use ofthis section (and many others, as will be noted laterin the relevant passages) in his Declaration of the True Causes, 1592, p 64. "A litle pecuniary summe" is an echo of the phrase in the proclamation of Oct-Nov., 1591 , which asserted "that none do suffer death for matter of religion there is manifest proofe, in that a number ofmen ofwealth in our realmeprofessing contrary religion are knowen not to be impeachedfor the same, either in lives,landsorgoods, orin their liberties, butonelyby paymentofa pecuniary summeas a penalty for the time that they do refuse to come to church"

Of the pamphlets which stressed this point, three of Burghley's are sufficient example: Execution of Justice in England, 1583 published in fivelanguages (passim, especiallysig Biv ) ; A Declarationofthefavourable dealing of Her Majestie's Commissioners , 1583 (sig. Aa iii v.); and Copie of a Letter sent to Don Bernardin Mendoza, 1588 (p 10)

37 Fr. Garnet relatesin a letterwrittenin 1594 (C.R.S., V, p 232, translation) that James Bird, who was martyred 25 March, 1593, was offered pardon as he was about to be turned off the ladder, if he would promiseto go to church. "Right heartily do I thank thee , " he answered . "If by going to the church I can save my life, surely all the world will see this: that I am executed solely for faith and religion and nothing else . " Other examples of pardon offered on these terms are given in Allen's Briefe Historie, 1582

38 MS. "the the"

39 Cf. Humble Supplication, p. 43. A similar statement is also to befound in Morris, Troubles , iii, p 23. "The livings of recusants are sometimes begged of three or four several men, and grants made to all of them . If he or any theirfriends for them think good to dealfor the lease,theymust compound with them all, notwithstanding that only the first grant be good as against the Queen, but all allowed current against Catholics This experiencedin Mr. HenryCarey'scaseand divers others . " Elsewhere in the same narration (p 18) is cited the case of William Stapleton, who hadto take a lease on hisownlivingwhich had been give tosomebodyelse

LETTERS OF RICHARD VERSTEGAN

40 Cf. Morris Troubles, iii, p 23 "Known spies and catchpolls are the only means to procure liberty for Catholic prisoners , and this they do for priests or laymen upon an agreementfor some certain sum Theirsuits in these cases are many times easily obtained, in recompense of their services in that behalf" . See also id , p 80. In S.P. Dom vol cxcv , n. 75 (printed in Morris, op cit., ii, pp 161ff) there is a letter from Berden , the spy, asking for the release on sureties of Ralph Bickley and Richard Sherwood He states that their liberation would make him 50 the richer.

41 Cf. Humble Supplication, p 43. Confiscation of all goods and twoparts of all lands and tenementson failure to pay the £20 per month wasfixed by Statute 28 and 29 Eliz. , c vi

42An instance of the special taxation of Catholicsis cited in Morris op. cit, iii, 24. "At the going of Leicesterinto Flanders, all Catholics of account were taxed , some 100 l., some 50 1. and some 25 1. , to furnish horses for that good service, and the most enforced to pay it. " See further Acts of the Privy Council, xiv, pp 86-8 ; Cal Dom Eliz 1581-90, pp 273ff etc.; alsoC. Read, Sir Francis Walsingham , ii, p 298ff Other instances of the taxation of Catholics can be found in Acts of the Privy Council, xvi, p 302 ; xx, 322 , etc.

43 TheMS printed in Morris, Troubles iii, gives specificexamples : "Rowland Bulkeley, William Heigham, and Dudley disinherited by their fathers for beingCatholics So were Hugh Moore, Carleton, Jenison , Hummerstone and divers others" (p 25). See also P. Caraman, John Gerard, pp. 82-3.

44 Cf. Relatione del Presente Stato d'Inghilterra , 1590, pp 8-9 . "Le donne gravide, avicinandosial parto cercano luoghi secreti e remoti, dovepossino partorire ; e le spose similmente vanno in provincie remote per maritarsi , acciò non siano forzate à dar conto del battesimo delli fanciulli e della celebratione del matrimonio " Vid also Morris, Troubles , ii, p 123 , iii, p. 9 ; Cal. Dom. Eliz., 1591-4 , p 158

45Cf. Morris op cit , iii, 25. Thereare numerousinstances of children being taken from their homes Fr. John Gerard, for example, relates that he and his brother were taken away and placed "in a strange houseamong heretics" wherethey lived for about three years (vid P. Caraman, John Gerard, p 1.) The Pricereferred to above may possibly be Robert Price mentioned in C.R.S. , XXII, p. 74 .

46 By Statute 5 Eliz , c i all public and private teachers of children were required to take the Oath of Supremacy; and by the Statute 23 Eliz. , c. i. any person who maintained a recusantschoolmasterwas to be fined £10 per month, and sucha schoolmasterwas to be disqualified as a teacher and to be imprisoned for a year Also, by a canon of 1571 , De Ludimagistris, no one was allowed to teach either "openly or privately in any gentleman'shouse" unless he was approved by the diocesan bishop and had his written license (vid. N. Wood , The Reformationand English Education, 1931, pp 57, 62-3).

47In January, 1581 , a proclamation was issued recalling students from foreign seminaries and forbidding parents to send any support to their children abroad A later proclamation, April, 1582, declared that all who wentoverseas withoutpermissionor did notreturn home fromthe seminaries within three months would be considered traitors

48 Cf. Humble Supplication, p 3. The Oath of Supremacy was originally requiredonlyofthosetakinga degree, butwas later imposedonmatriculants as well. Wood, op. cit pp 121-2, 280, points out that despitethese regulations, a number of Catholics managed to obtain a university education Southwell himself, however, receivedmostofhis educationoverseas , leaving England for Douay at the age of 15 .

49As an instance vid letter of Mark Typpet to his son (C.R.S., II, p. 80). This statement derives additional poignancy from the fact that although Southwell's father died a Catholic, he was apparently a conforming Protestant at the time when Southwell wrote the above letter (vid C. Devlin, Robert Southwell , 1956, pp 8, 202-3).

50 Sir Thomas Fitzherbert was the third and eldest surviving son of Sir Anthony The nephew referred to was Thomas , the third son of John , next brother to Sir Thomas He conspiredwith Topcliffe notonly against his uncle, but also against his own father Cf. Garnet to Persons, 19 November, 1594 (J. Gerard, Contributions towards a Life of Fr. Henry Garnet, 1898, p 40) : "Topcliffe and Tom Fitzherbert pleaded hard in the Chancerythis last week For whereas Fitzherbert had promisedand entered into bonds to give £5,000 unto Topcliffe if he would prosecute his father and uncle to death, together with Mr. Bassett , Fitzherbert pleadedthat the conditions were not fulfilled, because they died naturally, and Bassett was in prosperity " (See also next note) This Thomas Fitzherbert (not to be confused with his cousin bearing the same name , who later became a Jesuit) was with Topcliffe when he apprehended Southwell (See Letter no 9)

51 This section is illuminated by a passage in Morris, op. cit , iii, pp 25-6 : "Husbandsaccused by their wives, fathers by their children, et e converso . One Mr. Francis Rolson was apprehendedand condemnedto die by the procurement and evidenceof his own son, but the precedent so bad he had his pardon. Mr. John Fitzherbert in like mannermolested andtroubled by his own son, imprisoned and there dead This imp also, Thomas Fitzherbert , hath sought by all means to take away the life of old Sir Thomas Fitzherbert, who made him his heir and brought him up from a child He hath caused him to be suspected of statute treason, and to be committed to the Tower, where he continueth He hathprocured also divers of his uncle's tenants to be imprisoned in Stafford, and there some of them are dead [Old Sir Thomasnow dead in the Tower Interlined ]

"My Lady Englefield against Sir Francis, the old Countess of Derby against her husband, my Lady Paget against my Lord, Mrs. Shelley against her husbandremaining condemned in the Gatehouse , the Countess of Shrewsbury against Father Abraham.

"A fatherin London caused his son to be whipped and burnt through the ear for being a Catholic. "

52 By Statute 23 Eliz , c i, those who had not attended church service for the space of twelve months, in addition to being fined £20 per month , were to be "bound with two sufficient suretiesin the sum of£200 at the least to good behaviour" until their conformity (vid G. Prothero, Select Statutes, 1913, pp 75-6) From time to time, possibly because the prisons were overcrowded, a number of imprisoned recusants were able to secure their release on a largebail (normally £200) and on certain conditions (vid e.g. Acts of the Privy Council, xiii, p 41, etc.) This is probably what Southwell wasreferring to in the above letter Cf. Verstegan'sDeclaration of the True Causes, 1592, p 64 : " ... yf any fewe , for some colour of clemencie , be set at liberty, their licence comonly excedethnot above 20 dayes, and it is bothe under bondes and sureties, with limitation of their

LETTERS OF RICHARD VERSTEGAN

residence . " Nicholas Berden, in the letter cited in note 39, asked for the release of Bickley and Sherwood "upon bonds with sureties to appear again at twenty days warning" . Fr. John Gerard obtained his release from the Marshalsea on sureties in 1585 on condition that he reported at the prison every three months (vid P. Caraman, John Gerard , p 5). A list ofsome 128 people who werereleased from prison on bail with terms of their bonds and number of days notice is to be found in S.P. Dom Eliz vol cc, no 59

53 "they them selves" , i.e. the pursuivants

54 The spies ofWalsinghamandBurghleywere tobe found inevery conceivable place both in England and on the Continent, as can be seenfromtheState Papers Domestic and Hatfield House MSS for the period, in which are contained many of their reports These spies kept records of the movements and activities of the Catholics, and supplementedtheir information with theletters they werefrequently able to intercept A number of spies entered the English seminaries either as servants or students, by which means they couldcollectthe fullest amount ofinformation touse againstthe young missionaries and their relations at home There were spies even amongthoseclose to the Pope as appears from the letterof Mary Queen of Scots to SixtusV, 23 November, 1586 (vid Bliss's Transcripts ofVat Arch. , P.R.O. Transcripts 9/82a)

55 Cf. Morris op cit , iii, p 18. Southwell relates in a letter of December , 1586 (C.R.S., V, p 310) how he had narrowly escaped arrest during the searches of the pursuivants, being hidden from them only by a thin partition See also Gerard's account of his own escape (P. Caraman, John Gerard, pp 58ff)

56 The MS printed in Morris, op cit , iii, p 17 cites the case of Hugh Erdeswicke, whose house was rifled in his absence

57 Cf. "A Yorkshire Recusant's Relation" , Morris, op cit , p 69. "Before theysearch a man's house , the doughty championssend forththeirscouts , place their spies at every door and window, appoint a guard beforethemselves, give the charge and assault Then they enter the house with drawn blades, bent crossbows and charged dags If they find a priest or Catholic they shout and cry as though they had won a field"

58 Cf. id , pp 70, 138 (Fr. Holtby'snarration)

59 Cf. id,p. 24 .

60Cf. Humble Supplication, p 44. Morris, op cit , iii, provides numerous examples of the ravaging of pretended pursuivants, among whom are mentioned William Newnham alias Claxton of Nottingham , Reynold and Pepper of Yorkshire (pp. 19-20, 24) See also Cal. Dom. Eliz , 1581-90 , p. 608, which gives details of the examination of Thomas Edwards of Warwick charged with acting as a pursuivant under false warrants .

61 Southwell uses the same words in a similar passage in the Humble Supplication, p 44

62 There is no section on "the varietie of prisons" . This may have been the subject of the missing caput 8

63 Topcliffe wasone of the most brutalpersecutors of Catholics His infamy was so great that "Topcliffian customs was a synonym for barbarity,

topcliffizare became a slang term for hunting a man to ruin or death" (Pollen , The Month, March, 1905, p 277)

For a sketch of his activities vid C. Devlin, The Month, March, 1951, pp 151ff Southwell himself was to suffer extreme torture in Topcliffe's house. In a letter to Queen Elizabeth, in June, 1592 (B.M. Lansdowne 72, no 39, f 113.) Topcliffe relates how he has Southwell manacled in his "stronge chamber" in Westminster Churchyard, and suggests that if Her Majesty wished to know Southwell's heart he could enforce him to tell all by hanging him up against a wall, "his feett standingeupon the grownde and his handes but as highe as he can reatcheagainstthe wawle, lyke a tryck at Trenshemoare" Versteganstates in one of his despatches (Letterno. 10) that Topcliffe had been granted permission to torture in private because the frequent use of the rack in the Tower was considered to be so odious by the common people.

64 Cf. Southwell's letter to Aquaviva, January, 1590 (C.R.S., V, p. 329) He terms the prison : "Unum istud purgatorium timemus omnes in quo duo illi catholicorum carnifices, Topliffus et Youngus omnem habent cruciandi libertatem" . See also Humble Supplication, p 34. Among those imprisoned and tortured in Bridewell were Christopher and John Bayles, Henry Goorney, Anthony Kaye and John Coxed . Warrantfor their torture was given to Topcliffe and Young in late January, 1590 (vid Cal. Dom Eliz , 1581-90, p 646)

85 In "A Yorkshire Recusant's Relation" (Morris, Troubles , iii, pp 74ff) a list of fees is given which were made by the gaoler in York Castle and Hull. These include charges for fetters, weekly diet and chamberrents . See also Fr. Holtby's narration (op cit p 134) Transcripts of bills for the Tower are contained in C.R.S., III, IV.

66 JoannaHarrison petitioned theCouncilin February, 1592,thatherhusband , who was charged with being a seminary priest and "other dangerous matters" beexaminedand proceeded with, and not kept in prison without cause" . She also complained that she herself had been kept a prisoner in Bridewell 18 weeks solely at Topcliffe's command (vid. Cal Dom Eliz., 1591-4, p 194) In January, 1591 , the Privy Council attempted to remedy the delay in examining and charging imprisoned recusantsin London byappointing commissioners forthis purpose(A.P.C., xxii , p 213)

67 Cf.thehumorousaccount related in Verstegan'sdespatchof 10 November , 1593 (Letter no 44).

68Cf. Humble Supplication, p 34. "Some are hanged by the hands eight or nyne or twelve howers together, till notonly theirwitts, buteven their sences faile them ; and when the soule, weary of soe painfull an harbour , is ready to depart, they apply cruell comforts, and revive us , only to martyruswith more deaths; for, eftsoones theyhangusinthe samemanner tyring our eares with such questions which either we cannot, because we know not, or without damning our soules we may not satisfie . " The tragic irony ofthis passage andthe one in the aboveletteris that Southwell was himself to receive the identical torture (vid note 63) Verstegan relates that on one occasion Southwell was left hanging for so many hours that, fearing he would die, Topcliffe's servants called their master home to have him taken down (Letter no 7) For Gerard's vivid account of his own tortureby this method see P. Caraman , John Gerard , pp 104ff . Of the four mentioned above , the first, Christopher Bayles, a priest from Rheims, underwent severe torture in Bridewell, on one occasion being suspended for 24 hoursat a time, as Southwell relatesin one of his letters

LETTERS OF RICHARD VERSTEGAN No. I

(Foley, Records S. J. i, p 325); Edward Jones, another priest from Rheims , was rackedin the Tower (Challoner, Memoirs, i 252) Bayleswas martyred 4 March, 1590, and Jones 6 May, 1590. The other two referred to are possibly the laymen Richard Randall (or Randolph) and William Norton. (For the former vid. Strype, Annals, iv, p. 233 ; A.P.C., xx, p 9, xxi, p 278, xxii, p 79; C.R.S., II, C.R.S. , XXI; and forthe latter, Cal Dom . Eliz., 1581-90, pp 266-8.

69 Cf. Humble Supplication, p. 34. "Some are whipped naked soe long and with suchexcesse that our enemies, unwillingto give constancyher right name, saydthat noe man withoutthe help of the divell could with such undauntednessuffersoe much. " The Beseley referredto is George Beesley (see note 13). For other instances of whipping vid Southwell'sletters in C.R.S., V, pp 304, 311, 329 ; also, Morris, Troubles , iii, pp 27-8

"Some have bene watched and kept

70 Cf. Humble Supplication, p 34. from sleepe till they were past the use of reason, and then examinedupon the advantage, when they could scarcely give accompt of their owne names . "

71 Cf. id , ibid

72 Cf. Morris, Troubles, iii, p 32. "When priests are apprehended and imprisoned, they subornsome oftheir keeper's servantsto take upon them to be Catholics, and so persuade them to write to theirfriends, promising safe delivery. If they write, as some have done, thoseletters are carried to Topcliffe, or suchlike They either then intercept, if mattersufficient, and so apprehend the parties, or otherwise send the letters new written in a counterfeit hand, and so pass them to and fro, till they [think] the parties be within danger, and then entrap them . " This, the writer states , was the experience of Edward Jones and of Miles Gerard in his letters to Christopher Dryland. Instances of spies abstracting information from imprisoned Catholics can be found in Cal Dom Eliz , 1581-90, pp 36, 68, 336. One spy states he has access to the Catholics in every London prison, another expresses the regret that he had not been sent to the Marshalsea where he could have insinuated himself among the prisoners there.

73 Cf. note 7. Such questions were put to Christopher Bayles during his trial (vid. Southwell's letter, C.R.S., V, p. 331).

74Meyer states in England and the Catholic Church under Queen Elizabeth (translated McKee, 1916), p 154, that "nearly all the trials of Catholics took place in London before jurymen drawn from a population deeply imbued with Puritanism and strongly prejudiced against the Catholic Church" .

75 Cf. Morris Troubles , iii, p 85, 86, 90, 178. The examples cited include Marmaduke Bowes condemnedon the evidence of an apostate Catholic who taught his children ; and Margaret Clitherow on the evidenceof a Flemish boy. For further examples of false witnesses vid. Concertatio Ecclesiae Catholicae, 1583, pp 252, 256, 263 ff. , 362 ff. According to Statute I Edward VI, c 12 , the evidence of two witneses was required to convict a man of treason This proviso was included in numerous acts of Elizabeth's reign (e.g. 23 Eliz c ii, section 13).

76 PhilipHoward , Earl of Arundel, was committed to the Tower on a charge of treason in 1585, and tried in April, 1589. Sir Thomas Gerard (John Gerard's father) and William Bennet, a priest, who were fellow prisoners ofthe Earlofthe Tower, were inducedbythreats oftorturetogiveevidence

OF RICHARD VERSTEGAN

One against him in the form of confessions which wereread at the trial ofthe accusations that they made againstthe Earlwas that hehad caused Mass to be said for the success of the Spanish Armada In December , 1588, Bennet wrote to the Earl asking forgiveness for making a false accusation which had been drawn from him by threats of "death, tower and torment" (C.R.S., XXI, p 197), but later, at the trial Bennet denied writing the letter On the suspicious nature of Gerard's and Bennet's confessions vid C.R.S., XXI, pp viiff, 210, etc., Philip Howard died in imprisonment in 1595, and it was suspected that, as in the case of Creagh, he was poisoned (vid. H. Morus, Hist. Prov. Angl. Soc. Jesu , 1660, p 188) Southwell was a very close friend ofthe Earl and managed to correspondwith him frequently.

77 i.e. "guilty" .

78 Cf. Hughes, Reformationin England, iii, p 350, note "The one priest put to death for political conspiracy and actuallyinvolved in this was John Ballard, the associate of Antony Babington He has never figured in any Catholic list of priests martyred for the faith ”

79Thewholeofthis paragraph and a number of othersfromthe aboveletter were incorporated almost verbatim in Verstegan'sDeclaration of the True Causes, 1592, pp 43-4, so that, indirectly, Southwell had a handinanother reply to the proclamation of Oct.-Nov., 1591 , in addition to his Humble Supplication,

80 Thereis no caput 8 Caput 7 ends on f 128r , f 128v is blank, and caput 9 begins on f. 129r . This seems to indicate that caput 8 was not lostor torn out, but was omitted, accidentally or otherwise, by Southwell or by the copyist (see note 62). Alternatively , either of them may have miscounted, writing "9" in error for "8" .

81 Cf. Southwell's letter of 25 July, 1586 (Foley, Records S. J., i, p 330) : " ... divers preists do theirdutie wonderfully, as well in converting many, and in other offices of a preist, so that the heretickes do terme some of themto beconjurersand enchaunters" For a generalappreciation of the workof themissionary priests vid A. O. Meyer, England and the Catholic Church , pp 189ff

82 Cf. Southwell's letter of21 December , 1586 (C.R.S., V, p 313) : " ... the Catholicssuffer a sacred hunger, and seek withgreat instanceto approach the sacraments; nay, they hold themselves most hardly dealt with if for a brieftime they must perforceabstain"

83 Priests were permitted and even directed to dress as laymen, and to wear their cassock only when celebrating Mass and hearing confessions in cases where the risk of discovery was remote (vid Meyer, op. cit., p. 202). Campion was asked at his trial in connection with his attire : "You a priest and dead to the world, what pleasure had you to royst it ? A velvet hat and a feather, a buff leather jerkin, velvet venetiansare they weeds for dead men ? Can that beseem a professed man of religion whichhardly becometha laymen ofgravity ? (R. Simpson , Edmund Campion, p. 413). Onthesubjectofthemanneroflifeand dress which manyofthemissionaries had to adopt, vid Meyer, op cit., pp 204-6 ; P. Caraman, John Gerard , pp. 17-8 , 165 .

84 "Dante" was an alternative form of "daunt"

85 Cf. H.Morus , Historia Missionis AnglicanaeSocietatis Jesu, 1660, p 184

LETTERS OF RICHARD VERSTEGAN

86 Cf. Relatione del presentestato d'Inghilterra, 1590, p 8. "Subito che entra il sacerdote in casa alcuna de' cattolici , ritirato ch'è in parte scereta , si mettono in ginocchioni, piccioli e grandi, che lo conoscono, per havere la sua benedizione , la quale anche partendosi, ricevono in similmodo, e con grande riverenza . "

87 Cf. Declaration of the True Causes, p 59. "The lawe is exempt from justice, and all causes are governedby bribes and partialitie Conseyence is least accompted of, aud [and] coosinage is in summo gradu. "

88Most of this paragraph is incorporated in the Declaration ofthe True Causes, pp 60-1, with one or two modifications of phrasing, e.g., "in Portugal cowards and yet bloody" becomes "in Portugall disorderedand foole hardie" .

89 Henry of Navarre who claimed the throne of France on the death of Henry III in 1589 , was being supported by English money and troops at this time in his war against the League In 1589, for example, he was granted a loan of £20,000 and his army was reinforced by 4,000 English troops (C. Read, Sir Francis Walsingham , iii, p 367)

90 Don Antonio , Pretender to the throne of Portugal was furnished with a fleet under Drake and Norris in 1589 in his attempt to conquerPortugal for himself For details of the expedition and its failure vid. R. B. Wernham, English Historical Review, 1951 , pp 1-26, 194-218.

91 Ashort accountofthe aid given to the Dutch insurgentsfrom 1584 onwards is given by C. Read, op cit pp 106ff

92 Verstegan , op. cit , pp 61ff. gives the substance of this paragraph, but also provides fuller details of the taxation, levies and general hardship, which he attributes to the same causes as Southwell does .

93Thepatent forthe monopolyofplaying cards was granted to Ralph Bowes and ThomasBeddingfield in July, 1576 (Pat 18 Eliz , pt 1.) ; of starchto Richard Young in April, 1588 (Pat 30 Eliz, pt 9 ); and that of licenses for retailing winesto Sir WalterRaleghin May, 1583. Seefurtheron the subject of monopolies W. H. Price, The English Patents of Monopoly, Harvard Economic Studies I, 1906, especially pp 15 , 17. A selectionof patents granted between the years 1561 and 1599 is given by E. Hulme in Law Quarterly Review 1896, pp 141ff.; 1900, pp 44ff

94 Cf. Cal. Dom Eliz , 1591-4, pp 326, 362 .

95Cf. Declaration ofthe True Causes, p. 48. Verstegan adds that England is alsoin league with a "fewe bere-bruers and basketmakers of Holland and Zealand , with a company of apostataes and Huguenotes of Fraunce , and with their feed pensioner , the Chauncelorof Scotland . . "31

96 The writer of a letter to Burghley in 1586 complains of the rifling and seizureof 16 French vessels by English warships, and states that because ofthis Frenchhatred ofthe English was very great The lettercontinues : "I wish HerMajesty or you heardthegeneralcomplaints ofthecommons atit, saying: 'I think we shallrob one anothershortly ; we rob Frenchmen , our friends, and shall be debarredall traffic from thenceifthis be suffered, and shall smart for wealth wickedly got by a few!'" (Cal Dom . Addenda , 1580-1625, pp 181-2).

97 MS "now" probably in error for "man" .

98 Versteganincorporatesthis condemnationof Leicesterin the Declaration , p 53 , but substitutes "so wicked a monster" for "so wicked a man" .

99 Cf. id., p. 72

100 "makebate""breeder of strife" (N.E.D.)

101 Vid note 47

102 Cf. Declaration , p.59

103 Used verbatim in id , p. 55

104 Verbatim in id. , p 56

105 Cf. id., pp 59-60

106 Cf. id , pp 57-8. Therehabilitation ofsoldiers was a very serious problem. A proclamation of 5 November, 1591 , attempted to distinguish between honourably dischargedsoldiersand deserters or imposters, and in another proclamation which appearedin February, 1592, the Privy Councilordered more specific measures for the same purpose In March, a committee was appointed to decide measures for "the reliefof poor maimed soldiers and mariners" (Hatfield House MSS . , iv, pp 295-6). See further G. B. Harrison, Elizabethan Journals, 1591-1603, 1938, pp 72-3, 107, 359, 363

107 Cf. Declaration , p. 57.

108 Cf. id , p 3, Foreword "To the indifferentreader" .

109 Cf. id , p 72: "Almenmay justly layunto him the undoing oftherealme , not so much condemningher whose sexe is easy to be misled, northerest oftheCouncellwhose willes by him are violentlyoverruled" Verstegan directs most of his attackin the Declarationagainst Cecil and his "confederates" Nicholas Bacon, Leicester and Walsingham, excusingmany of Elizabeth's shortcomingson the groundsthatshe was very easilyinfluenced by Cecil. The Catholic polemists were not alone in accusing Cecil of attempting to make England a "regnum Cecilianum" (cf. Strype, Annals, iii, pt 2, pp 379ff)

110 Cf. Declaration, p 71. Burghley held the office of Master of the Court of Wards and Liveries for more than 37 years, and undoubtedly derived a considerable income from the position. Numerous accusations were directed against him of making vast profits fromit The contemporary author of the treatise "Observations concerning the life and raigne of Elizabeth Queen of England" (B.M., Add MSS 22 , 925, f 28v ) writes that "after Sir Thomas Parrye's death, he was madeMaster of theWards and Liveries, by meanes whereofhe grew richand oftimesgratefyedfrendsand servants that depended and waited on him" . Thomas Wilson in The State of England, 1600, p 28 (Camden Society,vol lii, 1936) wildlyestimated that wardship brought in yearly between £20,000 and £30,000 to the Queen, twice as much toLord Burghley and even more, lateron, toRobert Cecil Vid also Peck, Desiderata Curiosa, 1732, i, 27 : "It was imagined he made infinite gaineby the wards ... " These references are mentioned by J. Hurstfield in his very comprehensive treatment of the subject, "Lord Bughley as MasteroftheCourt ofWards, 1561-98" , Trans of Royal Hist. Soc, 1949, pp 95ff. He holds that although most of the estimates of theamount Burghley made as Master are based merely on guesswork , he nevertheless obtained a large income from the office, and was paid substantial sums by the purchasers of wardships.

LETTERS OF RICHARD VERSTEGAN

111 In A Conferenceabout the NextSuccession( dateof imprint 1594, published July, 1595) a captain interposes in the discussion on the Succession that when the matter came to trial "not you lawyers but we souldiars must determyne this title" (Preface, sig B3)

112 Similar arguments to those in the above paragraph are used in the Declaration, pp 51-2, in the third section , "Of the sundry competitors for the crowne, and the uncertainty of the successor" . Cf. also Newes from Spayne and Holland, 1593, pp 35ff The Succession was a very vexed question Elizabeth herself had given no indication of her wishes, and in the thirteenthyear of her reign an act was passed making it treason to publish any book suggesting that any special person should be her successor (Statutes ofthe Realm, vol iv, 1819, p 526, 13 Eliz c.i, of which sections II, III, IV and V touch on matters concerning the succession V deals with the punishment "on printingor publishing that any particular person not so declared by Act of Parliament is heir and successor to the Queen, except her issue ; 1st offence, one year's imprisonment etc.; 2nd offence, premunire") All discussion of the question was similarly forbidden In 1591 , Peter Wentworth, a Puritan M.P., protestedthatthe Queen was endangering both the Church and Commonwealth by postponing "the setlingeof the succession ofthe imperiall crowne ofthislande" (S.P. Dom Eliz cclx, no 21) He also wrote a pamphlet entitledPithie Exhortation (published 1598), urging the appointing of a successor, and spoke on the subject in Parliament, as a consequence of which hewas imprisoned in the Tower in February, 1593, where he died in 1596. Sir Henry Bromley was imprisoned with him for the same offence (D'Ewes Journals, 1744 ed , p 470). Among Catholic books on the subject were Bishop Leslie's, A Defence of the Honour ofthe Right Highe, Mightie and Noble Princesse Marie Quene of Scotlande, 1569 and A Conference about the next Succession, in which book Verstegan collaborated, and also saw through the press when it was printed byConincxin 1595

113 Cf. Declaration , pp. 69-70.

114 Partly obliterated in MS.

115 Burghley died 5 years before Elizabeth, in 1598.

116 Cf. Declaration , p 70 he laboureth incessantly with the Queene tomakehis eldestsonne Deputy ofIreland ... andforthe better contriving of the whole domination to himself, he hathe latelybrought in his second sonne to be of the Queene's Councell" Burghley's second son, Robert Cecil, was made a Privy Councillor in August, 1591. His eldest son , Thomas, did not obtain the post of Lord Deputy of Ireland which was held at the time bySirWilliam Fitzwilliam , who was reappointedto that office in February, 1588, and received no major preferment until 1599 , when he was made President of the Council of the North.

117 This account of Leicester's death is printed verbatim in the Declaration , p. 53. Leicester died suddenly on 4 September , 1588, on his way to Kenilworth from London. Seven days before, on 28 August, eight Catholic priests and laymen had been executed , followed by six more two days later. A brief discussion of Leicester's responsibility for these executionsis containedin C.R.S., V, p 150. Seealso id , p. 154 ; Morris, Troubles , ii, p. 108. Southwell's account of the August massacre is contained in a letterto Aquaviva 31 August, 1588 (C.R.S., V, pp 321ff)

For the suspicion that Leicester was poisoned cf. Morris, op cit, ii, p 139, in which William Weston mentions "the sudden decease of the Earl, occasioned, as it was said, through poison administered to him by

his wife" . According to Ben Jonson, in Conversations with Drummond (Shakespeare Society, 1842, p 24), she gave it to him accidentally : the Earl had given "a botle of liquor to his lady which he willed her to use in any faintness ; which she, after his returne from Court, not knowing it was poison, gave him , and so he died" Bliss, in his edition of Athenae Oxonienses, 1815, ii, 74-5, prints a contemporary narrative which considered her action wilful. It states, on the authorityof Leicester's page, that the Countess had fallen in love with Christopher Blount, whom Leicester attempted to kill, and she, suspecting this, poisoned him. The post-mortem examination, however, revealedno trace of the poison (vid , S. L. Lee, D.N.B., vol 16, p 120). Another theory of Leicester's death, "by conjuration" is recorded in Strype, Annals, vol iii, pt 2, p 124. Camden states that he died of a "continuall fever" (Annales , 1635 ed , p 373) See also Cal Spanish, 1587-1603, p 420 .

118 Verbatim in Declaration , p 54. Cf. also Morris, op. cit, iii, p. 59. Walsingham died 6 April, 1590. It had been suggested on the evidence provided by Camden (Annales , p 294) that he died from a stonein the kidney (C. Read Sir Francis Walsingham , iii, p 448, n.2) As early as 1575 Walsingham was reported to be suffering from "son accoustumée difficultéd'urine" (Read, op cit , iii, p. 445).

119 Verbatim in Declaration , p 53. Cf. Camden, Annals (1635 ed ), p. 374. " ... whereas he was in the Queene's debt, his goods were put to port sale: for though in other things she were favourable enough, yet seldomeor neverdid she remitthe debtsduetohertreasurie" Some idea ofLeicester's debts is provided in Cal. Dom James I, 1603-10, p 32, which records that in 1603 , the Countess of Leicester was granted an acquittance of £3,967 11s 11d , which was "the remainder ofthe late Earl of Leicester's debt of £25,168 2s 7 d to the late Queen, and of all his other debts to the Crown" .

120 Cf. Declaration, p 54. he died a begger, and more indebted then his landes could satisfy Walsingham expressed the hopein his will, madea year before his death, that his body "be buried withoutanysuch extraordinary ceremonies as usually appertain to a man serving in my place , in respect of the greatness of my debts and the mean state I shall leave mywife and heirs in" (Read, op. cit , iii, p. 442) Read (pp 442ff) deals extensively with Walsingham's debts, which, accordingto Burghley, amounted to over £27,000 .

II. SPANISH VERSION OF A LETTER SENT BY VERSTEGAN ? TO FR. PERSONS ?1 Antwerp, 12 December, 1591 .

Stonyhurst, Coll B, 69. Contemporary italic hand.

De cosas de Ingalaterra por cartas de Anvers del 12 de diciembre, 1591.2

He recibido cartas del primero deste mes de Londres las quales confirman la muerte del cancellero de a quel regno,³ y la grave enfermedad del tesoriero Sicilio La reyna estubo conel cancellero cada dia por quarto dias antes de su muerte, y creo que no amasse otro hombre in todo el reyno como el.5

Murio el cancellero a 28 de novembre,6 y, el dia siguiente se publicoel edicto nuebo de la reyna que se havia impremido dos o tres vezes antes de publicarse,7 parte por aver llegada la nuebadela muerte del papa Gregorio xiiii , de quien se avia hecho mencion particular en la prima impression ; y parte por aver sidocontrario el canceller ala publicacion deste edicto, como se cree.⁹

El titulo del edicto es el siguiente : "La declaracion por la magestad dela reyna a sus subditos de grandes peligros y revuoltas que se pretende hacer en el regno de Ingalaterra por medio de unos sacerdotes seminaristas y jesuitas embiadosde Españasecretamente , y despercidos por el regnoparaque efectuen grandes trayciones debaxo de la coverta y falso prete[xto] de religion ; con remedios convenientes para esto mal, etz."

El primero punto deste edicto contiene una quxa larga de la reyna contra¹0 elpapa y el reyde España, diciendo queestos dos principes, sin causa ninguna d[e] su parte han conspirado de hacer invasion sobra Ingalaterra a instancia de sus rebeldes , y particularmente por la sollicitacion de Guliermo Alano, llamado cardinal, y de Roberto Personio, jesuita ; y que para este effecto y para disponer la gente a rabelion, se han embiado de España muchos sacerdotes ingleses elaño passado,y seha instituydoun seminario de ingleses estudiantes en Españapara continuar la dicha mala intencion,etzc . 11

El segundopuncto es que, por remedio destos males, la reyna, de su parte, promete de preparar mayres fuerças, tanto por tieracomo pormare,que no ha hecho hasta aora, y de estar mas alierta para ladefensade su regne y estado ; y pide a los subditos queleauyden con sus consejos, deneros y fuerças para esto.

El tercero punto es que se ponga toda la diligencia y cuydada possibile para prender a estos sacerdotes y jesuitas que entran de España, para lo qual manda a todos su pena de la vida que se guardan bien, de dia y de noche, no solamentelos puertos de mar, pero tambien los caminos y las puertas y calleas de los lugares y las mesones y hosterias ; y que no se dexa passar ninguno sin

esaminarlesinofuere muy conocido; y que los mesonieros no den a comer ne alogiamento alguno sin açer los primieramente esaminar por los dos juezes12 que para este effetto en cada lugar se han de nombrar ; y que contra todos los que se hallaron culpabiles se procedan luego con todo rigor como contra traidores, rebeles y perturbadores de la paz publica

Este es ede facta[?]13 la summa desta edicto, dexando a parte las palabras asprissimasy feras que ay en el quantos nunca he bisto en otro edicto, por lo qual se entiende el grande enojo que la reyna ha concibido contra esta obra de España No meembiaron mas que un translado empresso, con ordine que la embiasse al cardinal Alano en Roma, 14 pero esta es la summa fielmente sacada De Anvers, 12 de diciembre, 1591.

Endorsed El edicto dela reyna, 1591 , 12 decembri

Translation.

The affairs of England out of letters fromAntwerp, 12 December , 1591.2

I have received letters of the first of this month from London which confirm the death of the Chancellor ofthatkingdom, ³andthe serious illness of the Treasurer, Cecil.4 The Queen was with the Chancellor daily for four days before his death, and I think that she did not love any man in the whole kingdom as much as him.5

The Chancellor died on 28 November, and the followingdaywas published the Queen's new proclamation, whichhad been printed two or three times beforeits publication , partly because ofthenews having arrived of the death of Pope Gregory XIV, of whom there had been particular mention in the first impression; and partly because the Chancellor had been averse to the publicationof this edict, as it is thought."

The title of the edict is as follows :

"The declaration of the Queen's Majestyto her subjects ofthe great dangers and seditions whichare intended against the Realm of England through the agency of some seminary priests and Jesuits sent secretly from Spain and dispersedthroughoutthe land in order to bring about acts of treason under the cover and false pretext of religion: with the suitable remediesforthis evil, etc."

The first point in this edict contains a long complaint made by the Queen against the Pope and the King of Spain, which states that these two princes, without any cause, have conspired, for their part, to make an invasion against England at the promptingofthat country's rebels , and, in particular, at the instigation of William Allen, termed Cardinal, and Robert Persons , a Jesuit ; and to effect this and incline the people towards rebellion , manyEnglish priests have been sentfromSpain in the pastyear, and a seminary ofEnglish

students has been founded in Spain to propagate the said evil intention, etc . 11

The second point is that to remedy these evils, the Queen , for her part, intends to raise greater forcesfor both land and seathan she has ever done before, and to be more alert for the defence of her kingdom and state ; and asks her subjects to aid herto this end with their advice, money and strength

The third point is that all possible diligence and care must be used by everyone to seize these priests and Jesuits who enterfrom Spain, for which end she orders all, under penaltyof death, to see that,bydayand night, not only the sea ports, but also the highways, gateways, streets of villages, inns and taverns are guarded ; and that no one be allowed to pass without being examined, unless he be well known ; and the innkeepers must give no food or lodging whatsoever to anyone without having them first examined bythe twojudges12 who are to be appointed for this purposein every place; and that action is to be taken immediatelyagainst all those who are found culpable with all the vigour used against traitors, rebels and disturbers of the public peace

This is a summary of the proclamation, setting aside the very harsh and fierce words in it, such a quantity of which I have never seen in any other edict ; by which may be perceived the great vexation the Queen has on account of this action by Spain They have not sent me more than one printed copy, with orders to send it to Cardinal Allen at Rome, 14 but this is a faithful summary. Antwerp, 12 December, 1591 .

NOTES

1 This despatch appears to be a translation of a letter sent to Fr. Persons, made by one of his assistants , possibly for the perusal of the Spanish court Since the original letter, presumably written in English, was sent from Antwerp, there is every likelihood that Verstegan was the sender . Itcan also be assumed thatthe commentsin thefirst person are Verstegan's.

2 Incorrectly dated 1592 here and in the endorsement The correct date appears at the end of the letter

3 The LordChancellorwas Sir Christopher Hatton, who had been appointed to that office in April, 1587. He died on 20 November, 1591.

4 Lord Burghley's illness seems to have begun around October, 1591. On 31st of that month, his secretary, Maynard, wrote to Robert Cecil , his second son , that Burghley was "troubled with the stone" and that gout "possessed both his hands" Cal Dom Eliz , 1591-1594, p 117

5 According to John Phillips's poem A Commemoration of the Life and Death of Sir Christopher Hatton (reprinted in A Lamport Garland, RoxburgheClub, 1881 ), "Five dies our Queene remain'd with the destrest" , and not four as given above. Hatton had been a great favourite of Elizabeth's, and during a previous serious illness of his in 1573 she had , as on this occasion, visited him daily

6 The actual date of Hatton's death was 20 November This inconsistency in dating may be due to the difference betweenthe Julian and Gregorian calendars ; but even so the date is still two days out, for in the new style it would be 30 November It is possible that at one stage of copying the original despatchfrom England an "0" was misread as an 8, though thisis notverylikely, because the figureswere normally easilydistinguishable. Fr. Persons makes the same mistake in dating in his Responsio, 1592 (p.20), which may indicate that he obtained his information from the above letter

Persons also states, as the letterdoes, that the Novemberedict appeared theday after Hattondied,and thereforedates its publication 29 November on the title-page of his book The exact date of the edict's publication appears to be uncertain It is given as 20 November in Stapleton's Apologiapro Rege Catholico, 1592, while a modernannalist, G. B. Harrison (Elizabethan Journals, i, p 74) dates it 21 November, which coincides withthe ideathatit was publishedthe day after Hatton's death Verstegan in his Declaration (p. 4) states merely that it appeared in November, 1591 (misdated 1592 , probably through a printer's error)

7 The proclamation was issued by the Queen as early as 18 October . Ina letter to Thomas Barnes on 31 October, Phelippeswrote that it had been printed, but not yet published (Cal Dom. Eliz., 1591-1594, 118). There weretwo editions of it when it eventually appeared , a folio and a quarto, both printed by Christopher Barker .

8 Gregory XIV died 15 October, after a reign of only ten months Heis referred to in the edict as a 'Milanesevassel' of the King of Spain

This is mentioned by Persons in the Responsio (p 20) There does not appearto be any corroboration of it, but Hatton had often been suspected of Catholic sympathies (cf. E. St. John Brooks, Sir Christopher Hatton, 1946).

10 MS. "dieci contra" "Dieci" seems to have been inserted in anticipation of "diciendo" which follows in the next line

11 This was the seminary at Valladolid, founded by Persons in 1589

12 There is no specific reference to the number of commissionersappointed in each place, either in the proclamation or in the instructions to the commissioners which accompanied it

13 Being uncertain of the exact transcription and meaning of the phrase "ede facta" , I have omitted it in the translation

14 According to Allen's letterto Persons, 7 January, 1592 (printed byPersons in A Briefe Apologie, 1602, ff 39-40) he had not yet received, but was expecting, a copy of the proclamation This was presumably the copy to be sent by Verstegan

IIIa. VERSTEGAN TO FR PERSONS .

Antwerp, 5 March , 1592.

Stonyhurst, Coll B, 37 , Holograph The part of the letter concerningthe martyrswas printed in C.R.S., V, pp 208-10 A short extract was made by Fr. Grene in Stonyhurst, Coll M , 67a

Right Reverend , in the endofmylast letterunto YourFatherhoode dated the 21 of February , 1 I signified the arryvall of a Catholik gentleman at this towne ; since whichtyme there is another arryved here, and for thesame cause fled oute of England, to witt, for the receyving of priestes. It seemeth by them that very many more shall shortly be forced to followe, yea, priestes aswell as others, so extreme and great is the present persecution; which, albeit I do otherwise understand, yet had I rather write uppon the relation of thease two gentlemen, beeing knowen and of credit, then uppon other reportes of lesse certainty. First, you shall please to understand that by the new Cecillian Inquisition there are certaine comissionersordayned in every shyre to take the examinations of Catholiques ; and thease comissionersdo in every parish apoint 8 persons, of which number must be the minister, constable and churchwardens Thease 8 do once a weke (oreveryday intheweke yftheyplease) go fromhouse to house andexamynethosetheyfynde of what religionthey are, and whether they do go to the churche; and as they fynd them doubtfull in their answers , they do present them to the further examination of the comissioners.5 The servantes of recusantes they do eyther perswade by flattery , or compell by torture, in hanging them up by the handes, to betray their masters; in discovering what preistes he dothe relieve, what persons do frequent the house, and the lyke. Therewereexecuted aboute Christmas 3 priestes, and 4 laymen for receiving them ; the names of the priestes were Mr. Jeninges, Mr. Eustace Whyte and Mr. Paule Blasden 2 of the laymen were gentlementhe one named Swithin Welles, the other Bryan Laycie ; the other twaine wereservingmen, whose manes I have not Since whichtymethere hathe bene a priest executedat Norwich, and one Mr. Grey, in whose house he was taken, is sent unto the Towre.8

The last moneth was one Mr. Patteson, a priest, executed at Tyborne, for receyving of whome one of the gentlemen before mentioned is fled away. This Mr. Patteson, the night before he suffred, beeing in a dungeon in Newgate with 7 prisoners that were condemnedfor fellony, he converted and reconsyled 6 of them , to whom also he ministred the Sacrament ; which the seaventh , remayning an heretike, in the morning uttered They were all

executed together. The six died Catholik, which made the officers to be the more fierse and cruell unto the priest, who was cut downe and bowelled beeing perfectly alive . 10 No priestes are suffred to speak at their deathes ; but so soone as they are dead, Topclif, in anorationunto the people, faineththe cause to befor assisting the intended invasion of the realme ; and to that end he fixeth also papers uppon the gallows or gibbett . 11 The aflicted state of Catholiques was never such as now it is, and therefore it is highe tyme to solicite the redresse thereof Some other thinges I would signifie, which for want ofmore secure meanes ofwriting Iwillomitt.

There is not any Chauncelor made as yet, nor none lyke to be; the Treasurer meaneth to mak himself dictator in perpetuum, 12 and, beeing discended of princes, it wilbe no disparagment in blood to make up his intended match betwene Sir Thomas Cecill's eldest sonne (beeing his grand child) and the Lady Arbella . 13 The yonge youth is as pretely instructed in athisme as the Lady Arbella is in puresy, 14 for he will not stick openly to scof at the Byble, and will folkes to spell the name of God backward . 15 I cannot thinck that there was half so great iniquitie in Sodoma as is now in England , besydes the shedding of innocent bloud, which daily crieth for vengeance and may give us most hope of our countrie's recoverie . Our Lord send due consideration thereof in the myndes of such as have the best meanes to remedy this great evill, which, I can assure Your Fatherhoode, was never at such rypenesse as now it is . 16 There dothe passe among Catholiks divers foxes in lambes' skinnes , with protections in their bosomes from the Treasurer, by which meanes they go invisible among the inquisitors

The old Recorder called Fletewood is oute of his office ; the cause I thinck was only slacknesse in proceeding against Catholikes , for another hathe it that is of a more whoter spirite The aforesaid Recorder meeting of late with a gentlewoman, asked her what kin another was unto her, whome he then named "Marry, " quoththe gentlewoman, "she is my aunt" . "I assure you, " quoth hee , "yf she were my aunt as she is yours, I would forthwith send her woord that Justice Yong dothe meane to search her housethis night for a priest" ; by meanes whereof the gentlewoman did asmuchfor her aunt as the Recorder would have donne for his . 17 Thus having troobled Your Fatherhoodewitha long letter ,Iwillforthepresente tak my leave and comitt you to Gode's tuition Antwerp, this [5]18 of Marche, 1592

5 of March.

Your Fatherhoode's assured servitor, R. Verstegan

I have expected now thease 3 dayes past to heare from F[r.] S. , 19 but the wynde seemethto have bin contraryto passe over . Mr. Covert comendeth him unto Your Fatherhoode . 20

Addressed Al moltoReverendoPadre in Christo21, il Padre Roberto Personio della [Compa]gnia di Giesu a Validolid or Madrid.

Endorsed by Fr. Persons Mr. Verstingham of the martyrs, 5 Martii, 1592 .

NOTES

1 This letter is no longer extant.

2 Cf. a contemporary account of the persecution in Morris, Troubles , iii (p 50) also testifying to the severity of the persecutionat the timewhich followed as a result of the Oct.-Nov 1591 proclamation against Jesuits and seminary priests.

3 This serves to illustrate the discrimination Versteganused in the selection ofhis information The second of the gentlemenmentioned is Laurence Mompesson (vid. note 9).

4 The same phrase is to be found in the Declaration of the True Causes (p 73), published at the end of March, 1592. Let him prosecute what new Cecillian inquisition he can devise The "inquisition" refers to the body of commissioners appointed in accordancewith the proclamation of Oct.-Nov 1591. The commission was renewed in January, 1592, in the counties of Kent, Buckingham, Middlesex, Surrey and Durham (A.P.C. xxii, p. 174)

5 This sectionon the method of procedurein each parish provides valuable information on the way the commissioners acted, and on the composition and scope ofthe committeesthey appointed It greatly supplementsthe instructions issued in "Articles annexed to the Commission for recusants" which were published with the proclamation See also Letter no 5

Cf."A Yorkshire Recusant's Relation" , Morris, Troubles, iii, p 69: "In these searches also, with much diligencethey observe one point of devilish cruelty, that is, by threats, by dissembling promises , by flattery, and by all wicked means to force servants to betray their masters . '

7 These seven martyrs were condemned 4 December and executed 10 December , 1591 ("Aboute Christmas" is not so wide of the mark, since Versteganwas probably using New Style dating) Edmund Gennings and Swithin Wells were martyred outside Wells's house in Holborn ,theother five at Tyburn The two serving men were John Mason and Sydney Hodgson, one of whom, gratifyingly, but foolhardily, knocked Topcliffe down a flight of stairs when he came to make his arrest whileMass was being celebratedin Wells's house. See further concerning these martyrs, The Life and Death ofMr. Edmund Geninges, 1614; ChallonerMemoirs, i, pp 262ff.; Morris Troubles , iii, pp 48-9; Pollen, Acts of English Martyrs, 1891, pp 98 ff.; C.R.S., V , p 205 ff, 292 ; A.P.C., xxi, pp. 426-7; xxii, pp. 15, 39-40. Unfortunately there are a number of discrepancies between these accounts , particularlyin dating

8 Marginal note by Grene : "In the catalogues I finde no such martyr" This reference to a priest executed at Norwich was copied by Pedro de Ribadeneira in Segunda Parte de la Historia Ecclesiastica, 1593 , lib, iii, cap x, f 39 ; and other martyrologists, following Ribadeneira, have considered that he must have been a martyr separate from any other known by name Pollen, however (C.R.S., V , p 208), presumed that the martyr was Thomas Portmort (see Letter no 20, note 1), who was executed in St. Paul's Churchyard, 20 February, 1592. But neither Ribadeneira nor Pollen took into account a later letter of Verstegan's, 6 June, 1592, to RogerBaynes (Letterno 4) in which he alters his previous statement and writes that the priest harboured by Grey was a Mr. Fox who had died in the Tower from "ill usage" This was Nicholas Fox alias Halesor Haley, a Londonerwho was ordainedat Rheimsin 1581 and went

on the English Missionthe same year (1st and 2nd Douay Diaries, pp 10 , 28, 179 , 180, 261 , 293 ; Foley, Records S.J., vi, pp 728, 730) He was arrestedin Norfolkat the end of 1591 , examinedbySirArthur Heningham , and then brought to London and imprisoned in Newgate before being confined in the Tower ( A.P.C. , xxii, pp 176, 195) The man accused ofharbouring him was Robert Grey of Marton in the diocese of Norwich (Hatfield House MSS , iv, p 268 , A.P.C., xxii, 176). He was sent to London with Fox, and imprisoned in the Gatehouse about 21 January, 1592 (A.P.C.,xxii, pp. 194-5).

William Patteson or Patenson suffered at Tyburn, 22 January, 1592 (N.S. I February, hence Versteganwrites "the last moneth"). Laurence Mompesson was the person at whose house hestayed James Youngethe apostatepriest wrote to Puckering, the Lord Keeperin August, 1592 , that Patensonsaid Mass everySundayat the Mompessons' house inClerkenwell, Mr. Mompesson standing behind the door, to hear and not to be seen by the servants" (Cal Dom Eliz , 1591-4, p 262) The contemporary account of the persecutionin Morris Troubles, iii, p 49, states that when Pattesonwas arrestedin his house, Mompesson " escaping himselfbychance the persecutor's hands, had all his goods taken away, his house entered and rifledand now indicted of felony, and enforced to leavethe country Cf. Gerard'saccount in C.R.S., V, p 292. Mompesson's wife escaped with him, and they eventually went to live in Brussels (vid. Cal. Dom . Eliz. , 1591-4 , p. 490.

10Much thesame account is given in the MS printed in Morris, op. cit. , ibid; and by Gerard, loc cit

11 Cf. Morris, op cit , iii, pp 45-6 .

12 The same phrase is applied to Burghley in the Declaration of the True Causes, p 10. No Lord Chancellorwas appointed after Hatton'sdeath in November, 1591 until Sir Thomas Egerton receivedthe office in July, 1603 , but Sir John Puckering was made Lord Keeper in May, 1592 (vid. F. M. Powicke, Handbook of British Chronology, 1939 , p 70).

13 Cf. Declaration , pp 55, 70. Lady Arabella Stuart, a member of the Scottish Royal House and a cousin to James VI, was a possible claimant to the throne of England Her claim is discussed in A Conference about the Next Succession, pt ii, pp 124ff

ThomasCecil'seldestson was WilliamCecil (1565-1640), who succeeded his father as 2nd Earl of Exeter He had been married to Elizabeth Manners, who died in 1591 (see further Letters nos 30 and 31) Alittle later, Robert Cecil was also alleged to be a possible husbandfor Arabella (vid. Hatfield House MSS., iv, p 335 ; P. M. Handover, Arbella Stuart , 1957, pp 100-1, 128, 133, 152, 162).

Thereferenceto Burghley's ancestryis, of course, ironical. He was very sensitiveabout his origin, and the Catholicpolemists(including Verstegan) were quick to seize on this point when replying to the proclamation of Oct.-Nov. 1591 , in which the character and family background of the Jesuits and seminary priests had been denigrated Cecil, wounded by theirattacks on his ancestry, wrote a letterdefendingit to one ofhis spies in the Low Countries

Unfortunately for him, the letter was intercepted, and held up to ridicule in Person's Responsio, p 133, and in the English summary of that book, An Advertisement written to a Secretarie of My L. Treasurer's ofIngland (pp 37-9) Persons mentions that Cecil'slatest pretenceis that he is descended from the ancienthouse of Sitsalt in Wales, but he remembers the time when Cecil affected to derive his name from CeciliusClaudius, a wealthy Roman

14 MS. "as in puresy" "Puresy" is presumablyan archaicform of"purity" , though no such spellingis recordedin N.E.D. It may refer toPuritanism .

15 This is undoubtedly a reference to the School of Atheism founded by Ralegh, which is mentioned by Persons in the Responsio, the English summary of which, An Advertisement , probably compiled by Verstegan (see Introduction ), contains the following passage : "Of Sir Walter Rauley's Schoole of Atheisme, by the waye, and of the conjurer that is master thereof, and of the diligence used to get young gentlemen to this schoole, where in both Moyses and Our Savior, the Olde and New Testamenteare jested at, and the schollers taughte, amonge other thinges, to spell God backwarde" (p 18) The last phrase which is the same as that in the aboveletter, has no equivalent in the sectionof the Responsio from whichthis passage is translated (p. 36), and therefore appears to be Verstegan's own insertion Ralegh's "school" is dealt with by M. C. Bradbrook in The School of Night, 1936. It numberedamongits members Thomas Harriot ("the conjurer that is master thereof") and Christopher Marlowe; and Verstegan'sletterseems toimply that Burghley's grandson also belonged to it.

16 This is the opening theme of the Declaration 17 William Fleetwood was elected Recorder of London in April, 1571 , and held the post until January, 1592. The much "hotter spirit" who succeeded him was Edward Coke Fleetwood seems to have had at least a trace of tender-heartedness , for whilst presiding over the torture of Sherwood in 1578 he burst into tears (C.R.S., II, p 74) A shortaccount of him is given in D.N.B., vol. xix, p 268

18 Blank in MS

19 Thereis littledoubt that "F.S." stands for Fr. Southwell, who was sending despatches to Versteganat this time (e.g. Letter no. 1 ; see also Henry Walpole's letter of 29 November, 1590 , printed by A. Jessopp, Letters of Fr. Henry Walpole , 1873, p 23) Versteganfrequently uses the initial "F" rather than "Fr." as an abbreviation of "Father" .

20 Thomas Covert (or Court) was a fellow exile of Verstegan's who sent despatches to Cardinal Allen from time to time (C.R.S., V, p 262) Earlier, around 1584 , he had been agent for both Allen and Persons in Paris, and had correspondedfrequently with Fr. Agazzari (vid Knox, Letters and Memorials of Cardinal Allen; 1st and 2nd Douay Diaries : L.Hicks, Letters andMemorialsof Fr. Persons, 1578-1588, C.R.S., XXXIX p 259). From Henry Walpole's letters it appears that Verstegan and Covert were at loggerheads for a time in 1590 , but the quarrel seems to have been settled by January, 1591, when Walpole wrote : "The little strangeness betweenMr. Versteganand Mr. Covertis nowended . " (Jessopp, op. cit, pp. 18, 27)

21 MS. "Reverendo in Christo Padre" .

IIIb. SPANISH VERSION OF THE SAME LETTER.¹

Avises de Anveres5 de Marçode 1592, de las cosas de Ingalaterra .

Stonyhurst,Coll B, 41. Contemporaryitalic hand. Short translated extract in T. E. Gibson, Lydiate Hall and its associations, p 260. The passages concerningthe martyrs were incorporated in Ribadeneira's Segunda Parte de la Historia Ecclesiastica , 1593, ff. 39-40

Eista semana han llegado aqui dos cavalleros de Ingalaterra catholicos que han huido de alla por causa de ser la persecucion queay contra los catholicos intolerable y grandissima despices de el postrero edicto de la reyna que se publico el mes de noviembre pasado , en el qual los declara por sabidores y fautores de la invasion que ella diçe queel rey de España pretendehaceren aquel reyno el verano que viene

El uno de estos cavalleros trae con sigo tambien su muger para tenerla aqui conelen su destierro ; y el otro quisiera hacerlo mismo sino que le ataxaron los passos y le pusieron en grande aprieto y peligro de prenderle, en queyva su vida porque su delicto fue aver recivido en casa un sacerdote del seminario de Rhemis llamado Patison, alqual martiricaron en Londres en el mes pasado de hebrero ; ylo mismo hicieran a este cavallero por averle sustentado si le prendieran

Lanoche antes que martiricassen a este sacerdote, lo hecharonen un calaboço muy hondo de la carçel de Neugat de Londres donde estava, y lo pusieron entre siete ladrones condenados tambien a muerte la qual avian de padesçer el dia siguiente con el; y fue Nuestro Señor servido dar espiritu a este su siervo de predicarles con talefficacia que convirtioseis de los siete quetodoseran hereses , los quales el dia siguiente, saliando a morir, se confessaronpor catholicos y murieron con mucha paciencia y edificacion de los buenos, confessando su fee y con grande enojo delos herejes los quales para vengarse de el sacerdote por averlos convertido , le abrieron vivo con cuehillos y le hicieron quartos con gran crueldad.

El mes pasado, martiriçarontambien otro sacerdoteen la cuidad de Norvice, alqual prendieron en la casa de un cavallero llamado Gray, alqual tienen preso en el castillo de Londres , y se piensa que tanbien le aran martir presto.

Enel finde diciembre, martiriçaronen Londresa sietejuntamente , de los quales tres eran sacerdotes de los seminariosde Rhemis y de Roma, cuyos nombres eran Juan Jeningo, Eustacio Vito, Paulo Plasdeno; los otros quatro eran legos dos cavalleros llamados Suithen Wello y Brianto Laceyo por aver tratado con los dichos sacerdotes , y los otros dos eran criados suyos Todosfueron presos juntamente ,estandooyendomissa en la calle de Holbornen Londres.2

LETTERS OF RICHARD VERSTEGAN No.

IIIb

Jamas pienso que se a visto tal rigor de persecucionporque la reyna ha enbiado atodos los condados de el reyno (quesonquarenta) un juez y comisario particular para inquirir contra los catholicos, y estos an señalado en cada perrochia y pila a ocho personas de las masmalas y herejes para examinar continuamente atodas las personasqueen cada perrochia viven opasan por ella ; y tienen sus espias en cada casa y meson , y estan obligadosa juntarse todos una vez cada semana para dar quenta deloque han hecho .

Offreçen alos hijos y criados de catholicos premios y darles tormentos paraque descubran asus padres y amos.

No se permite ya a ningun sacerdote hablar palabra al pueblo quando salena morir; sino que luego despues de la muerte, el juez que esta presente y la manda executar haçe a la gente una larga arenga sobre las causas de las muertes diçiendo mill mentiras y disparates de las conspiracionesque les inponen que avian hecho con el rey de España para la conquista de el reyno, y luego van divulgando lo mismo en cartones por todas las plaças y puertas de las ciudades. Plega adios de remediarlo presto y de mover los coraçones de los principes catholicos que tienen fuercas para concurrirenesto pues entiendo que su divinamagestadno permitira yr muy adelante una crueldad tan fuera detoda christiandad y raçon. El [Dios]³ guarde a Vuestra Reverencia siempre. De Anveres, a 5 de Marco, de 1592

Contemporaryhand Advises from London, the 5 of March, 1592

Translation.1

Advices from Antwerp, 5 March, 1592, concerning affairs in England.

This week, two Catholic gentlemen have arrived here from England who have been forced to fly because of the persecution, which has been unbearable and very intense against the Catholics since the lateproclamation of the Queen, published last November, in which she declares them informants and abettors of the invasion she statestheKing ofSpain intends launching against thatkingdom in the coming summer .

One of these gentlemen has brought his wife also to live here in exile with him ; and the other would have done the same, but his efforts were frustrated and he was in great danger of being taken, in that his life was to be forfeited for the crime of having received into his house a priest from the Rheims seminary called Patison, whom they martyred in London in the past month of February; and they would have done the same to this gentleman for having assisted him, had they captured him.

The night before they martyred this priest, they put him in a very deep dungeon of Newgate prison in London where he was being held, and theyplacedhimamongseven thieves who were also

condemnedto death, which he was to sufferwith them the following day And Our Lord was disposed to give this, his servant, the grace to preach so successfullythat he converted six of the seven , all heretics, who, going to their death the following morning, professed themselves Catholics, and died with great resignation, steadfast in the Faith, to the edification of good people, and to the intense vexation of the heretics, who, to take vengeance on the priest for having converted them, cut him open with knives while he was still alive, and quartered him with much cruelty.

In the past month they also martyredanother priest in the town of Norwich, taken in the house of a gentleman called Gray, whom they keep prisoner in the Tower of London ; and itis thoughtthey will soon make a martyr of him also.

Atthe end of Decembertheymartyredseven together in London , three ofwhomwerepriests fromthe seminariesofRheimsand Rome , whosenameswere JohnGennings, EustaceWhite andPaulPlasden; the other four were laymen : two gentlemen called Swithin Wells and Brian Lacey, for having dealingswiththe said priests, and the two others their servants. All were taken together whileattending Mass in the street of Holborn in London.2

Ithink that such a rigorous persecution has never been seen before, for the Queen has sent into all the counties of the kingdom (which number 40) a judge and a special commissioner to make investigations against Catholics, and these have nominated inevery parish and district eight of the most wicked heretics to examine unceasingly every person who lives in it ; and they maintain spies in everyhouse and inn, and are all obliged to meet once every week to give news of what they have found.

They offer children and servants of Catholics rewards, and utter threatsof torture to make them betray their fathers and masters.

They allow no priest to address the crowd when he goes to his execution, but immediately afterhis death, the judge who is present and orders his execution delivers a long harangue on the reasons forthe executions, tellinga thousand lies and absurdities aboutthe conspiracieswhich they allege were made with the King of Spain forthe conquestofthe kingdom ; and soon afterwards,theydistribute the same on placards in all public places and gates of the city. I pray to God that He may swiftly supply a remedy, and that He strengthen the hearts of the Catholic Princes who havethe resources to join together to this end, for I believe that His Divine Majesty will not permit a cruelty so contraryto all Christianityand reason to continue for very long. May [God]³ keep Your Reverence always. From Antwerp, 5 March, 1592

NOTES

1 This document appears to be a free translation, with certain additions of detail, of the first part of the previous letter, which Verstegan sent to Persons 5 March, 1592. It mayhave been written for the benefit of the SpanishCourt, since it contains references to King Philip which are not to be found in the original despatchor it may have been provided solely by Fr. Ribadeneira'suse in hisbook on the persecutionin England(seeabove) For annotationsvid previousletter.

2 This addition to the information in the English original (Letter no 3a) to the effect that they were all taken altogether at Mass is inaccurate Eustace White and Brian Lacey were apprehended about two months before the other five, as appears from A.P.C., xxi, pp 426-7 , and xxii, pp 15, 39-40. The same error is to be found in The Life and Death of Mr. Edmund Geninges (p 65), which is quoted byChallonerinhisMemoirs; though Challoner also prints a different account of White's capture.

* Supplied ed

IV. VERSTEGAN TO ROGER BAYNES.

Antwerp, 6 June , 1592 .

Stonyhurst, Coll M. 127b. Fr.Grene's summary. Verybrief Italianextract fromthe same passage, also by Grene, in Anglia 38 ii, 198 .

Someofour nation arryved at Dowayout of England reporte . that the persecution of Catholics is very great ; that one Mr. William, a priest, hath of late bin executed att London ; andthat one Mr. Grey of Norfolk, now prisoner in the Tower, is like to be executed for receaving a priest ... his lands and goods be allseased on The priest by ill usage is dead in the Towre ; his name was Mr. Fox.2

NOTES

1 Marginal note by Grene "Gulielmus , an hic est Pateson , occisus 22 Januarii, anno 1592." Despite this conjecture of Grene's it seems likely that Versteganis referring to the Williams executedshortly after Portmort, and described by Garnet in his report on the martyrs of 1592 and 1593 (C.R.S., V, p 230) as follows : "Mr.Williams, one ofthe old priestsmade in Catholic times, whom they nevertheless condemned to death because , having abandonedthe side of Calvin (for he had dischargedthe office of minister among them for some time), he had joined the Catholic Church and had obtained a dispensation for the impediment bigamia which he had incurred" (translation). See also Pollen's note, op cit. , p. 231 ; Acts of English Martyrs, pp. 120-1 ; Persons, Responsio, p 267 ; Cal. Dom . Eliz, 1591-4 , p. 151 (c April, 1592 , misdated December , 1591). Williams is listed by Ribadeneira (op cit ) for the year 1592, but other martyrologists list him as Richard Williams executed in 1588 (C.R.S. , V, pp 10, 12 , 289)

Cf. Letter no 3, note 8. Verstegan had stated earlier that the priest harboured by Grey had been executed in Norwich, but he now corrects this statement

V. VERSTEGAN TO BAYNES.

Antwerp , 27 June, 1592.

Stonyhurst, Coll. M, 127a Fr. Grene's summary.

The course and practice of the niew inquisition continueth in England, as it hath done ever since the proclamation ofNovember last Twice or thrice a weeke, or oftner, in every street of London , dyverse companies are appointed to goe from house to house , as well to know Protestants as others, and to examin whosoever , and as manyas they please¹ . . . Sir John Pickering, that wasSpeaker of the Parliament , is made Lord Keeper of the Greate Seale of England ; Sir John Popham, that was the Queen's Attorney, is made Lord Chief Justice.2

NOTES

1 Compare with Letter no 3

2 Puckering, one of the Queen's favourites, was madeLord Keeper28 April, 1592, and Popham Lord Chief Justice 2 June, 1592, in succession to Sir Christopher Wray Both of them were knighted at the time of taking office (D.N.B., vol 46, pp 148, 443).

VIa VERSTEGAN TO BAYNES. Antwerp, 1 August, 1952.1

Archives S.J. , Rome, Anglia 38ii, 199. Italian extract by Fr. Grene Cited by Fr. Bartoli in Inghilterra, pp 376, 377, 379 .

Richard Verstegan, Antuerpià 1 Augusti, 1592, scribit ad Rogerium Banesium

Postquam retulissetquaedam de morte domini Rogerii Ashtoni qui suspensus est Londini circa 10 praecedentis mensis eo quod suo regi Hispaniae militasset etc., haec habet de patre Sotoello : Padre Sotoello fu preso a la casa d'un certo signore Bellamy,3 lontana di Londra 15 miglia, alli 12 di luglio incirca.5 Era venuto qua la sera precedente , e con nomefinto non maiusato prima Topliffo, venuto per pigliarlo, domandò per lui sotto questo nome, onde appare che fosse tradito da qualcheduno di casa. Di piu, Topclifo domando dalla padrona di casa (essendo assente il padrone) che li mostrasse la secreta. Ella rispose di non sapere nissun luogo simile. "Bene donque" , disse egli, "la so io" , e cosi andò dritto al luogo secreto dove stava nascosto il padre . 10 Toplcifo [sic] meno il padre a casa suanelrionediWestmonasterio, " e là l'a tormentatoquattrodiverse volte, sospendendolo dalle mani, e in altre maniere, lo domandò se non era Giesuita, qual era il suo nome , etc.12

6

Il padre recuso di dare risposta a qualsi voglia cosa, dicendo che se li dicesse uno, loro non cessarebbono di tormentarlo per sapere altre cose Alhora uno domando se fosse stato mai nella chiesa di San Paolo Il padre rispose che non voleva confessare ne anche questo , non potendo confessare nulla, dallo qualeloro non farebbono tante altre consequenze, e cercarebbonodi farlo confessare piu che egli non sapesse Alhora lo sospesero per le mani ad uno muro per lo spatio di molte hore , e Toplifo lo laceio in questo statoe se ne parti di casa Dopo qualque lungo tempo un suo servitore, vedendo ch'il padre era venuto meno, e in qualque pericolo di morire, lo chiamò a casa in presciaa levarlo di là per questavolta . 14 13

L'usofrequente della tortura essendo tanto dispiaciuto a tutto il popolo, Toplifohà autoritàdi tormentarlisacerdotia casa sua , come parerà a lui, la cui crudelta inhumana e tale che non tralasciarà tormento nissuno Iddio consoli i suoi servi.

Un certo signore Yonger sta nelli carceri (Counter). Non si sà ancora il suo vero nome, e non si confessa essere sacerdote . . .15 Un certo signore Shawe, altrimente Marchant, sacerdote , s'e fatto apostata . 16

Translation

Richard Vestegan writes to Roger Baynes from Antwerp, 1 August, 1952.1

After relating certain things concerning the death of Mr. Roger Ashton, who was hanged in London about 10 of the precedingmonth because he fought for theKing of Spain, etc., he has this concerning Fr. Southwell Fr. Southwell wastaken²about 12 July5 in the house ofa certain Mr. Bellamy, ³ 15 miles from London He had arrived there the night before, and under an assumedname which he had never used before.7 Topcliffe, who had come there to arrest him, asked for him under this name, by which it appears that he was betrayed by someone of the house. Further, Topcliffeasked the lady of the house (the master being absent) to show him the hideout She replied that she did not knowofanysuchplace "Well, then , " said he, "I know it" , and so went straightto the secret place where the father was hidden . 10 Topcliffe brought thepriesttohis own house, in the City of Westminster,11 and there tormented him on four separate occasions, by hanging him up by the hands, and in other ways, demanding of him whether he was a Jesuit or not , and what his name was, etc . 12

The father refused to give an answer to the things required, sayingthatifhe told them one thing, theywould not cease torturing him in order to learn more Then one asked him if he had ever been in St. Paul's church. The priest replied that hewasunwilling to reply to this either, being unable to confess anything without them making manyother things followfromit, and seekingto force him to confess more than he knew . 13 Then he was suspended by the hands from a wall for many hours, and Topcliffe left him in this condition and went out After a long time, one of his servants, seeing that the father had fainted and was in some danger of dying, called him home in haste to take him down from there for that occasion . 14

The frequent use of torture being greatly disliked by all the people, Topcliffe has authority to torture priests in hishouseashe sees fit, whose inhuman cruelty is such that he does not omitany torture. May God comfort His servants !

A certain Mr. Younger is in the Counter prison. His real name is not yet known, and he has not confessed to being a priest ... 15 A certain Mr. Shawe, otherwise known as Marchant, a priest, has apostatized . 16

NOTES

1 The letter is extant in two extracts, both made by Grene, one in Italian concerning Southwell, which he prepared for Bartoli , and the other in English concerningRogerAshton The wholelettermust have contained much the same information as that sent to Fr. Persons 3 August, 1592 (Letter no. 7).

2This accountofSouthwell'sarrestshouldbe comparedwiththatinGarnet's letter to Verstegan 16/26 July, 1592 (Letterno 9) which is a fuller, and , apparently, a more accurateversion. For a composite account ofSouthwell's arrest based on a collation of the earliest sources vid C. Devlin, Robert Southwell, 1956, pp 274ff.

3 The Bellamys lived at Uxendon Manor They had given help to the Babington fugitives, as a result of which, two sons of the house wereput to death, a third sufferedtorture and exile, and the aged mother died in prison Her eldest son, Richard, was master of the house at the time of Southwell's apprehension See further, W. D. Bushell "The Bellamiesof Uxendon" , Harrow Octocentenary Tracts, 1914; Morris Troubles , ii, pp 48ff.; C. Devlin, op cit , pp 138 , 275ff

4 Garnet'saccountstates withgreateraccuracy8 miles, thedistanceestimated by Davis who frequented the house (Challoner, Memoirs, i, p 215), and by Richard Bellamy (Morris Troubles, ii, p 52) Devlin (op cit p 278) ominously gives the distanceas seven and a halfmilesfromthe north-west fork at Tyburn.

5 A variety of dates has been put forward for Southwell's capture While the above letter and that of 3 August, 1592 give 12 July (O.S. 2 July), Garnet's letter to Verstegan 16/26 July has 5 July (O.S. 25 June), which is followed by P. Janelle, Robert Southwell the Writer, 1935, p 65, and by Devlin , op. cit, p 278. A third date is provided by two ofthe accounts of Southwell's trial "A Brefe Discourse" (Anglia II, i), and Challoner Memoirs, i, p 332, which quote the date of capture mentioned in the indictment as 20 June (adopted by Morris, Troubles , ii, p 60, M. Hood, The Book of Robert Southwell , 1926, p 44 ; cf. however T. Morus, Hist Prov Angl. Soc Jesu, p 195) The correct date appears to be Sunday, 25 June-5 July as given by Garnet, which is supported by Topcliffe's autograph letter to the Queen , Monday 26 June (Landsdowne72, no 39 , f. 113, vid. Letter no. 1 , note 63) in which he states he has just taken Southwell ; and Robert Barnes's speech before the Bar in 1598 (printed in Tierney-Dodd, Church History of England, iii, p cxcviii)

To add to the confusionin dating, Topcliffe's letter has often been incorrectly dated 22 June (Strype, Annals, iv, p 186, followed by Morris , op. cit , ii, p 62, Harrison, Elizabethan Journal 1591-4, p 140, P. Hughes, The Reformation in England, iii, xxviii).

6 According to Garnet, however , (Letter no 9) Southwell rode to the house on Sunday morning In Barnes's account, Southwell set outfrom London at 10 o'clock and arrived at midday (Tierney-Dodd, op cit ,iii, p cxcviii)

7This wasthealias Cotton (cf. Letterno 9), which he apparently took from George Cotton in whose house in Fleet Street he had often stayed(Devlin op cit , pp. 215, 256). Southwell had long been friendlywith theCotton family, and had travelled with some of them on the Continent (vid 1st and2nd Douay Diaries ; Devlin, op cit., p. 27, etc.)

8 Southwell was betrayed by Anne, one of Richard Bellamy's daughters. She had been imprisoned in the Gatehouse in January, 1592 , where she was seduced by Topcliffe, who, whenhe realisedshe was pregnant,married her offto Nicholas Jones, one of his servants In the meantime she was prevailed on, for the future safety of her family, to entice Southwell to spend one night in the Bellamy householdwherehe would be apprehended by Topcliffe. Jones seemsto havebeen the instigator ofthe plan (vid.Topcliffe's letter, cited note 5), details of which appear in Robert Barnes's deposition (Tierney-Dodd, loc cit.)

Richard Bellamy in his answers to charges brought against him by Topcliffe (B. M. Harleian MSS 6998, f 23, printed in Morris, op cit, ii p 52ff.) state that on the day whenSouthwell was arrestedin his house he was from home and three days before" Those who were present included Richard's wife, Catherine, and his two daughters, Mrs. Audrey Wilforde and Mary Bellamy (Devlin, op cit , p 279)

10 This should be comparedwith the accountin Garnet's letterof 16/26 July (Letter No. 9) stating that Catherine Bellamy revealed where Southwell was hidden, either because she had been overcome by threats, or because the hiding-place had already been betrayed, which coincides with the suspicionin the aboveletter that one of the household had betrayed the Jesuit Barnes declared that Topcliffe had gone to Uxenden "bringing a letterin his hand, written by the hand of Anne Bellamy, givinghim the way to the house, giving him marks to know the house by, and directing him right unto a secret place within the house where he did apprehend Mr. Southwell " (Tierney-Dodd, loc cit.). For a note on the Bellamy hiding-placevid Devlin, p 356, who suggests it wasin theattic

11 Topcliffe's house was in Westminster Churchyard (vid. Letterno 1 , note 63), close by the Gatehouse prison.

12 At his trial in 1595 Southwell stated that he had been tortured, in all, on ten occasions, each one worse than death (cf. Letter no 57a, note 4). For an account of the effects of the hanging torture vid Devlin, op cit, Pp 285-6

13 Cf. T. Morus, op. cit , p. 193, Devlin, op. cit, pp. 287-8.

14 Cf. Garnet to Aquaviva, 7 March 1595 (Arch. S.J. Rome, Anglia, 31 , i, f. 109)

15 James Younger or Younge, who used the aliases George Dingley and Thomas Christopher, was ordained priest in Rome, went on toSpain and thence into England disguised as a sailor early in 1591. He was arrested about March, 1592, and imprisonedin the PoultryCounter Although at the time of the aboveletter he had not yielded any information, he made an extensive confession towards the end of August, and volunteered to turn informer against Catholics. Amongst the items of information he gave was that concerning one of Persons's intelligencers who lived at Antwerp, this being almost certainly Verstegan(Cal. Dom. Eliz., 1591-4 , p. 261) See also id. , pp. 255 ff; 315 etc.; Hatfield House MSS , iv, pp 403, 432 ; C.R.S., V, pp. 199 , 262

16 This may possibly have been Francis Shawof Chester, who was ordained priest at Rheims in 1584 and went to England the same year. He was soon captured, and was firstimprisonedandthen exiled, butlaterreturned to England (1st and 2nd Douay Diaries, pp 12, 29, 200, 201 , 208 , 262 , 296 ; C.R.S., II, p 240 ; V, pp 306-7 ; XXI, p. 344).

VIb. English extract from the same letter.

Stonyhurst, Coll M, 127c Fr. Grene's hand

About the 10 of the last month, Mr. Roger Ashton was drawn , hangd and quartered at Tyborne . . .1 Bishop of Bristow . . present at his execution, willed him to desyre the people to pray with him. He answered that he desyred such Catholics as were present to pray for him, but the praiers of the others he requyred not, because they could do him no good. Ad multa contra ipsum obiecta . he answered that he was not any principal actor in the deliveryof Deventer, and confessed that he had a pensionfromthe King of Spaine . . . being a younger brother . . . with little annuity of his own ... that he had never practised any treason, nor ever had heard of others' talke of treason . .. He was willed to pray for the Queen, and soe he did ; and soe dyed very resolutely, making professionof his faith ... hewas notexclamedon, butrather pityed by the people Multa hic narrat de captura et de tormentis P. Southwelliquae alibinarrata habes a P. Bartoli. OneMr.Hardesty , a priest, being taken in the North, was brought up to London, and is sent down againebut to what end is not yet known ... 3

LETTERS OF RICHARD VERSTEGAN

NOTES

1 This date (10 July, 1592) is wrong, and that cited by Grene in a marginal note "23 June in catalogo V, fol 38d . " appears to be the correct one . Cf. Gerard's catalogue (printed in C.R.S., V, p. 293), and Challoner , Memoirs, i, p. 288. Roger Ashton was the third son of Richard Ashton ofCroston In 1585 he had gone to serve under Leicesterin the Low Countries, and was with Sir William Stanley when Deventer was handedover to the Spaniardsin January, 1587. He seems to have been commissionedby Stanley to ask Cardinal Allen to write a defence of the surrender of that town, and the resulting work , The Coppie ofa Letter writtenbyM. Doctor Allen concerning the Yeeldingup ofthe Citie of Daventrie, 1587 contains a prefatoryletter which in one edition is signed " R.A." and was probably writtenbyAshton Later he returned to England and was apprehended "coming in secrett manner into the realme with a bill of the Pope's about him to dyspense with him for the marrying of a gentlewomanbeingneere of kindered unto him" (A.P.C., xx, p 356) Although he escaped from the Marshalsea , hewas recapturedsoon after, condemned and executed (see further A.P.C., xx, loc. cit., xxi, p 127, xxii, pp 440, 524 ; Challoner loc. cit.; Cath. Encycl. , i, p 777) A fuller account of Ashton's execution is contained in the next letter

2 The Bishop of Bristol was Richard Fletcher who later became Bishop of London

3 Marginal note by Grene: "Robert Hardesty, martyred 24 September, 1589, diciturlaicus in catalogo anni 1612" But the Hardesty mentioned above is not Robert Hardesty the layman but William Hardesty from York, who was ordained at the English College Rome in 1586 , went on the English Mission in 1588 , and when arrested in 1592, apostatizedand turned informant See further C.R.S., V, pp 242, 272, 282; XXXVII p 28 ; Foley, Records, vi, pp 507, 551 ; Morris, Troubles , iii, pp 122 , 175 , 193 ; A. Jessopp, Letters of Fr. Henry Walpole, p 19

VII. VERSTEGAN TO FR . PERSONS .

Antwerp, 3 August, 1592.

Stonyhurst, Coll B. 53. Holograph The part concerning Ashton and Southwell was printed in C.R.S., V, pp 211-12.

In Antwerp, the 3 of August, 1592.

Aboute the 10 of last month Mr. Roger Ashton was drawne hanged and quartered at Tyborne.¹ There was present at his excution their Bishop of Bristow, who willedhimto desirethe people to pray with him ; whereunto he answered that he desyred such Catholikes as were present to pray for him, but the prayers ofthe others he required not, because they could do him no good. He was charged by Toclif at his [trial ?]³ that he had bene a principall actorin the deliveryof Deventer, and that he had takena pension of the King of Spaine ; and moreover, that he had practized with divers fugitive traitors beyonde the seas . He answered that he was not any principall actor in the delivery of Deventer , and confessed that he had a pension of the King of Spaine. "For," quod he , "I, beeing a yonger brother,5 had only5 poundes annuity byyeare, andit pleased the King to give me 25crownes the moneth" . But that he had ever practized treasonwithanyfugitivehe denied, saying further that he did never amonge them heare any talke of treason . He was willed to pray for the Queen, and so he did, and was bidd farewell by divers of his acquaintance, and so died very resolutely, making profession of his faith Neverthelesse , he was not exclamed on, but ratherpittied of the people, in suchsorte as the lyke in this tyme hathe not bene sene .

Mr. AnthonySkinner is condemned, but not executed Neither is it thought he shalbe, for that some kynde of offerofhis pardon hathe bene madeto some ofhis frendesfor the some of500 poundes; and it is thought lesse wilbe taken. The Vicechamberlaine, " as I heare, hathe undertaken to get it When he was on the torture , they urged him to confesse that he was sent to kill the Queen , to whichhe confessed ; but so soone as he was released , he foorthwith denied it, saying that their tortures were such as might make him to say whatsoever they pleased.

Fr.Southwellwas apprehendedat one Mr. Bellamie's, 15 myle[s] from London, aboute the 12 ofJuly. He came thetherbutthenight before, and by a name that before that tyme he had not used. And Topclif, coming thether to apprehend him, asked for him by thesame name, which argueth that he was betrayed by some of that house . Moreover, Topclif did will the gentilwoman of the

LETTERS OF RICHARD VERSTEGAN No. VII house (for her husband was absent) to tell him where the secret was wherein he was conveyed; and she answeredthat she knew no such place. "Then," quothhe, "I do" And so he went directly unto the place Topclif caried the Father with him to his owne house inWestminster , andthere he hathe excedingly tormented him atfowre severalltymes, bothe by hanging by the handesand otherwise, demaunding of him whether he were not a Jesuyte, and whether his namewas not Southwell, whether he were not employed there for the Pope and King ofSpain

The father refused to answere to any thing, saying that yf he should tell them any thing at all, yet would they not leave to torment him to knowe more, yea, to know more then himselfdid knowe. Whereuppon, one ofthe examiners did aske himwhether he would confesseyfeverhe had bene in Powles The father answered that he would not confesse that neither, because he could confesse nothinguntothem but they would still enferr further matter uppon it, and seke to get from him more then he knewe Uppon this, he was hanged by the handes against a wall manyhowres together ; and Topclif left him hanging, and so went abrode. After he had bene a long tyme10 absent, one of his servants, perceavingthefather to be in a swund or in some dangerto give [up]11 the ghoste, called him hastely home againe to lett him downefor that tyme Because the often exercise of the rack in the Towre was so odious, and somuchspokenof of the people, Topcliffhatheaucthoritie totorment priestes in his owne house, in such sorte as he shall thinck good ; whose inhuman cruelty is so great, as he will not spare to extend anytorture whatsoever OurLordof His infynitemercy strenghthen and comforte this good father and all such as shall fall into his mercilesse handes

Mr. Yonger is in the Counter . His right name is not knowne , nor that he is a priest. He telleth them that he is a Catholike , and desyreth them to let that suffise, alleaging that yf any man can accuse him of ought els, he must answere it; in the meanetyme he is not bound to accuse him self. There is one Mr. Shawe, otherwise called Marchant, a priest falne from the Churche, who fell before Fr. Southwell, his apprehension He remaineth in London , and is brave in apparell He was brought unto the Counter to see Mr. Yonger, and whether he did knowhim or not I cannot learne ; but he denied that he knew him . 12

One Mr. Hardesty, a priest, beeing taken in the northe partes, was brought up to London, and is sent downe againe to the Northe, but to what end is not knowne to the Catholiks as yet 13 The Catholike gentlemen that were under bondes do yet remaine at their wonted libertie, to witt, in their owne or in their freindes' howses, within 7 myles of London . 14

The Lord Hunsdon, beeing Chamberlaine, exhibiteda note unto the Queen to move her to make the Earl of Huntington, the Earl of Shrewesbury and the Earl of Essex of her Privy Councell. The

Queen brought the note unto the Lord Treasurer demaunding his advice, who told her that her judgment was sufficient in the choise ofher Councellors; but beeing urged by her to say his mynd, he made answere that she did well knowe how dangerous it was to give to great aucthoritie unto her nobillitie "And asforthe Earl of Huntington, " quod he, "Your Majestie hathe madehim President of the Councell of Yorck, which is a very highe and honorable place . 15 The Earl ofShrewesburyYour Majesti[e] knowethtohave averywisewyf, 16 and my Lord of Essexyoumaysparefora whyle untillhe hathe gotten moreexperience" . 17 So that theirarenotany newcouncellorsmade, notwithstanding allformer bruites,exceptonly Sir John Puckering, who, beeing Lord Keeper, is ofthe PrivyCouncell

The Treasurer is become exceeding insolent, and dothe thereby encrease the stedfast hatred of the nobillity and people, untowhome he dothe dayly growe more and more odious He suffred, oflate , the Lord Admirall, 18 the Lord Chamberlane, and the Lord of Buckhurst to stand bare headed before him a quarterof an howre together, and many of the noblemen can have but a yea and a no at his handes. The Queen will listen to none but unto him; and somtymes, she is faine to come to his bedsyde to entreathim in some-things. Heuseth theLady Hobby19 (notwithstandinghis old age) in secret familiarity, and his crookedsonne, envying her favour , laid a libell against her on his father's pillow, whichcausedagreat breach betwenethe fox and his cubbe .

The Earle of Essex is of all other the most discontented person of the Courte , who having consumed 40 thowsand poundes, lost his owne brother, and the love of sundry his followers, fyndeth himself to be mocked and deluded with woordes by Cecill . 20

There were never more malcontents of all sortes, aswellgentlemen as others, insomuch that they seeme to be at that point that they care not what stirr may happen, or who would attempt it, so they might mend their conditions, and revenge their injuries And it is well knowne that Cecill dothe at this presente more feare this discontented multytude, yf any tumult should happen, then he dothe the Catholikes ; for he hathe takenorder to restraine those , but the others he cannot

It was of late determyned by the Councell that a lone ofmony should be required of the Londoners ; the which beeingunderstood bysomeofthe citie, they consulted together thatthey would deny it, aleaging that they were somuch pressed that theywere not able to graunt it ; and this beeinglykewise certified unto the Councell , they went not forward with their determynation . 21

Sir John Parrat is not executed The only thing that could be prooved against him was that he should say, when the Spanish Armada was on the seas , that the Queen was of a dastardlynature, and that he thoughte she did then bepisse her smock (in thease tearmesthe woordes were repeated at the barr), and thathe hoped to live the day that she should have nede of him . 22

The Earl of Huntingtonis appointed to go downeuntotheNorthe there to take againe his former office or dignitie

The Lord Bothwellof Scotland hathe given some attempt of late to take the King or the Chauncelor, which hathe not succeeded. A great part of the nobillitie do favour him . 23

Addressed To Father Robert Parsons, Madrid

Endorsed by Fr. Persons Mr.Verstenghan'sadvisesfrom Antuerp, 3 Augusti, 1592

NOTES

1 Vid. Letterno 6b, note 1 .

2 MS. "with with him"

3 Supplied ed. Pollen (C.R.S., V, p. 211) does not supply any word , but instead omits "at his"

4 Pollen (loc cit ) omits "confessed" .

5 Ashton was the third son. The pension he stated he receivedwas a little below the average amount granted to English pensioners

6 Anthony Skinner, a former servant to Cardinal Allen was apprehended incompanywith Richard Acliffe atGravesend whilstcominguptheThames in a small boat from Calais, and was imprisoned and interrogated in the Marshalsea . He very quickly turned apostate and spy (vid A.P.C., xxii, p 130 ; Cal Dom. Eliz., 1591-4, pp 217, 225, 228, 229, 573 ; Cal. Dom . Addenda , 1580-1625, p 486; A Jessopp, Letters of Fr. Henry Walpole, pp 29-31)

7 Sir Thomas Heneage .

8 For annotations on this section see Letter No. 6a, notes 2-14

9 Partially obliterated in MS

10 Pollen (loc. cit ) reads "while" .

11 Supplied ed

12 Vid. Letterno 6a, notes 15 and 16 .

13 Vid. Letterno 6b, note 3

14 Vid Letter no 1 , note 52.

15 Henry Hastings, third Earl of Huntingdon, was President of theCouncil of the North from 1572 until his death in 1595. He never became a Privy Councillor.

16 Gilbert Talbot, seventhEarl ofShrewsbury, was married toMaryCavendish daughter of Sir William Cavendishof Chatsworth. A few details of her character and activities are given in P.M. Handover, Arbella Stuart, 1957.

17 Essex was only 24 at the time He was made a Councillor 25 February, 1593 (A.P.C., xxiv, p. 78).

18 Lord Charles Howard of Effingham

19 This is possibly Mary, the daughter of Henry Carey, who married Sir Edward Hoby, the elder son of Sir Thomas Hoby, in 1582 (D.N.B., vol. 27, p 52) It is unlikelythat Verstegancould be referring to Elizabeth Hoby, Burghley's sister-in-law, whowas married first to Sir ThomasHoby, who died in 1566, and then to Lord Russell, who died in 1584. She was well over 60 by 1592. Neither can LadyMargaret be intended, since she did not marry Thomas Posthumous Hoby (younger son of Sir Thomas) until1595. (See furtherconcerningElizabeth andMargaret Hoby D.N.B., vol 27, p 56; D. M. Meads, Diary of Lady Margaret Hoby, 1930 ; V. Wilson, SocietyWomen of Shakespeare's Time, 1924)

LETTERS OF RICHARD

20 Essex had conductedan unsuccessful campaign in France, during which he lost his brother Walter at the siege of Rouen in September , 1591, and spent, without recompense , a considerableamount of his private money, which was estimated at about £14,000 (cf. E. M. Tenison, Elizabethan England , ix, p 30) Bymid-1592 he was hopelessly indebt, andendeavoured to petition the Queen through Robert Cecil It is to the failure of this petition that the above letter appears to refer when it states that Essex was "mocked and deluded" by Cecil Early in July the Earl wroteto him expressing his exasperation and accusing him of double dealing : "I have been with the Queen and have had my answer How it agrees with your letter you can judge after you have spoken with the Queen . Wither you have mistaken the Queen or used cunning with me I know not I will not condemn you, but leaveyou to think, ifit were yourown case , whither you would not be jealous Your Frend if I have cause , R. Essex" (Murdin, State Papers, p 655) Late in the month, however , Essex acknowledgedthat the failure ofhis petitionseemed to beduenotto falseness on the part of Cecil but to the obduracy of the Queen , or so he wrote (id 656).

Despite the polite cordialitywhich is to be found in some of Essex's correspondence with the Cecils, there was a natural rivalry betweenthem which was to increase and toculminate in Robert Cecil's bitterdenunciation and victory over the Earl in 1601; and Lord Burghley was jealous of anyone who might compete for power with his younger son , as can be seenfrom this and other letters of Verstegan (see also M. A. Hume, Lord Burghley, pp 450, 454 ff.).

21Itispossible thatVerstegan is referring to the request made tothe merchants of London in June, 1592 for contributions towards the cost of fortifying Plymouth (A.P.C. , xxii, pp 529-30) From a letter sent to the Lord Mayor of London by the Privy Councilin December , 1592, it appears that the appeal had come to nothing (A.P.C., xxiii , pp 361-2) For details of loans and their repayment in this period see Cal Dom Eliz., 1591-4 , p 216, etc., Hatfield House MSS., iv, p 182

22 Sir John Perrot, reputed to be an illegitimate son of Henry VIII, wasLord Deputy of Ireland from 1584 until 1588. On 27 April, 1592, aftera long imprisonment, he was tried for High Treason alleged to have beencommitted whilst holding that office The indictment charged him with contemptious words against the Queen, relieving priests and traitors, encouragingthe rebellion of Brian O'Rourke, and with treasonablecorrespondence with the Kingof Spain and the Duke of Parma, the lastcharge being based on a letter, obviously forged, which he was supposed to have written to Philip II. The prosecution concentrated on the charges of speaking contemptously of the Queen, and Perrot did not deny speaking the words, although he resented the interpretation placed on them . He was condemned to a traitor's death 26 June, 1592, but not executed , and died in the Tower in Novemberof the same year See further, Cal. Dom. Eliz , 1591-4 ; R. Naunton, Fragmenta Regalia, 1641 ; R. Rawlinson , History of Sir John Perrott, 1728 ; D.N.B., vol 45

23 This refers to the daring but unsuccessful raid by the Earl of Bothwell on Falkland Palace in June, 1592, in an attempt to capture James VI (Cal. Scot., 1589-1593, pp 707-713, 716-720). Earlier, in December , 1591 , Bothwell had attempted to seize the King and the Chancellor, Sir John Maitland,in Holyrood Palace (id pp 609, 616, 618, 623, 627-8) Concerning Bothwell's friends and supportersvid id , pp 538, 543, 709, 732

VIII. VERSTEGAN TO FR. PERSONS .

Antwerp, 6 August, 1592.

Stonyhurst, Coll B, 57. Holograph.

Right Reverend, in my last unto you dated the 24 of the last moneth , I acknowlegedthe receit ofyours with the bill of exchange, which is promised to be paid the 16 of this present, beeing two monethes after the date

Iam right sory to send you the ill newes of Fr. Southwellhis apprehension, who is now in combat with his mortall enemyes. OurLord graunt him strenght to go forwardas he hathe resolutely begun, and so shall he remain perpetuall victor. Somuch as hetherto I have understood thereof I have written in a sheete of paper enclosed in this pakett unto Sir Frauncis ; but that paper is unsealed, to the end he may read it with the otherthinges therein conteyned, because I would save the labour to write it twice Yett, yfyousee any inconvenience in this course , you may please to let meunderstand it.3 Here are letters fromLondon ofthe 28 of July, 4 by the which I understand that Navarr his ambassador is either departed, or uppon the point to departe, but withouteeithermony or men There are not any forces in levying for Navarr in Germany ; and in Fraunce, his meanes is very much decreassed , espetially since the deathe of the Marshall of Biron; 6 so that heis almost brought into a very desperate state, and, I trust, wilbe driven to great extremity when our Duke shall enter with his forces. Whereby, it may please God that some good oportunity may fall oute for 208 [victory ?], yf the occasion be taken hold on; and in my slenderjudgment , it were good that the 7 m 14 p me 20 [convio ?] that cometh from 38 [West Indies ?], having delivered their chardge in 20 [Spain], might foorthwith come into 54 [France ?], which may fall oute to espetiall good purpose, yf some thinges do succede in 25 [England] that I shall not nede to name . I beseech you to consider hereof.8

5

Thease lateletters from England beforementioned do still signify the generall discontentment of the people , all marchandice and necessary comodities beeing very scarse ; yet are vitualls resonable cheape, which may procede of want of mony, and corne is so very aboundant, that thease twenty yeares there was not suchstore, nor thesame so good [and] cheape.

We hearenot, as yet, of any pay, and this is the 11 monethe that wehad nothing but the third parte of one monethe'spay. I do not directly perceave Your Fatherhoode's meaning touching the 230 florins which you have appointed me to receaveover and above

the 80 li for Mr. Barcrofte,10 but I shalbe enforced to use thereof , by reason of this great extremity, to the end I retaine my creditt here, and content such as I do deale withall for entelligence, etc. I sent of late unto 19711 before I hard of his absence , but I trust my letters will come to 195 [Garnet] his handes , whose answere I expect the next weke More for the presente I will not trouble you with, but, comittingYour Fatherhoode to God, I humblytake my leave. Antwerp, this 6 of August, 1592 .

Your very asuredservitor , R. Verstegan.

We heare from Germany that the yong Duke of Saxony and the heire to the Counte Palatine of the Rhene are with the Emperor at Prage, and both brought up under Catholike tutors . 12

Addressed Al Molto Reverendo in Christo, Padre il Roberto Personiodella Campagniadi Giesu , a Validolid.

Endorsed by Fr. Persons Werstenghan's advises and accomptes, Augusti 6, 1592

NOTES

1 This letter, which does not survive, was not the last Versteganhad sent , since he despatcheda later one dated 3 August ; but he was probably estimating that it was the latest Person would have received .

2i.e. Sir FrancisEnglefield

3 Persons did notconsiderthis a convenientmethod, and he wrote a memorandum on theback of one of Verstegan'sletters (no 41) to the effect that he would ask him to discontinue this practice

4 Verstegan does not appear to have received Garnet's letter of 26 July as yet (vid Letterno 9)

5 Navarre sent the Sieur de Sancy over to England in June to negotiate for further help in his war against the League Elizabeth drove a hard bargain with de Sancy, and in return for aid which consisted merely of aforceof4,000 English to co-operatewith 5,000 FrenchandDutch troops, she procuredthe cession of a town in Britanny(vid Camden Annalls 1635 , p 412; T. Rymer's Foedera 1742, vii, pp 96-7 ; J. B. Black, Elizabethand Henry IV, 1914 , pp. 56ff)

6 Marshal Biron was killed by a cannon ball at the siege of Epernay, 26 July, 1592. In view of his treachery, it is hard to say whether or not his death was a very serious blow to Henry (vid Q. Hurst, Henry of Navarre, 1937, pp 108-110)

7 Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma, went to the aid ofthe Leagueon two occasions, in 1590 and 1591-2 , each time with great success (vid L. Van der Essen , Alexandre Farnèse, 1937, v , pp 272ff ) He returned to the Low Countries in June, 1592, intending to re-enter France later in the year ; but although he made plans for a third campaign there , he died before he could carry them into effect.

8 Decodingin this letter supplied ed See sectionof Introductionon code . It is hard to decide to what "some thinges" refer.

In a letter to Burghley written4 months earlier than the above , Reinold Bosely (see Letter no 11 , note 7) wrote as follows : "All Englishmen in the Low Countrieslivehardly, andfor seven months have not had a penny, so that many are ready to starve" (Cal Dom Eliz , 1591-4 , p. 209). Verstegan , as a pensioner of the King of Spain, wasentitled to 30 crowns per month, but this was very infrequently paid (vid Introduction ).

10Probably Thomas Barcroft of Chester , whom Versteganhad met in Rome in 1584 when they stayed at the English College together (Pilgrim Book, printed in Foley, Records S.J., vi, p. 555). He was ordained priest at Rheims in September , 1589, and went back to England as a missionary the following month (1st and 2nd Douay Diaries). In a list of priests in and about London in February, 1591 (S.P. Dom . Eliz, vol ccxxxviii, no 62, printed Foley, op. cit , vi, p 164) he is described as "Barcroft alias Croftes, of a mane statuar, flaxy herre, a white stayn dobolet , &c. , and hathe layne at [Mr.] Mompesson's " ; and he is mentionedin a similar list for 1593 (Foley, op cit , vi, p 742) His brother John turned a government informer in 1591 (Cal. Dom Eliz., 1591-4, pp. 148-9 , 233)

11 197 may be "Garlick" , referred to in Garnet's letter of 26 July as being out of town (see Letter no 9) ; or it could possibly be Southwell, his "absence" being his imprisonment.

19 The young Elector of Saxony, Christian II (1583-1611) succeeded his father in 1591. He was nine years of age in 1592

The successor to the Palatinate of the Rhine was Frederick IV (15741610), son of Louis IV who died in 1583. He had been brought up as a Lutheran by his uncle, John Casimir, on whose death early in 1592 he refusedto be subject to another tutor, and although still a minortookup the reins of government the same year (Hoefer, Nouvelle Biographie Générale, vol XVIII, pp 688-9).

The Emperor of Germany was Rudolph II (1552-1612), who held court at Prague.

IX. VERSTEGAN TO PERSONS Antwerp, mid-August, 15921

Stonyhurst, Coll B. 49. Verstegan'shand Printed in its entiretyin Foley , Records S.J., i, pp 352-4 ; the first letter of the despatch printed by J. Gerard, Contributionstowards a Life of Fr. Henry Garnet, S.J. , 1898 , pp 23-5, by W. DoneBushell, "The Bellamies of Uxendon, " Harrow Octocentenary Tracts, 1914, pp 47-9 ; and by C. M. Hood, Book of Robert Southwell , 1926 , pp 43-6

The copy of [Garnet] his letter dated in London 26 ofJuly, 1592 , stylo novo, to 181 [Verstegan]2

After my harty comendations , I sent you letters of late , which I hope are come to your handes, concerning our marchandise and manner of writing, which I would willingly understand of.³ We are lyke to have heare a very plentifull yeare, so thatwe maymake great comoditie of corne, yf we be secret in our course ; whereof you shall know more by the next oportunitie. We would willingly understand some of your newes, for all forreyne matters are here concealed All our newes here is of takingof Jesuytesand priestes, with great hope of discovery of highe treasons; but mountaines many tymes prove molehilles. Of late, even the fyfth of July, beeingSounday, at one Mr. Bellamye's house, 8 mylesfromLondon, was apprehendedone Southwell, a Jesuyte, a man by reporte very learned , and one that for many good and rare partes in him had setled a generall good lyking in all that either knewe him or but hard of him . The manner of his taking I have hard delivered in thissorte. He rodetothesaid house onSoundaymorning, andthere said Masse , purposing the next morning a further jorney. In the meane, by some meanes (whereof the certainty is not knowen) his beeing there was discovered to some in aucthoritie ; and aboute midnightthether came Mr. Topclif(a famous persecutorofPapistes), accompanedwith one Mr. Barnes, a justice, and dwelling neerethe place, also yong Mr. Fitzherbert , 5 and divers others, and so besett the house that none could escape. Then comaunded he the dores to be opened ; which donne, he entred andfirst bound all the men in the house , then called for the gentlewoman, for he himself (I meane Bellamy) was not at home, and presently willedher todeliver him one Mr. Cotton (for so was he there named that came thatday to her house), which she, at first, very stoutly denyed. In fyne, eitherovercome with threates, or, as she [sa]yeth, her secret place whereinto she had conveyed him beeing betrayed, she yeildedto deliver him , which she performd , speedely fetching him thence; whome , as soone as Topclif had sight of, he offred to run at with his drawne rapier, calling him traytor ; which he denying, he demaundedwhat he was . He answered , "a gentleman" "Nay, " saithe he , "a priestand a traitor" He bad himproove it; whereat he would againe have run at him with his rapier, urging him that

VERSTEGAN

he denyed his priesthoode He said no ; "but" , quothe he, "it is neither priest nor treason that you seeke for, but only blood ; and yf myne will satisfy you, you shall have it with as good a willas ever any one's; and yf myne will not satisfy,I do not doubte but you shall fynd many moeas willing as myself ; only, I would advise you to remember there is a God, and He is just in His judgment, and therefore blood will have bloode ; but I rather wishe your conversion" or some lyke speech to lyke effect. This doen, Topclif dispatched Fitzherbert to the Courte to tell what good service he had doen, and so fell to searchingof the house , fynding there much Massingstuf, papisticall bookes and pictures ; all which he caused to be laid in a carte whichwas redy provyded, and sent to his loging at Westminster, whether also by 6 of the clock in the morning he had brought thesaid Jesuyte And so the rumour thereof came presently unto us marchants from the Courte, where there was bothe joy and, I thinck, some sorrowe for his taking. "

All that dayhe remained in Topclife's house, and thenext night he was coveyed close prisoner to the Gatehouse He hathe bene examyned divers tymes by Topclifand others, as by Mr. Killigrew, Mr. Wade, Mr. Bele and Mr. Yonge, by order from the Consaile , bothe jointly and severally. In all which examinations , they can get nothingbut that he is a priest and a religious man , true to the Queene and State, free from all treasons, only doing and attending his function . 10

It is reported by some , and very credibly, that be hathe bene tortured: as by beeing hanged up by the handes, put in irons , kept from sleepe, and such lyke devyses to such men usuall , but hereof there is no certainty. I write this long discours becauseI knowe you shall fynde manyhis favourites there, that will reporte it more plausable to the Papistes; and therefore I thoughte good to advertise the sole truthe as farras I could anyway learne And what I shall learne further you shall be certified of eitherbymy self or John Falkner," whome you may creditt London is at this season so whot12 that for my healthI meane to take the country ayre for a season, uncertaine of my tyme of returne But youmay hold on your course ; I will leave some one in trust to receaveand answere . I wrote how my marchant was arrested, but his elder brotherhathe undertaken his busynesse, who with all other freindes are well Andthus trooblingyouwiththistediousandunnecessary13 newes , I pray your patience, and comitt you to God

Your assured frendand partner, John Marchant.

This parties14 other letter, beeing of an elder date, briefly signifiethhow his marchant was arrested for debt, etc.; and also how Mr. Skinner and Mr. Ashton were condemnedfor adhearing to the King of Spaine, etc.15

The latter letter, which is written by John Falkner (a yonger brothertoyourpartner), dated there the4 ofthis presente, signifieth thatthemarchant that was arrested16 continued still in his distresse , till, of late, that his father by his freindes hath laboured that he is not now used in theextremest manner as he was . 17 Mr. Garlyke18 the fishmonger was oute of towne, but he saithhe will very shortly be there and give order for our affaires . This is the chief effect of the lastletter.

Endorsed by Fr. Persons Fr. Garnete's letter of F. Southwel's taking London, 26 Julii, 1592

NOTES

1 This despatch appears to have been sent a short time after 15 August, 1592, since it contains news from a letter from London 4 Augustwhich had not yet reached Verstegan in time for inclusion in his despatch to Roger Baynes 15 August, butwhich hewas ableto use forhis next despatch to the same persona week later (vid Letter no 10)

2 Names supplied ed That the letter was sent by Garnet appears from Person's endorsement .

3 Versteganhad mentioned in the previous letter that corn was plentiful, but here Garnet is obviously speakingmetaphorically of the missionfield. He writes with his customary guarded phraseology , referring to himself and his fellow priests as merchants, and gives a non-committalaccount of Southwell's capture for "debt" , commentingthat he has writtena very full and true account because there are many favourers of Southwell in London who "will reporte it more plausableto the Papistes" .

4 For annotations of this account of Southwell's capture vid. notes to Letter no 6a.

5 Thomas Fitzherbert who had betrayed his own family to Topcliffe (vid . Letter no 1 , note 50)

*Cf. Topcliffe's charges against Bellamy of having found in his house a great number of "horrible and most traitorous books both printed and written" (Morris, Troubles , ii, p 55)

7 Cf. Devlin, op cit , p 282. From this letter and from many others in Verstegan'scorrespondence it appears that there was at least one Catholic informant in Elizabeth's court

8 No record of"covey" for "convey" appears in N.E.D. , though there is a note ofit being used as a substantive with the sense of "conveyance"in the 14th century. It is possible that the markof contraction for an "n" has been accidentally omitted Gerard, op cit , p 24, reads , "carried" .

Sir Henry Kiligrew , Richard Young and the two Clerks of the Council , Robert Beale and William Waad, were amongst those appointed by the PrivyCouncilin January, 1592, toexamineand charge imprisonedrecusants (A.P.C., xxii, p 213) According to another letter of Garnet's, 7 March , 1595 (Arch S.J., Rome , 31 , f 117a, cited Janelle, op.cit, pp 66-7), Robert Cecil was also amongst those who examined Southwell

10 Cf. Garnet's letter to Aquaviva, 16 July, 1592 (quoted Devlin, op. cit , p. 287).

11 John Falkner is probably an alias, but of whom it is difficult to say. The referenceis too early to relate to John Falkner the Jesuit (biography in Foley, Records S.J., iii, pp 522ff)

12 i.e. "hot" Foley, op. cit., i, p 353, reads "wet" . There was a drought in London at the time (recorded in Camden , Annals, 1635 ed , p 414), but Garnet is probably speaking metaphorically of the persecution there

13 Foley, loc cit , omits "and unnecessary" .

14 Although Garnet uses "marchant" here as his profession (according to Verstegan'scopy of the letter), he frequently employedit as his surname (Foley, op cit , iv, p. 38 and note).

15 For Ashton vid. Letterno. 6b, note 1 , and for Skinner, Letter no 7, note6.

16 MS. "arresteth" .

17 See further Letters nos 12 and 13

18 Foley, op. cit. , i, p 354, reads "Carlyle" . "Garlick" , like "Falkner" , appears to be an alias The name is also mentioned in Younger's confession of August, 1592 (Cal. Dom. Eliz, 1591-4 , p. 263) in which he gives details of priests still at liberty ; but Younger is probably confusing the priest with Nicholas Garlick, who was martyred in 1588 .

X. VERSTEGAN TO BAYNES Antwerp, 22 August, 1592.

Stonyhurst, Anglia I, no 67, f.118 Holograph Summaries by Fr. Grene in English, Stonyhurst Coll M, 127f.; and in Italian, Archives S.J. Rome, 38 ii, f.198 Briefextract printed in Dodd-Tierney, iii, p 106 note

was.

Good Mr. Baynes, I have receyved yours of the 25 of July and theothers therewithenclosed, which I have sent unto the partyes unto whome they were endorsed With my last of the 15 of this presente I sent you a copy of a 222 [Jesuit] his letter from 137 [England]. Since which tyme I havereceyved another letter from a brother of that parties dated there the 5 of August ;3 and he writeth that 112 [Southwell] his father hathe somuch labored by meanes offrendesthat his sonne is not so continuallytorturedas he Ihavealsoreceyvedawritten discoursofthe lateproceedinges ofthenew commissionersagainst Catholique recusantes in Cheshyre, Shropshere, Stafordshere and North Wales, where the number of recusantesarefoundso great (as also in other provinces of England) thatthecomissioners donot knowewhatcourse to take toextinguishe them . In one parish in Warwickshere there were found 7 score recusantes; but in the provinces afore named, great numbers have bene by the comissioners constreyned by force to go to heare sermons, whereat was hardsuchweeping, lamentation and sighinges as was most wounderfull .

In this discourse there is a very notable conference , written dialogue wise , that was betwene a famous preacherof Chesterand a Catholique prisoner ; and sondry other thinges are alsoset downe , some of them beeing very admirable.6

I do not perceavethat anyforces are to be levyed in England to be sent foorthe. I have hard that there was a determination in 137 [England] to have given succours to the banditos yf they had continued somwhat longer in vigeur " Heere is litle newes stirring in thease partes. Our nation [is] as yet unrelievedandin woonderfull misery. Sir Thomas Marckenfeild died this last week in Bruxells in very extreeme want, in a most miserable poore cotage.

I will heere sease to trooble you further, beeing somewhat troobled with an agew at this present I desyre you to remember my humble duty to His Grace, and to accept my very harty commendations to Mr. Hesket and your self Antwerp, this 22 of August, 1592.

Yours assuredly Richard Verstegan.

Addressed AlMolto Magnifico Signore , il Signore Rogero Baynes, Secretario all Illustrissimo il Cardinale di Inghilterra, a Roma .

X

LETTERS OF RICHARD VERSTEGAN

Endorsed by Baynes?

Endorsed by Greene

... the 19 of 7, 1592

The number of recusantes are founde to be more and more. No forces levied to send any whether. Intention to have given succorsto the banditos in Italy yf they had continued SirThomasMarcenfieldedeade .

Verstegan, 1592 .

Papered seal depicting Christ Child

NOTES

1 Decodingsin this letter supplied ed

This appears to be Garnet's letter of 26 July, a copy of whichVerstegan had sent to Persons also, as appears from the previous despatch.

3 Versteganhad dated it 4 August in the previous letter

4 A letter from the Privy Council to the Justices of Assize of Cheshire in March, 1592, urged them to be "carefull in th' execution of that charge against recusant Papist[s], in respectof the nomber latelie increased by the practise of the Jhesuites and seminaryes , as dangerous subjectesto the State" (A.P.C., xxii, p 324) For details of recusancyin thevarious countiesat this time, andthe difficulties the commissioners were encountering in dealing with it, vid id , pp xxix-xxxii, 324-5, 543-5; A.P.C. , xxiii, pp xxxiiiff, 25-7 , 188, 191-2, 202-3 ; Cal Dom Eliz , 1591-4 , pp 158-9, 298 .

5 A very full list of recusants in Warwickshire, as submitted by the commissioners for the county around November, 1592, is contained in S.P. Dom. Eliz., vol ccxliii, no 76

6 Neither the treatise nor the conference appears to have survived.

7 Bandits were activein the PapalStates andother parts of Italy throughout the first half of 1592. Under the principal leadership of Mario Sciarra, who proclaimed himself King of the Campagna , they plundered and murdered on a large scale before being subdued by Papal troops See further Jacque-Auguste De Thou, Historie Universelle , 1734 ed , ix, ix, pp. 919ff.; Fugger News-Letters, 1st series, 1924, pp. 169 , 171-2

8 Markenfield had been attained for High Treason in 1571 for his part in the Northern Rebellion of 1569, but fled before action could be taken against him. He appears to have been in want for the greater part of his long exile, and in 1580 had attempted, without success, to obtain a pension from the Pope (See further Hatfield House MSS., i, ii ; Cal. Dom 1547-80, pp 411 , 587 ; R. Lechat, Les Réfugiés Anglais dans les Pays-Bas Espagnols, 1914 ; P. Hughes , The Reformationin England, iii, pp 273, note 2, 421) Verstegan was deeply shaken by his terrible death, and mentionsthe occurrenceonno fewerthan threeoccasions in his letters

This was Thomas Hesket or Hesketh, who later adopted the name Allen He was a nephew of Cardinal Allen, and journeyed with him to Rome fromRheimsin June, 1585, remaining in his household until the Cardinal's deathin 1594 (Knox, Allen ; 1st and2nd DouayDiaries) Versteganmay have madehis acquaintanceeither during his first stay in France (1582-4), or whilsthe was at Rome (1584-5)

10 Signature almost completely obliterated by the crumbling of the edge of thepaper.

XI

VERSTEGAN TO BAYNES Antwerp,

2 October , 1592

.

Stonyhurst, Anglia I, no 69, f.120 Holograph Brief Italian extract by Fr. Grene, Archives S.J. Rome, Anglia 38 ii, 198.

Advices from England ofthe 20 of September, 1592 .

Aboute the4ofSeptemberthere was a particular relationbrought into England by a pinnasse of the taking of a very ritcheship of the East Indies ; but as yet it appeerethnot, which givethsuspition that it hathe bene rescued and taken againe by the Spaniardes.¹

Sir John Norrice, having a large comission to take up soldiers (which they sayshalbesent unto Britany), dothe presse theritchest farmers and yeomen, and then taketh summes of monyof them to admitt them to put others to serve in their places. Of some he taketh 10 li., of some 15 li., etc.2

It is confirmed that the River of Thames on the 16 of the said moneth for two tydes was so dry that many passed over thesame dry shodde.3

The plague in London ratherencreaseththen deminisheth . " The Queen remaineth neere Oxfordwith the Treasurer and some fewe others. The Lord Buckhurst and the Lord Keeper are bothe in London aboute the levying of mony by a generall tax or forced benevolence.6

One Bisley, a yongman, that twice or thrice came over to thease partes and returned, is apprehended , and by the Lord Buckhurst comitted to the Clynck ?

All the Catholique gentlemen recusants that were under bonds and suretesies are comitted to prison.8

In Scotland the Catholique party remaineth strong and more resolute then was supposed ; and some of the nobillity have masse publykely said in their countries, as I understand.⁹

Our newes here, this begining of October, 1592.

The mutenyofthe maryners ofthis towne¹0is evennowappeased by giving them their pay They have not thease three weekes suffred anybote to passe the river, by whichmeanes we have bene in a manner as prisoners.

Since the losse of the towne of Covorden, the Colo[nel]11 Verdugo with the Spaniardesand our regiment [have] gotten very neere the enemy, and, as it were, betwe[en them] and home; so that it is utterly unlykely that they [can] depart the one from the other withoute blowes Our D[uke] hathe sent thethera new supply of horse ; and Ver[dugo] hathe written that hehopeth the enemyshall not escape him unbeaten. Yf God send us victory we shall therewith recover our late losses . 12 75

The Duke of Parma is yet at the Spawe and well recovered of his later sicknesse. He is shortly expected at Bruxelles . 13

Having written hetherto, woord is brought me that the shipp takenby the English beforementioned is brought into Dartmouth in England ; andthat the English that tooke it did set all the men that were in it at free liberty in certaine iles neere unto Spaine . 14 3,000 soldiers shalbe presentely sent from England into Britany, and order is given for the levying of 3,000 more, very shortly to follow , of which number many shalbe taken foorth ofthe English garnisons in theasepartes . 15

Marginal note by Fr. Grene From England, 20 September, 1592 . Sent by Verstegan to Mr. Baines in Rome, dated 2 [October , 1592].

NOTES

1 The Madre de Dios, a vast Portuguese carrack, was capturedon its voyage homefrom the East Indies by the English fleet off the Azores in August, 1592 , and brought into Dartmouth 7 September The ship's tonnagewas estimatedat 1,600 tons, ofwhich 900 tons consisted ofprecious merchandise tothe valueofabout £150,000 (see furtherR. Hakluyt, Voyages,Everyman ed , 1907, v, pp 57ff.; Hatfield House MSS., iv ; Cal Dom . Eliz., 1591-4

2 Sir John Norris was appointedcommanderofthe English army in Britanny in August, 1592, and was in England at the time levying troops for his command(vid note 15) A report of men purchasingtheir release cocurs in A.P.C., xxiii, p. 224 .

3 Versteganhas, as usual, convertedthe dateinto New Style. Stow (Annales , 1631 ed .) writes of the phenomenonas follows : "Wednesdaythesixtof September, the wind westand by south, as it had beene forthe space oftwo dayse before, very boysterous, the river Thamis was made so voyd of water by forcing out the fresh and keeping back the sault, that men in divers places might goe 200 paces over, and then fling a stone to theland; a collier on a marerode from the northsideto the south, and backeagaine on either sideof London Bridge, but not withoutdangerofdrowning both wayes " Cf. Candem's account, Annales, 1635, p 414 , in which the occurranceis dated 5 September

4 Cf. Cal. Dom. Eliz., 1591-4 , PP 266-7 ; A.P.C., xxiii , pp. 183, 203. Theincreaseofthe plaguein London necessitated a number ofprecautions, among them the diverting of the passage of the levied troops through London, the swift release from prison of those convicted ofdebt and minor offences, and the postponement of Thames Fair By 19 Septemberthe plague had spread to East Greenwich , and there was a likelihood of it spreading to Deptford and Lewisham .

5 The Queen went on progress in late summer 1592, and journeyed to Oxford, stopping at Woodstock on the way. She stayed at Oxford from about 23 Septemberuntil 28 September; andamongthosewho were with her was Lord Burghley, as stated in the above letter (J. Nichols , The Progresses of Queen Elizabeth , 1788, vol 2)

6 According to a letter from the Privy Council, 1 September , 1592, Lord Buckhurst and Puckering, the Lord Keeper, by the Queen's "speciall appointment" were "resident neer London to meet with such disorders and inconveniences as may happelie fal out there ... " (A.P.C., xxiii, p. 160).

7 Reinold Bisley was arrested about July, 1592. According to his deposition in the same month, he was a relation of Ingram Thwing (a great friend of Verstegan's) on whose recommendationHugh Owen and WilliamHolt had considered employing him. He stated that he had travelled betweenthe Low Countries and England on three occasions, but denied that he had brought letters with him,excepton his lastjourney , whenhe was entrusted with somebyThwing andMichaelMoody (a governmentspymasquerading asa Catholic exile in the LowCountries) Phelippes , as appears from his notes on Bisley's examination, thought he might be used as a spy, and if, as seems extremely likely, he is the same person as Reinold Bosely (Cal. Dom Eliz. , 1591-4, p. 208), he had already been employedas such by the English government When, at Phelippes's request, he was eventually released in September , 1593 , he was paid £10 towardshischarges whilst in prison, and was promised a very liberal reward fromthe Queen

"upon proofof service" . Whether or not Bisley earned this reward and became a regularmemberofPhelippes'sspyserviceis difficulttoascertain (See further Cal Dom. Eliz , 1591-4, pp 162, 164, 246, 297-8, 371 , 373 ; C.R.S., V, p. 214).

8 According to the instruction ofthe Privy Council, 7 August, 1592 , because of the "notable backwardnesand defeccion in religion of late time growen generallie" , all those recusantswho had been released on bondsfromtheir prisons at Ely and Broughton were to be re-imprisoned either in those places or in Banbury (A.P.C., xxiii, pp 106-9)

In 1593 the Scottish Kirk declared that the land was "defiled in divers places with the develishand blasphemous Mass" , and complainedof "the King's slowness in repressing Papistry and planting of true religion" (P. Tytler, History of Scotland, 1843, ix, pp 128-9) See further concerning the Scottish nobility Cal Scot , 1589-93, pp 713-6 etc.

10 Forother MS references to this mutinyvid L. Van der Essen , Alexandre Farnèse, v. p 359 , note 14. There were frequent mutinies amongst Farnese's forces, principallyon account of lackofpay.

11 This and the following bracketed words have been wholly or partly obliterated by the crumbling of the edge ofthe paper.

12 The town of Koevordon in Northern Holland was taken by the Dutch under Maurice of Nassau early in September , 1592. A detailed account of the seige and capture of the town, which represented a very important victory for the Dutch States , is given in C. Coloma, Las Guerras de los Estados Baxos , 1624, pp 183ff.; P. Bor, Nederlantsche Oorloghen, iv, year 1592 , ff.25ff. FranciscoVerdugo, whowas in charge ofthe campaign in Friesland, was one of the best of Farnese's generals, but was severely hampered by a lackof men and money Concerninghis campaignsvid Commentario del Francisco Verdugo, 1899, pp. 134ff Little fightingtook place in the remaining part of the year, and both sides soon went into winter quarters

13Farnese had returned from his French expedition "plus mortque vif" , as hehimself put it. He was sufferingfrom dropsy, gout and general fatigue, and went to Spa (July, 1592) to take the waters and recuperate At the beginning of October, feeling better, he returned to Brussels (L. Van der Essen, op cit, v, p. 376)

14 The captain and other survivors from the carrack were set free by Sir John Burgh, commanderofthe Roebuck, who sent them back to Portugal with sufficient provisionsfortheirvoyage, "intending not to addetoomuch affliction to the afflicted" (Hakluyt, Voyages, v p 65) Cf. Hatfield House MSS ., iv, p. 223

15 Cf. Cal Dom Eliz , 1591-4, p 283. The reports of the number oftroops to be sent to France vary not only in Verstegan's letters (cf. Letters nos 12 and 15) but also in S.P. Domestic and in A.P.C. At first, the main aim was to make up the number of troops in Britannyto 4,000, but Elizabeth later decided to increase this number, though she was , unwilling to pay for the maintenance of the additional men (A.P.C., xxiii, p 267). Despite the numerous levies, however, Norris had fewer than 2,000 effective troops at his disposal in 1592. The Frenchcampaign was so unpopular that a number of the men who were levied deserted or purchased their release before embarkation (Cal Dom . Eliz , 1591-4 , pp 280-1 ; A.P.C., xxiii, p 224 ; J. B. Black, Elizabeth and Henry VI, p. 59).

XII

VERSTEGAN TO FR PERSONS

Antwerp, 15 October , 1592

Stonyhurst Coll B, 59. Holograph There is a copy of the first letter in Verstegan's despatch to Baynes, 18 October 1592, Stonyhurst, Anglia I, no 69, f. 121 (seenextletter).

The contents of a lettrefrom a [Jesuit ?]¹ in England of the 14 of September.

Fr.Southwell byall lykelyhoodes hathe bene verymuch tortured to confesse , but hathe said nothing Aboute the 1 ofSeptember2 he was removed to the Tower, when, as it was observed by some that sawe him, that with close keeping and hard usage, wanting linen to shift himself, he was much troobled with lice But since his beeing in the Tower, his father hathe obtayned leave of the Counsailetosend himsome necessaryapparell ;3 wherebyhefyndeth himselfinfarr better state thenbeforehe was, beeingin the custody of a mercilese monster, one Topclif; who of late at the execution ofapriest,usingalongspeech wasbythepriest interupted "Peace , " quod the hangman, "and heare our maister" ; whereat some marvailed who this hangman's master was, till they learned that it was Topclif

Uppon a reporte that a fleete of Spanish shippes were seene aboute the Iles of Jarsey and Garnsey, all the principallgentlemen thathadliberty uppon certainedayes' warning were called to prison Those that were at Banbury are sent to Ely, and those that were at Ely to Banbury.4

We have had manymusters of late, and many men are prestto be in a redyness to be sent into Fraunce .

My Lord Mountacute is very sick and not lyke to lyve.5

My Lord Treasurer still rules the rost, and hathe followed the Queen in this progresse.6

There were two Semynarie priestes taken of late at Newcastell , and I thinck newly come over ; and they were there executed ?

Some supposed Papistes uppon this late persequution have published a pamphlet that it is lawfull for Catholiques to go to the churchesof Protestantes.8 [Marginal note : I expect this pamphlet shortly.]

The contentes of another letter from another party.

Sir John Norrice is departed towardes Britany, and withhim went Sir Roger Williams, who is suddenly returned back againe. There went with Norrice 4 or 5 thowsand men, and 2 thowsand more of English are to passe thether also from Holland and Zealand . 10

The great ship lately takenby the English coming from the East Indies is brought unto Dartmouth . 11

Sir Walter Rawleghe is sett at libertyand sent downe to survey thesaid prize . 12

The plague is still in London , and dispersed in sundryplaces of England . 13

20 of those that followed the Queen in this progressehave died of the plague. The most of them were her owne servantes, and among others one was a gentleman that was Cup-bearer unto the Lord Treasurer.

Sir John Norris, having of late a comission to take up soldiers, did usuallypresse the ritchest farmers and yeomen of the county, and took of some 10, and of some 15 pound, and els as he thought good to admitt them to put others in their places. 14

146 [King of Spain] his dealingeswith Britany is much mislyked and fearedin 25 [England]; and 167 is noted to beverymelancholy, and nothing frolikke . 15

This is the effect of the later letter dated aboute the end of September Antwerp, 15 of October, 1592

R.V.

Endorsed by Fr. Persons Verstenghan's advises , 15 Octobri, 1592

No. XII LETTERS OF RICHARD VERSTEGAN

NOTES

1 MS "frend" deleted , and then a space left

2 This date appears to be a month out, since the order for Southwell's transfer from the Gatehouse to the Tower is dated 28 July, 1592 , O.S. (A.P.C., xxiii, p 71) See also C.R.S., IV, p 224 ; Devlin, op cit, p. 357 .

3 Cf. Letters nos 9, 10 and 22 ; Yepez, Historia Particular dela Persecucion de Inglaterra, 1599, p 643

4 Vid. Letter no 11 , note 8. The rumour that a Spanishfleet had been sighted off the Channel Isles appears in A.P.C., xxiii, p. 160

5 Anthony Browne, 1st Viscount Montague (1526-1592) died about 25 October, although, as Versteganlater reports (Letter no 15), he made a brief recovery from his illness. He had been Master of the Queen's horse and Standard Bearer of England in the reign of Queen Mary Camden (Annales , 1635ed , p 415) writesthat"QueeneElizabeth, havinghadexperience of his fidelity, held him most deare (though an earnest Romane Catholicke) and a little before his death visited him" .

6 Vid. Letter no 11 , note 5

7 The two seminary priests, Joseph Lampton and Edward Waterson were apprehended soon after their arrival in Northumberland from overseas around Midsummer, 1592. They were taken to Newcastle , where they were tried and sentenced to death Lampton was martyred on Monday, 31 July, 1592 (O.S.), but Waterson's execution was delayed until "the Munday next after the Epiphanie the year followinge [8 January, 1593, O.S .]... for he, beinge perceivedto be [a] more simpleman, was reprived for a tyme in hope to overcome his constancie" . An account of the martyrdoms of these two priests is contained in a report by Richard Holtby,Stonyhurst, Anglia I, no 74 (copy Coll M., 151ff.; printed Morris, Troubles, iii, p 221ff ) from which the above information is taken See also Harleian MSS 6995, no 76 , f 89. Pollen, following a number of other martyrologists, has misdated each of their martyrdoms by a year.

8 According to a later despatchof Verstegan's (Letterno 27), a pamphlet ofthisnature was writtenbyThomas Bell alias Burton, whoturned apostate and informer in late August, 1592 ( A.P.C., xxiii, pp 164 , 166 , etc.). No printed copy of such a work is to be found in S.T.C. or in Transcript Registers of the Company of Stationers , and it is possible that the work circulated only in manuscript The first of Bell's printed works appears to have been Thomas Bel's Motives concerning Romish Faithand Religion, which was not published until November, 1593 , and goes much furtherthan the above-mentionedpamphlet, since it is a forthrightattack on the Catholic Churchanditsdogma. See further concerningBell Cal Dom Eliz , 1591-4, pp. 283, 288, etc.; D.N.B., Supplement I, p 166 ; L. Hicks, Letters and Memorials of Fr. Persons (C.R.S., xxxix), p 233, note 17 ; C.R.S., LI, pp 205-6.

This is incorrect, for although Norris made plans for embarkation, he was unable to sail until early November. See further Letter no 11 , note 15 , Letter no 15, note 6. Sir Roger Williams , commander of the English troops in Normandy, was appointed Marshal of the Field under Norris in October, 1592 (A.P.C., xxiii, p 268)

10 Vid. Letter no 11 , note 15, Letter no 15 , note 6

82 LETTERS OF RICHARD VERSTEGAN

11 Letter no 11 , note 1

12 Raleighhadbeen imprisonedin the Towerin May, 1592forsecretlymarrying Elizabeth Throckmorton, one of the Queen's ladies -in-waiting (vid M. Waldman, Sir Walter Raleigh , 1943, pp 72ff, H. R. Williamson, Sir Walter Raleigh, 1951 , pp 61 ff). He was sentfromtheTowerunderescort in Septemberto join the commissionwhich had been appointed to survey the treasures contained in the carrack (Cal Dom Eliz , 1591-4, pp 271, 273)

13 Cf. Letter no. 11 , note 4

14 Cf. Letter no 11 , note 2

15 167 possibly stands for Elizabeth

XIII. VERSTEGAN TO BAYNES.

Antwerp, 18 October , 1592 .

Stonyhurst, Anglia I, no 69, f 121. Holograph. There are two brief extracts by Fr. Grene: one in Italian concerningFr. Southwell, Arch. S.J. Rome, Anglia 38 ii, 202v.; and the other in English concerning the priests taken at Newcastle , Coll M, 127h The text is practically the same as that contained in the preceding despatch , which was sent to Fr. Persons three days before.1

The contentes of a [Jesuit ?]² his letter dated in 137 [England] the 14 of September, 1592

Fr. Robert Southwell by all lykelyhoode hathe bene very much tortured to confesse, but hathe said nothing Aboute the 1 of September he was removed to the Tower, when, as it was observed by some that sawe him, that with close keeping and hard usage, wanting lynnen to shifte himself, he was much troobled with lyce. But since his beeing in the Tower, his father hathe obtayned leave of the Counsaile to send him some necessary apparell, whereby he fyndeth himself in farr better state then before he was , being in the custody ofa mercilesse monster, one Topclif; who of lateat the execution ofa priest, usinga long speech was bythe priest interupted. "Peace, " quod the hangman, "and heare our maister speake"; whereat some marveiled who this hangman's maister was , tillthey had learned that it was Topclyf

Uppon a reporte that a fleete of Spanish shippes were seene aboute the Iles of Jarsey and Garnsey, all the principallgentlemen that had liberty upon certaine dayes' warning were called into prison. Those that were at Banbury are sent to Ely, and those that were at Ely are sent to Banbury.

We have had many musters of late, and many men are prest to be in a redynesse to be sent to Fraunce. My Lord Mountacute is very sicke and not lyke to lyve.

The Treasurer rules the roste, and hathe followed the Queen in this progresse .

There weretwo semynary priestes taken of late at Newcastell and there executed. I thinck they were of those that last came over.³

Some supposed Papistesuppon this late persecutionhavepublished a pamphlet that it is lawfullforCatholiquestogo unto theProtestant churches [Marginal note : [T]his pamphlet [I] expect shortly.]

Endorsed by Fr. Grene This sent by Verstegan from Antwerp to Mr. Baines, 18 October, [1592].

OF RICHARD VERSTEGAN NOTES

1 For annotations of the identical passages vid previousletter

2 Blank in MS

3 Grene had written in the margin of his English extract from this letter (Coll . M , 127h .) : "Hi erant Lamptonus et Watersonus de quibus vid . fol. 151c. Ambo statim condemnati, sed unus tum morte affectus" (cf. Letter no 12, note 7)

4 The letters in brackets have been obliterated

XIV. VERSTEGAN TO BAYNES.

Antwerp , c late October, 1592

Arch S.J. Rome, Anglia 38ii, 202v Brief reference by Fr. Grene who also mentions the letter in Coll. M , 127h

ex literis datis ex Anglia 26 September, 1592 ait : Il padre gesuita (P. Sotoello) che stava nel Gatehouse e condotto ala Torre.1

...

Translation

out of letters from England dated 26 September, 1592 he says : The Jesuit priest (Fr. Southwell) who was in the Gatehouse has been sent to the Tower.¹

NOTE

1 The same information had been given in a letter sent from England twelve days earlier (vid. Letterno 12).

XV. VERSTEGAN TO FR PERSONS .

Antwerp, 29 October, 1592

Stonyhurst, Coll B, 61. Holograph.

Right Reverend Good Father, in my last untoyou, beeing ofthe 15 ofthispresente, I acknowledged the receit of yours of the 9 of September.

The Latin booke goeth forward with somuch spede as I can bring the printer to make The fourthe leaf is at this presente in hand, and the whole, as he gesseth, wilbe aboute 16 leaves. When he beganthis he had some other woorck in doing whichwillshortly beended,andthen shallour woorck goforward withmoreexpedition

The relation in English of His Majestie's beeing at Validolidwill shortly be printed, and had bene don² eer this had I not stayed a litle for an other printer's leasure.³

I sent unto Your Fatherhoode long since an hereticall pamphlet entituled A Triallof Truthe, because I supposed Your Fatherhoode had a woorckin hand of lyke tytle, wherein I could wish thatthe untrue triall of this vaine pamphlet were confuted, because the foolish thing carieth some credit among Protestants.4

By letters of the 15 of October from E[ngland]5 I understand that such men as were embarcked to passe into Britany and said to be departed were not yet gon; and in lyke sorte, the 2,000 English from Holland and Zealand are kept back by contrary wynde, and ly still embarcked neere unto Flushing. ?

Sir Robert Sidney, the Governor of Flushing, hathe of late bene distracted of his wittes, and hathe burnt almost all his bookes , and still cryed oute that he was damned Some ministers have bene busy with him to put him oute of this humour, and some reporte that he is somwhat more quiet ; howbeit, he still retaynethsome degree of frensie.8

Sir John Norris is sent with expedition into Britany, but hathe left his forces behynde. It is thoughte that they of England were afrayd to send them over, havinghad entelligence that their were in that province 11,000 Spaniardes.⁹

Generall musters are made throughoute England. The plague encreaseth still, bothe in London and other places . 10 The Lord Mountacute is recoveredof his daungerous sicknes . 11 The Queen cometh to lye at Hampton Courte for this winter . 12 The fury of the inquisition is aswaged, and men do passe reasonable well up and downe the country withoute beeing examyned at their innes or otherwise . 13

Sundry English Catholiques are gon over into Ireland, where for the tyme they are at more quiet then yf they were in England ; and by reason that the country hathe now some yeares together bene withoute warres, ther is very great aboundance ofvictualls, and corne so plentifull that this yeare great quantitie hathe bene transported to other countries.

The Queen hathe bene very depely lurched in this late East Indian prize, and therefore, by a new proclamation, hathe made it felony for any man to have any of the goodes that were ofit,yf he do not reveale them to her officers . 14

Ardington, oneofWilliam Hacket his prophetes, hathesetfoorthe , some monethessince, his submission to the Queenand recantation of his opinion, wherein a man shall see strang stuf I expect the book shortly, for, having hard of some pointes thereof, I have sent for it. 15

When Hacket was executed, Copinger,16 one of his prophetes, died raging in prison. This [man]17 (as is said) was in daunger of death and reported to be dead, but he yet liveth.

From thease partes I can send Your Fatherhoode litle newes . Here is an uncertane reporte that the new Duke of Muscovia hathe sent his obedience to the Pope, but my owne letters from Roome speak not of it. 18

The Duke of Parma is in Bruxells, and in health, entending to go into France19 The Counte de Fointes is very shortly expected at this courte . 20 Fr. Holte, Sir William, and all frendes are well at Bruxells ;21 185 is yet in 22 [Italy], or on his returne; Mr. Haselwodeis departed this world at Liege . 22 Our Lord have mercy of his soule .

181 [Vestegan] dothe thinck it best to stay for a fewe weekes to send any 239 [letter] to any 139 [priest] in 25 [England], because Mr. 9 m 12 : [Poly ?] dothe here by 227 [spying ?] meanes very much seek to understand which way and how 181 [Verstegan] dealeth, insomuch that some of the parties he hathe enquyred of have told itto 181 [Verstegan], whichmaketh himthe more wary,23 There is no one of all our nation now 179 [Morgan ?] is gon that dothe kepe such a do 24 I pray God he may do himselfgood and othermen no hurte.

I am in some doubte that Fr. Walpole and Fr. Archer are still attending the wynde for their passage . 25

Yourbrotherand my selfhave bene at Bruxells about our sute , but nothingis don in it as yet Fr. Holtehathe promised to solicite Secretary Cosmo 26 Meane whyle yourbrother is returned toDoway because his wyfwas neer lying downe, and I thinck afterwardwill returne hether againe. More for the present I have not, but with most harty thanckes I humbly take my leave. Antwerp, this 29 of October, 1592

Your Fatherhoode's ever assuredly to comaund , R. Verstegan.

Your Fatherhoode may please to do my veryhartycomendations to good Fr. Creswell . 27

Since the writing of this letter I understand that Sir Robert Sidney is put oute of his frantike humour . 28

Since the tyme that His Majestie's letter were29 delivered to the Duke and Counte we have had no answere ; only we lyve in hope. We are now entring into the fourteenth moneth since we had any pay, except one succours long since . 30

Some of the books Your Fatherhoode wrote for I will send by the first good comoditie that I can fynde ; and the others thatyet I have not gotten into my handes, so soone after as I can.31

Addressed Al muy Reverendo in Christo Padre il Padre Roberto Parsonio dela Compagnie de Jesus , Validolid.

Endorsed by Fr. Persons Advises from Vestenghan of 29 October , 1592.

Mark ofseal.

NOTES

1This bookisthe Responsio, which Persons wroteinreply totheproclamation of Oct.-Nov , 1591 , under the pseudonym Andreas Philopater Persons had arrangedfor one edition of this workto be printed at Antwerp atthe expense of the Spanishgovernment (vid A. J. Loomie's thesis , Spain and the English Catholic Exiles, 1580-1604 , Appendix 8/1 Two Latin editions were publishedin 1592, and appeared with the following title : Elizabethae Angliae Reginae Haeresim Calvinianam Propugnatis Saevissimum in Catholicos Sui Regni Edictum ... Cum Responsione ... " One ofthese editionswas printed by Jean Didier at Lyons, andborethe date25 October , 1592 ; the Antwerp edition had a falseimprintandthe collophon(sig S7) : "Augustae, apud Joannem Fabrum, Anno Domini MDXCII, Mense Octobri" . No such printer as Joannes Faber of Augusta (Augsburg) appears to have existed (there is no reference to him in J. Benzing's Buckdruckerlexikondes 16 Jahrhunderts , 1952) ; and it is also to be borne in mind thatAugsburgwas nevera printingcentrefor the EnglishCatholics, though, like Cologne, it was often used as a "blind" On the other hand , the edition shows many marks of Antwerp printing both in its type and ornaments, but from whose press it came is difficult to say. The text of the work runs to 16 sheets (in gatherings of eight) as the printerhad estimated, and there are two additional sheets containing the index, which was probably compiled by Verstegan From the above letter it appears that theAntwerp edition couldnot havebeen publisheduntillateNovember or early December , about three months after the abridged English version , An Advertisement , appeared which was also printed at Antwerp. Two furtherLatin editions ofthe Responsio were publishedthefollowing year, one of them at Rome under the supervisionof Roger Baynes (A. J. Loomie, op. cit, appendix 8/2) There were also many subsequent editions in other languages .

2 MS "dom" .

3 Another of Persons's works, an octavo pamphlet published anonymously. The full titleis as follows : A Relation ofthe King of Spaine's Receiving in Valliodolid and in the Inglish College of the Same Towne in August Last Past of this yere, 1592. Wryten by an Inglish Priest of the Same College. No printer's name is given, but the work came from the press ofArnoutConincx, who printed a large number of Persons's booksand at least five of Verstegan's (vid A. F. Allison and D. M. Rogers, Catalogue of Catholic Books, no. 636)

4 The book in question is a translation by R. Smith of a Latin work , De Constituendo Judice Controversium Religionis Pontificae atque Reformatae It was published in London with the title : The Trial of Trueth; or a Treatise wherein is Declared who should be Judge (4° J. Windetfor R. Dexter, 1591 ) Persons does not appear to have published a work with such a title, despite Verstegan's statement in the above letter.

5 MS "E."

According to Norris's letters of 19 and 20 October, his embarkation from Southampton with the new leviesfor Brittany was being delayedbecause of contrary winds There was also insufficient shipping in which to transport the men On the 27th of the same month, he wrote that he was still awaiting favourable winds, and that because of the delay his supplies of money and provisions had been exhausted Norris eventually sailed in early November. (Cal Dom Eliz , 1591-4 , pp 280-1 ; A.P.C., xxiii, p 298)

7 The troops to be sent fromthe Low Countries were delayed in Flushing notonlyon accountofunfavourable winds, but also because ofthe rumour that the League had gathereda fleet at Dunkirkin readiness to intercept them In November, the Privy Council sent a letter of rebuke to Sir Robert Sidney, Governorof Flushing, for his tardinessin despatchingthe troops. But in early December , the reinforcementswere still in the Low Countries (Cal Dom Eliz , 1591-4, pp 280, 293 ; A.P.C., xxiii, p 297)

8 Sir Robert Sidney, laterViscount Lisle and Earl of Leicester (1563-1626), wastheyoungerbrother ofSir PhilipSidney. He was appointedGovernor of Flushing in July, 1588. There are references to his sickness in letters written to him by Thomas Bodley, who was ambassador to the Dutch States, from which it appears that by 16 September , 1592, Sidney had temporarily recovered from an illness, and that in November it had overtaken him again (De L'Isle and Dudley MSS . , ii, pp. 127-8).

Cf. Norris's letter dated 8 November, 1592 (S.P. France, xxix, f 296 , extract printed in G. B. Harrison, Elizabethan Journals, i, p 180)

10 The plague increased throughout October, particularlyin London , where 198 were reported to havedied in one week. A great number of measures had to be taken, including the removing of the Term from London to Hertford, and the banningofpublic gatherings (A.P.C., xxiii, pp. 220-1; 232 ; Proclamations , ff 312-3 ; Fugger News-Letters, 2nd series, p 243)

11 Vid letter no 12, note, 5

12 Vid. A.P.C. , xxiii, p 205

13 The rigorous examination of strangers had been imposed bytheproclamation ofOct.-Nov , 1591. The lull in the "inquisition" proved to be only temporary.

14 The proclamation was issued by the Queen during her stay at Oxford , 23 September , 1592 (Proclamations , f 311).

15 The workreferred to is The Seduction of Arthington by Hacket especiallie, with some Tokens of his Repentence and Submission 4° . R. B[arker] for Thomas Man, 1592. The pamphlet also contains a "Lamentation' written by Arthingtonwhile in prison Concerning Hacket vid. Letter no 1 , note 12 .

16 Edmund Coppinger died in prison from voluntarystarvation eight days after Hacket's execution (D.N.B., vol 12, p 193, which however gives the year incorrectly as 1592 instead of 1591).

17 Supplied ed. Versteganis referring to Henry Arthington.

18 Theodore I (1557-98) was the reigning Tsar of Russia having succeeded to the throne in 1584 ; but being of weak intellect, the kingdom was governedby Boris Godounov, his brother-in-law. It is hard to say what Verstegan meant by the "new Duke" of Moscovia , since Theodore had already reigned eight years, and remained nominally Tsar until his death in 1598. He may possibly be alluding to Boris Godounov

19 Vid Letter no 11 , note 13. Farnese left Brussels for France with his army 11 November, 1592, but got no further than Arras before he died (L. Van der Essen, Alexandra Farnèse, v, pp 381-3).

20 TheCount de Fuentes, envoy ofPhillipII arrived in Brussels withinstructions for Farnese 23 November, 1592. By this time Farnese was at Arras, and died before Fuentes could reach him.

21 i.e. the Jesuit Fr. William Holt, who administered the Spanishfunds for the exiles at this time, and Sir William Stanley

22 Henry Haselwood , who had been described as "nobilis adolescens" in 1580 in the Douay Diaries See further 1st and 2nd Douay Diaries, pp 155, 160, 169 ; Estate of English Fugitives, 1595, sig F. lv; Cal Dom Eliz , 1591-4, p 296 ; Jessopp, Letters of Henry Walpole , pp 27-8.

23 Although the deciphering of some of the numbersis uncertain, the sense is clear: Versteganconsidered itunwiseto send any despatches to England for the time being because he had learnt that some agent ofthe English government, possibly Robert Poley, was trying to find out how the letters were being conveyed

24Thomas Morgan had been arrested in February, 1590, shortlyafter his arrivalin the LowCountries, on various charges, including that of having betrayed and caused the death of Mary Stuart; and after his arrest , some compromising correspondence was found in his house He was banished by Farnese at Allen's requestin June, 1592 (Lechat, Les Réfugiés Anglais dans les Pays-Bas Espagnols, pp 162-3 ; Cal Dom Eliz, 1591-4 , p. 244).

25 The Jesuits Fr. Henry Walpole and Fr. James Archer were delayed at Calais for three months, waiting for a "convenient passage" to Spain They eventually sailed in December , 1592, and landed at Seville where they joined Fr. Persons at the English seminary there (C.R.S., V, pp.234 , 247).

26 Fr. Persons's brother, George, was entitled to the same pension as Verstegan, thirty crowns per month Neither of them had received any pay for a considerabletime, and at last decided to go to the Court at Brussels to intercede for payment They also asked Fr. Holt to petition Farnese's secretary Cosmo Masi on their behalf. Their efforts were of no avail, however; they were not to obtain payment by thesemeans . A pamphlet ridiculing the condition of the English exiles at this time states that their "necessitie was greate, and they followed the Duke from towne to towne, importunately requiring paiment ; but especiallye, they never lefte Cosmo, the Duke's Secretorie , in quiet (Estate of the English Fugitives, 1595, sig F.lr.) SeefurtherconcerningGeorge Persons , 1st and 2nd Douay Diaries ; L. Hicks, Letters and Memorials of Robert Persons, C.R.S. , XXXIX .

27 Fr. Joseph Creswell , who had been Rector of the English College, Rome since 1589, was sent to Spainin 1592, wherehe actedas Persons's assistant.

28 Vid note 8

29 sic .

30 The letter to which Verstegan refers was sent by Philip II, probably at the intercession of Persons, to the Duke of Parma 15 August, 1592, concerningthe payment of the pensions of Versteganand George Persons This letter had no effect, but a second one despatched in March 1594, produced the desired result ( Archivo Nacional, Madrid, Sec Estado, lib 215, 253) Transcripts of these documents , kindly madeavailable for me by Fr. A. J. Loomie, S.J., are contained in my thesis, Appendix III, pp lxiv-lxv, as also the certificate of payment (Archives du Royaume, Brussels, Registre des Patentes, etc., 28février, 1594-20 février, 1595, f. 171v , thesis p lxvi).

31 Verstegan sent a large consigment of books to Persons in 1593 (Letter no 43).

XVIA. VERSTEGAN TO BAYNES.

Antwerp, 30 October , 1592 .

Stonyhurst, Coll M, 127h Fr. Grene's English summary.

The plague still encreasethin London .. . About two daies past, here came a Catholic from England who confirmeth the report we had of the execution of 3 priests in the north. They were taken at their landing, and one of them called Mr. Thules escaped, but was within two daies taken againe and executed with the others, whosenames I have not as yet

1

NOTE

1 Grene adds in parenthesis: "Nota hunc scriptorem hic et in aliisnovisex Anglia sepissime errare, atque ideo fidem non posse illi adhiberi" But this view of the inaccuracy of Verstegan'sletters is exaggerated . On the wholehe had accesstoreliableinformation, which is usuallyeasilyverifiable When errors do occur, they are normally rectified in a later letter, e.g. cf. Letters nos 3 and4. On this occasion, however , his source ofinformation proved to be extremely inaccurate. As has already been stated (Letter no 12, note7), two ofthe threepriestsmentioned, Lampton and Waterson were condemned to death, but only Lampton was immediately executed; Waterson's martyrdom was delayeduntil the following year. The third priest, John Thules, did not suffer martyrdom until 1616. He had been ordainedat Rome in March, 1590, and was sent on the English Mission about April, 1592. (See further C.R.S., XXXVII, p 70 ; Challoner, Memoirs; 1st and 2ndDouay Diaries ; Pollen, Acts of English Martyrs)

XVIB. Fr. Grene's Italian extract.2

Arch S.J. Rome, Anglia 38ii, 202

Un catolico arrivò qua d'a Inghilterra due giorni sono , il quale conferma quella nova che habbiamo hauto di tre sacerdoti fatti morire nelle parti aquilonari Furono presi all primo arrivare nel regno Un di loro, il signore Thules, scappò, ma fu ripreso dopo due giorni, e guistitiato insieme con li altri ... 1

NOTE

2 Since the Italian extract is taken from the same part of the original letter as the English extract, it has been considered unnecessary to provide a translation

XVII. VERSTEGAN TO BAYNES.

Antwerp, 12 December , 1592.

Arch S.J. Rome, Anglia 38ii, 202. Italian extract by Fr. Grene

Uno venuto da Inghilterra hogidi otto, raconta che un catolico, trovando a caso un sacerdote suo amico, l'invito a pranzo, e in tempo di pranzo furono presi, insieme con una terza persona. Il sacerdote e quello che l'invito furono fatti morire, e anco quella terza persona, benche non sapesse che quel sacerdotefusse tale.¹

Translation.

One who arrived from England eight days ago relates that a Catholic, meeting by chance a priest who was a friend ofhis, invited him to lunch ; and while they were eating theyweretaken,together witha thirdperson The priest and the man who invitedhim were executed, and also the third person, although he did not know the priest to be such.¹

NOTE

1 I am unable to identify the people referred to in thisletter

XVIII. VERSTEGAN TO BAYNES.

Antwerp, 19 December , 1592

ArchivesS.J. Rome, Anglia 38ii, 202. Briefsummaryin Italian byFr.Grene

Il persecutoreYoung fece fare alli 27 di novembre un foco grande nella strada avanti la casa sua, e fece abbrugiare un gran numero de missali e breviari, imagini . .. Il suo compagno, Toplifo, sta perseguitando li catolici nelle provincie , e ambidue si sforsano di farsi credito con ogni magiore crudeltà .

Translation .

On 27 November, the persecutor Young, had a large fire made in the street in front of his house, and caused a great number of missals, breviaries and images to be burnt . .. His colleague, Topcliffe , persecutes the Catholics in the provinces; and both of them try to gain credit by means of all the worse forms of cruelty

XIXA. VERSTEGAN TO BAYNES

. Antwerp, 26 December , 1592 .

Stonyhurst, Coll M , 128a. Extract by Fr. Grene .

This day one Mr. Middelton , an English gentleman who hath 40 crowns montly of the King if it were payd, was aneyled He protested that he thought if he had meanes to give his body sustenance he should yet recover ; and that if he dyed, it was through very want. Dyverse daiestogether he has drunk onlywater.¹ Thomas Markenfild was found dead, lying on the bare flowre of his chamber, noe creature being present at his death.2 Itis a pittyful state wherin our nation now is . . .

Sir

XIXB. Fr. Grene's Italian extract.

Arch S.J. Rome, 38ii, 199v This extract is taken from the same section of the despatch as that of the English extract . Paraphraseby Bartoli in Inghilterra, p. 351

Hogidi un certo signore Middleton, un gentilhuomo inglese, il quale sono dovuto deputati 40 scudi il mese dal re di Spagna, se li potesse havere, ha ricevuto li ultimi sacramenti. Protestò di credere che si potrebbe rihavere, se havesse a mangiare ; e se morisseallora, sarebbe per mesa necessità e mancanza Moltigiorni continui non ha bevuto altro che acqua.1 Il cavaliere Tomaso Markenfield e stato trovato morto nella stanze sua, in terra, senza havere hauto, nissuno presente a la morte.2 Io vi assicuro che lo stato e compassionevolodove adesso si trova la nostra natione ..

NOTES

1 Middleton , who resided at Antwerp, is referred to as an intelligencer for Hugh Owen (C.R.S., V, p 262) He appears to have had a brother who was captain of a ship in the English Navy (Cal Dom Eliz., 1591-4 , pp. 532, 544, and Philip Middleton, probably a son of his, is mentioned in 1st and 2nd DouayDiaries, p. 281 .

2 Vid. Letter no 10 , note 8

XX. VERSTEGAN TO FR. PERSONS

. Antwerp, c. end of 1592?

Stonyhurst, Anglia I, no 68, f 119. Holograph. Copy by Fr. Grene. Coll. M , 105a. Printed in C.R.S. ,V, pp. 210-11 . Since theoriginal manuscript is badly damaged , the obliterated words have been suppliedfromFr. Grene's copy

A copy of certaine notes written by Mr. Portmort, Priest and Martir, of certaine speeches used by Topcli[ff] unto him whyle he was prisoner in the house and custody ofthe said Topclif.1

The whichnotes were since delivered to Wade, one of the Clarckes of the Counsel, and by him shewed to the Co[uncil] in November last, 1592.2

1. [That] Topclif said that all the Stanleyes in England are to [be] suspected to be traitors.

2. Item Topclif offred (this priest) his liberty yf he would sa[y] that he was a bastard of the Archbishope's of Canterbury, [and] that the Archbishop had maintayned him beyonde the seas.3

Marginal note : Whytegift of Canterbury was godfather unto the said Mr. Pormort

Item, Topcliff told (unto the said priest) that he was so [great and] familiar with Her Majestie that he many tymes putteth [his hands] betweene her brestes and pappes, and in her neck .

That he hathe not only seene her legges and knees, [but feeleth them] with his handes above her knees .

That he hathe felt her belly, and said unto Her Majestie that she h[ad] the softest belly of any woman kynde.

That she said unto him, "be not thease the armes, legges and bo[dy] of King Henry ?" to whichhe answered, "yea" .

That she gave him for a favour a whyte linnen hose wroughte with whyte silke, etc.

Thatheis so familliar withher that, when he pleasethto sp[eake] with her , he may tak her away from any company ; and that she [is] as pleasant with every one that she dothe love.

That he did not care for the Counsell, for that he had his aucthor[itie] from Her Majestie

That the Archbishop of Canterbury was a fitter counsell[er in a] kitchin amongewenches , then in a Prince's courte .

And to Justice Yonge thesaid Topclif said that he would hang th[e] Archbishop and 500 more yf they were in his handes .

Addressed Al Padre Personio.

Endorsed

Topcliffe's speeches, 1592 .

NOTES

1 The seminary priest Thomas Portmort alias Whitgift came to England towards the end of 1590. He was arrestedin Septemberof the following year and imprisoned in Topcliffe's house, where he was examined and tortured His martyrdom tookplace in St. Paul'sChurchyardin February, 1592 (C.R.S., V, pp 200, 202, 292).

In his observationson Portmort's notes (id., p. 209), Pollen states that their object "was not to give currency to scandalagainst Elizabeth , but to show what a rascal Topcliffe was . The charges were given, we see , to members of the court, and did not come into the hands of Catholics till much later ; nor did they ever publish them against the Queen" . He adds that "Portmort did not allege Topcliffe's words were true. The charge was that he did utter them"

According to James Younger's account of Portmort's sufferings(Stonyhurst, Anglia, vi, 117, extract printed in Pollen, Acts of English Martyrs , pp 118 ff.; C.R.S., V, p 209), he madehis accusations openly at thebar , stating that Topcliffe "had said unto him that he had used very secret dealing with the Queen, and had seen her bare above the knee . This Topcliffe to Mr. Portmort whenhe thought to have persuaded himtorecant , in hope tocome to preferment by Topcliffe's means, beingas, it might seem bythat action, in favour with Her Majesty. " At his execution, themartyr "was enforced to stand in his shirt almost two hours upon the ladder in Lenttime, upon a very coldday, whenTopcliffe still urgedhim todeny the words; but hewould not" .

2 1592 has been altered by a later hand to 1593, which is the date given in Fr. Grene's copy also The most likely date, however, would appear to be late 1591, at the time of Portmort's imprisonment and examination

3 Portmortwas using the name Whitgift as an alias at the time (Hatfield House MSS ., iv, p 258 ; Jessopp, Letters of Fr. Henry Walpole, p. 25).

XXI. VERSTEGAN TO CARDINAL ALLEN

Antwerp, 2 January, 1593.

Arch S.J. Rome 38ii, 205. Brief Latin extract by Fr. Grene.

Richard Verstegan, 2 January1593 ad Cardinal Allen, Antuerpia. Haud ita pridem regina cuidam ex pedisseguis dixit se vere credereDeum ei non negaturum quod peteret, quia raroilliprecibus suis erat molestà.

Translation .

Richard Verstegan from Antwerp, 2 January, 1593 to Cardinal Allen.

Not long since, the Queen said to one of her courtiers that she truly believed that God would not deny her what she asked for because she so rarely troubled Him with her prayers.

XXIIA. VERSTEGAN TO BAYNES.

Antwerp, 2 January, 1593.

Arch S. J. Rome 38ii, 202. Brief Italian extract by Fr. Grene This despatch, which is included by Fr. Grene amongstthe summaries andextracts of Verstegan'sletters to Baynes , was probably enclosed with the preceding letter addressed to the Cardinal

Ex literis datis in Anglia 18 decembri, stylo novo, 1592 , haec refert : Topclifoò è morto, ò senza speranzadi vita nelleparti boreali, dove era andato a perseguitare i catolici.1 Padre Sotoello sta sempre in prigione della torre, e li hanno permesso di havere le opere di San Bernardo e alcuni altri libri.3

Translation.

From letters dated in England 18 December 1592 , new style, he relates this Topcliffe is either dead or dying in the north, where he had gone to persecute the Catholics.1 Fr. Southwell is still imprisoned in the Tower, and has been given permission to have the works of St. Bernard and some other books.³

NOTES

1 If Topcliffe was asill as this letter states, he made a very rapid recovery byearly 1593 , whenhewas energeticas everin his persecutionofCatholics (cf. Letter no. 25)

2 MS "le opera"

3 Yepezappearsto have made use of the aboveletter or a similar one sent toPersons in his Historia Particular de la Persecucion deInglaterra (p 643)

XXIIB. Fr. Grene's English extractfrom the same letter

Stonyhurst, Coll. M , 128c .

Byletters from England of 18 December, stilo novo, 1592. . . we have ... that the commission, or rather, inquisition, is still most violently prosecuted for Catholics, and they dayly committed to prison ; and the misery of prisoners is incredible.

XXIII. VERSTEGAN TO BAYNES?

Antwerp, 16 January, 1593

Arch S.J. Rome, Anglia 38ii, 205. Brief Latin extract by Fr. Grene

Richard Verstegan, 16 January, 1593, referens miserias Anglorum exulum in Flandria sic ait : Dominus Thomas Marckenfield, eques auratus,et alius quidam senex reperti fuere in cubilibus suis mortui.¹

Translation.

Richard Verstegan, on 16 January 1593 , referring to the sufferings of the English exiles in Flanders reports as follows : Sir Thomas Marckenfield , Knight, and another old man were found dead in their beds.1

NOTE

1 Vid. Letter no 10 , note 8

Who the other old man referred to was,is hard to say. It seems unlikely that it was Haselwood , whose death Verstegan had announcedin a previous letter, because he could hardly have been describedas old at the time of his death (cf. Letter no 15 , note 22) Middleton may be the person alluded to, since, as mentionedin Letterno 19, he had been given the LastSacraments .

Antwerp, 18 February, 1593.1

Stonyhurst, Coll B, 135. Holograph

[Fr. Person's hand]Antwerp, 1593, 18 February .

From Frauncewe hearelitle, but remaine in expectation thatthe election will go forward.2

In this countrythe enemy ment to have passed throughe Luxembourg and so into France for the ayde of Navarr But by reason ofthe spoileshe made in thatcountry, the people gathered together and stopped all the passages to go forward, and since, they have lykewise shut up the wayesto returne back The Count Barlamont with his regiment, and Sir William Stanley with his, are marched thether and, as we heare, have envyroned the enemy. Ourforces are said to be5,000 , and the enemyto be 2,000 foote and 800 horse.³

From England we heare that the Treasurer hathe bene very sick and at the point of death, whereat the people generally rejoysed; but since , wehearethat he is somwhat recovered, howbeit troobled with a skurf in manner of a leprosy, for remedy whereof he sent unto Dr. Atslow, who at the first excusedhim self to takehim in hand least he might be thought not to have don his part yf his phisike avayled not. But, in the end, the Treasurer willed him to set downe his opinion, "for, notwithstandingyour religion" , quod he , "we take you to be an honest man" ; whereuppon Dr. Atslow wrotedownehis opinion, which the other (afterhis owne phisitions had sene) did put in practize, and found some remedy by it ; and ever since, continuethwith Dr. Atslow his phisition.4

The 17 of January, Mr. Skidmore the priestwas apprehendedand comittedto the Tower, It is given oute that he was sent from the Lord Cardinal to kill the Queene.5 Aboute thesame tyme was another apprehended whome they say came from the Earl of Westmerland , 6 What he is or with what he is charged I cannot learne as yet. Mr. Webster and one Mr. Browningare comitted to Brydewell .?

Havingwritten this above three or fowre dayes since , I do now understand that the enemy is retyred back oute ofLuxemburg , and hathe caried many prisoners and great spoiles away with him.

Addressed Al Padre Personio

NOTES

1 Persons's heading and endorsement to this despatch; "18 feb., 1593" were misread by the earliest cataloguer of the letter (probably a near contemporary), who dated it "18 sep , 1593"; and this error has been followed by subsequentcataloguers , including Pollen, though it is apparent from the contents of the letter, as well as from Persons's dating, that it was despatched in February, 1593

2 Early in 1593, the States General of France was summonedto elect a Catholic king, since the Catholic party would not recognize Henry of Navarre as their sovereign Henry forestalled all other claimants by statingin Mayof the same year that he would become a Catholic (vid De Thou, Histoire Universelle , 1734, xi, pp 665ff).

3 Furtherdetails are supplied by De Thou, op cit , xi, pp 650-1 . Hediffers from Versteganconcerningthe number of Dutch troops, which, according to him , totalled 4,000, though he agrees in stating that their infantry was more numerous than their cavalry. The Dutch were commanded by Philip of Nassau, who made an unsuccessful attack on St. Wit, but plundered the surrounding countryside He retired on the arrival of Count Barlemont with Italian and Spanish troops from the garrisons of Malines, Brussels and Liere, and of Sir William Stanley with his regiment, which consisted of English, Irish and Walloons The Dutch retreated through Limbourgh, Hainault and Brabant, carrying a great deal ofbooty withthem . Seealso Pieter Bro, Nederlantsche Oorloghen, iv, year 1593, f 8

4 References to Burghley's ill-health at this time occur in Hatfield House MSS . , iv, pp 278, 285, 318, 322 ; Cal Dom, Eliz , 1591-4 , pp 310 , 325, 346. He appears to have made a partial recovery at the end of January, 1593, but had a relapsein May, when he wrote in the postscript of a letter to his son Robert : "If I may not have some leisure to cure my head , I shall shortly ease it in my grave ... 33

Edward Atslowe (d 1594), a celebrated Elizabethan physician and a firm Catholic, had been an ardent supporter ofMaryQueen ofScots , and in 1579 had been arrested on suspicion of conspiring with the Earlsof Northumberland andArundel to obtain help from the Continent for the Scottish Queen's cause . He was released soon afterwards, but in 1585 was again arrested on various charges, which included trying to assist Arundel in his attempted escape from England, and having a copy of a Catholic libel in his possession (probably Allen's reply to Burghley's Execution of Justice in England) He underwent torture and suffereda long term of imprisonment.

One of Atslowe's medical achievementswas the curing of the Earl of Northumberland, who was suffering from the effects of poison (Cal. Spanish, 1580-86, p. 542 ; Cal. Scottish, 1585-6, p 29). Thereis a great amount of information concerningAtslowe in C.R.S. , XXI, and a useful though very incomplete article on him in D.N.B. Verstegan'sletters appearto be the only source for his treatment of Burghley's illness.

Б John ScudamorealiasWalkinandWiseman, the son ofSir JohnScudamore , was ordained priest at Rome in 1591. He went to England in January, 1593 , with an Irishman, Hugh Cahill, who, when they were apprehended , accused him of attempting to kill the Queen at the bidding of Fr. Persons (not of Cardinal Allen, as stated in the above letter) Despite Cahill's accusations , Scudamorewas set free and allowed to leave England shortly after his arrest and examination (C.R.S., V, pp 247-8 , 253, 262, 264 ; Cal. Dom . Eliz , 1591-4, pp 322, 437-8, 443, etc.).

This was apparently Hugh Cahill, mentioned in the previous note In his voluntary confession (which seems to have been concerned with

implicating as many of the leading English Catholic exiles as possible) he affirmed that he had been urged in Brussels by Fr. Holt, Hugh Owen and Sir William Stanley to assassinate Elizabeth, but that he had 'done his duty' on arrival in England andrevealed the plotto the Lord Treasurer (Cal. Dom . Eliz, 1591-4 , pp. 436ff.) Cahill's plot is one ofthe many bogus plots for the murder of Elizabeth which were concocted at this time

7 Richard Webster and Gratian Brownell, both of them recusants , were transferred from the Marshalsea to Bridewell for examination and torture in connection with certain accusations made against them by a fellow prisoner, Richard Stone. Richard Webster, a schoolmasterborn in Yorkshire, had been imprisonedin 1582 for hearingMass andfor recusancy , and was still in prison at the end of Elizabeth's reign Brownell, a Bachelorof Law, had been committed by Walsingham six years previously, in 1587 , also for recusancy Further details concerningthese two men are to be found in theirexamination held in April, 1593 (printed in Strype, Annals, iv, pp 256ff .). See also C.R.S., II, pp 231, 285, 288 ; C.R.S., V, pp 213-5 .

XXV. VERSTEGANTO FR . PERSONS . Antwerp,

5 March, 1593 .

Stonyhurst

, Coll B, 75. Holograph.

By a letterfrom London dated the 17 of February, 1593 , stylo novo . The Parlament holdeth either at London or at Windsor the 1 of Marche stylo novo , the 19 of February, stylo veteri It is thoughtthat very severe lawes wilbe made against Catholiques.2

Fowre thowsand men, whereof 2,500 are pykemen, and the rest muskets, are in a redynesse presently to be sent unto Generall Norris in Britany.³

Sir Francis Drake is provyding for the sea with great spede with some 20 saile, whereof 5 are the Queen's shippes.4

The Burdeaux fleete is not as yet come home .

There is sent unto the Turck a ritch bedstede which was found in the carick, valewed at some 3,000 li., and 50 chestes of skarlet, the best that could be bought in London for mony.6

The manner of the Duke of Parma's death is here diversly reported, and many hard and strange speeches divulged of him.

Sir Roger Manhoode, Lord Chief Baron is dead, and Justice Periam knighted and this day chosen in his place.8

The Lord Treasurer hathe beene long sick, and many hope he will never recover, albeit his phisition, Dr. Atslow, dothe seeme to warantise⁹ him. The Queen is nowat his house visiting him, and there she meaneth to stay thease 4 or 5 dayes.

The Jesuyte10 is till in the Towre. Some think he hathe bene rackt, and that he shall have his triall towardes the end of this terme. Topclif followeth it hard All frendes are well, etc.

Since the receit of the aforesaid letter, I do understand thatthe Parlament was begun at Westminster on the day aforesaid Thesame day, or thereaboutes, that the Queen went unto the Parlament, she found a paper in her pocket whichwas written in manner of a supplication in the behalf of a poore old servant of hers, who after his long service was growne aged, gowty, and subject to sundry deseases His name was William Cecill. And for all the long and faithfull service he had don, he had no more but theaseand thease offices, which the authorof the supplication putteth downe in order, begining with the Treasurership, and ending with the Balywyke of Westminster , 11 and so concludeth with very earnest petition for further recompence .

There is also another prety fixion divulged abrode, and it carieth the nameofa letter written and dated in hell by Sir Roger Manhode unto the Lord Treasurer, 12 signifying unto him that at his coming

thetherhe found the Earl of Lecester, Sir Christopher Hatton and sundry others of His Lordshipe's most familiar freindes, who all woundred at his so long stay, consideringhowlong since they have expected him And, further, that the Earl of Lecester is in so great favourand credit with Belzabub, the chief devill, thatallhell is of opinion that yf he chance to die he will apoint the Earl of Lecester to have his place; and therefore (he saith) My Lord Treasurer dothe not well to lose the oportunity of his frendes' credit, but weremuch better to hastenthether to seeke advancement in so good tyme then to stay away and absent himself aboute other thinges of lesse durance as the preferring of his eldest sonne to be Deputyof Ireland13 andhimself to be Marquis ofNorthampton .

Addressed To Fr. Persons

Endorsed by Fr. Henry Walpole14 Verstegan with advises , the 5 of March, 1593

NOTES

1 Parliament assembled at Westminster 19 February, 1593 (O.S.) and was dissolved 10 April "Holdeth" is used with future sense

2 This supposition proved to be correct Two such measures were passed by Parliament Vid Letters nos 29, 34, etc.

3 Elizabeth had intended 1,000 troops to be transported to Britanny(the figures in the above letter are grossly over-estimated) but decidedlater (12 February, 1593) to send them to Normandy, where there wasgreater need of them (A.P.C., xxiv, pp 57ff ) Phelippes , in his letterto Thomas Barnes in mid-February, wrote that 1,200 pikemen had been shipped to Normandy Cf. reportsfromAntwerp in Fugger News-Letters, 2nd series , pp. 247-8

4Cf. a despatchfromAntwerp, 15 February, 1593, in Fugger News-Letters, 2nd series, p 247 : "Captain Drake is said to be intending to sail with six warships, and the Adventures with 30 vessels" Preparationsfor this voyagewere suspended when it was learnt that the Spanishtreasurefleet from the West Indies was shortly to reach Spain, and instead it was decided that eight of the Queen's ships under the Earl of Cumberland , accompaniedby twentyfour private ships, should set sail for the Azores withthehopeofintercepting it (Cal Spanish , 1587-1603, p 598) When Cumberland'sfleet eventually set sail, it was much smaller than had been anticipated (cf. Letter no 30, note 5). Drake did not sail for the West Indies until 1595 (cf. Letter no 63 , note 10).

5 The Bordeaux fleet was a convoy of ships which brought wine to England from Bordeaux (see further A.P.C., xxiii , pp 293, 319-21).

6 Cf. Letter no 30. These gifts appearto be the ones alluded to in a letter from Constantinople dated 8 April, 1593, when the ship bringing them was expected daily (Fugger News-Letters, 2nd series, p 248) There are also references to the arrivalof presentsfor the Sultan from England in September , 1593, in Cal Venetian , 1592-1603, pp 106, 109

Rumours were circulating at this time that Elizabeth and Henry of Navarre were attempting to incite the Turks to attack the GermanEmperor in Hungary in order to divert Philip from his campaign in France (Cal Venetian , 1592-1603, p 78 ; Strype, Annals, iv, p 213)

7 Farnese had made a number of enemies in his own court at Brussels as well as in other countries (vid J. L. Motley, History of the United Netherlands , 1867 , iii, pp 221ff; L. Van der Essen, Alexandre Farnèse, pp 361ff.). Camden writes, however, that Elizabeth never spoke ofhim except "honourably, and with commendations , yet warily, lest her praises might hurt him" (Annales , 1635 ed , p 412).

8 Sir RogerManwood had been created Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer 17 November, 1578, by the influence of Walsingham and Hatton He died 14 December , 1592 (D.N.B.). Sir William Periam or Peryam (1534-1604) succeeded Manwood as Chief Baron of the Exchequer in January, 1593, having previously held the officeofa Justice ofCommonPleas (D.N.B.)

This verb is now obsolete Among the meanings recordedin N.E.D. are "guarantee" , "sanction" , "confirm" , none of which seems to fit the meaning here . The word is possibly used in the sense of "reassure" .

10 i.e. Fr. Southwell He was not tried until February, 1595

11 The office of Stewardship ofWestminster had been bestowed on Burghley in 1561, at the same time as he was made Master of the Court of Wards The Stewardshipwas said to have been worth300 marks a year (C. Read , Mr. Secretary Cecil, 1955, p 221)

12 There is no trace of this manuscript libel, which may have been suggested by Nashe's Pierce Pennilesse his Supplication to the Divell, concerning which vid. Letter no 27, note 17 .

13 Cf. letter no 1 , note 116.

14 Handwriting identified by Fr. Pollen in the table he compiled for Collectanea B. Walpole was with Persons at the time (cf. Letter no. 15 , note 25).

XXVI. TO PERSONS , sent via Verstegan. Scotland ? c end of March, 1593.

Stonyhurst, Coll B, 71. Contemporary hand. The address alone is in Verstegan'shand Copy of the proclamation issued by the King and Privy Council of Scotland against the Catholic nobility ; and the band of the Scottish nobility Other copies of the proclamation, which appearedonly in MS , are contained in S.P. Scottish, vol 50, no, 36 (printed in Cal. Scot. , 1593-5 ,pp 66-7) and in B. M. Cotton, Caligula Dii, f. 67 ; and copies ofthe band in Caligula Dii, ff 62, 84 (printed in Rymer's Foedera, vol 7, pt. 1 , pp 115-6, in Cal Scot , 1593-5, pp 70-1 , and in Cal Scot , 1589-92, pp 661-3, whereit is misdated 1592) The earliest printed version of the band appears to be that in D. Calderwood , History ofthe Church ofScotland, 1678, p 283.1

Apud Aberdene, quinto die mensis Martii, anno Domini 1592[-3].

Forasmekill as albeit the tressonabil practizes and conspiraciesof George, Erle of Huntlie; William, Earle of Angus ;3 Francis, Erle ofErrole ; SirPatricke Gordoun ofAuchindoun, Knight ;5 SirJames Chesholme of Dunderne, Knight ;6 Master James Gordoun ;7 Master William Ogelvy ;8 Master Robert Abircrumby; and uthers, Jesuitis , seminary priestes and traffiquing Papistes, against the state of the true religion presentlie profest within this realme, His Majestie's persoun, crowne, and libertie of this their native countre, is and hes ben plainely discoverit and made maist manifest by the deposicions and declaraçiounofthe carieroftherecrediteandcertaine lettres and blankes apprehendit, subscrivit by thame ; and by the lyke declaratioun and subscriptioun of umquhilt David Grahameof Fintre, that latelie sufferit for the same, his affirmation at the latter houre of his execution ;10 the not denial thairof be the Earle of Angus, the tyme of his warding, vanting proudlie in thirtermis quhat he had written or subscrivit sic lettres and blankes ; and last, by the contumacie and not comperance of him and of the sayd Erles of Huntley and Errole, and uthers forsayd bifore His Majestie and Counsailleto have answerit theruppon, and accepting tharby of the sayd tressonabil crime upon thame, sa that few or nane of His Hienesse' lieges can pretend ignoranceherof. Zit" His Majestie, being informit that some persons inhabitantes ofthenorth partswere movit by the craftie persuasionof some of the sayderles and uthers thair friends and favourets, assistarisas , appearis, with thame in thair tressonablepractizes, to doubt of the trueth hereof , His Majestie, for removing ofthe same doubt, and thairresolutioun and satisfactioun, causit the sayd blankes latelie to be broughtand presentit before certaine barons and uthers, inhabitants of thir partis, be quhom, at the last,12 agreate number of thame acquentit with the sayd conspiratoris' hand writs, thair subscriptions being cognoscit His Majestie and thay are movit not a litle to wonder at the unnaturall and unthankfull behaviour of some of thame,

maist ableist to His Hienesse be many benefitts, that theybeing sa oft pardonit, and after sa many solempnit aithis and promeis, vowesand subscriptiouns, sould show thameselvis sa tressonabill as to procure the overthrow of His Hienesse and all professing the sayd true relligioun with him, and the rewine and conquest of this ancient kingdome, thaire awne native soile and libertie, quhilk the same hes enjoyit sa many aegis, that it may be subject hereefter to the slaverie and tyrannie of proud and mercilesse strangers, to quhom they professe thameselfis be thair handwrits, freinds and factouris , chiefelie to the Spanzearts, quhais actiounes in all countreis quhair thay reparit, quidder under cullour of aide and freindshippe or uther wayes, tendit evin¹³ to a conquest and utter exterminiounof the native inhabitantsof the same , and of quhais crueltie thaire is na ende, as the signes and monuments therof extendit to all ranckes and degrees of persons , man, wife and children, auld and zoung, in all partis quhair theyrepayrit, testifeit, and is able to testifie to the posteritie to come And thairefore , that nane of His Majesti's subjectis heretofore abusit and dissavit be the craftie illusions of the pernicious and wickit spreits sall remaine any langer doubtfull of the trueth hereof, His Hienesse , with advise of Lordis of his Secret Counsall, ordaines officers of armes to passe and make publicacion of the premisses be open proclamacion at the Marcat Croce of this burgh of Abirdene, and all uthris placis needfall ; and to forewarne all His Hienesse' subjectis of thaire awne danger gif they sall suffer thameselfis ony langar to be led in errour be sic dissavabil spreits to the parill of thair sawlis, bodies , lands and gudes ; and tharfore to abstaine from further harkening to thair tressonabil persuasions, and fra¹4 resseit, intercommoning orhavingintelligence with thame under the payne of tresson . And gif ony sall preis to perswadethame in the contraryhereof , or to doubt of the unnaturallbehaviour ofthesayd conspiratouris or utherwayes to decline from the sayd true religion or His Majestie's obedience , to notifie their names to His Heinesse , quharthrowtheymaybe persewit and puneist thairforeas traytouris and unnaturallsubjectis to God, His Majestie, and this thaire native contre, certifieng thame that failzis herein they salbe alsua perswit and punist indifferentliewith thame with all rigourand extremitie.

BAND.

We the noblemen, barons and uthiris undersubscryband, being fully and certainlie perswadit of the tressonable practizeis and conspiraceisofsundry His Hienesse unnaturallandmaistunthanckfull subjectis agains the state of the trewe religioun presentlie professit within this realme, His Majestie's person, crowne, and libertie of thisournativecuntrey ; and findingHis Majestie'sgudedisposicioun to prevent and resist the same and to represse the chieffauthouris thairof, His Majestie having our concurrenceand assistance to the

same affect tharefore, according to our bounden dewitie and zeale aucht toGodisglorie, luifofour native countrey, caire and affectioun to His Majestie's person, crowne and estate, we have promittitand be thir¹5 presentis promittis, faithfullie bindis and obliss us and every ane of us, to concurre and take ani efauld,16 leill and trew partewith HisMajestie and ilkane17 ofus with uthiristomaintenance and defence of the libertie of the said trew religioun, crowne and cuntrey from thraldome of conscience and conquest and slavery of strangearis and resisting, repressing and persute of the chieff authoris ofthe said trissonabill conspiracies , as in speciallof George, ErleofHuntley ; William, Earle ofAngus ; Frances , Erle of Errole; Schir Patrick Gordoun of Auchindoun , 18 Knight ; Schir James Cheisholme of Dunkorne , 19 Knight ; Master James Gordoun ; Maistre William Ogilvy;20 Mastre Robert Abarcrumby; and all uthiris, Jesuitis, seminary priestes, trafficquingpapistis and uthiris His Hienissedeclarit traitouris, rebellious and unnaturallsubjectis, tressonabill practizearis agains the state of the said trew religioun, His Majestie's persoun, crowne, and libertie of this our native cuntry And to this effect we and every ane of us sall put our selfis in armis, rise, concurre and passe fordwart with His Majestie, his lieu tennentis or uthiris having His Hienesse' power and commissieun, at all tymes as we salbe requirit be proclamacionis, missive letters or uthirwayes ; and sall nevirshrinknor absent our selfis for ony particular caus or quarell amangis our selfis. We sall nocht ride, assist , shawe favour, gif consall, assistance, nor take parte with the saidis earlis, Jesuitis and utheris forsaidis ; nor zit withthe personisdenunceit or that sall be denunceit to the horne,21 or declarit fugitives fra His Hienis' lawis for the tressonable fire rasing and birning of the place of Dymubirsill and murthour of umquhile James, Erle of Murray;22 nather ressev , supplee not intercommoun with thame, nor zit furneis thame men, drinck,house norharbory; noruthirwayes have intelligence withthameprivatelie nor publicklie be letterz, messageis, nor na uther maner of way. The skait or harme of uthiris we sall not conceill, but discloose and impede the same to our utter poueris ; the querrill or pursute of we , or ony of we for this caus we sall estime lyke as presentlie we do esteeme equall to us all; and be our selfis and our haill forcis , likeas HisMaiestiewith His Hienes' face and auctoritie hes promittit, and promittis, to concurre and assist togidder ilkane in the defens of uthiris to our utter pouerie And in cais ony variance or controversie sall happen to fall out amongisony of us forquhatsomever caus, we shall submitte , like as presentlie we submitte we, to the judgment and delivirance of ony twa or three of the principallis of us subscriviaries of their present band, and fullfill quhatsomevir sall be determinit be thame, but reclamacioun or contradictioun , attour His Majestie, be quhaiz directioun and commaundement, with adviseofhis Counsallthair is certainebaronis and utheris gentillmen directit to remayne in the south parties of this realme, hes promittit

and be thir presentis promittis in the word of a prince, that the said baronis and uthiris forsaidis sall nocht be licentiat to returne hame agane to the saidis north partis, nether sall any favor or pardone be grantit to the saidis earllis, Jesuitis and uthiris above mentionat nor na ordour now tane dispensit with, without the spetiall knaulegeand advice of the lieutennent or commissionerfor thetyme,andsax ofthe principallbaronis at the leist, inhabitantis of ye saidis northe partis, subscrivaris of this present band And thisto do and performe, we, the saidis noblemenbaronis and uthiris forsaidis, have sworne and sweris by the Grite God, Our Creator, His Sonne, Jesus Christe Our Redemair, the Halie Gast, Our Santifear, wittnesse of the veritie heir aggreit uponn and revenger ofthebreak thairof ; andfartheroblisse us thereto, under thepayne of perjury, infamie, and tinsale of perpetuall credite, honour and estimacion in tyme comming, besidis the ordinarie paines of the lawis to be execute upon us in signe and memorie of our unnaturall defectioun from God and His Majestie In withnisse quhairof we have subscrivitthir presentis with our handis as followis, lyke as His Majestie in taikin23 of his allowance and approbacion of the promis hes subscrivit the same. At Aberdene, the [blank] day of March, 1592[-93].24

Addressed by Verstegan A. Padre Roberto Pesersonio [sic]

Endorsed by Fr. Persons

A proclamation of the ministers of Scotland agaynstthe Catholique nobilitie, 5 Martii, 1593.

NOTES

1 The proclamation and the band were issued as a direct result of the affairof the "SpanishBlanks" In December , 1592, the Kirk,duringthe course of its inquisition, in which it was aided by Robert Bowes , the English ambassador , received information that George Ker, a Catholic and brother to the Abbot of Newbottle, was about to pass into Spain with some important secret correspondence . He was captured with the letters in his possession, and when put to the torture made a confession (which he laterretracted) to theeffectthat hewas an agentfora conspiracy of Scottish nobles , who were to assist a Spanishforce in an invasion of Scotland Among the nobles implicated were the Earls of Huntly, Errol and Angus, David Graham of Fintry, and others who are mentioned in the proclamation The correspondence seized included letters whichwere said to have been written by Scottish Jesuitsand seminaryprieststo their brethren on the Continent, and blank sheets of paper with the signatures of Huntly, Errol and Angus at the bottom, from which the conspiracy received the name of "Spanish Blanks" These sheets of paper were allegedly to have been filled up afterwards by Ker according to verbal instructions , and then delivered to the King of Spain Huntly, although protesting his innocence , fled to the North with Errol, and they were later joined there by Angus, who had been imprisoned in Edinburgh, but was able to make his escape George Kermanagedto obtain pardon, but Graham of Fintry, who had also been imprisoned, was tried and swiftly executed . (See further P. F. Tytler, History of Scotland, ix, pp 76ff.; Cal. Scottish, 1593-5 ; Cal Spanish, 1587-1603, pp 603ff.; Warrender Papers, Scot Hist Soc , 3rd series, vol 2, pp 123ff)

2 George Gordon,sixthEarl andfirst MarquisofHuntly (1562-1636) There is a short biography of him in D.N.B., vol 22, p 186

3 WilliamDouglas , tenth Earl ofAngus (1554-1611). p. 366 . Vid D.N.B., vol 15 ,

4 Francis Hay, ninth Earl ofErrol(d. 1631 ). Vid D.N.B., vol 25, p 255

5 Patrick Gordon was uncle to the Earl of Huntly.

6 Chisholm , nephewto the Bishop of Dunblane was Master of the King's Household See further Cal. Scot. for the period

7 Fr. James Gordon S.J. (1541-1620), also an uncleof Huntly's, was Prefect oftheScottish Mission (G. Oliver, Collections S.J., p 22 ; Foley, Records S. J., vii, pt 1 , p 309 ; D.N.B., vol 22, p 204) Heis notto be confused with the Jesuit ofthe same namewholater became confessor to Louis XIII

8 M.S. "Ogelny" This seems almost certainly to be an alias of the martyr Fr. John Ingram, an Englishman from Herefordshire, who wasordainedat the English College, Rome, 3 December , 1589. He was apprehendedin February, 1594, and examined by the Earl of Huntingdon at York , who in a letter to the Lord Keeper, Puckering, stated that he had in custody a priest usingthe names of"Ogylby" and "Bowrne" , greatly acquainted with the Earl of Huntly and other "archpapists of Scotland" (See further Strype, Annals, iv, pp 236-8 ; C.R.S. , V; Challoner, Memoirs; Morris, Troubles , iii) Ingram was martyred in July, 1594 .

Fr. Robert Abercromby S.J. (1534-1613) who is said to have converted Anne of Denmark, the wife of James VI (Foley, op. cit , vii, pt 1 , p. 2; D.N.B., vol 1 , p 46)

10Graham was executed 16 February, 1593 .

11 i.e. "yet"

12 Cal Scot , 1593-5, p 67, "at the leist" .

13 id. , "evir"

14 MS "for" amendedto the preferablereading of Cal Scot , 1593-5, p 67, and Caligula Dii, f 62

15 Caligula Dii, f. 62 , "this" .

16i.e. "afald" (honest , sincere). Caligula Dii, "efautd"

17 id incorrect reading "wane" .

18 MS "Anchindoun"

19 Caligula Dii, "Dinderne" . Normal spelling "Dunderne" .

20 MS "Ogilny"

21 "to be put to the horn" meant to be outlawed The term was derived from the Scottish ceremonyin which three blasts were blown on a horn by the king's messenger to proclaim a man an outlaw (N.E.D., vol 5 , p 386, section III, 14)

22Huntly had a blood feud with James Stuart, Earl of Murray. On 7th February, 1592, Huntly, taking advantage of surprise and superior numbers, attacked Murray who was staying at the time at Donibristle , a house in Fifeshire belonging to his mother The fightingwenton till nightfall, when Huntly's followers set light to the house with burning corn-stacks, driving Murray and his followers into the open Murray broke through the cordon and escaped some distancefrom the house , but was tracked down to a cave and stabbed to death (Cal Scottish, 1589-93 , pp. 633ff.; Tytler, History of Scotland, ix, pp 64ff)

23MS . "into aikin" , correctedfromCaligula Dii

24 The band is dated conjecturally 13 March, 1593, in Cal Scottish, 1593-5 , P. 70

XXVII. VERSTEGAN TO FR . PERSONS

Antwerp, 1 April, 1593.

Stonyhurst, Coll B, 83. Holograph.

Antwerp, the 1 of Aprill, 1593

The enemy in thease partes hathe gathered great forces together , and made some shewe to have besieged Gerteremberg, but is retyred, and, as it is thought, will marche towardes Friesland.¹

The Counte Charles of Mansfeild hathe taken Noyon in Picardy byforce and put 1,500 solders that were in it to the swoord.2 The canon that at battryof this towne was hard at Bruxells.

In Scotland the noblemen are in armes, and theirforce, as is said, is thirty thowsand The King, we heare, is fled for succor unto Denmarck.4

The Parlament continueth still at London And the 6 of Marche the Earl of Essex was sworne of the Privy Councell.5

Ther is a book abrode in England don by a Catholique and bearing the name to be printed at Doway against one Bell, an aposta, who wrote that it was lawfull for Catholiques to frequent the churchesof Protestants.6 The Puritanes sent one John Norton? into Scotland, ther to print their books, who is returned and imprisoned in London.

There were 80 Puritanes lately taken at a sermon in Finisbury Feild and with them there Mr. Martin Marprelate is thoughtto be taken.8

There was a Brownist hanged for his seditious tongue, and his body was begged by some of his consortes , who did put it in a coffin and covered it over with blackclothe and brought it before the doore where the Judge was lodged that had condemnedhim, and on the fowre corners of the coffin were fixed rayling libells against the Judge, affirming that this was the 16 martir thatthey had martyredfor the professionofthe true gospell ofChrist.⁹

There is a late Latin booke come forthe ofsome bignesse in4° of controversies, and it is dedicated to the Earl of Essex , and one printed copy is come to this towne The author's name isMathew Sutlive, and in the tytle of the booke he nameth thease persons against whome the booke is written, vidz : Bellarminus, Sanderus , Rosseius, Allanus, Ulenbergius , Bozius, Rescius and Versteganus . 10 I must needes confesse it to be more of his gentlenes then of my deserving that it hathe pleased him to put downe my name with somany woorthy men ; howbeit the man seemethto be as angry withme as with any of the others and cannot afoord me one good woord. His quarrell against me is for two thinges espetially: the one is my booke entituled Theatrum Crudelitatum Haereticorum Nostri Temporis," and the other is formy late table calledSpeculum 114

pro Christianis Seductis, 12 which tendeth toput an heretyke in doubte of his owne religion In his Epistle to the Earl of Essex he saith I am an English fugitive, albeitmynameseemethnot to be English, and therefore hethinckethitfayned . 13 In sundry places ofhisbooke he girdeth at me for the two thinges afore resyted, and saith that for my making those martirs which are no better then traitors I do deserve a very tirrible death, the which he describeth ; and he in myne opinion deserveth therefore to have the hangman's office in reversion .

I do meane to consult with our frendes here whether it were not bestto write a brief Epistle to the Earlof Essex touching thisman's booke . 14 Towardes the end he toucheth an English bookewritten against the Treasurer called A Declaration of the True Causes of the Supposed Troobles against England, but he namethno author thereof . 15 He enveyeth also against Fr. Reibadenero . 16

He seemethto have neither learning nor witt, how beit a very redy gift of rayling, thoughe uttred by retale

Itis thoughtthat the Treasurer cannot escape this sicknes; that he applieth quicksilver to his feete and beginneth to die upwardes. The late pamphlets written against him are greedely desyredofthe courtiers and others, and any thing written against him is easely believed In a late pamphlet entytuled A Suplication to the Divill heis girded at, thoughe not somuchas in Mother Hubberde's Tale . 17

There was a whyle since one Mr. Dawbney18 taken at Flushing ashe would have passed into England, and he was by the Governor sent prisoner thether unto the Lord Treasurer. When he came before him, "now, roge" , quothe the Treasurer, "where hest thow bene a roging ?" The other answeredthat he had bene at Doway, but no where a roging. "To whom, " quoththe Treasurer, "is the letter that was taken aboute the ?" Mr. Dawbney answered that he knew not otherthen thedirection did declare, and that a Dutchman gave it him "You can tell yf you list, " quoththe Treasurer, and therewithallwilledto caryhim to the Gatehoustill he did putin suertis for his reformation . With that, he that brought him over demaunded40 shillinges ofthe Treasurer for his paynesandcharges. "Who did set you on woorck ?" quoththe Treasurer. "Marry, " quoth he, "the Lord Governor of Flushing" . 19 "Then, " said the Treasurer, "let him payyou, and tell him from me that when any more such roges come thether that have no other letters but such as this brought , that he do whip them and send them backagaine from whence they came" .

Beeingredyto close up this paper, woord is come thatthe enemy hathe besieged Gertremberge, and that those of the towne have alredy sallyed oute and slaine divers of them . 20

Addressed To Fr. Persons.

NOTES

1 PrinceMaurice laid siege to St. Gertruydenbergon 24 March, 1593. This was a very important town because of its wealth and its position on the Meuse and the Donge He entrenched his forces round the city and subjected it to continuous bombardment until it capitulated, 24 June, 1593 (P. Bor, Nederlantsche Oorloghen, iv, year 1593, ff 16v .ff.; Coloma Las Guerras de los Estados Baxos, 1624, vi, pp 211ff.).

2 CharlesdeMansfelt, son of Pierre Ernest de Mansfelt, the Acting-Governor of the Low Countries, was sent to besiege Noyon with a force of4,300 infantry and 800 cavalry He beganthe siege 15 March, 1593, and the towncapitulated 31 March (Coloma, op. cit , pp. 201-4 ; Motley, op. cit., p 258. Motley differs from Coloma concerning the size of Mansfelt's army, but since he quotes from a letter written by Charles Mansfelt to Fuentes, the figures he gives are assumed to be the correct ones)

3 i.e. "heard" .

4 Cf. Cal Venetian , 1587-1603, pp 60-1 The report of James' flight was false Concerningthe state ofthe Scottish nobilityat this timevid .Tytler, History of Scotland, ix, p. 91ff.

5 This date is one day out Essex was sworn in as a Privy Councillor 25 February, O.S., and7 March, N.S. cf. Letterno 6b , note 17

6 This was Fr. Garnet's work, full title: An Apology against the Defence of Schisme, lately written by an English Divine at Doway, for answer to a letter of a lapsed Catholicke his friend, who, having in the late commission gone to the church, defended his fall The book was printed secretly in London (see furtherA. F. Allison, "The Writings of Fr. Henry Garnet" , Biographical Studies, vol 1 , no 1 , pp 8ff.; and Catalogue of Catholic Books, no. 353). From Verstegan's letter it appears that the Apology was published in the first quarter of 1593. The "late commission ' referredto on title-page was that formed in accordance with the proclamation of Oct.-Nov , 1591

John Norton setup as a printerabout 1590, after servinghis apprenticeship with his uncle, William Norton He became Master of the Stationers' Companyon three occasions (vid D.N.B., vol 41, p 226) Togetherwith John Bill, he was responsible for the distributionin London of the first edition of Verstegan's Restitution of Decayed Intelligencein Antiquities, 1605

8 A group of Puritans were arrestedin the woods at Islington on Sunday, 4 March, 1593 , during the sermon of George Johnson , a schoolmaster . Contemporary estimates of the number of those taken vary considerably. One Puritan present , Daniel Buck, a scrivener, stated that there were at least 40 ; John Penry, the Welsh Puritan gave thenumber as 56 , but the legal records contain the names of only 30. Penry, whom many considered to be the author of the Marprelate tracts, was also arrestedat the meeting, butescaped. His period ofliberty was brief, for he was arrested 18 days later (See further W. Pierce, John Penry, 1923, pp 377ff.; Strype, Whitgift , ii, p. 176). Instructions for his arrest are containedin A.P.C., xxiv, pp 94-5 . Apamphlet war, normally termedthe "MartinMarprelate controversy" , waswaged in the years 1588 and 1589 between a Puritan (or perhaps agroup of Puritans working in collaboration) usingthe pseudonymMartinMarprelate, and the episcopacyof the Church of England, who employed such writers as John Lyly, Thomas Nashe and Robert Greene to reply in the

same venomousand bantering style The authorship of the Marprelate pamphlets is still in doubt : a number of peoplebesides Penry have been suggested, including Sir Roger Williams. Henry Barrow , John Udall, John Field and Job Throgmorton, who seems to be the likeliest author , especially on stylistic evidence See further W. Pierce, An Historical Introduction to the Marprelate Tracts, 1908; Dover Wilson, Martin Marprelate and Shakespeare's Fluellen, 1912 ; Albert Peel, The Notebook of John Penry, Camden Society, 3rd series, vol lxii, 1944; J. E. Neale, Queen Elizabeth and her Parliaments , 1584-1601, 1957, p 220 .

A Brownist was a follower of Robert Browne (1550-1633 ?) who preached against the parochial system and ordination. The Brownist referred to here was Roger Rippon of Southwark. He was not hanged , as stated above, but had died in Newgate in February, 1593, after a number of years imprisonment. His body was carried before Richard Young's house, and the inscription on the coffin was as follows : "This is the corps of Roger Rippon, a servant of Christ and Her Majesty's faithful subject, who is the last of sixteen or seventeen which that great enemy of God, the Archbishop of Canterbury with his High Commissioners have murderedin Newgatewithin these fiveyears, manifestly forthetestimony of Jesus Christ His soul is now with the Lord, and his blood criethfor speedy vengeance against that great enemy of saints, and against Mr. Richard Young, who in this and many like points hath abused his power for the upholding of the Romish Antichrist, prelacy and priesthood. " Many copies of the inscription were circulated in London (Strype, Annals, iv, p 186 ; W. Pierce , John Penry, pp 375-5 ; Cal Dom Eliz , 1591-4 , P. 324).

10 i.e.Robert Bellarmine, NicholasSander, Guilelmus Rossaeus(thepseudonym used by the author of De Justa Reipublicae Christianae , 1592, probably William Rainolds), Cardinal Allen, Caspar Ulenberg, Thomas Bozius, Stanislaus Rescius and RichardVerstegan. Ashe himself states , Verstegan is a little out of place in such exalted company Sutcliffe's book , which appearedin 1592 , is entitled : M. Sutlivii de Catholica Orthodoxa , etvera Christi Ecclesia, libri duo (copies at Bodleian, Cambridge U., Marsh Library, Dublin, and Lincoln Cathedral). Many more books by Sutcliffe against Catholic theologians and controversialists were to follow (vid . S.T.C.)

11 The Theatrum Crudelitatum Haereticorum Nostri Temporis was first printed atAntwerp byAdrian Hubert in 1587. Therewerethreesubsequent Latin editions : in 1588, 1592 and 1604, and five French editions: one in 1587 , two in 1588 , one in 1607, and the last in 1883, published by Desclée and De Brouwer The work, which is amply illustrated bytwenty copperplateengravings most probably executed by Versteganhimself, is divided into four sections, the first dealingwith the persecutionin England under Henry VIII, the second the crimes of the French Huguenots, the third the cruelties of the Calvinist Geuzen under William of Orange, and thefourth the sufferingsof the Catholicsin the reign of Queen Elizabeth which includes a description and an engraving of the execution ofMary , Queen of Scots (see further my thesis, pp. 93-109).

12The Speculum pro Christianis Seductis was a large broadsheetprintedat Antwerp by the Plantinpress in 1590. It is divided into two halves, the top dealing with the Catholic Church, and the bottom half with the chief heretical sects in the Netherlands: the Lutherans, Calvinists and the Anabaptists. Likethe Theatrum, the Speculum is illustrated by engravings made byVerstegan. The broadsheet is extremely rare; onlyone complete copy seems to have survived, that in the Plantin-Moretus Museum ; and

a copyofthe bottom halfis atOscottCollege (its existence was made known to me by Dr. David Rogers of the Bodleian Library) A French version of the Speculum was also printed, with the title : Miroir des Chrestiens Abusés , but no copy of it has survived (See further my thesis , pp. 109-113)

13 For Verstegan's name and origin see Introduction .

14 Nothing came of this, though a work which appeared two years later, A Conference about the Next Succession, in which Verstegan collaborated , did contain a dedicatory epistle to Essex .

15 Verstegan makes no mention of the fact that he is the author of this book, probably for reasons of security.

16 Thereweretwo books by Fr. Pedro de RibadeneiraS.J., which couldhave incurred the anger of a Protestant writer like Sutcliffe, and these were Historia Ecclesiastica del Schisma del Reyno de Inglaterra, the first part of which appeared in 1588, and the second in 1593 ; and Tratado dela Tribulacion, 1591 (vid Cal Dom Eliz , 1591-4, p 67)

17 Prosopopoia, or Mother Hubberd's Tale, by Edmund Spenser, was published in London in 1591. It is a satrical allegory containing two adventuresof a fox, called Reynold, and an ape The former represents Lord Burghley, and the latter most probably Robert Cecil (though various other theories have been put forward, identifyingthe ape with 7th Earl of Oxford, the Duke of Alençon, or with James VI). Verstegan refers to Mother Hubberd's Tale in the Declaration of the True Causes (p 68) as a pamphlet against Burghley in the form of a "tale ofthe falsefox and his crooked cubbes" (Robert Cecil was hunchbackedand deformed) In an earlier letter (no 7) Verstegan termed Burghley "the fox" , and was probably thinkingof Mother Hubberd's Tale when he did so References to the various pamphlets attacking Burghley which appeared at thetime arecontainedin Cal Dom Eliz , 1591-4, pp 304, 451, 491, 520, 535, 545

The other work mentioned in the above letter is Thomas Nashe's Pierce Pennilesse his Supplication to the Divell, first published in 1592 . Like Spenser's satire, the workattacks Burghley and Cecil in the allegorical guise of the fox and the ape. This interpretation may equally well applytothe rhyme, hitherto unsatisfactorily explained in Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost, III, i:

"The fox, the ape, and the humble bee , Were still at odds, being but three" . The bee could possibly represent the Earl of Essex , who wasa rival of the Cecils for the Queen's favour.

18 Apparently Thomas Dawbney of Norwich, who was ordained priest at Douay in 1594, having been made deacon there two years previously He may have been in England early in 1593. (See further 1st and 2nd Douay Diaries, pp 15, 31 , 232, 244, 245, 248, 282).

19 Sir Robert Sidney.

20 Vid. note 1 .

XXVIII . VERSTEGAN TO FR. PERSONS.

Antwerp, 5 April, 1593

Stonyhurst, Coll B, 78. Holograph.

By lettrs dated in England aboute the 20 of February, 1593 stylo veteri .

The Parlament began the 1 of Marche, stylo novo , before the begining whereof the Treasurer was retyredin his house and, under colour of his sicknesse, was some dayes together earnestly busyed in writing.

The Bishopes have written a booke in their defence against the Puritanes, and have caused it to be printed, meaning to exhibiteit unto the Perlament.1

There is another new booke written and only 100 copies printed, and those also in the handes of fewe, the tytle whereof (yf 12 be not mistaken) is thus : English Genevation : the English and ScottishDisciplyne soughtfor by Practize, Threatning and Force, etc. The first parte ofthis booke enveigheth so bitterlyagainst Calvyne and Beza that never doctors (before thease) were so much defamed by their owne discyples.3

The Bishop of St. Davide's for his overmuch knowne lewdnesse is deposed and another put in his place. So is lykewise deposed the Bishop of Oxford, and another is put in his place.5

Marginal note in Fr. Person's hand Advises from Ingland, Aprilis 5, 1593

NOTES

1 Cf. Letter no 32a The book referred to is Matthew Sutcliffe's An Answere to a Certaine Libel Supplicatorie , or rather Diffamatory, and also to Certaine Calumnious Articles and Interrogatories , both printed and scattered in Secret Corners, to the Slaunderof the Ecclesiasticall State, and putforthunderthename and title ofa Petition directed to Her Majestie 1592 .

2 MS "it" .

3 Versteganis alluding to Archbishop Bancroft's A Survay ofthe Pretended Holy Discipline, which he published anonymously in 1593 (S.T.C. no 1352). The book was entered in the Stationers' Register 5 March , 1593 (Arber, Transcript, vol 2, p 296). See also Letterno . 32a

4 The Bishop of St. David's was Marmaduke Middleton who had formerly been Bishop of Waterford. The exact nature of the offences with which he was charged and for which he was eventually deposed is uncertain. According to Browne Willis, who made an investigation of his case, he had been guilty of simony, of abusing charity and attempting to settle some of the lands of the bishopric on his son One of the Marprelate Tracts, Hay any Worke for Cooper, accused him of having two wives , Elizabeth Gidge and Alice Prime, and this coincides with the charge of "lewedenesse" given in the above letter (See further D.N.B., vol 37 , p 355 ; Pierce, John Penry, pp 126-8) Middleton's defence ofhisactions and his refutation of his accusers are set down in his letter to theQueen , 15 January, 1593 (Hatfield House MSS , pp 279-284)

5 This is erroneous John Underhill, who had been consecrated Bishop of Oxford in December , 1589, died 12 May, 1592, and after his deaththe see remainedvacant until February, 1604, when John Bridges was consecrated ashissuccessor (Strype, Whitgift, i, p. 617, Aylmer, p. 110 ; D.N.B., vol 58, p 30).

XXIX. VERSTEGAN TO FR . PERSONS

. Antwerp, c. mid-April, 1593 .

Stonyhurst, Coll B, 43. Holograph.

An acte for restrayning of Popish recusants to some certaine places of abode This is past in the Higher House.1

1. That every person above the age of 16 yeares beeing aPopish recusant convicted alredy and having a place of abode shall, within 40 dayes after the end of the Parlament -yf they be within therealme and not restrand or stayed by imprisonment by Her Majestie's comaundement or by order of 6 or more of the Counsell , or by sicknes as they shall not be able totravaile withouteimminentdanger of lyfrepaire to the place oftheir comon abode, and shall not remove from thence above five myles, uppon paine of losse of all goodes, chattells, landes , tenements, hereditamentes and anuites during lyf.

2. All persons not having anycertaineplaceofdwelling and abode shall, afterthe convictions aforesaid, repaire to the place where theywereborne orwheretheirfatherormother shalbedwelling, under the penalties aforesaid .

3. Copiholders and customary tenants shall forfaict their estates fortermeoflyfto the [Queen]2 yf the lord be a Popish recusant and convicted

4. After such repaire made, they shall, within 20 days after their coming to thesame places, notify it and present themselves and deliver their trew names to the minister of theparishand to the constable, hedborow and tythingman³of the towne, who shall enter thesame into a booke to be kept in every parish, and shall certify thesame to the Justices of the Countyat the next Generall or Quarter Sessions, who shall cause the Clarck of the Peace to enter it into the Rolles.

5. Who hathe not inheritance or freeland of 20 marcks a yeare aboveall charges, or goodes above40li , and do not repaire and do as is said , or shall passe oute of the compasses of 5 myles and shall not within three monethes after apprehension conforme themselves in going to the churche and making publyke confession and submission, beeing required by the bishop or any Justice of the Countie where he shalbe , or by the minister of the parish, that then all such persons before any Justice of Peace or Coroner of the County shall uppon their corporall othe abjure the realme and all the Queene's dominions for ever, and shall depart at suchhaven andwithin such tyme as shalbe assigned by thesaid Justice or Coroner , unlesse he be letted by comon lawful meanes or causes ,

LETTERS OF RICHARD VERSTEGAN No. XXIX

according to the custome in abjuration for felony. And this abjurationshalbeentred ofrecord, and certified to the assises; and whoso refuseth to abjure, or goeth not to the haven , or returneth withoute Her Majestie's spetiall licence, shalbe a fellon.

6. Yf any be suspected to be a Jesuyte, Seminary or Massing priest, and beeingexamyned by anyperson aucthorised inthat behalf, shall refuse to answere directly and truly, shalbe comittedto prison untill he do answere directly.

7. Upon necessary occasion of busynes to go oute of the fyve myles with licence under the handes of ii justices with the consentofthebishop, orliftenantordeputyunder theirhandes , it shalbe lawfull to travaile for the tyme limitted

8. Yf any be urged by processe, or be bound withoute fraude or covyne to appeere in any courte, or shalbe sent for by3 or more of the Counsell, or by fowre or more Comissioners , it shalbe no penalty

9. All offenders against this acte before convicted, coming to some parish churche on some holy day and heare Divyne Service, and before the sermon or ghospell make publyke and open submission and declaration of their conformityshalbe cleerely discharged; and every minister shall presently enter the submission into a booke to be kept in every parish, and within twenty dayes certify it by writing unto the bishop. Yf any after such submission shall fall into relapse and againe become a recusant, he shall lose the benefit ofthesaid submission.

The

Submission .

I, A.B., do humblyconfesse and acknowlegethat Ihavegrievously offended God in contemning Her Majestie's godly and lawfull government and aucthoritie by absenting my self from churche and from hearing Divyne Service , contrary to the godly lawes and statutes of this realme ; and I am hartely sory for thesame, and do acknowlege and testyfy in my conscyence that the Bishop of Rome hathe not, nor ought to have, any poweroraucthoritieover Her Majestie or within any Her Majestie's realmes or dominions ; and I do promisse and protest without any disimulation or any collor, or meanes of dispenceation," that from hensforthe Iwillfrom tyme to tyme obay and performe Hir Majestie's lawes and statutes in repairing to the churche and hearing DivyneService, and do my uttermost endevour to maintaine and defend thesame.8

The Lower Bill, long tyme debated in the Lower House and yet not concluded.⁹

1. That all recusanteswhich shall not submitt themselvesbefore June next, shall forfait tothe Queen alltheirgoodes andchattels ,

and all such debtes as be owing to them either in their owne right or any other's right, directly or indirectly They also shall forfaicttwopartesoftheir landes, tenementsand hereditaments during lyf. 10

2. Every wyf recusant hereafter to be convicted shall forfait and be disabled to have joynter or dowry, or to be executrixor administrator; and all advancement by any conveyance directly or indirectly to any of their uses to be utterlyvoid"

3. Yf any hereafter take any recusant to wyf, two partes of all she hathe are to be forfaited to Her Majestie . 12

4. He that shall continew a convicted recusant by the space of two moneths , shall not be capableof any estate or thing, either by purchase or descent . 13

5. Every recusant copyholder shall forfait two partes of hiscopy hold . 14

6. Children of recusantes above seaven yeares of age are to be comitted to others to be educated; and they are to be kept and maintayned oute of the thirdparte lefte unto the recusant parent, the comitting of them to be donne either by the Councell Ordinary or Justice of Assises . 15

7. He that suffereth anyrecusant to continu within his house one moneth, thoughe it be patched up at severall tymes, shall forfait x li.

8. The master shall forfaict for every moneth he keepeth a recusant servant x li. 16

9. Every recusant shalbe disabled to mak bargaine, contract, or any other conveyance . 17

10. If any recusant have made any conveyance since primo Elizabethae to the use of anywyfor children it shalbevoid for two partes to the Queene . 18

11. All estates made since primo Elizabethae, bona fide, for just cause and consideration are saved . 19

12. He that submitteth must first make his recantation in his parishe churche with a solemne protestation to renounce the Pope and Popishe religion, and to shew himself penitent for his former fault . 20

These penalties to be sued for by bill of action of debt or information in any Her Majestie's courtes.

Endorsed by Verstegan For Fr. Persons.

Endorsed by Fr. Henry Walpole Verstegan's advises oftheParliamentofthe 26ofMarch , 1592[-3].

NOTES

1 The bill was first introduced into the House of Lords 24 February with the following title : "An act for restraining and punishing vagrant and seditious persons who, under feignedpretence of conscience and religion, corruptand seduce the Queen's subjects" It was given a second reading 28 February andthen committed The textofthe bill beforethe committee stageis in the Houseof Lords Papers (supplementary) 1576-93, ff. 119-28 ; a draft of it by Burghley is recordedin Cal Dom . Eliz , 1591-4 , p. 338 . So many amendments were made that a new bill had to be drawn up (for further details vid J. E. Neale , Elizabeth I and her Parliaments, 1584-1601, p 295) This was introduced 7 March, passed 12 March, and then sentto the Commons , whereit was passed withadditional amendments (D'Ewes, Journals, p 500-19 ; Lords Journals, pp 174-181) The final text of the act (35 Eliz c ii, "An Acte against Popish Recusantes") is contained in Statutes ofthe Realm, iv, pp. 843-6. The summary given in the above letter does not differ materiallyfrom the substance of the act in itsfinal form, although it was madebeforethebill passed theCommons.

2Blankin MS . The clause has not been summarisedvery clearly The act stated that all copyholdersand customary tenants who wererecusants were to forfeit all their lands to their lord; but if the lord was also a recusant, the lands were to be forfeited to the Queen .

3 The headboroughand tithingman were parish officers with duties similar to those of the petty constable: "an officer of a parish or township appointed to act as conservator of the peace and to perform a number of public duties in his district" (N.E.D.).

4 i.e. deceit or collusion (N.E.D. "covin" , sb 4).

5 Thisshouldbeno 10. Aclause has been omitted containing a proviso that recusantswho had to deliver themselves to the Sheriff ofthe County were not to incur any penalty if they travelled further than five miles forthat purpose

6 Statutes ofthe Realm (iv, p. 845) reads "the Bysshoppe or Sea of Rome" .

7 Ibid. "any dispensacion" .

8 The last part of the submission , which has been omitted, runs as follows: "And that everie minister or curate of everie parishe where suche submyssion and declaracion of conformytie shall hereafter be soe made by anysuch offendor as aforesaide shall presentlieenter the same into a booke to be kepte in every parishefor that purpose , and within tennedaies then nexte following shall certefye the same in writinge to the bisshoppe of the same dioces '

This bill, whichwas eventually abandoned , bore the title : "An act for the reducing of disloyal subjects to their due obedience" (text in House of Lords papers , 1592-3, ff 1-15 ; summary D'Ewes, Journals, p. 491). It was introduced into the House of Commons 26 February and debated at its second reading 28 February There were fifteen clauses in thebill, of which the first two were omitted, and a number of others modified when the bill returned from committee 12 March (D'Ewes, op cit, ibid ) Another debate took place the following day at the second reading, and the bill was again committed. The amendments made in committee were read and agreed 17 March, but then the bill fell asleep.

A new bill to a similar end was introduced in the Lords 27 March : "An explanation of a branch of a statute made in the twentythird year of the Queen's Majesty's reign, intituled 'An Act to retain the Queen's Majesty's subjects in their due obedience' with some addition tothesame" (Lords Journals ii, p 182) Although this bill also underwent a number ofmodifications, it was eventually passed 7 April (35 Eliz , c i , "An Acte to retayne the Quene's subjetes in obedyence" , text in Statutes of the Realm, iv, pp. 841 ff.). See further concerning the passage of the acts through Parliament, J. E. Neale, op cit , pp 280-297 .

The text given in the above letter is a summary of the original bill introduced into the Commons 26 February, before any amendmentswere made It contains a number of discrepancies from the text in D'Ewes, particularlyin clauses 8, 12 , 14 and 15. There are also minor differences such as the combining of two clauses and the splittingof another

10This first clause, really clauses 1 and 2 of the bill, was omitted by the committee, "being thought too hard" (D'Ewes, op cit , p 498)

11 Clause no 3 in D'Ewes, amendedin committee to loss of two parts of jointure or dowry.

12 Clause no. 4 in D'Ewes, amended to : "the husband not being recusant is to forfeit no part of his land for his wive's recusancy" Concerning this clause vid. Ñeale's remarks, op. cit. , pp 293-4 .

13 Apparently clause no. 5 in D'Ewes, amended to "All sales made by recusants since 2 Eliz. of lands whereof he taketh the profits, or which conveyanceis upon any trust and confidence , to be void as to the Queen , as fortwoparts ofthe profits tobeanswered her; and so all sales hereafter to be made by any recusantconvicted, the sale being bona fide, etc."

14 This is closerto the amendmentthan to the clause (no. 11) ofthe original bill, which states : "If he be a copyholder, he shall forfeit his copyhold during his life, whereof two parts is to go to the Queen, and thethird to the lord" . The amendment reads : "Recusants that be copyholdersto forfeit two parts to the lord of the mannor, if the lord be no recusant, and if he be, then to the Queen"

15 Clause 9 in D'Ewes, amended to "Children being ten years old untilthey be sixteen years are to be disposed of at the appointment of four Privy Councillors, the Justices ofAssize, the Bishop of the Diocese, Justicesof Peace If the third part of the lands suffice not for the maintenance , the rest to be levyed of the parents' goods" .

16 Clauses 7 and 8 form onlyone clause in D'Ewes (no 7) In theactwhich was introduced when the present one fell asleep, a proviso was added (section vii) that no one was to be punished or impeachedfor harbouring a recusantwho was his wife or a near relation.

17 Clause 9 in D'Ewes

18 Apparently the same as clause 6 in D'Ewes .

19 Not in D'Ewes

20 Id clause 13.

XXX. VERSTEGAN TO FR . PERSONS .

Antwerp, c mid-April, 1593 .

Stonyhurst, Coll B, 81. Holograph

From 153 [London]¹ the 26 of Marche, stylo novo , 1593 .

We are here in Parlament were2 most severe lawes are concluded against the Catholiks, as confiscation of all goodes and leases and two partes of every man's land

That no man shall kepe any Catholik servant or sojorner under x li. the moneth

That all the inferior sorte shalbe banished or restrayned to live within fyve myles compasse.3

The Lord ofComberlande'sparte of the price taken inthe carrick was 32,000 li , and Sir Walter Rawleye's 30,000 li.4

The Lord of Cumberland is provydingagaine to the sea ; howbeit we heare that the King of Spaine's treasure is come saf home.5

Sir Frauncis Drake's voyage is at the best no preparation nor speech thereof more.6

Captain Candish and his fellow captain, Cock, are bothe dead at sea, and their ship come home miserably to Plimouthe with only 7 men in her.7

There is graunted in this Parlament three subsidies and six fifteenes, a thing never before heard of.8

Mr. Beecher (an alderman's sonne ofLondon) is now redytopasse forTurckywiththease presents, viz: a veryritchebedstedewoorthe 3,000 li., two stryking clockes of silver, a very ritche cubbord of plate, 52 chestes9 of the best scarlet could be bought, and twelve scarlet gownes for his chiest10 bassaes .

The Lord Treasureris recoveredof his sicknesse as lusty as ever , more potent then ever He in the Upper House, and his sonne , Sir Robert, in the Lower house make what lawes they list

The Earl of Essex is sworne of the Privy Counsell. many reportes of Scotland, not knowing the certainty.

By another letter of the last of Marche .

We heare

Certaine Brownistes or Puritaines are apprehended and to be arrayned for publishing of a seditious booke . 12

The plague beginneth to encrease in London . 13

Theare are broyles and stirres in Scotland, and thinges theirdo procede contraryto the lyking of the Counsel of England.

Since the arrivall of the letters before specified, here is newes comeuntothis towne that John Cecill, the Treasurer's grandchyld, hathecaryedawaythe Lady Arbella and secretlymaried her,aboute

the which there is much ado in the courte I expect to heare this confirmed . 14

Addressed For Fr. Persons .

Endorsed by Fr. Persons Notes of lawes treated or concluded in Parlament, with letteres ofthe 26 and 31 of March, 1593.

1 Decodingsupplied ed.

2 i.e. "where" .

3 Vid previousletter.

4 Cf. a despatchsent 30 March, 1593 to Persons and Englefield by another intelligencer : "The particion of the great pryce is now concluded: that the Quene shall have all the peppar, mounting, as it is valued to 80,000 li sterlinge; th'Erle of Cumberlandshall have to the valew of 36,000 li inmerchandise; Sir Walter Rawly 24,000 li ; theCityofLondon 12,000 li.; but by that tyme they sold their wares it may be they willfall short of their accoumptes" (Stonyhurst, Coll B, 80) Cf. also Phelippes'sletter to Thomas Barnes (Cal Dom Eliz , 1591-4, p 314) The signedawards ofthe commissioners give lower figures: Cumberland, £18,000 ; Raleigh, £15,900 ; Sir John Hawkins, £2,400 ; the City of London £12,000 (B.M. Lansdowne MSS 73, f 40, cited G. B. Harrison, Elizabethan Journals , i, p 371)

5 Cf. Cal Dom Eliz , 1591-4, p 353 ; Letter no 25, note 4. Three ships financed by Cumberlandsetout towards the end of 1593 on a privateering expedition, and returned in August of the following year Littlefinancial benefit was derived from the voyage, but a large Portuguesecarrack, Las Cinque Llagas, was destroyed by fire (Hakluyt, Voyages, Everyman ed , v pp 69ff)

6 Vid Letterno 25 , note 4

7 Captain Thomas Cavendish , the famous navigator, was in charge of a fleet offive ships which set sail from Plymouth 26 August, 1591 , boundfor the "South Sea, the Philippinas andthe coast ofChina" . He commanded the Galeon, whilst Captain Cocke captainedthe Roebucke, and John Davis the Desire . The voyage was disastrous , and only a very small remnant returned to England, Cavendish and Cocke and many others having perished (Hakluyt, Voyages, vol. 8, pp. 289ff.)

8 Cf. Coll B, 79. Two sets of subsidies were granted by Act of Parliament in 1593. The first (c xii) was of two subsidies of four shillings in the pound to be paid in two years by the clergy ; and the second (c. xiii) was of three subsidies and six fifteenths and tenths to be paid by the laity over a period of four years . (Fifteenths and tenths were old forms of taxationdating from the 14th century, deriving theirnames fromthefact that the one purported to be a fifteenthof the value of the personalpropertyofall countryresidents, and the other a tenthofthat ofallcityand borough residents By Elizabethan times these grants had become fixed amounts apportioned out by commissioners in every county and town.) See further concerning the 1593 subsidies D'Ewes, Journal, p 480ff.; and Neale'schapter on the subjectin Queen Elizabeth and her Parliaments , 1584-1601 .

> In a previous letter (no 25) the number is given as50 .

10 i.e. "chiefest"

11 Vid. Letter no 7, note 17 .

12 Vid. Letter no. 31 , note 5, Letter no 33.

13 Cf. A.P.C., xxiv, pp 163-4 ; Fugger News-Letters , 2nd series , p. 248 .

14 Cf. Letterno 3 note 13. The reported elopementofThomasCecil'seldest son(Williamnot John) with Arabella provedto be afalserumour Hehad in fact secretly married Elizabeth Drury (vid. Letter no. 31).

XXXI VERSTEGAN TO PERSONS

.

Antwerp, 28 April, 1593

Stonyhurst, Coll B, 95. Holograph

From Antwerp, the 28 of Aprill, stylo novo .

It is here reported by one lately come foorthe of England that the marchantes of London, Hull, Newcastle, and other places have offred to sett foorthe 12,000 men to the siege of Dunkerck, because they are by that towne very muchannoyed It seemeththis offer is accepted and promis made that this somer it shalbe taken in hand.¹

The Queene would faine bringthe States of Holland and Zealand to pay all English garnisons themselves according as hethertoshe hathe payde them. And she offreth to apparell them twice in the yeare, and stille to send supplies to kepe the full numbersbut aboute this matter they are not yet agreed.2

It is concluded in Parlament that a house shalbe erected for the maintenance during their lives of such soldiers as are and shalbe maymed in their warres.3

It is knowne in England that our nation hathe here benebegged for in sermons , and this is divulged there in pulpites to shewein what state the King of Spaine's English pentioners dolive here , as alsowhata great punishment ofmisery is now laid uppon us because we are enemyes to them and their gospell And the matteris lyke shortly to be amplyfiedin bookes and ballets God relieve us and amend them.4

The contents of a letter dated in London the 6 of this moneth of Aprill, 1593 , stylo novo .

The second of this moneth fyve Brownistes or Puritanes were arraigned and condemned to die as fellons.5

The next day was one Penry, a Welshman and a principall Puritane minister taken, and is undoubtedly thesame man that wroteunder thename ofMartin Marprelate.6 The 4 ofthis present, he was examined before the Counsell, and by reason of his apprehension, the execution of the others was stayed ?

The Lord Burrowes is sent ambasador into Scotland aboute the pacifying of some broyles there.8

John Cecill, sonne to Sir Thomas Cecill, caried awayedthe Lady Stafforde's daughter's daughter, who was a gentlewoman of the Privy Chamber, and the 3 of this presente, they were taken againe. Yong Cecill is sent to the Marshalsea, and the gentlewoman to the Fleet.⁹

Itis said thatthe Parlament was to end in the begining ofAprill, and thatthe Queenwill go toWindsorbecause thePlaguebeginneth a freshe to encrease in London.

By another letter dated in London the 10 of this moneth of Aprill, I do understand that two of the Brownistes or purest Puritaines whichthe 2 of this moneth were condemnedto die, were caried unto the place of execution and, the halters beeing put aboute their neckes and tyed fast unto the gallowes, they were presentely untyed and caried backagaine alyve. It seemeth that the officersdurst not executethemby reasonof the great multytude of Puritanes there present, as also flocking together in the City of London, who began openly to murmur and to give oute threatning speeches, insomuch that a presente commotion was feared, and what may yet follow is doubtfull, considering the heate of those purified spirites. 10

The enemy in thease partes lieth still before Gertremberg and is their very stronglyentrenched, having all this whyle bene busyed aboute his entrenching and not begun to batter It is said that our forces to raise the siege wilbe their by the 15 of May. I pray God they come not to late . 11

Addressed To Fr. Persons

Endorsed by Fr. Persons Advises from London, 10 April, 1593.

LETTERS OF RICHARD VERSTEGAN No.

NOTES

1 Cf. Cal Spanish, 1587-1603, p. 597. The English merchant ships were constantly attacked byships mannedbythe men ofDunkirk(A.P.C. ,xxvi, p. 61 ; Fugger News-Letters, 2nd series, p 247 ; Hatfield House MSS , iv , p. 248.)

2The aid given to the Dutch in menand money was said to costtheQueen £150,000 a year (D'Ewes, Journals, p 473) A list of weekly paymentsto English troops in the Low Countries between March and May, 1593 is contained in Hatfield House MSS , iv, p. 293 .

3 "An acteforthe reliefof souldiours" (35 Eliz , c. iv) was passed by Parliament to the effect that weekly rates were to be raised in every parish for the relief of disabled soldiers ; but no mention is made in the act of the erectionof a home for them (vid Statutes ofthe Realm, iv, pp 847-9).

4 One such book was Lewknor's The Estate of English Fugitivesunderthe King of Spaine and his ministers, which appearedin 1595, and was republished the following year.

5 Henry Barrow , John Greenwood , Scipio Bellot, Robert Bowles (or Bull) and Daniel Studley were condemned 23 March (O.S.) in the Session Hall near Newgate , the first two for "devising" and the last three for "publishing and dispersing seditious books" (Harleian MSS. 7042 , f. 34 , cited in F. J. Powicke, Henry Barrow, pp 75-6) Cf. An Apologie or Defence of such true Christians as are commonly called Brownists, (1604) p 92. Details of the trial are containedin Letterno 33 . Barrow and Greenwood wereexecuted; Daniel Studley was imprisoned for fouryearsand then exiled ; Scipio Bellot and Robert Bowles "dyed a while after" in Newgate (An Apologie , p 95)

* This dates Penry's capture 24 March (O.S.), though the date is normally given as twodaysearlier (cf. Pierce, John Penry, p. 385 ; A. Peel , Notebook of John Penry, Camden Society, lxvii , 1944, p xxi) He was condemned 24 May, 1593 and executed at the end of the same month For details of his indictment see Letterno 38 . The originator of the above despatchhad little doubt in his mind that Penry was the author of the Marprelate Tracts, but opinion continues to vary (vid. Letterno 27, note 8).

7 The reference to the stay ofexecutionforthe other Puritans is corroborated byBarrow's letterwrittenshortly beforehisdeath (printed in An Apologie , p 92) "Upon the 24, early in the morning, was preparation made for our execution, we brought out of the Limbo, our yrons smitten of, and we ready tobe bound to the cart, when Her Majestie's most graciouspardon came for our reprive" .

8 Cf. Cal Dom Eliz , 1591-4, pp 314-5 Lord ThomasBoroughswassent to Scotland to pacify James concerningthe fact that the Earlof Bothwell was beingharbouredin England Elizabeth assured James that Bothwell "had crept secretly into England, and that she would punish thosewhich had harboured him . . . " (Camden, Annales , 1635 ed , p 418) Boroughs was ableto extract a number ofpromises fromJames, one (which he did not fulfil) being to procure in Parliament the forfeiture of the Catholic rebels (Hatfield House MSS , iv, p 373).

Theladywithwhom William (not John) Cecileloped was Elizabeth Drury, whose grandmother, LadyStafford, wife ofSir WilliamStafford ofGrafton ,

was one ofthe Ladies of the Bedchamber , and servedthe Queen for over forty years. Her mother was Elizabeth Stafford, married first to Sir WilliamDruryof Hawsted, in Suffolk, whodiedin 1589 in a duel, andthen to Sir John Scott (Details concerningthe mother and grandmother are taken from V. Wilson, Queen Elizabeth's Maids of Honour, 1922 (pp. 76 , 89, 115-6)

Although originally imprisoned in the Marshalsea , Cecil was moved within a week from this "noisesome prison" to the Fleet, "a place of better health" . On 11 April, he wrote asking Robert Cecil to persuade Burghley to obtain the Queen's favour for his pardon He was released by 22 May when he wrote a letter thanking his uncle for the efforts he had madeon his behalf (Hatfield House MSS , iv, pp. 300, 308 , 319)

10 This was the second time the execution had been postponed (cf. note 7) The reason for this reprieve was , according to Phelippes, a supplication sentto Burghley by the Puritans that "in a land whereno Papist wasput to deathfor religion, theirs shouldnot be the firstblood shed whoconcurred about faith with what was professed in the country ... " . " (Cal. Dom. Eliz , 1591-4, p 341) Barrow described the respite as follows : "Upon the last day ofthe third moneth, my brother Grenewood and I were early and secretlyconveyedto the place ofexecution, where, beingtyed bythenecks to the tree , we werepermitted to speak a few wordes ... And having both ofus almostfinished our last words, behold! one was even at thatinstant come with a reprive for our lives from Her Majesty, which was not onely thankfullyreceivedof us, but with exceeding rejoysing and applause of al the people, both at the placeof execution, and in the wayes, streets and houses as we returned " (An Apologie or Defence, pp. 92-3). Barrow and Greenwoodwere eventually executed 6 April, 1593

11 Vid Letter no 27, note 1

XXXII VERSTEGAN TO FR PERSONS .

Antwerp, 30 April, 1593.

Stonyhurst, Coll B, 103. Holograph.

Right Reverend, I have receyved Your Fatherhoode's letterof the 19 ofMarch , and therewithagreat packet for Fr. Holte. Himself (as byhis last letteruntome I understand) is noweither at Namures, or on his way to Tornay, where the Provinciall and sundryof the Society domete. Ihold it best tosend thepacketuntohim toTornay bythe Rector of this towne¹ who goeth thether,for himself beeingno further of ,I donot thinck it requisyte that I should open thesame . In the meane tyme, I have written unto him to signifywhat I have for him.

Imoved Mr. Reynoldes²yesterday to write his answere untoYour Fatherhoode touching the setting foorthe of a generallecclesiasticall history of the Churche of England He answered that himself beeingnotverywell (as in dede he is not) and,besydes that, somwhat busyed, and his answere not greatly requisyte to be so speedely given, he would for a whyle deferr it. I had some talke with him aboute this woorck, the methhoode whereof he lyketh to be thus: first, the History of St. Bede and Dr. Harpsfeild to be joyned in one volume , and to continew from the first Christianity of our nationuntotherevoltof King HenrytheEight Then, in a second volume, the Concertationwhichwould make a volume greater then thefirst ; and therein should be comprisedsomuchof Dr.Harpsfeild his History as since that revolt is continued, as also , what Dr. Saunders in his booke De Schismate Anglicana hathe sett downe , 6 and what els that oute of sundry writinges and good notes maybe gathered. And this, beeingconferred together, should be made one intire pece of woorck, the first volume conteyning, as it were , the tyme ofthe peace of the Churche, and the second the troobles that have bene caused by schisme and heresy

I have receyved from our frendes in 25 [England] a discourse in writing conteyning 50 sheets of paper, beeing the confessionofMr. Anthony Tirrell written by himself before his later fall, wherein there is verynotable matterdiscoveredto long hereto berehearsed,? and sundrycopies ofthe Treasurer'sletters, and othersinaucthority unto him, besydes divers articles and interogations, practizes of Walsingham and others, etc., which willyeildgreat lightand matter unto Your Fatherhoode's intended woorck.

Ihavealsogotten the latebookeagainst the Puritanes settfoorthe by the aucthority of the bishopes, and in my judgment there was never booke sett foorth by our English heretikes nor any other, more advantagious for us Calvine and Beza are decipheredto be no better then seditious and rebellious spirites, their practizes, 134

driftes, and sinister gettingto credit and government in Genevais displayed and proved by their actes, consultations and private lettersto theirfellowministersyea, Bezaes seditiousletters to the Puritanes in England, which we should, perhapes , never have come to the knowlege of, but that themselveshave nowlayde open their owne turpitude

One thing I cannot passe over whichin this bookeis settdowne , and that is, that one, beeing in Geneva , did usuallyfrequentthe sermons of Calvyne, and would never come unto the sermons of Viretus, who did preach in another church at the same howre that Calvyne preachedin his churche (either churcheis named) Uppon occasion , one asked him why he did still heare the sermons of Calvine and would never heare any one of those of Viretus. "Itell you, " quoth this party, "yf St. Paule himself were alive and in Geneva, and did preach at thesame howre that Monsieur Calvyne preached, I would leave St. Paule and heareMonsieur Calvyne"" [Marginal note: I do not verywell rememberwhether thistalebein the bishopes ' booke or in Sutcliffe's but in the one ofthem Ired it.]

Another booke is sett foorth of some bignes , also with lyke aucthorite and written against the Puritaines by one Mathew Sutcliff (thesame man that hathe lately written in Latin against Fr. Bellarmyne and others, whereof I have alredy written untoyou), and this fellow playeth uppon Calvyne and Beza in thesamesorte as dothe the other, and hathe very many prety notes in him fitt for our purpose . 10

Amonge others : whereas the Puritanes do say that Papistesare more favoured then they are, he answereth them that it is a bold and impudent assertion, for it is well knowne that divers of them have beenexecuted, some as traitors, some as fellons, others have paid for it as Recusants, whereas none of this faction have bene punishedinlykedegree, save Hacket, albeit theydeny HerMajestie's supremacy, and manyof them refuseto come to churcheetc. Thus far his owne woordesfor I have this booke also, oute of thewhich I write it. 11

Isend atthis present in Sir Frauncis his letter a paper of advices for YourFatherhoode, as also anarraignment ofcertaineBrownistes,12 the writing of the copy whereof I have paid for in 68, as also for thease books; and so do I for divers the lyke that a freind there sendethmeI do not meane any 139 [priest ?]13 but another ; and thusmuch I ad to the end Your Fatherhood may partly knowe whatcharge I am at for thease thinges, besydes the portage, which is also extraordinary .

I send Your Fatherhoode herenclosed a copy of a letter written bysome Chief of the Councellto the comissionersof Lincolnshere,14 whichwas sent me from 195 [Fr. Garnet], as was also the discours of Mr. Tirrell's confession .

I send herewith also a letter sent unto me from my coosin , Thomas Fitzherbert , whose case seemethunto me to be veryhard . 15

I perceave byentelligence from a frend in 25 [England] whois of this countrythat my coosin hathe employed one their aboute some espetiall service , and hathe bene at charges for thesame; butthe party is taken for beeing225 [Catholic] yet hopeth for liberty, and (as I am enformed) dothe hold on his resolution, and will do his busynesse so soone as he shalbe free ; and by sundry letters that I have seene I do deeme him to be an honest man, and that he wilbe as good ashis woord . 16

The extreme misery of our nation here is wounderfull great, and perswasionto patience hathe no force to resist hunger. Theirharts are even broken with sorrow considering that now almost in two yeares they have had no one pay. They in England rejoyce atit and proclaime it to the world . 17 Some here do murmur at the erection of new seminaries , 18 aleaging that to be a meane to withdrawe His Majestie's benevolence from relieving the body of our nation. My self have argued with some that have bene very hot in this matter. Others do bothe say and write that it is intended by some either to starve us or to drive us away Divers are sory ofYour Fatherhoode's so speedy returne fromMadrid, and conceave litle hope of good successe by the solicitationof others. And touching the suing to Counte Mansfeild for our entertainments -I meane your brother's and mynein the Castel's , thereis utterly no hope of it by him, for he loveth not our nation;19 and 177 [Paget ?]20 who hathe now gotten some credit with him, I suppose would rather crosse thenfurther thesame And I thinck it would be a long sute to get his secretary to seeke up the Kinge's letter, and to get afterwardes the Counte's answere ; for 177 [Paget ?] hathe got his creditt with the Count by meane of this secretary. Yfthis Counte be to be removed from the government, I suppose itbest to seewhatmaybe don by the next. It is a griefto consider that after so great sute for His Majestie's letters, when they are once had, they are of no force ; and some do say that by certaine privy marckesset downein suchletters the officers do know whether they are effectuall or not, els it were strang they should so litle regard the Kinge's owne writing perceave that at the writing of Your Fatherhoode's letter of the 19 of Marche, the letter of myne was not arryved touchinga sute for the office of receit of the custome of Englishe clothes . 21 Whether any good may be don therein or no I know not, neither will I importunatelyurge Your Fatherhoode, but leaveit untoyour consideration to do therein or in the former sute as conveniently youmay. And thus comittingYour Fatherhoode to God, I humbly take my leave. Antwerp, this 30 or last ofAprill, 1593. Withright hartythanckes for your good favour and affection towardes me Your Fatherhoode's most assured and redyservitor, R. Verstegan.

Because the Latin Booke of Philopatris22willnot sell here, seeing so many editions hereabouts are printed, I do meaneas also your brother desyrethto send more of them unto Spaine, and with those I will send the cronicles, Mr. Tirrel's confession , with divers other thinges.

Addressed AlMolto Reverendoin Christo Padre, il Padre Roberto Personio della Compagnia di Giesu, Sevilla

Endorsed by Fr. Henry Walpole Verstegan, the last of April, with advises , 1593 .

Endorsed by Fr. Persons With a note of certayn books agaynst Puritans , and Mr. Reynalde's answere about the Concertation .

Mark of seal

1 i.e. Antwerp

LETTERS OF RICHARD VERSTEGAN

NOTES

2 Dr.William Rainolds (or Reynolds), 1544-1594, a leading Catholic theologian and polemist, had been Professorof Divinity and Hebrew at Douay and Rheims, and had assisted in the translation of the Rheims New Testament, 1582. Among his other works are A Refutation of Sundry Reprehensions, 1583 (printed in Paris under Verstegan'ssupervision) ; De Justa Reipublicae Christianae , 1590, 1592 ; A Treatise conteyning the true Catholike and Apostolike Faith, 1593 ; and Calvino-Turcismus, completed andpublishedbyWilliamGifford in 1597. Rainoldsdiedin August, 1594 , and, as can be seen from the above letter, had been in poor health for about a year.

3The book inquestion, a two volume ecclesiastical historyof England from earliest times, never materialised, but there are two works by Persons which can be considered to have stemmedfrom it One is A Treatise of three Conversions of Englandfrom Paganisme to Christian Religion, which appearedin 1603 and 1604, (Catalogue of Catholic Books, no 640), and this would appear to correspond with the first volume of the contemplated history. The other is a three volume manuscript work, never printed, described by Gillow (Bibliographical Dictionary, v, p 287) as follows : "De editione Concertationis Anglicanae , opus imperfectum Personii, MS., 3 large vols , at Stonyhurst It was planned as a full history ofthe Reformation from the beginning of the reign of Henry VIII" . This Concertatio(also called Certamen) has the same title and scope as the second volume of the workmentioned in the aboveletter.

4 Thomas Stapleton had published a translation of Bede's Historia at Antwerpin 1565. It appeared with the title : The History ofthe Church of Englande , compiled by Venerable Bede, Englishman Translated out of Latin in to English by Thomas Stapleton, Student in Divinity. The work, which was dedicated to Elizabeth, "Defendour of the Faith" , is prefacedby adiscussionof the "Differencesbetweenthe PrimitiveFaithe of England continewedalmost these thousandyeres, and the late pretensed faith of Protestants" .

5 Nicholas Harpsfield's work was Historia Anglicana Ecclesiastica a primis gentis susceptaefidei incunabilis ad nostra fere tempora deducta, et in quindecim centurias distributa. It existed only in manuscript at the time, and did not appear in print until 1622, when it was published with a short work by Edmund Campion " ... de Divortio Henrici VIII Regis ab uxore Catherina et ab Ecclesia Catholica Romana discessione" . The Historia extends only as far as the end of the fifteenthcentury, so that whenVersteganalludes tothat part ofit"as since thatrevolt is continued" , he is probably referring to another manuscript work by Harpsfield, which is a supplement to the Historia : Treatise touchingthe pretended Divorce of Henry the Eighth (printed from a collation of four manuscript sources by N. Pocock for the Camden Society in 1878).

Nicholas Sander's book, full title: Doctissimi Viri Nicolai Sanderi de Origine ac Progressu Schismatis Anglicani Liber, was published in 1585 . Like Persons's laterwork, Three Conversions, the book stresses the threefold conversionof England to the Catholic Faith.

7 Concerning Tyrell see Letter no 1 , note 3. The holograph of his confession (which, as appears laterin this letter, Versteganhad receivedfrom Garnet) was sent to Persons in October, 1593 (vid. Letter no. 43). Although Persons preparedthe manuscript for press, he never published it,

and it wasnot printed untilMorris included it in Troubles of our Catholic Forefathers, ii, pp 310ff In the preface he wrote to the confession , commentedonthe manuscript he hadreceivedfromVersteganinthefollowing manner: "There came into my handssome months past a certain roll of papersthat had been sent me out of England not long before , and for that they seemed somewhatofa staledate, andI was occupiedatthattime in divers other businesses, I let them lie by me for the space of two or three months without reading them over; but at last, taking time to peruse the particulars, I found, amongother things, a very largenarration and confession madebyAnthonyTyrrell, priest, which containedsix-andfifty sheets of paper written all with his own hand, in a very small letter , and his name subscribedin divers places to the same " (Morris, op. cit., p 310)

Threemanuscript copies of the confession are extant, twoofthem being atthe EnglishCollege Rome, andthe thirdintheBritishMuseum,Additional MSS 35,330.

8 Versteganis alluding to A Survay of the Pretended Holy Discipline (vid Letter no 28, note 3) Concerning the references to Beza'sletters cf. pp 50-60 ofthebook

The Swiss Calvinist, PierreViret (1511-1571) was renownedforhis capabili- ties as a preacher Verstegan is referringto a passagein A Survay, pp. 372-3 . Although quoting from memory, Verstegan has accurately noted the main points of the anecdote , which is taken from Zanchius.

10 This book is An Answere to a certaine Libel Supplicatorie (vid Letterno . 28, note 1). For Sutcliffe's book against Bellarmine vid Letter no 27, note 10

11 Vid An Answere , p 171

12 Vid next letter.

13 Decoding in this letter supplied ed., with the exception of the no. 195 , above which is written "f. Garn "

14The letterin question appears to be the one sent by the Privy Council in November, 1592 to the Earl of Lincoln, Lord Willoughby , Lord Sheffield "and the rest of the Comissioners for the examining and restrainte of recusant[s]" (A.P.C., xxiii , p 289) It complainsof the leniencyshown to the Catholics in custody

15 ThomasFitzherbert, who had been an intelligencer for the King of Spain at Rouen, was with the Duke of Feria in Paris for part of 1593 (Foley, Records S.J., iii, pp 792-3) It is hard to say what the circumstances were which prompted Verstegan's remark. The term "coosin" which Verstegan uses here and elsewhere does not implythat Fitzherbert was related to him in some way,butthat Verstegan regardedhim as a close friend (cf. N.E.D. "cousin" , sb . 5b).

16 Fitzherbert's agent in England seems to have been the government spy Sterrell, who wrote his "advices " at the direction of Thomas Phelippes He was subjected to an examination by Francis Bacon (vid. Cal. Dom Eliz , 1591-4, pp 309, 336 , 401)

17 Cf. Letters no 15 and 31 .

18 The new seminaries were those founded in Spain, one at Valladolid in 1589 and the other at Seville in 1592.

19 Cf. Letter no 15. Count Pierre Ernest de Mansfelt was Acting-Governor ofthe Low Countriesafter Farnese's deathuntil the arrivalofthe Archduke Ernest in Brussels at the beginning of 1594

20 The conjecture that 177 is Charles Paget (suggested to me by Fr. Basil FitzGibbon S.J.) is supported by the deposition of Diaper madewhilein prison in 1593 to Lord Burghley He says of Paget : "This rebel is greatly in regard with the Count Fuentes [mistranscribed 'Faustus'] and Mansfield and Mountdragon, Governor of Antwerp, and all thoseof the King's Council ; for they take him to be very wise, especiallyin plotting such matters as can never be brought to pass" (Strype, Annals , iv, p 231) Cf. 1st and 2nd Douay Diaries, p 408

21It is not known whether Verstegan's request was granted at this time, since he makes no further mention of it in his letters, and the recordsof passports granted at Brussels and Antwerp are very incomplete for this period But Verstegandid receivea passport, andfor a very largenumber of cloths, in 1612. A passportfor cloth was regardedas a valuable source of income , and was eagerly sought after by the needy exiles Cardinal Allen's sister , Elizabeth, obtained one for 100 cloths in 1598. See further my thesis, pp 157ff, 300ff

22This is Persons's Responsio (vid , Letter no 15, note 1 ) By April, 1593 at least four editions were in print : three in Latin, and one English abridgement (An Advertisement ). Verstegandid not despatchany copies ofthe Latin versionin the consignmentofbooks sent to Persons 2 October , 1593 , buthe did include 50 copies of An Advertisement (vid Letterno.43).

XXXIIA. Enclosure, Coll B, 99, 100.1

The tytle of the booke against the Puritanes sett foorthe by the direction and aucthoritie of the bishopes

A Survay of the Pretended Holy Discypline, conteyning the begininges, successe, parts, proceedinges, aucthoritieanddoctrineofit: with some of the manifold and materiall repugnances, varieties and uncertainties in that behalf.

Faithfullygathered by way ofhistoricall narration, oute ofthebookes and writinges of some principall favourers of that platforme.

Imprinted at London by John Wolf, 1593

The tytle of Mathew Sutclif his booke against the Puritanes.

An Answere to a certaine LibellSuplicatorie, orratherDiffamatory , and also to certaine calumnious articles and interrogatories , bothe printed and scattered in secretcorners, to the slaunderoftheEcclesiasticall state, andputfoortheunderthe name and title ofapetition directed to Her Majesty . Wherein not only the frivolous discourse of the petitioner is refuted, but also the accusation againstthedisciplinarians , his clients, justified, and the slaunderous cavills at the present government deciphered . By Mathew Sutcliffe. At London imprinted, etc.

NOTE

1 This enclosure contains accurate transcriptions of the title-page of the two books against the Puritans, though the spelling and punctuation of the originals are not observed See further concerning these works the preceding despatch and Letter no 28

XXXIIB. Enclosure, Coll B, 101 .

Yfmy leasurea litle better servedme, and my mynde were more quiet and delivered from thease perturbations ofwant, me thinckes I could oute of sundry our late Englishe hereticall bookes (for I have licence to read them as also others¹) drawe foorthe very espetiall matter to move any indifferent Protestant to become doubtfull of the truthein either the Puritane or Protestant religion, 2 and this treatise I would intitule thus :

"The second confusion of Babilon. Wherein the repugnant speeches and actions of the buylders up of a pretended Gospell are discovered, etc."

Or I might callit"The ConfusionofAlbion" , 3 and in the Preface to the Reader "touch brieflyhow the one nameconteyneth thevery same letters of the other, one letter only doubled for there is no letter in the one that is not in the other, nor no more nor lesse except the "b" twice in the one and but once in the other. Against the heretikes that would prove Roome to be Babilon and the Pope the whore of Babilon , 5 I had once a toy in my head to have controled that alusion, and to have shewed how Albion might, by transposing the letters, seme to be Babilon . The 7hilles, saith the Scripture, are seaven kinges, ergo not seavenhills; and unto seaven kinges' govermentes hathe Albion bene devyded, and Roome never.6 Also that the woman sat uppon a rose coloured beast, and the rose is the armes or banner of England Moreover , that the woman was druncken with the blood of saintes , 8 and said, "sedeo regina, et vidua non sum, et luctum non videbo" , and so dothe she sit as a queene , and is neither widow, wyf nor maid. Butwith all this I would not medle in the matter aforesaid. I only putit downe because it now came into my remembrance . 10

Endorsed by Fr. Persons (Coll B, 102) Notes of bookes agaynst Puritans Aprilis 30, 1593.

NOTES

1 Fr. HenryWalpole had written to Fr. Creswell at Rome on Verstegan's behalfin January, 1590 to obtain this permissionfor him. Seefurthermy thesis, pp 127ff

2Cf. Letterno 27 , in which Versteganhad writtenconcerninghis Speculum pro Christianis Seductis that it tended "to put an heretyke in doubte of his owne religion" .

3 When Versteganthought ofthis title he may have had in mind the so-called "Chaucer's Prophecy" , which he had mentioned in the preface of his Declaration of the True Causes It contains the following lines: ""Thenshal the lond of Albyon Be brought to grete confusioun" (W. W. Skeat , Works of Chaucer i, p. 46).

4 Babylon is referred to symbolically in the Apocalypse (e.g. xiv, 8; xvi, 19; xvii, 5; xviii, 2 ; x, 21), and accordingto the interpretation adopted by St. Jerome and St. Augustine was held to represent Rome at thetime of the Roman Empire, the main points of similarity being (a) thatitruled over the kings ofthe earth; (b) that it sat on seven mountains; (c) that it was the centre of the world's commerce ; (d) it was the corruptor of nations; (e) it was the persecutor of saints The Protestants readily adapted these references to applyto the Church of Rome, but Verstegan ingeniously interprets them as applying to Protestant England

5 The whore of Babylon is mentioned in Apocalypse , xvii

6 Cf. Apocalypse , xvii, 9. "The seven heads are seven mountains upon which thewomansitteth, and they are seven kings" Versteganis alluding to the Heptarchy, the seven kingdomsinto which it was thought England had been divided by the Angles and the Saxons betweenthe 5th and 9th centuries.

Apoc, xvii, 3. "And I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet-coloured beast ... " (Coccineam is normallytranslated as "scarlet" , but it suited Verstegan's purpose to translate it as "rose").

8 Id , xvii, 6. "AndI sawthe woman drunkwith the blood of the saints , and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus . "

"Id , xviii, 7. " ... I sit a queen, and am not a widow" .

10 Verstegannever made use of the idea in his subsequentworks

XXXIII. VERSTEGAN TO FR. PERSONS.

Antwerp, c 30 April, 1593.

Stonyhurst, Coll B, 87. Holograph.

The arraignment¹ ofcertaine Puritaines or Brownistes, the second of Aprill, 1593

Thefirstthatwas arraignedwas HenryBarrowe Hisindictment wasgrounded uppon the statuteof23 Elizabeth :3 thathe advisedly and with a malitious intent had devised, written, caused to be printed, and set foorthe one booke called The Discoveryofthe False Churche , wherein first heenveygheth mightelyagainst HerMajestie and the presente state, bothe spirituall and temporall, alleaging that bothe shee and the body of the Comon Welth, now standing as they do , are not christened, nor within the rules ofChristianity, unles she recall herself, and the rest submitt themselves, unto the order of the Churche ; and that it will not be sufficient for Her Majestie to saythat she hathe not beene instructed in thesame , so long as she runnethon that course she dothe, and yet will continew in thesame. And further, thatthere is never a man in whome there is any sparck of the grace of God, or that seeketh to keepe a good conscyence can live in this ComonWeale, or use anykyndeoftrade or lyf whatsoever, for all are corrupted and full of sores, from the highest to the lowest, of what estate or degree soever they bee . An other parte of the indictment was in that they disallowed the aucthoritie of bishopes , and in saying that their lawes were antichristianand not ruled or directed by the fingerof God ; and that they that did reverencethe bishopes did reverence the beast spoken of in the Revelation.

He deniedthe Queen abletomakeanylawe concerningtheChurche , alleaging that he that maketh lawes taketh and arrogateth to himselfthe office of God, for that is peculier only to God

That all people of this land, saving such as were within their Churche, weare infidells (An infidell he tooke to be such as either never was ofthire Chruche, or once beeing thereof did shrinckand fall from thesame)

Greenewood was the next, and was indicted for subscribing and publishing of a booke, to whichBarrowand he did agree, intituled A Conference betwixt him and Certaine Ministers, wherein first he dissaloweth the Booke of Comon Prayer, allowed bothe by the lawes of the land as also by the lawes of the Churche since primo Elizabeth That he had proved the congregation of England pro- fane and Babell lyke. That it was ruled and governed by the Pope's lawes, not by the lawes of Christ ; by the power ofSatan , not by the powre of Christ, profaning His name through their superstition and idolatry. That there was not the seeking of a

true ministrie as their ought to be, but a maintainingof a false. That their assemblies were not ruled, governed or directed by the Old or New Testament, but by the superstitious canons of popes and councells . That such thinges as are in the Churcheare notto be suffred for an order to which none of the children of God may come, in paine of damnation That all the lawes of the Churche are false and antichristian. That the ministers have no powre to teach, preach, or intermedle in the ChurcheofGod, inthatthey are not rightly called. That bothe he and Barrow, upon conference with one Mr. Penry, affirmed that the Queen had donne wickedly in giving powre to the bishopes , and they said they would seale thesame with their blooudes.

Studley, an elder of their Churche, was indicted and arraigned for publishing of the first Billet for thesame Boules , a disiple, for publishing the last"

The evidence of Serjant Owens against Barrow .

The lawe of23° , whereof he standeth indicted, hathe two partes : the first for advisedly devising of libells, the second for wilfull publishing thesame For the proof of the first, he inferred thease woordes: whereas he alleaged Her Majestie not to be baptised he condemnedtheChurche, universities, archbishopes, bishopes, vicars, parsons , cathedralls, churches, and all sorts of persons whatsoever but themselves That all that come to the churche are infidells That the Churche and Comon Weale and all was corrupted, all thinges oute of order, the publyke lawes and customesand all are corrupted, and that no prince can make new lawes . That he did it malitiously in that it is false

The fact is to be enquired or confessedthat was for the jury; the lawe to be delivered by the judges. That the end and drift of their shooting was to bring in confusion, notwithstandingtheir hipocresy. That the Queen her government was of God they confesse , but they take awaythe effect, that is, the making of lawes, and, by consequence, the government ; and therefore don uppon malice, insomuch as they alleage that she hathe no aucthoritie; and therefore this their diabolicall perswasionstendeth to plaine insurrection and rebellion, and yet, foorsoothe, clooked under the face of religion , as that of Ket's in Edward 6 his tyme, whichwas for nothing but for the removing of evill councellours from the King : sothe rebelles in the northe,10 and so the intended rebellion ofthese cormorants and devourers of men's soulesa fitt company to appoint Her Majestie's counsell, beeing never an honest man among them .

That bothe they and the Papistes were pioners for the King of Spaine, the one begining at the one end, and the other at the other end ; and so at the last they would mete at the harte of the midle. Barrow coming to answere thease matters, to some of them , in

that theyconsernedthe Churche, he required triall by the Churche; some he confessed , saying it was an easymatterfor a man to fault in speeches ; to other some he distainguished as the den[y]ing of Christianity in the Queen and the rest of her subjectes, he said he did not , but confessed althoughe they were christened in the tyme of Popery, yet they were not signed beforethey were called by the spirite which possesseth them into the Churche .

He avouched that our ministers and preachers were not of the Churche, in that they are prescribed their tyme, their forme of prayer, their place to preach in, to wit, a tub, in the which they bellow and belch oute ; and that the Woord of God was troden under foote bythease beastlyke preachers withmany most damnable, vilanous and oprobrious woordes.

In saying and writing that the Queene hathe no aucthoritieto make lawes proveth malice for take away her aucthoritie , and take awayhercrowne, andsomyLordAnderson¹¹said itwasdonpurposely ergo malitious

Barrow said that the bishopes etc. are so farr from seeinggood lawesexecuted that they seke the abrogating of them . He alleged that the Churche of God cannot have two heades, one in heaven and another in earthe, for that meanes it would become a monster ; muchlesse archbishopes, bishopes and suchlyke And thatthease limmes of the devill (meaning the aforesaid persons) will not acknowlegenor receave any ordinary powre, but they will have it allowed them that princesmaymakelawes not hard ofintheChurche before.

Yet at the last he came in and was more calme (but thatseemed to be a cloke of hipocresy), for he acknowleged Her Majestie's supremacy, and that in this booke written by him he intended not any hurte to Her Majestie He protested he soughte thesalvation of all men , and that he did not go aboute or intend any kynd of sedition, and that he detested all Spanish invasion

That he would prove all the lawes made eitherconsonant to the Woord of God or dissonant from thesame That the Church of Grenewoodwas the true Churche Thatthe Queen cannot restraine a man from eating of flesh one day . 12 That a man whichstealeth privily and for nede is not to be hanged, but he thattaketh from a man perforce or breaketh his house His woordeswere that fur might not be hanged, but latro might . 13 That all bishopes and other spirituall ministers entring into the ministry uncald become antichristians, and by wining the civill aucthority unto them, they become the beast spoken of in the Revealation . 14

Greenewoodsaid that the parishes of Protestants are gathered together in the name of antichrist by a bell That they be in bondage to the Egiptians and in Babilonicall bondage, which Mr. Attorney did inferr must bee ment by the Queene .

That the disciples did not stand in their Christian liberty (a matter, said Mr. Attorney, to perswade them unto commocion)

Beeingasked bywhat aucthority Stoke was excomunicated, beeing one of their Churche, 15 he answered : by the aucthoritie that Christ gave his Churche Beeing asked what office he did beare in the Churche, he answeredhe was a teacher, Johnson a pastor, Studley an elder , and that theywere electedto thease offices by the congregation. Beeing asked where, he answered: in a place free from all trooble, videlicet , in the middest of some wood . 16

Billet was arraigned for publishing the first of the bookes , three the of which he sent to Sir Walter Rawley, and other three to his brotherin the country. This man, the wisest of all in this action, confessed his fault and asked mercy . 17

Boules was arraigned for publishingthe second booke , that he paid the mony for the printing, that he had three of them at his returne into England . This man, beeing but a yongman and a fishmonger, his prentise, denied to take his othe uppon a booke , but said it was sufficient to sweare by the name of God.

Studley the elder of the Churche, and yet a linen draper, was arraigned for publishing the first booke. His office in the Churche (as my LordAnderson said, forhimself would nottell it in that place, and yet had shewed thesame to my Lord Anderson) was to see and survey men's houses, their families, their children, and now and then, for fassion sake, there wyves, with some other thinges which my Lord Anderson would not utter.

Uppon thease indictments they were arraigned, found guiltyand had their judgments as fellons.

Before thease men by spetiall comission:

My Lord Mayor; Sir John Wolley; Lord Anderson; Barron Clerck ; DoctorStanhope; Sir John Fortescue; Sir John Popham, Lord Chief Justice ; Justice Gaudie; Justice Fenner; with others.

Addressed To Fr. Persons . 18

Endorsed by Fr. Persons The arraynments of 2 Puritans , 2 April, 1593

NOTES

1 MS. "arraigment" The indictment took place in the Session Hall, near Newgate The above record of the trial appears to be the only one printed so far, and is therefore extremely important C. Burrage, in the valuable collection of biographical documents he published on John Penry in 1913 , stated that he knew the whereaboutsof a recordofthetrial andintendedto publish itin the nearfuture, but he seemsnotto havedone SO

2 Fora biography of Barrow vid F. J. Powicke, Henry Barrow, Separatist, 1900. Both he and Greenwood had been in prison for a number ofyears.

3 c .ii: "An Acte against sedicious wordes and rumors uttered againstethe Queene's most excellent Majestie" Section iv of the act deals withthe printing, writing or publishing of any seditious books, which , ifnot punishableas treasonunderthe Statute 25 Edward III, were to be declared felony

4 Three thousand copies of A Brief Discoverie of the False Church were printed at Dort in the early months of 1591. Barrow had written the work in his "study" in the Fleet prison, and it had been smuggled out sheet by sheet by Daniel Studley Robert Stokes bore the expense of printing and Arthur Billet was the proof reader Most of the copies of the work were seized at Flushing and Brill when their transportation to England was attempted (Powicke, op cit , pp 37-8, 336) Thereis a copy of this rare book in the British Museum (C . 37 , f.18).

5 For details of John Greenwood's life vid. Powicke, op. cit.; W. Pierce, John Penry ; C. Burrage, Early Puritan Dissenters

Full title: A Collection of certain Letters and Conferences lately passed betwixt certaine Preachers and two Prisonersin the Fleet The work was published at Dort about midsummer, 1590 (vid Powicke, op cit p. 334).

7 Robert Boules, or Bull, acting under Stoke's orders, had arranged for theprintingoftwoor threehundred copies of A Collection at Dort (Powicke op. cit , p 37).

8 Owen was Master of the Rolls and the Queen's Attorney(Cal. Dom. Eliz. , 1591-4, p. 379)

Robert Ket, reputed to be a tanner, led a rebellion in Norfolk in 1549 in protest against the enclosure of common land and the general policy of the Protector, Somerset (vid. S. T. Bindoff, Ket's Rebellion, 1549 , 1949)

10 i.e. the Northern Rebellion of 1569 .

11 Sir Edmund Anderson (1530-1605) was Lord Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas He was very severe in his attitude towards recusants , Catholic and Puritan alike

12In February, 1591 the regulations against eating flesh in Lent were reinforced by a proclamation (Proclamations , 289)

13 Barrow is distinguishing between a thief (fur) and a robber (latro). Cf. Cicero's usage, "ne quisfur esset , neu latro" ; "nonfur sed ereptor"

14 Vid. Apoc chapters 11 , 13-17 , 19 and 20. When at his fourthexamination (18 March, 1588) Barrow was asked by Burghley and Hattonwhom he considered the Archbishop of Canterbury to be, he recited chapter 13 , verse 11 of the Apocalypse, and attempted to follow this by a quotation from 2 Thessalonians , ii, only to be interrupted by the Archbishop, the "Beast" himself, who being present, arose angrily , gnashed his teeth , and exclaimed: "Willye suffer him My Lords ?" (The Examination of Henry Barrowe , John Grenewood and John Penrie[1593]).

15 Robert Stokes, who had been a follower of Barrow and the principal agent for the publication of his books, recantedin the autumn of 1591 , and was thereupon publicly 'cast out' by Francis Johnson, pastor of the Church (cf. evidence of Thomas Settle, B.M. Harleian MSS . 7042, f.38 , cited in Powicke, op cit , p 332).

16 This is where a number of them had been discoveredand arrestedwhilst holding a prayer meeting (vid Letter no 27)

17 Cf. Harleian MSS 7042, f.34, cited in Powicke, op cit , p 76: "Bellot, with tears; affirmed that he had been misled" .

18This despatchwas enclosed in Verstegan'sletterto Englefield (vid. preceding letter).

XXXIV. VERSTEGAN TO FR . PERSONS .

Antwerp, c mid-May, 1593 .

Stonyhurst, Coll. B, 107. Holograph

The contents of a letter dated in [England ?]¹ about thebegining of May, 1593 stylo novo.2

One Watts, a marchant of London, with leave of the Queenand allowance to take one or two of her shippes andwherewith tofurnish them, hathe set foorthe a fleete to the Indies of some 12 shippes and pinaces well provyded and victualled, under the comaund of one Lane, a decayed marchant who carieth the name of Admirall. They sett oute of Plimouth aboute the 25 of Marche, stylo veteri.³

Captain Candish and Captain Cox are bothe buried in the sea , and their ship returned to Plymouthwith only 6 men in her ;4 and there is sute betwene Candish his sister's husband and another kinsman that pretendes to be executor : who it is that shall have it.5

Uppon the haven at Plymouth the townsmen are making of almost an invincible forte by cutting oute of a maine rock a trench some 23 foote over, and erecting a strong wall in the inner parte, so as it may bothe comaund the haven and defend the towne.6 There went also from Plymouth at thesame tyme another fleteof some 30 saile for Rochell salte and wynes.

The Parlament ended the tenth of Aprill, stylo veteri , the Queen then making an oration and confirming many lawes then agreed uppon. In particuler what they are is not yet learned ; neither ordinarynoblemen, knights or burgeses are able to deliverwhat is donne, nor the actes yet permitted to be published in print, many affirmingthat the Lord Treasourer altered many actes after bothe Houses had agreed uppon them to a cleane contrary construction oftheir meanings, the cause thereof is supposed his particulerdesyre of reveng against the Catholiks for some pamphlets by them published againsthim. There are amongthe resttwoactesentituled thus the one to retaine Her Majestie's subjects in their due obedience, the other to limitt Popish recusants to certaine places of abode

In the first is supposedto be conteyned that men shall pay20 li. the moneth for there wyves' recusancie. That none shall kepe a recusant servant under paine to forfait everymoneth for him 10 li. That every priest not acknowleging his priesthoode uppon his apprehension and where he hathe lived and by whome bene maintayned, shalbe in case of felony, with divers other clauses to lyke tenour.7

In the second, all Popish recusantswithin 40 dayesof the end of the Parlament must go to some certaine place, there to deliver

their names to the minister and constable, thence not to departe withoute spetiall licence above 5 myles, uppon payne every one to be imprisoned during the Queen's pleasure , forfaiture of all landes and goodes, etc.; and those not valued at 20 marckes in land or 40li. in goodes to bee banished, which yfany refuse, it beeingoffred , the partyincurresandis to sufferas in caseoffelony.8 TheCatholikes are not lyke to fynde any favoure, for the Queene in her oration in the Parlament House, after she had told of many daungers against the realme and hownecessary the grauntingofthesubsidies was generally for defence of the people , she concluded that never prince lived in more daunger of her person then she by the Papists, of whome she had as many causes to feare as their were of them leftealive:10 and therefore comaundedthat lawes shouldbeseverely executed against them ; and so it is thought they wilbe.

Three subsidiesand six entyre fyteenesand tenthes are graunted, thoughe many,do much murmure at it. 11

Amonge other accidents, there fell oute of late a very strange matter of two men long since famous for their private opinions, BarrowandGreenwod Havingthease 4 or5yeares beene imprisoned in the Fleete, now, uppon the apprehension of 70 their followers in a wood neere London, it came to light that thease men had bene publishers of seditious pamphlets as that they might depose the Queene yf she would not conforme her self to their doctrine, and divers other lyke points for whichthey were arraigned, condemned and hangedat Tyborne . 12 Theytaughtit among divers othertheir doctrines as a thing unlawfull to say the Lorde's Prayer, 13 and at their deathes , could by no meanes be enducedto say it, no notwith promise of lyf. They were once caried to the place of execution afore, where, after long prayerwhichthey were permitted to use , and leave to retyre themselvesunder an hedge (beeing redy to be executed), they were caried back againe . 14 But within three or fowre dayes after they came againe early to place using lyke long protestation of prayers, and thirsting afterdrinck,whichpresentely was in a redynesse for them, they died obstinately Theirfollowers canonizing them for more then martirs, do enveighe privately against the bishopes as the princiapllprocurers thereof The Queen lyeth as yet at St. James' . The sicknesse beginneth to dispers it self much in the City: their die aboute some 35 of the plague a weeke . It is thought it wilbe the cause of the Queen's sooner remove then she purposed . 15

It is reported that Captain Rymand hathe taken 6 ritche prizes aboute the Straites, not daring as yet to come home with them ; and that divers shippes alredy are, or presentely shalbe, sent unto him , to saf conduct himbut of this there is no certainty . 16

The world was deceyved in supposing yong Cecill to be maryed to the Lady Arbella , for he of late conveyed Mrs. Drury, one of the Maides of Honour, from the Courte, and unknowen toeither prince or parents, secretly maryed her ; for which he is in great

disgrace with his grandfather, who threatneth therefore to disinherite him ; and for his contempt he was comitted to the Fleete , where he yet remayneth . 17

The Lord Burrowes is returned from Scotland, but nothing is understoode by him or his company as yet . 18

Addressed Al Padre Personio

Endorsed by Fr. Persons Advises from Ingland, primo Maii, 1593 .

NOTES

1 Blank in MS

2 MS. "novi"

3 Cf. Fugger News-Letters, 2nd series, p 248. Watts had senta fleet from London to the West Indies once before, in 1591, on which expedition five Spanish ships were captured off Havanna (Hakluyt, Voyages, Everyman ed ., v. p 10). On this occasion the voyage was less successful, and was therefore curtailed, the ships returning without any prizes in September , 1593 (vid. Letter no 42) See further concerningWatts Letter no. 40, note9

4 Vid Letterno. 30. note 7

5 Cavendish'sbrother-in-lawwasRobert Dudley, son ofthe Earl ofLeicester. He was granted possession of the two ships belonging to Cavendishat Plymouth on 18 March , 1593 (A.P.C., xxiv, p 125).

Cf. Letter no. 6b , note 21. Preparations for the fortifying of Plymouth began in December , 1591, but the work progressed very slowly forlackof funds , and wasfar fromcompletedin August 1593 (A.P.C., xxii, p. 121 etc.; A.P.C., xxiv, p 477).

"Thecorrespondentwhosuppliedthe news forthe above letterwas obviously less informed about the two recusantactsthan the intelligencer forLetter no 29. Although section v of the act stated that a man was to be fined £10 a month for maintaining a recusant servant or stranger in his house , there was a proviso in the following section (no vi) that no one was to be "punishedor impeached" forharbouring a recusantwife or a close relative The clause concerningpriestsis not in this act but in the second, against "Popish recusants " (c .ii, section vii).

8 Cf. Letterno 29

Fearsofa Spanishinvasion and the necessityfor a large subsidy for the defence of the kingdom are expressed in the preamble of c xiii, the act for the grant of the lay subsidy (Statutes of the Realm, iv, p 867) Cf. D'Ewes, Journals, p.495.

10A number of so-called "plots" against the Queen's life were brought to light in 1593 , e.g. thoseofScudamoreandGilbert Laton (vid Letterno 24 , note 5 ; Cal Dom Eliz , 1591-4, p. 322). There is an interesting_commentary on these plots in Hugh Owen's letter ofMarch, 1594 (Cal. Dom. Eliz., 1591-4, pp. 475-7)

11 For further details of the subsidies vid Letter no 30, note 8

12 The execution took place 6 April, 1593. Concerningthe trial of these Puritans vid. the perceding letter

13 Cf. R.Alison, A Plain Confutationofa treatise ofBrownisme , 1590, p 108; Strype, Annals, iv, p 202.

14 Cf. Letter no 31 , note 10.

15 Vid. A.P.C., xxiv, p 163. For the number dying of the plague cf. Fugger News-Letter, 2nd series, p 248, which gives the number for one week as 34

16 Captain George Rayman was master of the Swiftsure, of which ship Cook (Cocke) had once been captain (A.P.C., xxiv, p 261)

17 Cf., Letter no 31 , note 9

18 Cf. Cal Dom Eliz , 1591-4, p. 342.

XXXV. VERSTEGAN TO FR. PERSONS?

Antwerp, 27 May, 1593 .

Stonyhurst, Coll B, 47. Holograph.

I have lately receavedfrom England the printedacts andstatuts of the last Parlament.1 The first acte, entituled "To retaine the Queen's subjects in their due obedience " , dothe concerne the Puritans as well as the Catholiks, for they must abjure the realme for recusancie , make a formall submission in the churche, etc.

The other acte is "To restraine Popish recusantes to some certaine places of abode" , and withall their is a forme of submission set downe whichthey must publykely make in the church, and it is somwhat different from that to be made by the Puritanes.2 I would gladly have sent herewith the copies of thease two acts , but neither tyme nor health would permitt, and help I have none but must do all my self.3

The acte touching the landes of Sir Francis Englefeild is also printed, andsondry othersconcerningparticuler persons areomitted , the tytles onely put downe.

Here are fowre Catholiks come over, who are fled to avoyd the severitie ofthease late statutes ; and theysay that verymanymore will follow . Their names are Bellamy, Colford, Florian andGart , and are all yonge men.5

Their are above 10,000 strangers determyned this somer to departe from England, aswell for that, by this late Parlament, they are to pay very large subsidies and fifteenes, as also for feare of some comotion to be made by the comon people against them ; for that on the gates of the Maire and Shiriffes of London their were libells fixed threatningthat yf they would not shortly take order to avoyde the citie of them, there should be order taken by othermeanes to do it

The comon people do rage against them as thoughe, for their sakes, somany taxes, such decay of trafiqueand their beeing enbrandled in somany warres, did ensue.6

Here is no certaine newes from France Many hard conceitsare had of the Duke du Maine for that he did admitt conferences with the comissioners for Navarr now, when thesaid Navarr is at the weakest. We heare, further, that Navarr will not stick at going to Masse yf therefore he may be admittedto the crowne Some do further reporte that the Catholiks, conditionallyto admitt him, do require certaine strong places in possession, as Rochell and such lyke ; which, in my opinion, is to put themselves, in the end, in such state asthe Huguenots stoode in the tymes of the late kinges. "

In thease partes the Counte Mansfeild with aboute 15,000 men is even at the point to plant his artillery uppon the trenches ofthe enemy who remaineth at the siege of Gertremberg Yfthe enemy

be repulsedhe will not be able to make head againe in hast This siege, now having continued almost three monethes, hathe cost the States infynitely, and I trust it wilbe cost lost.8

From England there have not any forces bene sent unto thease partes of long tyme.

More for the presente I have not.

Endorsedby a contemporaryhand Verstegan's advyses, 27 May, 1593.9

NOTES

1 Two editions of the acts (excluding the private ones) were printed by C. Barker in 1593. There was also a separate edition of the act directed specifically against Catholics: Acta in comitiis parliamentibusx Aprilis, 1593 contra Catholicos

2 The principal difference between the two submissions is that the one including the Puritans (c.i, 3 stipulates that acknowledgmentswas to be made of, and sorrow expressed for, the offence against God and Her Majesty for"usingeandfrequentingedisorderedandunlawfull conventicles and assemblies under pretenceand colour of exercise of religion" Inthe second submission, for Catholicsonly (c .ii, 10), the person conforming was to acknowledgeand testifyin his conscience "that the Bysshoppe orSea of Romehathe not, nor ought to have, any power or auctoritie over Her Majestieorwithinany Her Majestie'srealmes ordominions" . (Cf. pp 842 and 845 of Statutes of the Realm , iv)

3 Versteganhad been sufferingfromsporadicbouts ofillnessfor about ayear (cf. Letters nos 10 and 32b).

435 Eliz. , c.v.: "An acte confyrming the Quene's title to the landes of Sir Francis Englefield" (Statutes ofthe Realm , iv, pp 849-52) Englefield had been attainted ofHigh Treasonin 1587 , as a consequence ofwhich he forfeited his estates under Statute 28 and 29 Eliz , ci The act also stated that although he had departed from the kingdom with licence from the Queen, hehad neglected to return afterthe expiryof subsequent licences , and when expresslycommandedto do so .

5 The first named of these men appears to have been Richard Bellamy, the younger son of Richard Bellamy of Uxendon. He was imprisoned with his brother Thomasin St. Katherine's after the arrest of Southwell in his father's house, but was released within a short time (see further W. Done Bushell, "The Bellamies of Uxendon" , Harrow Octocentenary Tracts, 1914)

The second man was Gabriel Colford, a close friend of William Byrd (Morris, Troubles , ii, p 143) In James Wadsworth's English Spanish Pilgrime (1sted. 1630, p. 70) heis flatteringlydescribed as "a notablespye and traytor both to his King and Country, who, with his companion Clifford, is more obnoxious to our Kingdome then 100 others" Colford seems to have become very friendly with Verstegan , who in 1600 paid, on his behalf, the account for purchases made by Colford at the Plantin House(Plantin-MoretusArchives, Antwerp, Grand Livre, 1600-1608, p 7) Thereare a few notes about Colford and his familyin Foley, Records S.J., i, pp. 185-6 .

I am unable to provide any details concerningthe other two menmen tioned in the above letter

6 There were about 4,300 foreigners (termed "strangers") in London in 1593, inclusive of servants and children, 267 being denizens The main complaint against them was made by the tradesmen who claimed that theywere takingaway their livelihood. The shopkeepers protestedthat the strangers, not content with manufacturing and warehousing , werealso opening shops In consequence many threats were hurled at them and a great number of libels were posted up in prominent places, one of which contained the following ultimatum : "Be it known to all Flemings and Frenchmenthat it is bestfor them to depart out of the realm of England between this and the 9th of July next If not, then to take thatwhich follows , for there shall be many a sore stripe Apprentices will rise to

the number of 2,336, and all apprentices and journeymen will be down with the Flemings and strangers " (Strype, Annals, pp 234-6).

The Privy Council set up and inquiryfor the discovery and punishment of the libellers and took a number of measures to protect the foreigners. Orderswere given to the Lord Mayor of London to appoint a committee of tradesmento watch over and be responsiblefor the activities of their apprentices and servants (A.P.C. , xxiv, pp 187, 200, 222).

7 The Duke de Mayenne , one of the leaders of the League , suggested that a conference should be held with the Catholic Royalists in Navarre's party, and this was held at Suresnes at the end of April despite considerable opposition from a number of members of the League It was at this conference that Henry made known that he had decided "to receive instruction and return to the bosom of the ancient religion which the prejudiceofhis religion had made him abandon" (quotedin H.D.Sedgwick, Henry of Navarre, 1930, p. 220).

8 Cf. Letterno 27, note 1 ; Motley, United Netherlands , iii, p 259. Pierre Ernest deMansfelt could do little against Maurice's entrenchmentsaround Gertruydenberg, despitethe 12,000 infantryand 3,000 horse at hisdisposal; nor would Maurice be tempted to come out and fight an open battle

Incorrectly dated in MS "1592" , and consequently , the despatch was placed by cataloguersof Coll. B. amongst the letters for 1592

XXXVI. VERSTEGAN TO FR. PERSONS.

Antwerp, c end ofMay, 1593 .

Stonyhurst, Coll. B, 91.

A note ofall the statutes past in this late Parlament begun the 19 ofFebruaryand ended the 10 ofAprill, stylo veteri, 1593.1

An acte to retaine the Queen's subjectes in their due obedience .

An acte for the restraining of Popish Recusantes to certaine places of abode.2

An acte for explanation of a statute made in the 24 yeare of King Henry the Eighte, aswell touching grauntes made to His Majestie as for confirmation of letters patents madeby HisHighnes to others.3

An acte for the necessary relief of soldiers and mariners.4

An acte for converting of great houses into severall tenements, and for restrayning of inmates in and aboute the City of London and Westminster.

An acte for th'avoiding deceit used in making and selling of twisted cordage , and for the better preserving of the navy ofthis realme.6

Anacte for therevyving, continuance, explanation and perfecting of divers statutes.

An acte touching the bredth of coloured clothes etc.?

An acte for the repeale of a statute made in the 23 yeare of HerMajestie's raigneentituled"An actefor the encrease ofmariners and for the maintenance of navigation, etc."8

Anacteforexplanation andconfirmation ofthe Queene's Majestie's tytle to the landes and tenementes late of Sir Francis Englefeild, Knight, attainted of highe treason . "

An acte for confirmation of letteres patents to the Mayor etc. of the City of Lincolne.

An acte for the late scyte of the dissolved house ofthe Grey Friers of Cambridge to be sold or let in fee farme for the erection of a new college in Cambridge . 10

An acte for the reformationof sundry abuses in clothes called Devonshier Carseys, etc . 11

An acte for bringing of freshwater to the towne of Stonehouse in the County of Devon . An acte for the bringing in of clapbord from beyond the seas , and the restrayning of transportingof wyne caske , forthe sparing and preserving of timber, etc . 12

An acte for the better assurance and confirmation ofthejointure of the Lady Margaret, Countesse of Cumberland

An acte concerning the landes of Henry, late Lord Burgaveny, deceased.

An acte to give liberty to the Lord Harrowden to sell certaine landes for the payment of his debtes.

An acte for the restitution only in bloudof Sir Thomas Perrat, Knight . 13

An acte for the naturalizingofWilliam, eldest sonne ofSirRobert Sidney, etc., and of Peregrine Winckfeild, sonne and heir of Sir John Winckfeild, Knight, etc.

An acte to confirme the sale of certaine landes made by Sir Richard Knyghtley, etc.

An acte concerning th'assurance of certaine landes and tenements to Read Stafford , Esquire, etc.

An acte to confirme the sale of certaine landes ofWilliam Raven, Gentleman , etc.

An acte touching powre and liberty to repeale certaine uses of a dede tripartyte herein mentioned of, and in the mannours, landes and tenements of Anthony Cooke of Rumford in the County of Essex, Esquire

An acte for the naturalizing of certaine Englishmen's children borne beyond the seas .

An acte for the naturalizing of Justyne Dormer and George Sheppey, borne beyond the seas, and to put themto the natureof meere English . 14

An acte for the confirmation of the subsidies of the clergie.

An acte for the graunt of three entyre subsidies and six fifteenes and tenthes graunted by the temporality . 15

An [act]16 for Her Majestie's most gratious, free and generall pardon.

Addressed Al Padre Personio.

Endorsed by Fr. Persons A note of the statutes made in the Parlament begune 19 February, and ended 10 April, 1593

NOTES

1 This list seemsnot to havebeen taken from the printed copyofthestatutes , since it does not observe the same order, and includestwo actswhich are notmentionedin the printed copy : butit was suppliedbya well-informed correspondentnevertheless Of the 27 actslisted above, the 9thand 26th are not containedin the official listofthe acts ; nos 1 , 2, 3, 4, 10, 5,7 , 6, 8 , 13, 15 , 27, 28, 29 correspondto acts c.i-xiv which were printed in full ; and nos. 11 , 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 , 22, 14, 23, 24 and 25 correspondto the private acts numbered 1-13, of which only the titles were printed

2 See further concerning these two acts Letter no 29

3The act (c .iii) confirmed that all abbeylands which came into the hands of Henry VIII were his lawful possession, and all letters patent made by him for the foundation of any dean and chapter or college were valid

4 Vid Letter no 31 , note 3.

5 "For" is used here in the sense of "to prevent" , "against" (cf. N.E.D., vii, 23d) The act (c .vi) stipulated that no new buildings were to be erectedwithin three miles of London or Westminster, nor any houseconverted into several dwellings; and common or waste lands within three miles of London were not to be enclosed

6 Severalpenalties were imposedby c viii for making cables which werenot ofthe required standard

7 This act concerned "plunckets, azures, blewes and other collored clothes made within the Countie of Somersett and elsewhere of like making" . Thecloths wereto be ofsix quarters and a halfin breadth, and ofstandard weight

8 The act referred to was 23 Eliz , c.vii Although a bill for its repeal was given a second reading in both houses of the 1593 Parliament, it got no further, and it was not until the next Parliament that the repeal was secured (39 Eliz., c . 10) Vid D'Ewes, op cit , p 463 ; Lords Journals , P. 184 .

10 No. 2 of the private acts The Grey Friars (Franciscans ) had beendispossessed of their house in Cambridgeby HenryVIII in 1538. Afteran unsuccessful application by the University for the site, the house was granted laterto Trinity College, in 1546. It was proposed in 1578 that the house should be convertedinto a hospital for the poor, but nothing came ofthis, and in 1595, under the authorityof the act of 35 Eliz mentioned above , thesite was purchasedfrom Trinity College bythe executorsofthe Countess of Essex for the purposeof building Sidney Sussex College , the foundation stoneof which was laid in May, 1596 (C. H. Cooper , Annals of Cambridge, 1843, ii, p. 464 etc.).

11 c xi Kersey is a type of coarse narrow cloth woven from long wool.

12 c xi Clapboard was the name for a smaller size of split oak imported from North Germany, and used by coopers for making barrel-staves (N.E.D.)

13No. 6 of the private acts. ThomasPerrot was the sonofSir John Perrot , concerning whom vid Letter no 7b , note22 .

14This act is not entered in the Parliamentary Rolls or in the printed listof acts, but it was discussed in Parliament D'Ewes mentions it as one of eight bills sent up to the Lords 9 April and given two readings. But D'Ewes does not know what happenedto it after that (Journals, p 464) Cf. Lords Journals, ii, p 189 .

15 Vid. Letter no 30, note 8

16 Blank in MS

XXXVII. VERSTEGAN TO FR. PERSONS.

Antwerp, c earlyJune, 1593 .

Stonyhurst, Coll B, 109. Holograph.

Thecontents ofa letter dated in [England]¹ the 26 ofMay , stylo novo , 1593 .

The surprise of the castle of Blay beeing fayled, it is feared we shall lose the trade of Burdeaux We did sett foorthe 6 shippes under the conduct of one Captain Wilkinsonfor thatexploit. One of these six miscaried by the way, the other 5 withsome 16 French shippes gave the attempt and were in great possibillityoftakingit, till some 16 saileof Spaniardessmall veselles , 2 but whotshippescame uppon them and, after long fight, burnt our admirall and vice-admirall . The other shippes , much torne, made away and escaped, but of 200 men in the two perished shippes only2 brought home newes Allthe rest with Captain Wilkinsonwere either killed or drowned, and the castle³ rescued and 500 men put into it.4

Those of the League are now growne so stronge by sea as they dare encounter our shippes in even number, as of late we had experience, for Sir John Burrowes, setting oute for purchase at sea with three good shippes and a pinace, mett with somany of the League. The fight was hot betwene them ; of our men were slaine 31, and had not a consorte of Sir John's come in with rescue of4 other shippes , it is thought he had bene taken The French went secure away, and Sir John returned backto comforte his men and repaire his shippes, and so hathe againe sett forward in hope of better spede.5

If the newes be true of the saf arrivall of the King ofSpaine's treasure, then is my Lord of Cumberland lyke to have a cold sute , who is preparing with all spede (as it is thoughte) to mete them. He hathe 2 of the Queen's shippes and 8 others, which arevictualled for three monethes and to sett fourth within thease ten dayes.6

We heare from Britany how the Spaniardes have encountred Generall Norris and slaine 300 of his men, amonge whome one Captain Christmas and 4 or 5 other captains are slaine The French Kinge's ambassadors , fatherand sonne , Vidomes of Chartres, are yet here . The sonne hathe had as great favours and festinges as anythease many yeares, espetially graced by Her Majestie and the whole Councell But for effectuating his desire, I thinck he hathe litlehope : I meane for having of 10,000 men and 3 monethes' pay before hand, which I cannot learne wilbe graunted him ; only he hathe the offer of lone of 40,000 pounde and no more .

We are here very much discontented that the French King hathe no better successe; and the more uppon a late reporte generally

divulged, that the King himself hathe altered his religion, professing himself a Papist, frequenting dayly masse, and in all externall shewe seeming wholy addicted to the Pope ; which, thoughe true (albeit of some hardly believed), yet we hope he dothe it but of pollicy, till he may obtaine his desire . From Scotland we heare litle other then that the Scotts make still rodes into England, and kill, steale and putto ransomwhatsoever in their way . 10 The King is a man lyke to condescend to any thing whereby he may please our State or procure himselfmony: a man irresolute in any thing, mutable in his favours, ofnoreligion but for advantage . 11

In Ireland we heare for certaine that many of the northe partes are up, amonge whome are (as some say) the Earle of Turone , Oneilie, Ororok's sonne, and many other principall men. Thether are to be sent presently 2,000 men . 12

There are to be sent to the Iles of Jarsey, Garnesy, etc. some500 men . 13

Besydes the acts lately concluded in Parlament against the Catholikes, there is a spetiall comission graunted by the Queen to 6 of the Councell and 20 others aboute London, to enquire by all wayes and meanes of all manner of recusants, to examyne them , their abetters and favourers by all othes and other compulsyve meanes , to imprison and proceede totriallofthem at theirpleasures; and further, to do whatsoever the Queen under her Privy Signet, or 6otherofthe Councell's handes shall direct, wherein all officers , aswell justices as others, and all loving subjects, are to be assistant at their perill. The lyke comission must go into all sheers of England, and withseverity and spede be put in practise to theend that all may be found oute and used at their discretion , for so is the comission . 14 What resteth but expectation of a massacre

The apprentices of London have dispersed manylibels against all sortes of strangers, thretning severely that yf they departe not spedely, to massacre them all. Some of thease libellers are found oute and tortured, but the residew hold on still Great feare is therebyconceyved by the strangers: great companyesof them are alredy departed, and more dayly preparing to followe, so that it is thought the most parte will away ; our Councell not knowing how to protect them, and the libellers threatning them also yf they do it. 15

Weare past allfeare of the Spaniardes, and in this latecomission only the Pope is termed our capitall enemy, and not a woord of the Kinge of Spaine

Some Catholiks have yealded to go to churche, and it is thought more will yeildthey were never so severly looked unto At London none have bene executed thease 12 monethe ;16 in Yourcksheir one Mr. Page, a seminary priest, 17 and in Flintsheirone Davies the lyke,18 have been executed The Earles of Woorcester and Northumberland , the Lordes Burroughe and Sheffeild, with Sir

Francis Knowles were at St. George his feast chosen Knightes of the Garter . 19

The plague encreasethin London, and we feare it wilbe great . 20 The Court lieth at Croydon at the Bishop of Canterburie's house 21

Addressed Al Padre Personio

Endorsed by Fr. Persons Advises of Vertengham of the 26 ofMaii, 1593

NOTES

1 Blank in MS MS "vesses"

3 MS "caste"

* The town of Blaye, in Bordeaux, was in the hands of the League, and despite the siege by the English and French, it held out until relieved by a Spanishfleet which attacked and destroyedthe English ships blockading the river It is interesting to compare the account in the above letter (apparently written by Garnet in his typical way of pretending to be a partisan English merchant) with that in Fugger News-Letters (2nd series, pp. 248-9) ; "Letters of the 22nd May from Madrid state that 12 ships from Biscay sailed up the river near Bordeaux, a town in France, tosupport a fortresstherecalledBlois, occupied bythe Leaguers On theirentryintothe riverthe Spaniardscame uponsix Englishwarships which were strongly armed They fought and cannonaded each other , and after the Spaniardshad captured the flagship and the Captain's ship, the two most important vessels, the English sawthat theywere donefor They set fire to their ships and burnt themselves . Of the Spanishships two were lost, but the crews were saved The fortress mentioned above , wasreinforcedand theSpanishships returned home" Cf. Cal Venetian 1592-1603, p. 73 ; Hatfield House MSS , iv, p 310 (a reference toCaptain Wilkinson being drowned) ; and De Thou, Histoire, xii, pp 64-5 .

5 Sir John Burgh had played a leading part in the capture of the large Portuguesecarrack in August of the previous year (vid Letter no. 11).

Cf. Letter no 25 note 4, Letter no 30, note 5. The West Indies fleet arrived at the Azores in April, 1593. The treasure it carried was then transported from there to Spain under escort of galleonswhich had been sent from Lisbon and Seville (Cal Venetian , 1592-1603, pp 65-79 ; Fugger News-Letter, 2nd series, p 249)

7 In April, 1593 a combined English and French force under Norris and Espinay attacked and defeated the troops of Spain and the League at St. Supplice, Guerche and Laval There was heavy slaughter on both sides , and among the English dead were the commanders Christmas, Randloph and Purley (De Thou, Histoire, xii, pp 56-7 ; Camden , Annales , 1635 ed .,p. 420).

8 The French ambassador , Vidame of Chartres, was placedin an awkward position in his negotiations with Elizabeth by the fact that there wastalk ofHenryofNavarre becominga Catholic, andofpeace beingmadebetween him and the League (Cal Dom , Eliz., 1591-4 , p. 353)

In a lettertoCharles Paget, 12 June, 1593 the spySterrell wroteconcerning Navarre's reported conversion that "the Queen stormed atfirst, butitis believednought would come of the matter" (Id., ibid.; the italics denote cipher) Another spy's report (id. p. 368) gives the opinion expressed inthe above letter, that Navarre was changinghisreligion only of"policy" : ""The proceedingof the KingofFrancein changing his religion is thought verystrange, andat first notbelieved ... they are content tolet him , asit seems to serve their turns (asterisks denote an undecipheredpassage)

10 Cf. A.P.C., xxiv, pp 53-5 Part ofLord Borough's missionhad been to obtain from James an assurance that he would give orders for "firmly

keepingandmaintaining peace on the Borders" (Camden, Annales , p.418) Instructions were sent to the Earl of Huntingdon for strengthening the English forceson the border (A.P.C., xxiv, pp 103-107).

11 James was in receipt of an annuity from Elizabeth (vid Hatfield House MSS, iv, p 373).

12At the end of April the Lord Deputy and Council of Ireland sent newsto Burghley that there was a conspiracy of nobles in Ulster, among them Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, and Brian Oge, son of Sir Brian O'Rourk, who had bandedtogether to support a Spanishforce which was expected to invade Ireland inmid-May, andwere reportedtobeupin arms. Tyrone wrote tothePrivy Council and the Earlof Essex in June, complainingthat he had been accused of disloyalty , and begged to be cleared of such a suspicion. Having insufficient grounds for proceeding against Tyrone for conspiracy, the English government decided in June to give him a warrant "to make a pacification" with Maguire, one of the Irish nobles , who waswreaking havocwith his forces in Connaught (Cal Irish, 1592-6, pp 94, 109-10). See also Camden Annales, 1635 ed., p. 424-5 .

13 Forfear of an attackon the ChannelIslands by a Spanishfleet, thecastles of Guernsey and Jersey had been fortified, and several companies of soldiersunderexperiencedofficersweredespatchedthere in May(A.P.C., xxiv, pp 226-7, 234-5) The number sent included 150 fromWiltshire, 150 fromDorsetshireand 300 fromSomersetshire (Cal Dom . Eliz , 1591-4 , p. 347).

14This commission was given 26 March, 1593 (Pat. 35 Eliz., p 3, m. 22). The full text is printed in Rymer, Foedera, vii, pp. 117-119.

15 Vid Letter no 35 , note 6.

16 Thelast Catholic executedin London had been RogerAshton, whosuffered at Tyburnin June, 1592 .

17 Fr.AnthonyPage, a Middlesex man, was martyred at York20April, 1593 after a longimprisonment He had been ordainedat Rheims21 September 1591, and came to England the following January SeefurtherChalloner , Memoirs, i; 1st and 2nd Douay Diaries ; Morris, Troubles ,iii

18 Fr. William Davies, who had been ordained at Rheims in 1585 , was captured at Holyhead in March, 1592, and martyred at Beaumarisafter about 14 months imprisonment (Challoner, Memoirs) Challoner dates Davies's execution 27 July, 1593, and Gerardin his catalogue (C.R.S., V) places it in September; but if Verstegan'ssource of information is to be trusted, and it appears to be reliable, then the latest date which can be given for Davies's execution is early May. (The news in the aboveletter wassent fromLondon 16 May, O.S.).

19 Cf.W. A. Shaw , Knights of England, 1906, vol 1 , p 28, entryfor23 April, 1593. Full names : Henry Percy, 10th Earl ofNorthumberland ; Edward Somerset , 9th EarlofWorcester; ThomasBoroughs (or Burgh), 5th Lord Boroughs; Edmund Sheffield, 3rd Lord Sheffield, later 1st Earl of Mulgrave ; Sir Francis Knollys, who was Treasurer of the Household.

20 See further Cal. Dom Eliz , 1591-4, p. 353 ; Fugger News-Letters , 2nd series, p 248 ; A.P.C., xxiv, pp 252, 284 .

21The Court was held at Croydon for most of May, and afterwards moved to Nonsuch, to Oatlands, and then to Windsor

XXXVIII. VERSTEGAN TO PERSONS

Antwerp, c late June , 1593 ?

Stonyhurst, Coll B. 23. Holograph Another copy of Penry's indictment is incorporated in the official record of his trial in Coram Rege Roll 1325 (sigs. iii-iv verso) printed in a shortened form by Edward Cook in Booke of Entries, 1614, ff 352-353v. , and in full by C. Burrage, John Penry, 1913 , pp 18ff There is also a copy of the first part of the indictment in Harleian MSS 6848, f 91, printed in Strype, Annals, iv, pp 246ff A listoftreasonable passages in Penry's "Groundes of a briefe Treatise" on which the second part of the indictment was based is contained in Lansdowne MSS 75, ff 56-7 , printed in Strype, Annals, iv, pp 249ff , Whitgift, ii, pp 178ff , andin Harleian 6849 , ff 198-201, printed in Burrage, op cit , pp 26-34.1

Thewoordes conteyned in the indictment against John Penry Clarck.2

[Marginal note : This parte was taken oute of his writinges.] What hathe England answered ? Surely with an impudent forhead she hathe said, "I will not come nere the Holy One ; and asfor the buildingof His House, Iwillnot somuchas lift up a finger towardes the woorck :3 nay, I will continewe the dissolution4 thereof; and yf any man speaketh a woord in the behalf of this House, or bewaileth the misery of it, I will accompt him an enemy to my estate . As for the Gospell and all the ministers of it, have alredy receaved all the gospells that I meane to receave : I have receaved a reading gospell and a reading ministery; a pompiousgospellandapompiousministery; agospellandaministery that strenghtheneth the handes of the wicked in his iniquity; a gospell and a ministerythat will stoope untomee and be at mybeck , either to speake or to be mute when I shallthinck good Briefly, I have receaved a gospell and a ministery that will never trooble my conscyence with the sight of sinnes , which is all the gospells and all the ministeries that I meane to receave ; and I will mak a surehand that the Lorde's House (yfI canchuse) shalbeno otherwise edified thenby thehandes ofsuchmen as bringuntome the foresaid gospell and the foresaid ministery. And as for the generall state thereof, the magistracie of the ministery or of the comon people,10 behold nothing els but a multitude of conspirators against God, againsttruth,12againstthe buildingof His House, against His sainctes and children, and consequently, against the health13 of their owne soules andthe publike peace andtranquilitieofthewholekingdome . 14 15And you shall fynd among this crewe (innuendo archiepiscopos et episcopes et ministros ecclesiaehuius regni)16 nothing elsbuta troope ofbloudysoule-murtherers, sacrilegiouschurch-robbers, and suchas have made themselvesfatt withthe blood of men's soules and the utter ruyne of His Churche 18And it is nowegrowen, andhathe bene oflongtyme a comon practise of thease godlesse men , 19 to make of 168

the statutes, ordeyned for the maintenance of religion and comon quietnesse , a pitt wherein to catch the peaceable of the land 20And because our Counsell21 may be truly said to delight in this injury and violent oppression of Gode's sainctes and ministers , therefore, whensoeverthe Lord shall come to search for the sinnes of England with lightes, as Zophanius saithe,22 He will surely visite our Counsell23 withan heavy plague, because, undoubtedly, they are frozen in their dregges and perswaded in their owne hartes24 that theLordwilldoneither goodnorevillin the deffence ofHismessengers and children ; and then they shall feele what it is to winck at, much more to procure the oppression of the Churche of Christe

Iwillnot in this placechargeour Counsellwiththat which followeth in Jeremy25 uppon the place before aleaged, namely, that they execute no judgment of the fatherles ;26 but this 127 will say that they cannot possibly deale truly in the matter of justice betwene man and man, in somuch as they bend their forces28 to bereave Christe Jesus of the righte29 which He hathe in the government of His Churche; the whichungodly and wicked cours , as they30have held on ever since the beginning of Her Majestie's raigne, so at this day they have taken great31 boldnesse , and growen more rebellious against the Lord and His cause then ever they were.

This that followeth was taken oute of Penrie's epistle or petition to the Queene and thus noted downe in his indictment.

The last dayes of your raigne are turned rather against Christ Jesus and His Gospell then to the maintenance of thesame . And I have great cause of complaint, Madam, nay, the Lord and His Churchehathe cause to complaine, ofthis government, 32 notsomuch for outward injuries that 133 or any other of your subjectes have receaved, as because we, your subjectes, at34 this day are not permittedto serve our God under your government35 according to His Woord, but are sold to be bondslavesnot onlyto ouraffections , to do what we will so that we kepe ourselves within the compasse ofestablished civill lawes, 36 but also to be37 servants unto the man of sinne and his ordinances; and it is not the force we seme to feare that will come uppon us for the Lord may destroy bothe you, for deniyng, and us , for slack keping38 of His Willby strangers. I come unto you with it, yf youwill heare39 it that40 our case may be eased ; yf not, yet the posterity41 may knowe that you have bene delt with, and that this age may see that there is no great expectation to be looked for at your handes . 42 And amongst the rest ofthe princesunder the Gospellthat have bene drawne to oppose themselves against the Ghospell you43 must thinck yourself to be one,foruntillyou see this, Madam, 44you see notyourself; andthey are but sycophantes and flatterers whosoever tell you otherwise. Your standing is and hathe bene by the Gospell; it is litle or smally beholding unto you, for any thing appeareth . 45 The

practise ofyour government46 sheweth that yfyou could have ruled withoute the Gospell, it would have bene to be feared whether the Gospellshould be establishedor not; for now thatyouareestablished in your throne, and that by the Gospell, you have suffered the Gospell to reatche no further then the end of your septer48 limited unto it. And briefly, Madam, you49 may see the foundationof England rooted up, but this cause50 will you never see supprest. And now , whereaswe should have your help,51 bothe tojoyneyour selfwiththetrueChurcheand to reject the falseandalltheordinances thereof, we are in your kingdome52 permitted to do neither, but accompted seditious men yf we affirme either the one or the other oftheformer points And therefore, Madam, you53 are not somuch anadversary unto us poore men as to54 Christe Jesus andthewelth ofHis kingdome; and but, Madam, 55thus much we must56 say that, in all lykelyhoode, yf the dayes of your sister, Queene Mary, and her persecution had continued unto this day, that the Churche57 ofGod in England had bene farr more florishing in England then at this dayit is And now, Madam,58 Your Majestie may consider what good the Churcheof God hathe gotten at your handes , 59 even outward peace, with the absence of Christe Jesus in his ordinance; otherwise as great troobleslykelyto come , as ever were in the dayes ofyoursister . 60

This John Penry was uppon this inditement condemnedthe 25 of May, stylo veteri ; and the 29 of May, thesame style, he was hanged at St. Thomas a Watringe's , and there buried underthe gallowse.

Endorsed and addressed Penrie's indictment. Al Padre Personio

Endorsed by Fr. Persons The enditement of Penry.

NOTES

1 Penry was tried at the King's Bench 25 May, 1593. He was indicted on two counts (reckoned as two separate indictments in the Elizabethan period), both based onPenry'swritings, one beingtheunfinished"Groundes of a briefe Treatise" , criticising Queen Elizabeth, the draft ofwhich was written at Edinburgh about fourteen or fifteen months beforehis arrest; andtheother taken from a printed work, A Treatise wherein itis manifestlie proved that Reformationand thosethat sincerely favor the same are unjustly charged to be enemies unto Hir Majestie and the State, 1590 (pp ivff) Penry was condemned on both these counts under statute 23 Eliz , c .ii, section 4. (See further C. Burrage, op cit , pp 10ff , and comparewith Pierce , John Penry, pp 448ff ).

Verstegan'scopy of the indictment is surprisingly accurate The only substantial differencefrom the Coram Rege Rollis thatit reverses the order of the two parts of the indictment , but in so doing it agrees with Harleian MSS 6848 , f.91 which appears to have been drafted in preparation for the trial : and this beingthe case , it is possible that Verstegan'scopy was transcribed from a copy ofthe indictment drawn up beforethe day ofthe trial, when the order was reversed .

2 The first indictment is divided into various sections in Harleian 6848, the first of which is headed "England" .

3 Coram Rege Roll and Harl 6848 give the correct reading "that work" . When both these texts are cited, quotation is made from the former as publishedbyBurrage (op cit ). Innearly every case wherethe abovecopy differs from Coram Rege Roll and Harleian it is inaccurate, the other two recordingtheoriginal reading, though not the spellingofPenry's A Treatise

4 C.R. Roll and Harl. "desolacions"

5 Id. "state"

* Id. "ministerie" .

"Id. "gospelles and all the ministeryes that ... " ; Strype, Annals , iv, p 246, "gospel and ministry" .

8 Strype, loc cit., "my sins" Heading in Harl "The generall state"

10 C.R. Rolland Harl."andasforthe generallstateeytherofthemagystracye ofthe mynystery orofthe Commonpeople" C.R.Roll adds "(magistratum ministros et populum huius regniAnglie innuendo)" . In Verstegan'scopy "eyther of" has been misread as "thereof"

11 Strype, loc cit, "magistracy" .

12 C.R. Roll and Harl "His truthe" .

13 Id "wealthe" .

14Id. "this whole kyngdome" Strype, op cit , p 247, "the whole realm" .

15 Heading in Harl "Archbushops, bushops and clergie" .

16 Wordsinparenthesisnot in Harl. C.R.Rolladds within the parenthesis: "Anglie per auctoritatem regiam et leges et statuta eiusdem regni infra hoc regnum manutentos"

17 "have" , the reading in A Treatise , is omitted in C.R. Roll and in Harl.

18 Heading in Harl "Judges" .

19 Inserted in C.R. Roll "(magistratumet judices infra hoc regnum Anglie per dictam dominam Reginam assignatos et manutentos innuendo)" .

20 Heading in Harl "Counsell" .

21 C.R. inserts after "Counsell" : "(consilium privatum dictedomine Regine innuendo)" .

22 Cf. Zephaniah, i, 2

23 C.R. inserts after "Counsell " : "(dictum consilium privatum dictedomine Regine innuendo)"

24 C.R. and Harl "perswade theyr owne hartes" .

25 Cf. Jeremiah, v. 28

26 C.R. and Harl "no judgemente, no not the judgement of the fatherles" .

27 C.R. inserts after "I" : "(dictum Johannem Penry innuendo)"

28Id. "'bendall theirforces" Strype, op cit , p 247 , "bend alltheirforce" .

29 Id. "that right" .

30 C.R. insertsafter "they": "(dictumconsiliumdictedomine Regineinnuendo)" .

31 C.R. and Harl "greater"

32 C.R. and Landsowne 75 "this government" . C.R. inserts after "government" "(gubernacionem dicte domine Regine innuendo)" .

33 C.R. and Lansdowne"injury as I"

34 C.R. omits "at"

35 C.R. inserts after "government" : "(gubernacionem dicte domine Regine innuendo)" .

36 C.R. inserts after "lawes" : "(leges dicte domine Regine innuendo)"

37 C.R. omits "be"

38 C.R. "seekynge" .

39 C.R. incorrect reading, "beare"

40 Strype, Annals, omits "that" .

41 C.R."that yet posterytee" .

42 C.R. inserts after "handes" : "(manus dicte domine Regine innuendo)" .

43 C.R. inserts after "you" : "(dictam dominam Reginam innuendo)"

44 C.R. inserts after "Madam" : "(dictam dominam Reginam innuendo)"

45 C.R. and Lansdowne , "that appeareth"

46 C.R. inserts after government : "(gubernacionem dicte domine Reginam innuendo)" .

47 C.R. as in note 43.

48 C.R. inserts after "scepter" : "(sceptrum dicte domine regine innuendo)"

49 C.R. as in note 43

50 C.R. inserts after "cause" : "(causam dicti Johannis Penry et aliorum schismatis et sectarum infra hoc regnum innuendo)"

51 C.R. inserts after "help" : "(auxilium dicte domine Regine innuendo)"

52 C.R. insertsafter"kingdome" : "(regnum dicte domine Regine innuendo)" .

53 C.R. as in note 43

54 C.R. "unto"

55 C.R. as in note 43, and continues "yet thus ... "

56 C.R." muste needes say" .

57 MS "curche"

58 C.R. as in note 43 .

59 C.R. as in note 42

60C.R. adds: "(Mariam nuper Reginam Anglie innuendo)" .

XXXIX. VERSTEGAN TO FR. PERSONS.

Antwerp, c end of June , 1593 .

Stonyhurst, Coll B, 117. Holograph.

Bya letter from [England ?]¹ of the 20 of June, stylo novo . From Ireland we heare that one Odonell and Maguire are up and have 5,000 followers ; that they have taken two townes, andburnt the one and fortified the other uppon the maritimeparte toward Spaine, whence they expect ayde

It is thoughte the Erle of Turone wilbe of that consorte, who is a man very mighty in his country.2

Some thinck the Lord Burrowes shall go over Deputy, yet the other makes great sute to continew.³

We have entelligence of the beeing abrode of the Spanishe and Portugallshippes , and that is thought to be the cause that My Lord ofCumberland is no more forwardin his voyage. His shippes have bene redy this moneth, and expect him at Porchmouth, but many thinck he shall not go at all, albeit his mariners expect he should sett forward aboute some 8 dayes hence.4

We have some speech of a peace with Spaine, and it is thought Dr. Parkins is sent to the Emperor to be a meane unto him thathe should deale with the King of Spaine to that effect, which, yf he can accomplish, the Queen will undertake to do asmuch with the Turck for the States of Germany.5

The Lord Treasurer and the Earl of Essex are at unkyndnesse, sothatitis thoughtthey will fall to openenmytie. In the meane whyle, the Treasurer with his sonne, Sir Robert, have left the Courte, and are gon to Tybolles ; the old man willing to give over the world, as he seemeth; but the Queen will not permitt it, so that he is expected againe dayly at the Courte. His intention is to make his sonne Secretary, but the Earl of Essex mightelyseemes to crosse it

WithmyLordofEssex dojoyne mosteofthe Counsaile as also the Erles of Shrewsbury, Cumberland and Northumberland , with many others of good accompt.8 Some reporte that Sir John Burrowes is either drowned or dead at sea, but hereof there is no certainty, nor of any maritime matter.9

From Scotland we can heare nothing

Addressed Para il Padre Parsonio.

Endorsed by Fr. Persons Advisees from Londen, 20 Junii, 1593. 174

NOTES

1 Blank in MS

2 Cf. Letter no. 37, note 12. Concerningthe activities ofSir Hugh Maguire and Hugh Roe O'Donell at this time vid Cal Irish, 1592-96, pp 96ff. In June, 1593, Maguire attacked the forces of Sir Richard Bingham, Governor of Connaught, but was repulsed

3 The Lord Deputy, Sir William Fitzwilliam , far frommaking "great sute to continew" , sent letters to Burghley and Robert Cecilin June, 1593 and also in January of the following year asking for his recall because ofhis age andinfirmities. In April, 1594, however, he wrote that he was feeling in better health and would continue in office until a new Deputy arrived, but hoped that one would arrive quickly It was not untilAugust that Fitzwilliam was able to deliver the sword of office to his successor , Sir William Russell ( Cal Irish, 1592-96, pp 109, 201, 202, 231, 261). Although theremay have been thought ofsendingLord ThomasBoroughs to Ireland as Deputy in 1593, he did not receivethat post untiltheendof 1596, when he took over from Russell.

4 Cf. Letters no 25, note 4, no 30 , note 5.

5 Christopher Parkins (or Perkins) was an apostate, having formerly been a Jesuit priest He had been employed on diplomatic missions by_the English Government since about 1590, and was sent to the GermanEmperor, Rudolph II, at Prague in May, 1593, being receivedin audiencein June His missionappears to have been to allaythe suspicionthat Elizabeth was trying to incite the Turks against the Emperor in Hungary , to offer to mediate between them, and to express the Queen's willingness to make peace with Spain A very full report of Parkins's negotiations with Rudolph II is contained in B. M.Cotton MSS Nero B. ix, printed in Rymer, Foedera, vii, pp 149ff Cf. Cal Venetian 1592-1603, pp 78-9 etc.; Fugger News-Letter, 2nd series, p 249. See also the letters from Parkins to Burghley in S.P. Germany, vol 7

There is a short biography of Parkins in D.N.B. and a long note on him with much the same information in Foley, Records S.J., ii, p. 340

6 Cf. Letterno 7

" Burghley frequently withdrew to the seclusion of Theobalds, and had once been described by the Queen as "the disconsolate and retyred spryte, the heremite of Tyboll" (Strype, Annals, iv, p 108) On this occasion heseems tohavegone there atthebeginningofJune (vid Cal Dom. Eliz. , 1591-4 , p. 352)

8 Burghley appears to have long been anxious to secure the Secretaryship (made vacant by the death of Walsingham in 1590) for his son Robert , and it wasrumoured as early as in May, 1591 , that he would receivethat office (Nichols, Progresses of Queen Elizabeth , ii) It wasnot until 1596 , however , during the Earl of Essex's absence on the Cadiz expedition that Robert Cecil was sworn in as Secretary, though he seems to have been appointed over a year earlier (cf. Letter 63, note 8)

According to D.N.B. (supportedby a referencein Cal Dom Eliz , 1591-4 , p 477), Burgh was killedin a duel in March, 1594 ; but J. Crull, in Antiquities of St. Peter's, Westminster , 1715 ed p 198, stated that he losthis life while boarding a Spanish ship.

XL. VERSTEGAN TO FR. PERSONS AND SIR FRANCIS ENGLEFIELD

Antwerp, 17 September, 1593.

Stonyhurst, Coll B, 127. Holograph.

The contentes of a letter written from England about the end of August, 1593 .

The plague is exceedingly encreased to 1,540 a weeke in and about London, no place nor parishe beeing free , nornever a thorowe fare towne in England but more or lesse infected.¹

Espetiall restraint is made by proclamation that no citizen of London, uppon paine of death, may come neere the Courte, now at Otelandes, where gibbets are sett up to execute martiall lawe yf any shall presume it; and the lyke restraint is made that none aboute the Courte shall come neere the Citie.2

Anambassadorfrom the Emperor is still looked for, andthereby hope of peace with Spaine is conceaved.3

The Marques of Embden, his sonnes, nephewes to the Kingof Swethen, are still at the Courte, and very much made of.4

From Denmarck here is an ambassadorlately arryved, and gonto the Courte

The Scottish ambassadoris still at the Courte, and can neither have his desire nor his discharge.5

Andfromthe StatesofHollandand Zealandis alsoan ambassador come , but in particular what thease ambassadors ' demaundesare , or wilbe (thedifficultiesaforesaid considered), we must rathergesse at then hope to knowe.

We heard that the Duke of Guise was elected King of France , but since we hearethat the King ofNavarrgoeth to masse , wehope he dothe it but for to get advantage, and we lyke him never the wursse . And to further him in his entended course, there were 4,000menmustered to besentover, ofwhich nomber Sir Fardinando Gorgeshould have bene coronell, and the Citie wastaxed at a somme of mony; but (as it seemeth) by reason of the truce taken betwene the King and the Leaguers , this matter ceased, and was left of.8

Licence is graunted to DoverHaven to transport 11,000 quarters ofgraine, and that towne to havethe custometowardesthe repairing ofthe Haven . Mr.Watts and another have farmd it, and do meane to make there comoditie by permitting diver'smarchants to transporte it where they please.9 Yf 201 could procure a licencefor one to come safly into Spaine he would give therefore some resonable consideration. Our desire of peace is to gaine tyme whyle we may contrive other plots.

Mr. Standen kepes still in favour with the Earl of Essex , who beareth all the sway in open shewe ; and Standen dothe still professe himselfa Catholique . 10

It is marvellthat Morgan escaped only with banishment, which is an encouragement to Pooly and other spyes . 11

The maid that was said to have slept 15 dayes andnightes isnow said to be a witche She is still in prison and is presentelytocome to her triall. 12

Here hathe a blasinge starr bene seene in the northe, which dothe much terrify.

Doctor Cowell's book was so called in againe that I could not possably get butone copy . 13

Thus farr thesaid letter

The contents of a letter written from Midelbourch, the 4 of September, 1593 by a Dutchman , but in English.

Here are arrived from England to the number of 300 persons, amongewhome are manywhole families ; they are all English, and Puritanes or Brownistes Their preacher, a very learned man , as it seemethfor that he preachedevery daycame withthem , and , as I understand, hathe bene of some standing in the Universitieof Brydwell, where he was wont to make swoordes and daggers, for he is by occupation a cutler . 14

The States have given them a monastery in Freeslandto resyde in , and their assises free of sundry comodities The Lord Trecherer (for so the letter termethhim), in the meane, perceaving themto be so well receaved, hathe by proclamation forbidden that any more shall passe oute of the realme till further order be given ; so that the Puritanes do stand uppon very irresolute termes, beeing byParlament apointed to departe, and by proclamation comaunded to stay . 15

Thus farr thesaid letter of the 4 of this presente.

The enemy of Holland and Zealand hathe made this weke a notable excursion intoFlaunders, neere unto this towne, from whence he is not yet departed, but hathe sent away above 400 prisoners and takengreat spoiles, and burnt divers villages. Here is great murmuring amonge the people against the presente government that they canbe no better defended from thease comon and dayly excursions of the enemy . 16

FromFrance we heare that they are aboute a prolongation ofthe truce to continew untillthe last of December, but we hearenot that it is concluded . 17

Monsieur de Guise , Monsieur du Maine, with sundry otherprinces ofthe Leagueare at this present in Paris, and the King of Navarr is at Fountaine Belleau . 18

Thepreachersin England are comaunded not to speake or medle

with Navarr, his doinges in their pulpites, and thoseofHollandand Zealand are comaunded the lyke.

Written at Antwerp, this 17 of September, 1593

Addressed To Fr. Persons and Sir Francis Englefield

NOTES

1 The plague increased in intensity during August, 1593. It is interesting to compare the figures given in the above letter with those from other sources For example, in the Henslowe Papers (ed W.W.Greg, pp 37, 39) the numbers given for London are 1,130 for one week of August, and between 1,700 and 1,800 for another.

There were two such proclamations, the first (to which this letterrefers) dated 18 June was entitled : "A proclamation to restraineaccesseto the Court of all such as are not bound to ordinarie attendance, or that shall not be otherwiseby Her Majestie" ; and the second, published 15September : "Proclamation to reformethedisorderin accesseof great number of persons to the Court then have just cause so to doe" .

3 Presumably an ambassador was expectedfrom Rudolph II as a result of Parkins's negotiations Rudolph sent a letter to Elizabeth in August, but this was concerned with the piracy of merchandisein Spanishships by the English (Rymer, Foedera, vii, pp 125-6)

4 The King of Sweden at this time was Sigismund III, who was also King of Poland. His sister was married to Count Edward of Emden

5 James sent Sir Robert Melville to Elizabeth in June, 1593 with themain purposeofobtaining monetary aid, the successofwhich depended on James procuring the forfeiture of the Catholic rebels For a time Melvillemet with little success, but when he returned in Septemberit was withhis mission accomplished , and James obtained the money he required (Cal. Scottish , 1593-5, pp. 96, 118, 124, 125, 171-2 , 700, etc.).

* Noel de Caron. His mission was apparently to confer with Elizabeth concerning Henry's conversion (vid. P. Bor, Nederlantsche Oorloghen, iv , year 1593 , f.25)

7 Cf. Letter no 37, note 9 Concerningthe possible election of the Duke of Guise as King cf. Cal. Venetian , 1592-1603 , p 107 .

8 A truce was made between Henryand the Leagueat La Villettein July, 1593 , six days after his public abjuration (G. Slocombe, Henry of Navarre, 1931, p 173)

The number of troops levied in England as given in an English spy's report is 1,500 (Cal Dom. Eliz., 1591-4, p. 368-9). They were held back at the end of July ( A.P.C., xxiv, p 431-4) Ferdinand Stanley, who was to have commandedthem, became fifth Earl of Derby on the deathof his father, Henry, in September , 1593 .

Cf. Cal Dom Eliz , 1591-4, pp 382, 390. Wattsand the other merchant, Bird, weremaking so much personalprofit from farming the customthat it was feared that unless the licencewas calledin and delivered to others, thestate of Dover harbour was so desperate that it would soon be ruined .

10 Anthony Standen, an apostate who masqueradedas a sincere Catholic, was a valuablememberofEssex's spyservice at this time, havingpreviously been an intelligencer forWalsingham. He returned to England inMay, 1593 aftera long residence on the Continent, and in August was presented to Elizabeth to give an account of his past life and activities . A large number of Standen's letters were published by Birch (Memoirs of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth), who supplies a biography of him See also C. Read, Sir Francis Walsingham , iii, p. 289 note 1 , for supplementary information .

LETTERS OF RICHARD VERSTEGAN

11 ConcerningMorganvid Letterno 15, note 24 ; andfor Poley, Letterno 1 , notes 16 , 18 and 20. Poley was fully occupiedin government servicein 1593. On 8 May he carried despatches to the Hague, and on 8 June brought back answers to the Court at Nonsuch (in the courseof which journeyhe was involved in Marlowe's death at Deptford 30 May). In July he wascarrying letters to and from France, and laterin theyearwas doing the same in the LowCountries (Boas, Christopher Marlowe, pp 275 , 288). About a week before Versteganwrote the above letter, Poley ran into trouble at Middelburg, wherehe was arrestedbythe Dutch authorities with Roger Walton, another spy, and a politically harmless Catholic musician, Peter Philips, whom Walton accused of intending to asassinate the Queen (cf. Letterno 48) Walton hadundertaken morethan hecould cope with in trying to implicate Poley, who was quickly released (some time before22 September ) since no definite chargecould be madeagainst him, and, more important , he was on a government mission (cf. Gilpin's letterto Lord Burghley, 11 September , 1593, S.P. Holland vol 47 ,f 46etc.; Algemeen Rijksarchief, 's-Gravenhage, Raad van State , 1593, p. 154)

12Further information about this girl is given in a news-lettersentto Persons from London, 20 July, 1593 (Coll B, 123) : "Heereis a strang reportof an innocent mayd which after 15 days' sleepeis makedwiseandmorecomly then before. She is imprisoned in Winchester for telling that she hath seene both the Queenes Mary of Ingland and Scotland in heaven , and King Henry with the Earl of Lecester and many others in hell, and expressing there particuler tormentes ; and that Queen Elizabeth shall dye before Mychaelmas"

13 Dr. John Cowell, LL.D. (1554-1611), was Procter of King's College, Cambridge, and became Regius Professor of Civil Law in that Universityin 1594 (D.N.B.). From Letter no 42 it appears that the book in question was written against Navarre on the occasion of his conversion, but it was so skilfully supressed that no copy seems to have survived (Threebooks by Cowell arelisted in S.T.C. , but the onlyone enteredfor 1593 is a work against Nicholas Sander)

14 A letter from Middelburg dated 19 August 1593 (Fugger News-Letters , 2nd series, p 250) stated that 220 refugees from Englandhadarrived there , but the reasongiven fortheirflightwasthegreat mortality caused bythe plague.

The violent persecutionof the Anglican bishops drove a large numberof the Brownists into Holland, where, under their leaders Johnson, Smith, Ainsworth, Jacob and others, they were given permission to erect their own churches in such places as Amsterdam, Arnhem and Leiden The emigration began in earnest in 1593 as a result of the anti-recusantlegislation, and one of the earliest settlements was a "monastery" in Kampen (this does not appear to be the monastery mentioned in the aboveletter, since Kampen is notin Friesland) Seefurther Powicke, The Amsterdam Church , Burrage, Early English Dissenters, vol 1 , chapter vi

The preacher who accompanied the Brownists to Middelburg may possibly have been Henry Ainsworth, who left England about this time , though he was certainly not a cutler.

15There is no official record of such a proclamation

16 This refers to the excursion into the land of Waseby Count Solmes , who , because the inhabitants refused to pay him tribute, ravaged the land, destroyed the cattle and took a large number of people captive He withdrew on the approach of Montdragon with troops from the Antwerp garrison (Grotius, Annales et Historiae de Rebus Belgicis, 1647 ed , p. 181 ; Van Meteren, Historie van de Oorlogen ende Geschiedenissen der Nederlanden , vi, 1743, p 20)

17 The truce was due to end at the end of October In his letter to Burghley 18 September from Fountainbleau, Thomas Edmondes , the English ambassador , wrote : "Here hath been Mons. Villeroy with the King to treat for the continuance of the truce until the first day of the new year, which the king hath rejected (as himself told me) for more than another month only, to the which he is forcedto condescend, as well to attend news from Rome, as alsothe coming of his Swiss ... " (Hatfield House MSS , iv, p. 371). The truce was extended, however, until the end of theyear.

18 Cf. id., ibid.

XLI. VERSTEGAN TO CARDINAL ALLEN.

Antwerp, 25 ofSeptember, 1593 .

Stonyhurst, Coll B, 131. Holograph This is a copy sent to Fr. Persons and was probablyenclosed with the next despatch

The copie of my letter unto our Cardinall, sent hence the 25 of September, 1593 . Most Reverend etc.

Whereas I have heretofore signified unto Your Grace that our freindes in [England]¹ have divers tymes given advertisment that the King of Navarr hathe written unto the Queen that, notwithstanding he dissembleth religion, she nedeth not to doubte him ,for he will ever be a sure freind unto her, and after he shalbe in quiet possession of the crowne (which by this meane he doubteth not of), he will joyne with her and some states in Italy to make offensive warres against the King of Spaine.2

So now againe in a letter from thesameparty dated in [England]¹ the 10 of this September are thease woordes, videlicet: "The newes of the King of Navarr his going to Masse dothe nothing displease the State here, for it is assuredly believed that he dothe it but to seeke advantage whichby this meanes he is most lykely to obtaine, and then there is no doubte but he wilbe thesame man he was" . Thus farr thesaid letter.³

And least it might be signified unto His Holynesse by some inward favorers of Navarr's that such reportes of letters of his to be writtento the Queen are but fictions of his enemyes, I thought it my parte and duty to deliver unto Your Grace such reasonsas sufficientlymay argue and confirme the truthe thereof

4

1. The first is the credit of those parties from whome at sundry tymes thesaid advertisments have come .

2. Secondly, that his ambassadorcontinueth in as great creditand favour with the Queen as ever,5 and that, of late, yf Navar himselffor some dissembling considerations had not refused it, they wouldhave made him Knight ofthe Garter.6

3. Thirdly, whereasthe manner of Navarhis pretended conversion was eitheronthe presse or printed in England, it waspresently called in and forbidden," and the ministers advertised that in there sermonsthey should not medle with him nor his actions , and the lykeorder hathe alsobene taken in Holland and Zealand , to the States of which provinces he hathe written to the lyke effect that he hathe written unto the Queen .

4. Andfoourthly, their redynesse in England to send him succours bothe of men and munition as willingly as ever, yfhimselfshall 182

require it. And to thease reasons may be added his owne deportment since his pretended conversion, having never shewen any one signe of true meaning, nor yet of devotion to the Catholique religion and service , but keepeth aboute him and converseth with as very pernitious ministers and Huguenotes as ever he did afore . 10 All whichI leave untoetc.

Addressed To Fr. Persons

Endorsedby a contemporaryhand Verstegan's advises .

Addition by Persons OfAugust and September 1593. Remember to advise hym of not putting letters for Francis in my packett.

1 Blank in MS

2 Henry made a bond ofamity with Elizabeth in August, 1593 to theeffect that he would continue the offensive and defensive league with England against Spain as long as Philip continued to be at war with Elizabeth ; and would not conclude a peace treaty without first advising her , and making satisfactory provision for her in the settlement. Elizabeth reciprocated by drawing up a similar bond in October and sendingit by Robert Sidney in January, 1594. (S.P. France vol xxxii, ff58 , 249 cited Black, Elizabeth and Henry IV, p 69).

3 Cf. Letters nos 37 and40.

4 The Venetian ambassador in France wrote in November, 1593 that the Leaguewas circulating a letter addressed to Elizabeth which theyclaimed they had captured from an English spy, and which stated that "this conversionoftheKing was designed simplyto assist his particular objects, and that his heart would always be where it had ever been" The ambassador commentedthat the letter was supposed to be a forgery (Cal. Venetian , 1592-1603, p 113)

5 Arthur Gorges writing to his kinsman, Robert Cecil, says of the French ambassador , Vidame of Chartres, whom he was to escort to the coast on his returntoFrance " ... I perceivedHer Majesty had an especial carehe should be respected " (Hatfield House MSS , iv, p 377). The Vidame returned home with his son towards the end of September (id , ibid).

According to Shaw (Knights of England, i, p 28) Henry had been elected Knight of the Garter in 1590, but was not invested until 1596. Hewas installed by proxy in 1600 .

7No works against Navarre in 1593 appear in the Stationers' Company Registersor in S.T.C. Cf. previous letter, note 13

8 Although Elizabeth had withdrawn troops from France, a number were still garrisoned in Britanny and Normandy, and despite the fact that Norris had been orderedhomein August, he still remainedwith hisforces in France. Nevertheless , for the time being, Elizabeth was loathe to send Henryfurther men and munitions, even in returnfor permissionto occupy Harfleur, Pampol, and Bréhac ( Vid E. P. Cheyney, A History of England, i, pp 292ff; Black, Elizabethand Henry IV.)

MS "very" , probably in error for "many" .

10 Although part of Robert Sidney's instructions for his mission to the French King was to obtain from Henry an assurance that his former Protestant co-religionists would be well treated, the appeal could be considered as being superfluous (cf. Cheyney, op cit , i, p 295)

11 MS . "fanci" .

XLII. VERSTEGAN TO FR. PERSONS.

Antwerp, c. late September, 1593.¹

Stonyhurst, Coll B, 133. Holograph Brief extract in English by Fr. Grene in Coll M, 67c

The effectofa letter dated in England, the 10 of September, 1593.

The lyke plague as is nowin England hathe not bene sene in our age so long continuing and so vehement. There died in and about London this wek (as by their owne bills is signified) 1,517 persons.2

All our soldiers are come oute of Britaigne in very poore case , and we heare also that Generall Norrice is come from thence, and arryved at Portesmouthe.3

They are sory here that the Indian treasure is safly come to Spaine.4

12 shippes and pinaces, called the London Flete and set foorthe under the name of one Watts, are returned withoute prize, the most parte of the men dead and the victualls spent.5 It is feared the Earl of Cumberland shall have no bettersuccesse, yethathe he sent home a ritche prize of sugar.

The newes of the King of Navarrs going to masse dothe nothing displease the State here, etc.6

Of our peace hoped for by the Emperor's meanes we have now no speach, nor expectation of his ambassador?

By other letters of later date it is written that the plague is so great in Walles that the half of the people are thought to be dead thereof

In London is great desolation, the greater parte of the people fled and dead, and the Maire is dead of the plage also.8

One Mr. Thwing, a priest, was lately executed in the Northe Country.⁹

Addressed Al Padre Personio.

NOTES

1 This and the two precedingletters were probably despatched in thesame packet

2 Cf. Fugger News-Letters, 2nd series, p 251 (in a letter from Antwerp, 25 September, 1593) : "Letters of the 10th from London announcethat there areabout a thousanddeaths ofplagueweekly in the city, and outside it some five hundred, and there is no sign of any end to the mortality " A Privy Council order of4 August, 1593 had directed that accuratereturns shouldbemade tothe Lord Mayor ofthenumberswhodiedfrom the plague in outer London as wellas withinthe city walls ( A.P.C., xxiv, pp 442-3) There returns were published, and were termed "mortality bills"

3 Thisinformation is inaccurate The Privy Council had orderedNorris to returnwiththe army in Britannyin August, but Norris disobeyed , giving ample reasons for so doing, and instead entrenched with his forces at Pampol (vid A.P.C. , xxiv, p. 436, S.P. France, vol xxxii, ff 38 , 42, cited in Black, Elizabeth and Henry IV, p 62) Sir RogerWilliams,commander of the forces in Normandy, was also orderedto return in August, and to bring with him the sick and wounded, leaving the rest of his troops at Dieppe (A.P.C. , xxiv, p 442). It is to the arrival of these men that Verstegan's correspondent appears to be referring

4 Cf. Letter no 37, note 6

5 Cf. Letterno 34, note 3 .

* The full text of this paragraph is given in the previous letter

7 Cf. Letter no 40, note 3

8 Amongst the many thousandskilled by the plague in London were the Lord Mayor, William Roe , and three aldermen (Camden , Annales , 1635 ed , p. 423).

No such martyr appears in the official records for 1593, and indeed there seems to have been only one of that name martyred in the Elizabethan period, Edward Thwing, whowent on theEnglish Missionin 1597 and was executed in 1600 .

XLIII. VERSTEGAN TO FR. PERSONS.

Antwerp, 2 October , 1593 .

Stonyhurst, Coll B, 137. Holograph.

A list of the bookes sent unto Sivill and packet up in a chist marcked thus: Pc , for Fr. Persons , rated with their prizes

The two volumes of Holinshede's Cronicle.1

Six English Grammers

The Survay of Holy Discyplyne.2

Sutclif againstthe Puritanes.3

A Grammer in Latin, Spanishand English.

Musick bookes for Valladolid

Pictures for Fr. Walpole. "

12 De Imitatione Christi for Fr. Creswell.5

One of Mr. Reynolde's bookes against Bruce for Fr. Creswelle.6

For Fr. Persons , unrated.

The last Actes of Parlament. "

Tirrell's confession written with his hand and sent from 25 [England].8

Certanewritten papers touching the procedinges againstCatholiks in England.⁹

6 tables ofthe Conjugations.

50 Extractes of Philopater . 10

A feweof 3 or 4 sortes of Englsh bookes packt up together. Buny againstthe Resolution . 11

One of Mr. Reynolde's bookes against Bruce.6

2 Speculum pro Christianis Seductis . 12

8 Resolutions , which were of those of Mr. George Persons . 13

A Confutation of Brownisme . 14

AMirrorforMartinistes ,15with 3 or4 other hereticall pamphletes; and certaine spectacles for one of the College ofVallodolid.

for the licence of passage and customeof the chest , I have not as yet the marchante's note, for he hath disbursed it.

Endorsed by Verstegan A list of the bookes sent unto Sivill.

Endorsedby Persons The list of the bookssent to Sivil, 2 October , 1593.

NOTES

1 Versteganis probably referring to the 1587 edition of Holinshed which was entitled The First and Second Volumes of Chronicles [London, 1587 , folio] Vid. S.T.C. no 13569

2 Cf. Letters no 28 and 32a

3 Cf. id.

4 Presumably Fr. HenryWalpole

5 Thomas a Kempis's work was immensely popular in Elizabethan times and was reprinted in the original and in translation a vast number oftimes (vid e.g. S.T.C.; Catalogue of Catholic Books).

6 Concerning William Rainolds vid Letter no 32, note 2. The full title of the book in question is: A Treatise conteyning the true Catholikeand Apostolike Faith of the Holy Sacrifice and Sacrament ordeyned by Christ at His Last Supper, with a declarationofthe Berengarian Heresie renewed in our age, and an answere to certain Sermons made by M. Robert Bruce , Ministerof Edinburgh concerning this matter, by William Reynolde, Priest The book had onlyrecently been printed in Antwerp by Joachim Trognesius(1593).

7 The copy ofthe 1593 acts which Verstegansent was probably theprinted one he had receivedthe previous May (vid Letter no. 35).

8 Decoded ed For Tyrell's confession (vid Letter no 32, note 7).

Among these papers was a letter from the Privy Council to the Commissioners of Lincoln about recusants (vid. Letter no. 32)

10 The "'extractof Philopater" was the English abridgement, made probably byVerstegan, An Advertisement written to a Secretarie ofMyLordTreasurer's of Ingland (cf. Letterno 32 , note 22).

11 The Resolution was a work by Persons which he had first published in 1582 : The First Bookeofthe Christian Exercise, appertayningto Resolution (corrected and reprinted in 1584) The Protestant preacher Edmund Bunny decided to "edit" the work and added to it one of his own , A Tretise tending to Pacification, and the resulting book appeared in 1585 . ThereuponPersons published an enlarged version of his work, renamingit A Christian Directorieto distinguish it from Bunny's edition, and included init a "reprofeofthe corrupt and falsified edition ofthe same bookelately published byM. Edm Buny" . Bunny, notto be outdone, printed a reply in 1589 entitled A Briefe Answer unto those idle and frivolous quarrels of R.P. against thelateedition ofthe Resolution by Edmund Bunny, It is a copy of this work which Versteganwas sendingto Persons.

12 This was one of Verstegan's works (vid Letter no 27 , note 12).

13 Fr. Persons's brother

14 Richard Alison's book, A Plaine Confutationof a Treatise of Brownisme entituled: Description of a visible Church , 1590 (S.T.C. 355) (Thereisa summary ofthis work in Coll. B, 19).

15 One of the many pamphlets in the Marprelate controversy, full title: A Myrrorfor Martinists and all other Schismatiques, whichin these daungerous daies doe breake the godlie unitie and disturbe the Christian peace of the Church, 1590. (Entered at the Stationers's Hall 22 December , 1589).

XLIV. VERSTEGAN TO FR. PERSONS.

Antwerp, 10 November , 1593 .

Stonyhurst, Coll. B, 143. Holograph. Briefextract in English by Fr.Grene in Coll M, 67c

Antwerp, the 10 of November, 1593.

The plaguedecreasethin London, and the number thatdied there the third weke of October were aboute three hundreth, as by their printed papers appeareth.1

Itis not to be overpassed that in thesaid printed papers (whereof I have divers), all the parishes in London are named, and I do fynd that within the Walles their are 8 parish churches dedicated to All Saintes, and 12 to Our Lady; which I thinck in no cityels cannbe found, and dothe declare that city to have bene most Catholiqu[e] in tymes past, thoughe now most contrary.2

Two serjants³ arrested not long since a gentleman ofthe Temple for debt, but he escaped from them; and when the serjants perceavedthat none stayed him, they crying "Stop, stop !" atthelast they cried, "Stop, stop the seminary priest !" And this they had no soonersaid but their were enoughe aboute him presently to stay him and deliverhim unto the handes of the serjants, whatsoeverhe said to the contrary.

The City of London, as presently it standeth, may becomparedto a foughten feild, where the people for the most parte are dead or fled away.

Mony was never so scars in England since the ragne of this Queene as now itis.5

Those ofHollandhaveurged the Queen to a newcontractwherein they require restitution of the townes which she holdeth, and she demaundeth to have the possession of more then she hathe, and so the contract is not nere the conclusion It appeareth divers wayes that they of England would be glad to have peace with Spaine, were it not for the difficulties in making the conditions, and that they are to proude to seeke it where theyshould.

The most parte of their pirates are returned home, their victuall spent, their shippes greatly spoyled and their men consumed , and the Earl of Cumberland (as it is said) is come home sick.6

The English have appointed Visiters at Flushing and atRamekins to takethe viewe of such English as shall come from England into Zealand, and to examyne and apprehend such as they fynde to entend to come unto thease partes

The plague is in Midelborch and in the Hage in Holland, where aboute 40 do die thereof weekely.

We rest doubtfull of the tyme of Ernestus coming to this government, yet most do thinck he wilbe here aboute Christmas. The 189

Turckhathe of late caused the Emperor's ambassadorto be hanged and quartered, and holdeth the ambassadorof Venice prisoner in Constantinople, but kept, with a gard, in his owne loging.9

The King of Polonia sheweth himself very Catholique, and hathe lately attempted to bring the Jesuytes into Danske whichmanyof the citie mightely resisted; but, notwithstanding , he meaneth to bring it to passe . 10 10

At the closing up of this letter here is newes come tothis towne that theGheuse have taken the towne of Aquisgraenwhich is lyke tohave benedon with litle difficulty, somanyheretykes beeinginit The particulars as yet we have not . 11

From France we heare litle other then that all the world feareth double dealing in the Duke of Maine.

The Biarnois or pretended King of Navarr standeth in as good credit with those of England and Holland as ever he did, and as willing they wilbe to assist him as they have bin . 12

Addressed

Al Padre Personio

Endorsed by Fr. Persons Advises from London, 10 of November , 1593

NOTES

1 Cf. Fugger News-Letters, 2nd series, p 252 (a letter from Antwerp dated 7 November, 1593)

2 Theeight churches withinthe Walls dedicatedtoAllSaintswere as follows : All Hallows, Barking ; All Hallows, Bread St.; All Hallows the Great; All Hallows, Honey Lane; All Hallows the Less ; All Hallows, Lombard St.; All Hallows, London Wall ; All Hallows, Staining The twelve dedicatedtoOur Ladywere St. Mary,Abchurch ; St. Mary, Aldermanbury; St. Mary, Aldermary ; St. Mary, Bothaw ; St. Mary-le-Bow; St. Mary, Colechurch; St.Mary at Hill ; St. Mary Monthaw ; St. Mary, Somerset; St. Mary, Staining ; St. Mary Woolchurch ; St. MaryWoolnoth

3 "serjeant" has here the meaningof an officer "charged with the arrest of offendersorthesummoningofpersons toappearbeforethecourt" (N.E.D., sb 4)

4 MS "pleople"

5 Cf. Letter no 8

Cf. Fugger News-Letters, 2nd series, p. 252

7 Cf. Cal Venetian , 1592-1603, p 109. "TheArchduke Ernest has announced his intentionof going immediately to Flanders; but he begs the King's [i.e. Philip's] permissionto return to Austriashouldthe Turks invade his own or his brother's territory The Archduke is instructed to settle the affairs with the Statesand with the Queen of England in order toliberate all those troops against Navarre. " Ernest arrived in Brussels at the end of January, 1594 .

s Rudolph II's ambassador at Constantinople, Friedrich von Kreckwitz , wasimprisoned by Sinan Pasha, the Grand Vizier in July, 1593 afterthe defeat of the Turks at Sziszek He was not put to death in 1593 , though there were many rumours to this effect ; but at the beginning of the Turkishwar he was led in chains behind the Turkish army, and died in a dungeon in Belgradein December , 1596 (vid Cal Venetian , 1592-1603 , pp 82, 98, 103, 111, etc.; Fugger News-Letters, 2nd series, p 251).

The Venetian ambassador to Constantinople was Matheo Zane Judging from the Venetian Calendar the news about his house arrest is untrue

10 Sigismund, King of Sweden had been elected King of Poland in 1587 . His fervent Catholocity alienated him from the Swedes .

11 "Geuzen" , literally "beggars" , was the derogatory title given to the Dutch insurgents "Aquisgraen" , derived from the Latin Aquisgranum , was the ancient name for Aachen (or Aix-la-Chapelle) a German town very closeto the frontiers of the Low Countries The occasion of its capture appears to relate to Philip of Nassau's campaign in Limburg, near which province it is situated (Grotius, Annales , pp 181 , 184) Protestantism was so strong within the town that it was banned by a specialedictat the instance of the Archduke Ernest (P.J. Block, History of the Revolt of the Netherlands , 1900, iii, p 275) See also concerning Aachen at this time Van Meerbeeck , Chroniickeyande Gantsche Werelt, 1620, p 774

LETTERS OF RICHARD VERSTEGAN

12 Henry, who was born in Bearn, was somewhat contemptuously termed the "Prince of Bearn" or "the Biarnois" by his opponents For the Englishattitudeto Henry at this time(vid Letterno 41,note8). TheDutch wereonextremely friendlytermswith him and loaned him a considerable amount of money (P. Bor, Nederlantsche Oorloghen, iv, year 1593 , f.64 ; Van Meteren Historie, vi, p 42). Cf. also Fugger News-Letters, 2nd series , p. 251 (letter from Antwerp, 12 September , 1593) : "They write on the 9th inst from the Hague that the Navarreseenvoy has announcedthere and also to the Queen of England that now as before the King may be expected to spare no effort He has received assurances to the same effect from the States General and the Queen of England, and supplies of munitions and military equipment will continue to be sent to France to drive the Spaniardsout of the King's dominions"

XLV. VERSTEGAN TO FR. PERSONS.

Antwerp, c early December, 1593 .

Stonyhurst, Coll. B, 145. Holograph.

The contents of a letter dated in London the 23 of November, 1593

Within the City of London and the suburbes there have died since Easter last 30,000 persons, and the number that have died in the country may be supposed to be litle lesse .

From Sussex we understand that a company of pooresoldiers to the number of 50 do shroude themselvesin a woode of the Earle of Northumberlande's ,2 and there, living in secret caves under the ground, make many excursions and take privatemen'sgoodes with protestation that they only seeke for meat, drinck and clothes , which they say they must and will have, associating themselves together withsolemne vowe rather to die then to yeild or be taken. Nothing as yet is don against them.

Of the death of the old Earle of Darby and, since , the lyke of the Lord Grey of Wilton, I suppose you have hard.³

The LordTreasureris nowverysick Many doubte his recovery, and more wish his death to enjoy some of his offices. Assuredly he is a man generally hated of the communalty by reason of the great taxes imputed only to him .

Many Londoners tasting want in the sicknes tyme, and now wanting the terme, 5 do fall to plaine begging, yet must a double subsidy be payed presently, thoughe not so soone as nede requires.

We heare that the King of Scots is become a Catholique and hathe published an edict for liberty of conscyence ; and the Skots make great rodes nowinto our borders " The King is gon into the northe parte, and the ministers prepare, as we heare, under the conduct of the Lord Bothwell, to make force against him : whereunto we must be ayding at least with mony.8

From Ireland we heare that those of the northe are still up. We accompt litle of it, and expect that winter weather will make their voluntrarypeace.⁹

It was reported here of late that the French King, beeing at Diepe , intended to come over with his sister ; but it is not so , howbeit hissister wasundoubtedly expected, but nowwe heare that she shall match in mariage with the Counte Morice . 10

The Quene is atopen defyancewith all Catholiques, anddetesteth priestes; persecution is lyke to be great.

This tyme of the plague hathe given the Catholiques some litle liberty to breathe them.

LETTERS OF RICHARD VERSTEGAN

Addressed Al Padre Personio.

Endorsed by Fr. Persons Advises from London, 23 Novembris.

NOTES

1 Presumablythefigure given is for deathsfrom any cause, notsolely from the plague In the mortality bill for 1593 (printed in N. Hodges , A Collection ofvery valuable and scarce Pieces relating to the last Plague, 1721 , pp 62-5) the numbersgivenforLondon and its suburbsare : 31,880 buried, died of plague 26,005 Camden (Annales, p. 423) gives a much smaller figure : 17,890 of pestilence and other diseases. See also Stow (Annales , p 766)

2 Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland , as well as owning lands in Sussex was also a Justice of the Peace for the county.

3 Henry Stanley,6th Earlof Derby (1531-1593) died 25 September , andwas buried at Ormskirk. Arthur Grey, 14th Lord Grey de Wilton (1536-1593) died 14 October.

4 Cf. Burghley's letterto his son Robert Cecil, 7 December , 1593, printed in T. Wright, Queen Elizabeth and her Times, 1838 , ii, p. 427

5 The Michaelmas Term was held at St. Albans because of the plague in accordancewith a proclamation dated 24 September , 1593 (Proclamations , 321)

6 Cf. Cal. Irish, 1592-96, p 174. The news of James' conversion was a falserumour (cf. Birch, Memoirs, i, 131) Therewas serious talk,however , of a bill for liberty of conscience being introduced into Parliament (Cal Scottish, 1593-5, pp. 209-10).

7 Cf. Letter no 37, n 10 .

8 Concerningthe support given to Bothwell by Elizabeth and the ministers of the Kirk (vid Cal Scottish, 1593-95, pp 223, 299, 292, 300, 355,etc.).

The main Irish rebel, Maguire, suffered a severe defeat in October at the hands of Sir Henry Bagenall, Knight Marshall of Ireland, and the Earlof Tyrone (who at this time was siding with the government), afterwhich the fightingdieddownfor a time (vid. Cal. Irish, 1592-1596, pp xxff.etc.).

10 Cf. Cal Venetian 1592-1603, p 116 ; Fugger News-Letters , 2nd series , p 252. Henry's sisterwas Catherinede Bourbon(1558-1604), whomarried Henry, Duke of Lorraine in 1599.

XLVI. VERSTEGAN TO FR. PERSONS . Antwerp

, 15 December 1593 .

Stonyhurst, Coll B, 147. Holograph. Fr. Person's hand. Lord Hume , Lord Henys.

A briefrelation of the affaires of Scotland, as I receavedthem by mouthfrom one of very good credit, who departed thence the 12 of November last and arryved here at Antwerp in the beginning of this present December, 1593.

The King,withthe Lord Hamilton, the Lord Hume , theChancelor Metland and some others did mete in the feildes at aplaceappointed with theEarle of Angus, the Earle ofHuntleyand the Earlof Errole, with Sir James Chisholme ; where they had conference together and appointed to mete againe either at St. Johnstowne or at some other convenient place, where the Lordes promised to clere themselves of such calamnious reportes as had bene made ofthem.1

Aboute thesame tyme, one Mr. Carr, who was said to have bene taken with certaine letters and blancks, and kept prisoner in the Castelof Edenbourgh, is escaped oute of prison and fled, and hathe sent a retracte in writing ofall that before he confessed touching the noblemen aforesaid, affirming that whatsoever he had said was uppon feare This man's beeing oute of the way wilbe very advantagious for the lordes whereby there enemyes shall have the lesse shewe of matter to alleageagainst them.2

The Lord Hume, beeinga Catholique and nowby theKingmade Captaineofhis Gard, hathe brought in againe the Chaunceloruppon expectation of some good offices by him to be performed.³

The Kinge's private conference with the Catholique lordes and his seeming to enclyneunto them hathegreatly incensed theministers against him, and the King on the other syde is moved to take this course for his owne security ; for the whichhe is willing to accept ofanyparty and wilbe indifferentto any religion, seeing thatamong the ministers he can expect no security , having had somuch experience of their mutenous humours and their insolent demeanours towardes him, having given him so great an aversion from them . And because he well seeth their whole course and practise : to tend to comaund and over rule bothe himself, the nobillity and people, he hathe conceavedjust cause of feare of his estate

The Earle Bothwell, whome the King holdeth for his mortall enemy, is lincked with the ministers and the Queen of England.5 And her ambassadorin Scotland, beeing a perfect Puritane, is the chiefin all consutations with suchministers as do most band against the King ; and therefore, the King hathe comaunded him at two severall tymes todeparte hisrealme, thoughe hetherto, he dothe see his comaundement disobeyed.

LETTERS OF RICHARD VERSTEGAN

Sundryprincipall noblemen, beeing of kin or aliance unto some of the Catholique lordes, have at divers tymes privately met and conferredwith them; whereofthe ministers having intelligence, they have excomunicated them also And uppon the King'slate treaty with the Catholique lordes, they have threatned to excomunicate the King also . Yea, divers ofthemhave not lettedin theirpublyke preachinges [op]enly to raile uppon the King, to say he was become a very Papist, and that he heard Masse every day (wherein they belyed him), as also to say that he was not woorthy to raigne.6

This and such lyke their usage of the King hathe so moved and exasperated him that he hathe not lettedto say that yf the Spaniardeswould not come ofthemselves, himself would go tofetchthem.

Some fewe of the more moderate sorte of ministers do somewhat stand for the King, but the greater and more furious parte do chalenge the absolute ecclesiasticall aucthority and counte themselves the Kirck; having all counsell and assistance that the English ambassadorcan give them, as before is touched And the most parte of the townsmen and some barrons do joyne withthem.

The Queene of Scotland is with chylde " She seemethto be very well enclyned unto Catholique religion, beeing thereunto partly perswaded by the Lady Huntley, of whome she hathe receaveda Catholique Catechisme in French, which she much esteemeth; and hathe told unto thesaid ladythat she was in her youthe brought up with a kinswoman of hers that was a Catholique.8

The King did once perswadeher to see the manner ofministring the Calvinistes' Comunion, and asked her how she lyked it; to whome she answered that she could very aptly lyken it unto a taverne breackfast.⁹

At the departure of the party from Scotland (of whome I had thease relations), the King and his Catholique lordes were to meete

In conclusion, he saith that thinges there do go well, and by Gode's Grace will go better

R.V.

Addressed Al Padre Personio.

Endorsedby Fr. Persons Ofthe affayres ofScotland, 15 Decembris , 1593

NOTES

1 The rebel Catholic lords mentioned above met James and his retinue at Fala earlyinOctober, 1593. They "presentedthemselves suddenlytothe King's presence, falling prostrate beforehim and craving to have a lawful and just trial" (Cal Scottish, 1593-95, p 201) They offered tostand trial at St. Johnstown (Perth) but nothing came of this (id , pp. 431, 435)

2 ConcerningGeorge Ker's part in the "Spanish Blanks" (cf. Letter no. 26 , note 1). His escape is mentioned in Robert Bowes's letter to Burghley, 22 June, 1593 : "Yesterday about 4 p.m. Mr. George Carr escaped outof this castle [Edinburgh], findingat the port two men with a horse attending for him. He had beforebyletterto Angusexcused hisdoingsagainsthim, promising tomake amends, in regardthat the terroroftorments and death enforcedhim to accuse Angusand the rest" (Cal Scottish, 1593-95, p 103).

3 In April, 1593, the English ambassador , Robert Bowes, wrote to Burghley that Lord Alexander Hume desired the leadership of the King's Guard , and left the Court when he could not obtain his wish (Cal Scottish , 1593-95 , pp 80, 82) In September , although he was not given sole command, Hume was madeone of the Captains of the Guard (id pp. 181 , 183)

Hume had quarrelled with theChancellor, Lord Thirlestone, (Maitland) in May, 1593, buttheywere reconciledin August, andtheymadea "band" in November . The Chancellor was recalled to the Court in September (id pp 88, 151 , 184 , 228)

4 Cf. Cal. Scottish, 1593-95, pp 292, 300, 355

5 Cf. Letter no 45

6 Cf. Cal Scottish, 1593-95, p 224. Cameron (id p xviii) writes that there was "no servility in the attitudeof the ministers to the Crown. On the contrary, they could denounce the King and his courtiers with great temerity; and in the pulpit they commonly mingled politicalperorations with spiritualdiscourse"

7 Vid Letterno 50

8 Anne of Denmark, who married James in November, 1589 was known to have strong Catholic sympathiesdespite her Lutheran upbringing, and in fact in May, 1595 William Gifford wrote to ThomasThrogmorton in code : "The King of Scot's wife is reconciled ; this is a great secret, but Father Creighton told Paget" (Cal Dom Eliz , 1595-7, p 36) Cf. the letter ofan English spy to Thomas Phelippesin April, 1597: The Queen of Scotsis converted, and wants but absolution" (id. p 391)

This is exactlyhow Versteganhad depicted the Calvinist Communion in his engraving Typus Haereticae Synagogae, 1585 (concerning which vid. my thesis pp. 87ff., 454).

XLVII. VERSTEGAN TO BAYNES .

Antwerp, 8 January , 1594.

P.R.O., S.P. Flanders, Bundle 5, f 102. Holograph This letter was intercepted and found its wayinto the hands ofthe English Government.

Very WoorshipfullGood Sir, I have receaved your letter of the 12 of December with the others Those for my coosin Thomas Fitzherbert¹I have not sent away as yet ; neither do I knowe any meanes to send themsafly now that the truce is broken in France as we understand.2 Of the deliveryof Meaux unto the pretended King of Navarr I suppose you have hard;3 and since that the Governor of Cambray hathe given Navarr assurance ofthat towne by delivering his sonne unto himto be his page, and Navarrhimself hathe bene in Cambray and there feasted by the said Governour.4

It is lyke that Paris wilbe very much streightened of victuall and in danger to be lost yf the King of Spaine's assistance do not come morespedythen itis wont;5 fortheenemydoth wellobservethe ordinarySpanishdelayes ; and is attentto makehis benefyt therof.

We hearofa Frenshgentlemenexecutedat St.Denisforintending to killNavarr, and that he was accused by his confessor , a Dominican. He told Navarr himself at his apprehension that he was determyned to kill him because he was not a Catholique, and that he was one of the fowre that had sworne and resolved to do it, and was thefirst that attempted it, and doubted not but one ofthe other 3 would bringit to passe.

Itis written from Rouen that some number of shippeswith5,000 men are departed from Biscay towardes Ireland or Scotland ; but hereof their is no certainty, nor great lykelyhoode. Also, it is told me that a kinsman of His Grace's is very lately executed in England forthe Catholique Faith, whereofas yet I havenocertainty , neither his name ; but yf it be true, I suppose our frendes will signify it by their next.8

Our Archduke Ernestus is said to be nowarryved at Treves , and very shortly the Courte is to remove from Bruxells to mete and receave him.9

Here hathe bene so great a tempest that on Christmas Eve , 35 saile of shippes of Holland with 600 mariners in them were lost, and about 200 litle botes , besydes 4 or 5 Englysh shippes laden with clothe . 10

From England, by reason of contrary wyndes, here are no late letters arryved, neither (by that occasion) can we understand any more of the affaires of Scotland.

I heareanyncklingthat a packet ofAnthony Standen'sisintercepted in thease partes, whereof perhapes the other letters that come with this will signify more . 11

198

Our nation have now gotten their generall liberança payd, and some of them had their payes arrested in the pagador's hand ; and they receavednot a peny, but only their creditors acquita[nce] for somuch mony And other men to kepe their credit, were enforced to pay away all that they receaved within 2 or 3 dayes after; and I assure youmyself was one of those. 12 But with thease impertinent matters I will no longer trouble you, and therefore I will her with comittyou to God Antwerp, this 8 of January, 1594. Yours ever assured , R. Verstegan.

Since this letter was written I understand that letters are here arryved which signifythat the towne of Mieaux is not for Navarr but continueth for the League; only the late Governor thereof , Monsieur de Vitree, is gon to Navarr . 13

That of Cambray seemeth also somwhat uncertaine

Order is given that a great parte of our forces shall presently march to the frontierssome say towardes St. Quintynes . 14

Mymost humble duty to His Grace15I beseech you not to omitt. And so once againe , God kepe you.

Sir William is now returned from Bruges to Bruxells He hath bene malitiously delt withall by some of our nation, who told the Secretary that he abused the King by takingle up the dead payes of some ofhis pensioners . You may gesse who they be that use to informe against others . 17

Some of our countrymen that are free oftheir speeches do talke marvailous broadly of 127 [Westmoreland]18 and cover not the termes of hidden foule vices.

It was said of late that 30 [the Earl ?] and his 21 53 43 49 41 45 [French]19man should be devorsed, and surely it seemethapp[arent] that]20 127 [Westmoreland] cannot be ignorant of thease speaches. [God]grant that he may be moved to alter his course, and to have honour atributed unto him for vertue rather then for fassion

Addressed Al Illustre Signore , il Signore Rogero Baynes, in Corte del Illustrissimo , il Cardinale di Inghilterra, a Roma.

1 ConcerningFitzherbert vid Letterno 32, note 15. He wasbackinRouen by January, 1594 (vid Cal Dom Eliz , 1591-4 , p. 415)

2 The truce between Henry and the League which had been renewedin October, 1593 ended in January, 1594

3 In January, Louis de l'Hospital, Baron de Vitry, the governor of Meaux , assembled the citizens ofthe town and told them that there no longer was any reason for opposing Henry, because he had become a Catholic; and he thereuponleft the town andjoined Navarre. The following month the citizens delivered up the town into the King's hands. (De Thou , Histoire, xii,p. 107 ; Coloma, Las Guerras, 1635 ed , p. 274).

4 Balagny, the Governor of Cambrai, was bribed with 1,000,000 livres to deliver thetown (handedover early in March), and was madea Marshalof France (G. Slocombe , Henry of Navarre, p 187 ; Coloma, op cit , p 274)

5 Paris opened its gates to Henrylate in March, 1594, in reward for which Brissac, the Governorreceived1,695,000 livres (Slocombe, loc cit.; Coloma op cit , p 279).

6 The would-be assassin was Pierre Barriere, seized at Melun on a charge of attempting to stab the King The Dominican who exposed him was Seraphim Barcly,whowas inthe pay ofFerdinand, GrandDukeofTuscany Barriere was executed at St. Denis by being torn to pieces (De Thou , op. cit., pp. 49ff.; P. Bor, Nederlantsche Oorlogen, 1621, iv, year 1593 f. 28v.)

7 The 5,000 Spanish troops were destined for Britanny, and arrived there in January, 1594. Cf. Fugger News-Letters, 2nd series, p 253 .

8 Cf. Holt'sletterto Allen, 6 January, 1594 (Strype, Annals, iv p. 208, misdated 1594) Verstegan was able to obtain further details in time for his next letter, to Persons, fivedayslater, but he, like Holt, wasstill very much in the dark , since the wholeaffair, which had practically nothing todowith religion, was kept extremely secret bythe Cecils, who were mainly responsible for engineeringit

Oneof the chief actors in this particular drama was Richard Hesketh , who played his part unwittingly Hesketh, an uncleof ThomasHesketh (concerning whom vid Letter no 10, note 9), and a remote kinsman of Cardinal Allen, was a fugitivefrom justicewhohadfled totheContinent , where he attempted to set up as a merchant, and dabbled in alchemy (cf. next letter), being apparently acquainted with the astrologer and alchemist, John Dee He was also, for a time, a member of Stanley's regiment It was on his return to England in September , 1593 ,that, at the instigation of Burghley and others, he became a carefully chosen dupe to deliver a letter concerningthe English succession to the Earl of Derby, in an effort to ruin the Earl, or at least bring him into grave suspicion. (Ferdinando, the new Earl had a claim to the throne, being a great-great- grandson of Henry VIIIvid table in A Conference about the Next Succession) Ferdinand handedthe letterto the Queen, and delivered up Hesketh to the Privy Council, by whom he was examinedand accused of negotiating with Derby concerningthe succession at the bidding ofWilliam Stanley, Dr. Worthington and others. He was tried, found guilty and executed at St. Albans, 29 November, 1593. Ferdinando did not long survive him , for he died early in the following year, probablyfrom the effects ofpoison.

10

The whole Hesketh affairis reconstructedmainlyfrom Hatfield House MSS., iv, in three important articles by C. Devlin, "The Earl and the alchemist" , Month, new series, vol 9, nos. 1-3 (Jan.-March, 1953).

Ernest, the new Governor, arrived in Brussels 30 January, 1594

The scene of the disasterwas Vlye, in the West Frisian Islands Grotius (Annales, p 182) gives the number of ships lost as 50 ; and Bor(Nederlantsche Oorloghen, iv, year 1593, f 78) states more than 40 ships and over 500 drowned

11 Cf. Richard Hopkins's letter to Cardinal Allen, 8 January, 1594 (Cotton MSS Titus, B .II, f 225) : "A packet of letteres are interceptedbythe magistrates sent by Antonie Standen" See further concerningStanden Letter no 40, note 10 .

12 A definition of a Liberanca [pay warrant] is given in Lewknor's Estate of English Fugitives (sig E4v .): "A Liberanca is a bill of assignation forthereceiteofmoniegrauntedto someone in particular, orto two orthree joyntly, or a hundred or more, as occasion shal require It is first drawen and underneath signed by the chiefe secretory that attendeth on the Generall; it is directed by the Duke unto the Treasurer General , commanding him to paye the same of whatsoever monie hee shall have within his charge, but first to see that the same be perused and registred in boththe offices of the two Contadors [accountants] of the armie, and signed withtheirnames andrubrikes, andthen thatit be likewiseregistred, perused and rubrikt by the Veedor Generall [chiefinspector], and signed with his name. After this he expresseththe causes that moveth him to grant thesumme of monie to the partie that bringeth the Liberanca , with many other particularities. "

This payment , which was the last the exiles were to receivefor a long time to come (cf. Letter no 57) is also mentioned in Hopkins's letter to Allen cited in the previous note: "The Secretary Ivarra hath payd us at length 2 months' payes, which hath relieved our nation, though many are in extremedebt I hope that some consyderation wilbe had of me andothers that are not, for our education and old yeres,to serve of in the fielde" .

13 Cf. note 3

14 Cf. Holt'slettercited in note 8 : "Here seems to be resolvedupon a new voyage to Francewith good forces under the conduct of Count Mansfeld at leastof 12,000 men, with provision morethan heretofore ... " Philip had orderedCount Ernest de Mansfelt to send all available troops under the command of his son , Count Charles, to help the League in France The army encamped in Tierache and soon besieged La Capelle, which was defended by Malissy The town capitulated in May (De Thou, Histoire , xii, pp 156-7)

15 Cardinal Allen

16 MS . "taken"

17 Early in 1594 an enquiry was made at Brussels into the pensionsystem, and various army commanders were examined on suspicion of having withheld the pay oftheir troops, and of pocketing moneywhich was still being allocated to soldiers who were dead. To judge from the tone of Verstegan's comment it was possibly the Paget-Westmoreland faction whichwas responsiblefor the accusation against Stanley Among the other officers examined were La Mothe and a Walloon, Colonel Frizell,

LETTERS OF RICHARD VERSTEGAN No. XLVII

who was convicted of withholding pay and beheaded at the command of the Archduke (cf. Cal Dom Eliz , 1591-4, pp 473, 487) Theaccusations against Stanley proved to be groundless and he was soon released Pocketing dead pays was a commonabuse of the time It is satirised in Thomas Overbury's New Characters drawne to the Life, 1615 (sig J3v.) in thecharacterof"Avaine-gloriouscowardin command" : " ... he lovesa life dead paies, yet wishes they may rather happen in his company by the scurvy then by a battel" Cf. Verstegan's Characteren , 1619 , " Van een glorieusen bloyen capiteyn" : Hy bemindt grootelickt doot betaelinghen ende hy wenscht weel liever datse comen souden door den scheurbuyck dan door een battaile"

18 Passagesin code deciphered ed. Charles Neville, 6thEarl ofWestmoreland (1543-1601), who fled abroad after the failure of the Northern Rebellion, was acquiring a reputation for loose living at this time Amongst other things, he was alleged to be keepinga young Frenchman as his pander. Cf. thedepositionmade toLord Burghley by Diaper, whostates concerning Westmoreland's mode of life: " ... it is so lasciviousand vile that but with reverence I dare not write it He keepeth a French boy as his pander, and when he hathwaited all day, he may go singfor his supper. He never carrieth any money, for the filthy women that he daily useth are ready to receive it before he have it ; and yet the old coltwill be lusty, for it he see a brave woman, he sendethhis pandry boy for her , and in his drunken humour he will give a Philip dollar for a kiss And so , sometimes when he receives his pension , he consumeththat in three days that should keep him three months after ; and that maketh him sofar in debt, for he oweth morethan 15,000% in Antwerp and Brussels" (Strype, Annals, iv, p 230)

19 Supplied by reference to the deposition quoted in the previous note.

20 MS . torn.

XLVIII. VERSTEGAN TO FR . PERSONS .

Antwerp, 13 of January, 1594 .

Stonyhurst, Coll B, 151. Holograph The sectionconcerningPeterPhillips was printed in Monthly Musical Record, March-April, 1957, 61-2 .

At Antwerp, the 13 of January

,

1594

The Archduke Ernestus we heare is at Trevers, and is expectedat Bruxells the 20 of this moneth at the furthest.1 The Countes of Mansfeild and Fuentes are gon to mete and to receave him.

We heare that the towne of Covorden in Friesland is gotten againe, and so is also a forte which the enemy lately tooke by Bruges, which forte the enemy abandoned of himself.3

Uppon Christmas Eve, by extreme tempest 35 sailes ofshippes with 600 mariners, lying at ancor in Holland and attending the wynde to passe towardes Spaine, were sunck, and all the men drowned And we heare that aboute 60 saile are lost in theriver of Burdeaux , by tempest also .

The Counte Charles of Mansfeild is either departed from thease partes or presently to departe towardes the frontiers of France with 8 or 10 thowsand men, which perhapes Navarr expected not so soone when he brake the truce nowa fewe dayes past ;5 forthe enemy is well acquainted with Spanish delayes , and dothe make his profitt ofthem, thoughe now, by this extraordinaryexpedition, I hope he wilbe deceaved

The States of Hollandhave sent an ambassador (whose name is Calovort, and hathe a brother in this towne a broker unto the marchantes) unto the pretended King of Navarr to encouragehim to maintaine that religion which in his harte and conscience he holdeth to be true, and he shall not want any assistance that they or any freindes of theirs can yield him. "

By the last letters which arryved here from England, beeing of the 12 of December, one writeth to his frend as a Protestant thus: "Thinges in Scotland do stand so ill that we heare have no will to talke of them nor I desyre to write of them , for that they seeme to stand enclyned to great trooble and to great alteration"

There was one Mr. Hesket, executed aboute a moneth past ; of whome there hathe gon so many variable reportes, that untill I see some letters from particular freindes, I can write litle certainty. The man's name was Richard Hesket He had bene somtyme a marchant , but was fallne in decay by dealing with alcumistes He wasfor some fewe monethesof SirWilliam Stanleye'sregiment, and by him (as is thought) sent with some message to the presente Earle of Darby, but whether he were by him detected or not is uncertaine , for some reporte that the Earle is deprived ofhis liberty.

LETTERS OF RICHARD VERSTEGAN No.

But thesaid Hesket seemed to die a Protestant, and said he wassory that hehad bene so long of our religion, and yfthis be trueand that he ment as he spake, there is no great losse of the man, unlesse he had benehonester Hewas therecalledbythe nameofthe Cardinall's coosin , for he wasof those Hesketsof Lancashire, and nere kin unto Mr. Thomas Hesket, nephew unto His Grace . "

Peter Phillipes the musitian , that was prisoner in Holland , is delivered and arryved here now at Christmas He told me how one Roger Walton, somtyme page unto the Earle ofNorthumberland10 that was slaine in the Towre, beeing at Midlebourg caused him to be apprehended, and accused him of manynotable treasons before the Counsell at the Hage, whether they were bothe sent ; all his accusations beeing such markable fixions of his owne hed , astheywere soone discernedby the Counsell, who bythe testimony of certaine Italian marchants (that to have his company and musick perswadedhim to that jorney) were fully satisfied that hecame not thether to passe intoEngland to kill the Queene as theotheraffirmed . And he proved Phillipes intension thereto in this sorte , videlicet: that beeing some yeares past in Paris when the Baricades were made, there was an image made of the Queen of England and set uppon agreat heape offagots, andtheKing andallsorts ofReligious men, coming in processionwithburningwax candells, did give fyre to those fagots, and so did the Lord Paget,12 Sir Charles Arundell¹³ and all the English, amonge whome this Peeter Phillipes was one. At this Phillipes replyed that there was never any such thing don , and that the Kingat themaking of the Baricadesfled oute of Paris, and therefore went not in precession in Paris, 14 and that such a publyke acte must nedes have many wittnesses besydes Walton. At this answere the Counsell began to looke one at another, and Walton in a great chaf said in English unto Phillipes : "O Papist, Papist, yf I had the in England I would make shorte woorckwith the" . "Why, " quoththe other, "whatwould you do ?" "Marry" , quothe Walton, "I would aske the yf the Queene were supreame head of the Churche or not And what wouldes thow answere tothat ?" "I would," quoth Phillipes, "say she werenot" . "Then would I hange the" , quothe Walton Hereunpon, Phillipes asked of the Counsell yf they did understand what Walton had said. They said no, but willedhim to tell them Then did he tellit them in Dutche, whereunto their President for the tyme (for they change often) replyed, that he knew well enoughe what the justice of England was, but it should not be so theare . Then did oneGilpen (who nowis ambassadorwiththe States in Bodley's place (forthat Bodley is in England expecting Walsingam's place)15aske Phillippes yf he had not bene at confessionwith the Jesuytes He answered ye. "Then," said Gilpen, "you were enjoyned to kill the Queene, for whosoever cometh to confessionto them they do so enjoyne" . But notwithstandingPhillipes answeredthem well to everything, and the litle proof they had against him, they detayned him untill

letters came from England to certify bothe of him and of Walton; of whome the Earl of Essex wrote that of Philipes they never understood other then that he had followed his soorte of musyck, and for Walton that he was a poore fellow and had nothing els to live by but by such meanes . 16 And by other letters it was signified that Waltondid in England make an occupation ofaccusing men, and that he had broughte 5 or 6 to the gallowes , as he would have don Phillipes yf he had had him there and the assistanceof Topclifwhich is not lyke he could have wanted Phillipes was in the end discharged, as is said, and Waltonis yet in prison, and hathe bene racked aboute the cyphersthat hehad with Mr. Paget . 17 And it seemeththat, notwithstandingthe Counsellof Holland are ill enoughe themselves, yet they do abhorre such wounderfull monsters as our country in thease dayes dothe yeild ; formanysuch compagnionsdo play their partes in England And because this fellow was so discovered by heretykes themselves for a false accuser, I thought it not impertinent to write somuch of this matter, which peradventure may serve to some purpose

My Lord of Westmerland his wyf is dead in England 18 Elmar , whome Martin Marprelate used to call "John a London" is dead also . 19

Addressed Al Padre Personio

Endorsed by Fr. Persons Verstengham advises , 13 January, 1594 .

NOTES

1 Cf. previous letter, note 9.

2 Versteganwas misinformed Verdugo had been endeavouring sincethe beginning of the previous winter to retake Koevorden which the Dutch had captured in September , 1592 (vid Letter no 11 , note 12) He continued the siege until May, 1594, but then decided to withdraw because his provisions were running out, and he was faced with possible annihilation at the hands ofthe superiorforces of Count Maurice (P. Bor, Nederlantsche Oorloghen, iv, year 1593 f 35, year 1594, ff 4, 8, etc.)

3 The attackon Bruges had been conductedby Philip of Nassau It was unsuccessful , and in the hasty retreat, Philip caught a fever (vid.Grotius, Annales , p 181).

* Cf. previous letter, note 10 .

5 Cf. previous letter, note 14 .

6 Cf. P. Bor, op cit , iv, year 1593, ff 29, 71, 77v The States offered Henry considerablehelp, bothin men and money.

7 Cf. previous letter, note 8.

8 For a biography of Philips vid A. G. Petti , "Peter Philips, Composer and Organist, 1561-1628 , Recusant History, vol 4, no 2, pp 48-60 The account given in the above letter of Philips's imprisonment and examination in Holland is amply supported and supplementedby State Papers Holland vol 47 and Raad van State, 12 (1593) in Algemeen Rijksarchief, 's-Gravenhage

Roger Walton was formerly a spy of Walsingham's, being sent by him to Francearound midsummer, 1588, whenthe English ambassador there, Edward Stafford, wrote of him : "He was once ward and, I think, page to My Lady Northumberland He lieth here not far from me . .. To some he showeth himself a great Papist, to others a Protestant ; but as they take him that haunteth him most, he hath neither God nor religion, a very evil condition, a swearer without measure and a tearer of God, a notable whoremaster This Walton is young, without any hair of his face, little above twenty, lean faced and slender, somewhat tall, complexion a little sallowish, most goeth appareledin a doublet of black carke cut upon a dark reddish velvet" (10 July, 1588, Harleian MSS 288 , f 218, quoted in C. Read , Sir Francis Walsingham, ii, p 420) From Walton's report toWalsinghamonhisreturnfromFranceit appears that he had wormed his way into the confidenceof Father Derbyshire and other leading Catholicsin Paris at the time (S.P. Dom ccix, no 57) In the early 1590sWalton was againin Franceandinthe Low Countries, and his wife with him. He returned to England for a brief period in May, 1593 , sending Robert Cecil a news-letter on his arrival (Hatfield House MSS . , iv, p 325) About the following month he was sent to the Low Countries on some sort of mission for Essex , though the Earl was far from satisfied with Walton's abilities (Cal Dom Eliz, 1591-4 , p. 358). In Septemberhe was at Middelburg, where, as recorded in the aboveletter, he falsely accused Philips, probably in hope of monetary gain, but fared badly in the process, being retained in prison untilthe end of the year Among his many escapades, Waltonappears to have been concerned in the Lopez conspiracy (vid Cal Dom Eliz. , 1591-4 , p. 425)

10 Henry Percy, 8th Earl of Northumberland, was arrested in 1583 for plotting the release of Mary Queen of Scots and imprisonedin theTower for the third and last time in December , 1584. Six months later, on 21st June, 1585 , he was found dead in his bed in his cell, having been shot throughtheheart Thejuryat the inquest returned a verdict ofsuicide, but it was long suspected that Northumberland had been murdered (as the above letter implies) and possibly at the instigation of Hatton (cf. D.N.B.). An attempt had been madeon his life shortly before, bypoisoning, but he was curedbyDr.Atslowe

11 12 May, 1588 .

12 LordThomasPaget, whodiedin January, 1590, had been Philips's patron

13 Arundel was no longer alive at the time of the Barricades, having died probablyfrom the effects of poison, 15 December , 1587 (vid Cal Foreign 1586-8 , pp. 660-1).

14 Henry III had fled from Paris the previous week, and was staying at Chartres at the time out of harm's way (id. p. 609)

15 Thomas Bodley was English Agent to the Statesfrom 1589-1596 except for a brief respite in 1593, when he left for England at the end of May (Hatfield House MSS , iv, p 323), returning early in 1594. Essex , anxious to prevent Cecil from obtaining the Secretaryship , was trying to secure thepost for Bodley, who was one of his supporters(cf. Camden , Annals, 1635 ed p 465; Hume Lord Burghley, p 482, note 1 ) Needless to say, Bodley's candidature was unsuccessful George Gilpin(1514?-1602), Bodley's deputy, was a type of permanent adviser to the States. His letters to Burghley on the examination of Philips in Septembercare contained in S. P. Holland, vol 47

16 The letter from Essex and also one from the Dutch ambassador to England, Noel de Caron, vouching for Philips are mentioned in Raad van State, 12, 1593, p 215

17 Waltonclaimed that he had obtained his information concerningPhilips from secret correspondence with Charles Paget (vid Gilpin to Burghley, 27 September , 1593, S. P. Holland, vol 47, f. 68).

18 Westmoreland's wife was Jane, the eldest daughter of Henry Howard, Earlof Surrey, whom he married some time before 1564, and by whom he had four daughters During Westmoreland's exile she received a pensionof £300 fromtheQueen . She died towards the end of 1593 , and was buried at Kenninghall, Norfolk (D.N.B.). Wadsworth in The English SpanishPilgrime (1st ed p 69) accused Westmorelandof having two wives.

19 John Aylmer was consecrated BishopofLondoninMarch, 1577. Because of his persecution of the Puritans he was singled out for the fiercest satire in the Marprelate Tracts Although Verstegan announced his death on the strength of letters from London dated 12 December, 1593 , Aylmerdid not die until 3 June, 1594 (Strype, Life ofAylmer, pp. 112-3 ; D.N.B.).

XLIX. VERSTEGAN TO BAYNES.

Antwerp, 26 February, 1594

Stonyhurst, Coll M , 81a

Extractby Fr. Grene

Mr. Verstegan from Antwerp, 26 February, 1594 to Mr. Baines at Rome writeth thus: By a letter from Middleburgh upon fresh intelligence from England we have that Doctor Lopez hath bin racked and is to be arraigned with some others of account , though not reputed Catholics, upon suspicion to have attempted to poison the Queen.¹

NOTE

1 Roderigo Lopez, a PortugueseJew, was an eminent physician who had settledin England in 1559. Hedeveloped a successful practice, attending on Walsingham and Leicester, and in 1586 became chief physician to the Queen While at Court he became friendlywith Essex whoendeavoured to use him as an intelligencer, to which Lopez agreed, butfirst communicated the information he received to the Queen before passingit in to Essex, which caused friction betweenhim and the doctor ; and this was increased when the Earl learnt that Lopez had divulged to others some professionalsecrets concerningthe medical treatment he had given him. At the beginning of 1594 Lopez became implicated in one of the numerous fabricated plots against the Queen's life. He was accused of acceptingSpanishbribes tomurder DonAntonio, the Portuguese Pretender and to effect the poisoning of the Queen, being first implicated by the confessions of Emmanuel Louis Tinoco, a servant of Don Antonio's on 16th and 23rd January As a consequence Lopez was examined by Burghley, Cecil and Essex , and notwithstanding the fact that he had many supporters, including the Cecils and the Queen herself, and that when his house was searched no incriminating evidence was found, he was imprisonedin the Tower at the beginningof February wherehe was examinedand tortured by Essex A confession was extorted from him 25 February, and three days later he was tried at Guildhall before a specialcommission presided overbyEssex ,theprosecutionbeingconducted by Edward Coke. He was found guilty and sentenced to death , but the Queen delayed signing the death warrant for three months. Lopez was eventually executed 7 June, 1594 , together with Tinoco and a third accused, Da Gama

The conspiracy caused a very great stir at the time, and was readily used bythe English GovernmentagainstCatholics,though it is hard to see withwhatjustification Cf. Garnet'sletterto Persons, 6 September , 1594 (Anglia, i, 81, printed in Gerard, Contributions towards a Life of Fr. Garnet, pp 33-4: "The death of Lopez, a supposed Jew, although he showed himself athis death ofthe Queen's religion,is greatly derivedtothe discredit of Catholics, although most unjustly; wherein this was most worthy to be wondered at, that it could not quit him of his supposed treasonthat he had, immediately after he was moved thereunto, revealed the case to the Queen" See further Cal Dom Eliz., 1591-4; Birch. Memoirs, i; Camden , Annales ; Stow, Annales ; Hatfield House MSS ., iv; Fugger News-Letters 2nd series; D.N.B.; G. B. Harrison, Earl of Essex, pp. 81-86.

L. VERSTEGAN TO BAYNES.

Antwerp, 2 April, 1594 .

Arch S.J. Rome , Anglia 38ii, 195. Italian extract by Fr. Grene.

Si scrive da Scotia che la regina ha fatto un figlio al primo di marzo da tre in 4 hore dopo mezzo giorno nel castello di Sterling.¹

Translation

It is written from Scotland that on 1 March the Queen was delivered ofa sonbetween3 and4 o'clock in theafternoon inSterling Castle.1

NOTE

1 Anne of Denmark's first-born, Prince Henry Frederick was born 19 February, 1594. The date given in the above letter is new style. He died in 1612 at the age of 18

LI. VERSTEGAN TO BAYNES

. Antwerp, 16 April, 1594

Arch. S.J. Rome, 38ii, 195. Italian extract by Fr. Grene Cited by Bartoli in Inghilterra, pp. 349 , 351.

I nostri Inglesi non hanno sin' adesso ricevuto nissun soccorso Giasi e scoperto che parecchi di loro vanno la notteaccattando alle porte de mercanti , ¹ &c ... La persecutionede' catholici in Inghilterra e grandissima, e si scrive di la che molte donne sono state impiccate (particolarmente nelle parti boreali) per havere soccorso e alloggiato i sacerdoti2 ...

Translation

Our English people have until now received no help. Indeed it is known that some of them have gone knockingat the doors of merchants at night , ¹ etc .... The persecution ofCatholicsinEngland is very great, and it is written from there that many women have been hanged (particularly in the north) for having given priests assistance and lodging2 .

NOTES

1 The povertyand misery of the exiles in the Low Countries continued throughout 1594 and most of 1595. They were no better off than they had been in 1592 (cf. Letters nos 54 , 57 , 62).

2 Although there are no fewerthan ten names in the official list of martyrs for 1594 , no womenare amongthem Lady Margaret Neville and Grace Clapton had been condemned at this time for harbouring the priest John Boast ,but they were reprievedwhen theyrevoked the Faith (vid Morris, Troubles, iii, pp 185ff)

Concerningthe persecutionduring 1594 vid Garnet'sletterto Persons , 6 September , 1594 ( Anglia, i, 81, printed in Gerard, Contributions, pp 32ff.). An extract from it correspondingto the time of year referred to in the aboveletterruns as follows : "Since Easter, a commissionwas granted to about twentypersons who are in London and ten miles about to search and enquire for coiners, priests and lurking Papists, and to use towards them all forciable means for the disclosingoftheirdangerous practices; and this busieth them all the day long. The statutes ofthe last Parliament are rigorously executed ... From Garnet'sletter it appears that the persecution was stimulated by the recent "plots" against the Queen's life

LII. VERSTEGAN TO BAYNES. Antwerp,

4 June, 1594 .

Arch S.J. Rome, 38ii, 195. Summary by Fr. Grene.

Varia de tumultibus contraregem et reginam Scotiae . ..Il signore Perkins si trova ala Dieta di Germania per defendere, dove sara bisogno, il modo di procedere della regina d'Inghilterra. Tiene dodeci servitori, e quasi ogni di dice la messa.1

Translation

Various things concerning the stirs against the King and Queen of Scotland Mr. Perkins is with the German Diet to defend, where necessary, the conduct of the Queen of England He has ten servants , and says mass almost everyday.¹

NOTE

1 For a biographical note on Parkins, who had been a Jesuit priest, vid Letter no 39, note 5

The Imperial Diet was held at Ratisbon, and began in May, 1594 . Accordingtothe Venetianambassador in Germany, Parkins was suspected of having dissuaded the Protestant princes from attending it (Cal Venetian , 1592-1603, p 163) Seefurtherconcerningthe Diet, De Thou , Histoire, xii, pp 189ff.; Parkins's latter to Burghley, Cal Dom Eliz, 1591-4 , p 547 .

LIII VERSTEGAN TO BAYNES

Antwerp, 11 June, 1594

Arch S.J. Rome, 38ii, 195v Italian extract by Fr. Grene.

Molti sacerdoti sono presi in Inghilterra, fra li quali c'e uno signore Cornelio preso nella casa della signora Sturton, la cui casa fu cercata dal cavaliere Gualtero Raughleygh e il cavaliere Rodulfo Horsey. Il luogo secretodove stava nascosto il padre li fu mostrato da un matto innocente.¹ Tre altri sacerdoti sono presi nella casa del signore Wiseman in Essexia.²

Translation

Many priests have been arrested in England, among whom there is one Mr. Cornelius, taken in the house of Lady Sturton, whose house wassearchedby SirWalter Raleigh and Sir Rudolph Horsey The secret place where the priest was hidden was pointed out to them by an unknowing¹ idiot Three other priests have been arrested in the house of Mr. Wiseman in Essex.2

NOTES

1 Fr. John Cornelius , S.J., whose real name was O'Mahoney, entered the English College, Rome, in 1580 (C.R.S., XXXVII, p. 19), and having been ordained priest went to England in September , 1583, wherehe was one of the most saintly and effective of the missionary priests. His capture took place at Chideock Castle in Dorset wherehe was chaplain to Lady Arundel, thewidow of Sir John Arundel of Lanhorne, Cornwall (She had previously been married to Charles , 8th Baron Stourton , hence she is called Lady Stourton in the above letter) He was betrayed to the Justices of the Peace, George Trenchard and Ralph Horsey by a "miserable pauper" who was employed "in menial offices about the castle" (Foley, Records, S.J., iii, p 451) The first attempt by the Justicesto capture Corneliusfailed (31 March, 1594), and on the second he almost escaped detection, even though Trenchard's men had scaled the walls unobservedand taken the household by surprise; but just as the Justice and his men were driving off after a vain search , the betrayer ledthem to theplacewherehe was hiding (Foley, op cit , p.453). Corneliuswas tried at Dorchesterand martyred there 4 July, 1594 , with three others, Carey, Salmon and Bosgrave He made his religious professionin the Society of Jesus while in prison, shortlybeforehis trial

In the contemporary accout of Cornelius'scapture (printed Foley, op. cit., iii, pp. 451ff) no mention is made of Sir Walter Raleghhaving taken part in the search, but he is reported to have questionedthe priest on matters of religion, and to have been present at his execution

2 TheWisemanswere a staunchCatholicfamily, the head of which , William Wiseman, owned the manor house at Braddocks , betweenThaxted and Saffron Walden. Gerard had been chaplain to the family since 1591. See further P. Caraman, John Gerard ; Cal Dom Eliz , 1591-4 , C.R.S. , V , Morris, Troubles , ii

Verstegan's information is inaccurate The three men arrested (in March, 1594) were at first mistaken for priests but were laterfound to be laymenRichard Fulwood, a servant of Wiseman's who had been attending on Fr. Gerard; John Bolt the musician; and John Tarbuck a LancashireCatholic; and taken with them was a "scismatic" Catholic, William Suffield They were examined 20 and 21 March (Caraman , op cit, pp 54-5; Cal. Dom Eliz. , 1591-4, pp. 466ff.; Gerard, Contributions towards a Life of Fr. Garnet , p 34)

The arrest did not take place in Wiseman's countryhouse in Essex , but in a house at the upper end ofGoldingLane, Holborn, whichWiseman had rented for Gerard's use Fortunately for Gerard, he was staying with Garnet outside London at the time, but Wiseman was taken at the house the following day (Caraman , loc cit.; Cal Dom Eliz, 1591-4 , loc cit.).

A search did take place at Braddocks, on 1st April, 1594 , on the strength oftheinformation of John Frank (a "friend" ofthefamilywho had betrayed the Holborn household to theauthorities) that Gerardwas there. But although Gerard was in the house, he was securelyhidden and escaped detection (Caraman , op cit , pp 58ff.)

LIV. VERSTEGAN TO BAYNES. Antwerp,

25 June , 1594

Arch. S.J. Rome, 38ii, 195v Italian summary by Fr. Grene CitedinBartoli's Inghilterra, 351

Varia de rege et rebus Scotiae ... I catolici in Inghilterra sono perseguitati crudelmente, e s' intende da varii venuti novamenti di la che Padre Sotoello, Padre Walpolo e Padre Giovanni Gerardi , con due o tre altri sacerdoti, furono condotti fuori della torre peressere essaminati¹ &c . . . Dopo che questi novamente venuti d'Inghilterra havessero racontati2 le afflittioni de catolici in cotesti parti, alcuni racontorono le afflittioni che patiscono i catolici inglesi in queste parti, e alcuni dubitavano quali delli due patissero piu Certo èche alcuni dopoesser stati due giorni senza pane, finalmente si stimorono felici d'haver buscato tanto di limosina che bastasse per comprare una paniotta e poche radici.

Translation

Various things about the King of Scotland and Scottishaffairs ... The Catholics in England are cruelly persecuted, and it is learnt from severalwho have newlyarrived from there that Fr. Southwell, Fr. Walpole and Fr. John Gerard, with two or three other priests, were taken from the Tower to be examined¹ etc. . . . After these people newlyarrivedfrom England had related the miseriesofthe Catholics in those parts, others described the sufferings which the English Catholicsendurein these parts, and some wonderedwhich of the two suffered most. Indeed, a number, after having been two days without bread, now consider themselves fortunate to have obtained sufficient charity to buy a small loafand a few radishes .

NOTES

1 Southwell had been in the Tower since the end of July, 1592. Although he was frequently examined before his trial in 1595, this particular examination is not recorded elsewhere

Henry Walpole was arrested in Yorkshire 7 December , 1593 , after sailingfrom Dunkirk With him were taken Edward Lingen, a captain in Stanley's regiment, who had decided to return homeand acceptanyfate rather than continue his existence of extreme hardship in the Low Countries; and his brother , Thomas Walpole, who was alsoin Stanley's regiment. They were examined by the Earl of Huntingdon at York, andatthe end ofFebruary Fr. Walpolewas senttoLondon andcommitted to the Tower. He was examined27 April before SerjeantDrewe, Edward Cokeand Topcliffe, and then on a number ofoccasions in May and June, whena considerableamount oftorturewasused See furtherA.Jessopp, One Generation of a Norfolk House, 1878, p 229ff.; C.R.S., V.

Although John Gerard had a number of miraculous escapes, he was eventually captured with Ralph Emerson , 23 April, 1594, on the information of John Frank, who directed the two pursuivants, Newell and Worsley, to "Middleton's" house in Holborn (Caraman , Gerard, pp 64-5; Hatfield House MSS., vi , p 311) Middleton was possibly Captain Middleton (vid Letter no 19 , note 1) who was detained for questioning the following August (Cal. Dom Eliz., 1591-4 , p 544) Gerard was imprisoned not in the Tower, as the above letter implies, but in the Poultry Counter, being transferred from there to the Clink in July, 1594 , and was not removed to the Tower until 1597 (Caraman, op cit , pp 68, 232, etc.) He was subjectedto a number of cross-examinations, so that it is impossible to decide to which one the above letter refers

2 MS "racontatati"

LV. VERSTEGANTO BAYNES. Antwerp, 2 July, 1594 .

Arch S.J. Rome, Anglia 38ii, 196. Italian summary by Fr. Grene

Varia de tumultibus Scotiae per reginam Angliae excitatis . Adessosono arrivati due gentilhomini inglesi, i quali dicono d'haver inteso dieci giorni sono mentre aspettavano il vento a Gravesend; che il dottore Lopez fusse giustitiato alli 17 giugno, stylo novo.¹ Dicono di piu che sotto pretesto di cercare per 24 sacerdoti novamente venutidalli seminarii (come si credevao si fingeva di credere), fu fatta una cercha rigorosa e generale in Londra e da sei miglia intorno In questa cercha fu preso Padre Giovanni Gerardi, figlio del cavaliere Tomaso Gerardi, nella strada di Holborne ; e tre altri sacerdoti con varii altri laici furono presi altrovi ... 2

Translation

Various things concerning the insurrections in Scotland incited bythe Queenof England ... Two English gentlemenhavejustarrived who saythat theyhad been on the pointofsailing for ten dayswhile awaitingthewind at Gravesend; that Dr. Lopez was put to death on 17 June, new style They say further that, under pretext of searching for 24 priests newly arrived from the seminaries(as they thought, or pretended to think) a rigorous and general search was made in London and for six miles round it In this search Fr. John Gerard, son of Sir Thomas Gerard, was arrested in the street of Holborn, and three other priests and various lay people were seized elsewhere.2

NOTES

1 See further concerningLopez Letter no. 49, note 1

This rigorous search, which took place 15 March, is describedin Garnet's letter to Persons ( Anglia, i, 81, printed in Gerard, Contributionstowards a Life of Fr. Garnet, pp 32ff ) as "such a hurly-burly in London as neverwas seen in man's memory; no, not whenWyatt was at thegates A general search in all London, the Justices and chief citizens going in person" Garnet adds that he presumes Persons has already learnt of the search fromtheirmutual "friend in Anvers" (Verstegan ) to whom he had passed on the information There appear to be two inaccuracies in the above despatch, since Gerard was not taken in the course of this search but about a month later (vid. previous letter) ; and the three other Catholics seized were not priests but laymen (vid Letter no. 53, note 2)

LVI. VERSTEGAN TO BAYNES.

Antwerp, 21 January, 1595

Arch S.J. Rome, Anglia 38ii, 193v Italian extracts by Fr. Grene

Padre Giovanni Gerardi sta nello carceri (Clink) et ha la libertà della casa, et è di grandissima consolationealli catholici.1 I catolici generalmente in tutti li carceri patiscono grandissima povertà. Youngo, quel gran persecutorede catolici, è morto indebitatodi multi migliari di libri.²

Translation

Fr. John Gerard is in the Clink prison. He has the freedom of the place and is a very great comfort to the Catholics.1 In general, the Catholics. in all in the prisons endure the greatest poverty. Young, that fierce persecutor of Catholics, has died manythousands of pounds in debt.²

NOTES

1 Gerard'stransfer from the Poultryto the Clink, a much healthier prison (July, 1594) was obtained by his friends, who bribed Justice Young (Caraman , op cit., pp. 77, 232 ; C.R.S., II, p 286). Garnet in his letter to Persons, 6 September(printed Gerard, Fr. Garnet) writes of Gerard: "He hathbeen very close, but now is removed from the Counter to the Clink, where he may, in time, do much good" In another letter (19 November, Anglia 1 , no 82, printed Foley, Records S.J., iv, pp 48ff) Garnet adds to his former statement : "Sir Thomas Wilkes goeth to Flanders, as it is thought for peace, whereby the arraignment of the three Jesuits , Southwell, Walpole and Gerard is stayed Gerard is in the Clink somewhat free; the other two so close in the Tower that none can hear from them. "

Gerard himself says of this period of his captivity: " I was able to perform there all the tasks of a Jesuit priest, and provided only thatI could have stayed on in this prison, I should never have wanted my liberty again in England" (Caraman, op cit , p 78)

2 The end of Richard Young, companion in cruelty to Topcliffe, is described in Gerard's autobiography (id pp 92-3) It is worthquoting in full, as a fitting epitaph : "He had died in his sins, and died as he had lived miserably In his life he was the devil's confessor, and in his death the devil's martyr Not merely did he die in the devil's service, but it was the actual cause of his death Day and night he toiled to bring more and more pressure on Catholics, drawing up lists of names , giving instructions, listening to reports. Then one rainy night, at two or three o'clock, he got up to make a search of some Catholic houses The effort left him exhausted; he became ill, contracted consumption and died

"He left only debts behind him, as though he had renouncedall to serve thedevil His position was well paid and he got much booty from poor Catholics, and, what's more, received heavy bribes from them to staveoffa threatofprosecution Yetit was said that hisdebtsamounted to 100,000 florins, and I have heard it put at far more Possibly he thought that the Queen would pay them off, but nothing of the sort All she did was to send one of her courtiers to visit him when he lay sick and dying. He was so pleased at this favour that he was ready to sing his Nunc Dimittis But it was a false sense of peace that came over him , the exaltation of a soul that rides for a fall Like another Amam , he was bidden not to a banquet but to an eternal doom. With the Queen's praises on his lips and singing his own indebtednessto Her Majesty he died miserably, and his joy passed into anguish "Thejoy of a hypocrite lasts but an instant'" It is interesting to read one of Young's last letters to the Queen (Hatfield House MSS . , v, pp 24-5) in the light of Gerard's assessment of him Young'sdebtsare bynomeans over-estimatedbyGerardandVerstegan's informant, as appears from a report on his estate in Cal Dom Eliz , 1595-7 , pp 103-5 .

LVIIA. VERSTEGAN TO BAYNES. Antwerp, 25 March , 1595 .

Stonyhurst, Anglia II, no. 3, f. 23. Italian extracts by Fr. Grene , Arch. S.J. Rome, 38ii, 193

Very Woorshipfull , the 18 of this present my last was written unto you, and since that tyme I receavednone from you nor in 8 dayes before . It is lyke that by the next I shall have 2 letters at once , for so I comonly have had ever since you have used this inconvenient way of Millan; but as our freindes here and my self in my formerhave required, I expect that you will send againe by the wounted way of Venice.1

From the 222 [Jesuit]2 in 137 [England] I receaved letters of late, and herewithI send youone for the 225 [FatherGeneral ?], ³the porte whereof from 137 [England] hether I have paid, as alsofrom hence to Venice ; as, in lyke manner, I have don for divers former letters But the portage from 153 [London] hether is deerestofall by great oddes, and extraordinaryit must be to the end thinges be well don. It may be yf you require his ayde he will obtayne His Holynes' breve to my self for the Primer, but this you shall not nede to do unlesse otherwiseyou fynde difficulties.5

HereinclosedI send you a briefrelationof the glorious deathand martirdome of Fr. Robert Southwell More particulers I am promised, and do shortly expect them.

Yesterday came to my handes a new English pamphlet very lately printed in London, the tytle whereof is : A Discours ofthe Usage of the English Fugitives by the Spaniard. The pamphlet I have not as yet had leasure to read over, but a lamentable case it is that our miseries are such in truthe as that our Catholique freindesin England may thereat be much agreaved, and ourenemies their at as greatlyrejoyse; and that whichis of most waight, the hartes of well willers to be alienated from the King of Spaine, whose and his officers' dealing with our nation this booke painteth oute very particularly.

Here our nation do not lett to say that a resolution is made to starve and famish them In 15 monethes they have not had one peny , and litlein some yeares afore ; and at this presentetheir is as litle assurance as was a yeare past, whatsoever lies and deluding promises are made God comforte us and send us meanes to live withoute depending uppon any forraine frendesand to His gratious protection I recomend you this Easter Eve, the 25 of Marche, 1595

Yours ever ,

[R. Verstegan.]⁹ 219

LETTERS OF RICHARD VERSTEGAN No. LVIIa

Counte Fuentes now governeth,10 to whome the false list in disgrace of our nation was delivered by 127 [Westmoreland] and his three wise counselors , 133 [Paget ?], Browne and Tunstede . 11

Addressed Al Illustre Signore, il Signore Rogero Baynes, Gentilhuomo Inglese, a Roma.

Endorsed by Baynes ? Answerd[e] 22 of Apri[l].

Endorsed by Grene ? 25 March, 1595

Mark ofseal .

NOTES

1 This paragraph provides some of the very few details known about the despatching of Verstegan'sletters

2 Decoding supplied ed

3 Fr. ClaudiusAquaviva, S.J.

* Presumably a large part of the payment made for London post was "danger money"

5 Four yearspreviously Versteganhad approachedFr. Henry Walpole, then at Brussels , to try and obtain through Cardinal Allen the privilege of publishing a primer in Latin and English, and Walpole had thereupon written to Fr. Creswell in Rome to this effect, adding that "it would be a commodity to him sufficient to enable him to many good purposes for a good while" . Versteganeventually received the desired privilege and in 1599 published The Primer or Office ofthe Blessed Virgin Mariein Latin and English according to the reformed Latin, with lyke graces privileged Printed at Antwerp by Arnold Conings This remarkable work, the first ofits kind, was compiled and translated forthemost part by Versteganhimself, and illustrated by some fine copperplateengravings which were also his work See further concerningthis work, which ran to a large number of editions, my thesis, pp 260-70, bibliography, pp xi and xii

6 Vid enclosure (Letter no 57b)

7 This was written by Lewis Lewknor, a discontentedexile who returned home and apostatised The book, which was enteredin the Stationers's Register23 January, 1595, was widely publicised by the English government, and three editions appeared in 1595, followed by another thenext year (cf. S.T.C. nos 15562-5) The first edition bore the title: A Discourse of the usage of the English Fugitives by the Spaniard, altered in subsequenteditions to The Estate of English Fugitives.

8 The last payment was made at the beginning of January, 1594 , shortly before the arrival of the Archduke Ernest (cf. Letter no 47).

9 The signature is almost completely obliterated

10 Ernest died 20 February, 1595. Count Fuentes assumed the role of Governor in January, while Ernest was dying

11 Decoded ed Browne is probably Charles Browne, a bastard brother of Lord Montague, who had a pensionof 40 crowns (see further concerning him Lewknor, op. cit., sig F2v.; A. J. Loomie, Spain and the English Catholic Exiles, Ph.D. thesis , London, 1957, p 199 ) According to William Gifford's letterto Throgmorton, 17 May, 1595, Browne hadjust quarrelled with Paget (Cal. Dom Eliz., 1595-7 , p. 37). Tunstede appears to be AnthonyTunstede(sometimes called Tunstall) who was involved in the Babington plot He is described in 1594 as one "who used the most slanderous words of Her Majesty of any man beyond seas . " (Cal. Dom. Eliz , 1591-4, p 544) See further id p 174 ; Cal Scottish, 1585-6, pp 4, 6 ; Pollen, Mary Queen ofScots and the Babington Plot, pp lxxxiv, 95

It is hard to say to what the "false list" refers, though it seems to relate to the factions between the so-called "Scottish supporters" and

LETTERS OF RICHARD VERSTEGAN No. LVIIa

the "Jesuit and pro-Spanish party" . It may have been concerned with the nomination of a newCardinal (cf. Letterno 59) ; or moreprobably, with the complaints, most of them unjust, against Fr. Holt, which were to lead to hisremoval from the LowCountriesbyhis superiorsas a matter of expediency See further R. Lechat, Les Réfugiés Anglais dans les Pays-Bas Espagnols, pp 184ff.; my thesis pp. 244ff

Enclosure, 1 Anglia II, no. 3, f 24

In Antwerpthe 25 of Marche, 1595 , stylo novo .

The 2 of this present was Fr. Robert Southwell araigned and condemnedof Highe Treason at Westminster for beeing priest and coming into the realme contrarie to the statute. The morrow after, beeingSaterday and the 3 of this present,3 he wasexecutedat Tyburne. He had bene ten severall tymes tortured, two yeares and three quarters imprisoned, for the most parte in the Tower of London, and now nothing but priesthoode was to be laide to his charge. He was suddainly, by the instigationof bloudy Topclif, and secretly (as such an action mightbe) thus used to the admiration of all beholders, who, moved with great compassion (seeing so manygood partes to be in him and howwith all patience and myldnes he endured this tragedy), semed much to repyne at thease proceedinges .

Beeing come unto the place of execution, he their died with great comendations of all, and was lamented of all, because he prayed for the Queene and Realme, and made such a mornefull speech as caused many weeping eyes He hanged till he was dead throughe the cryeofthe people, who would not sufferhimsoonertobe cutt downe, so great an impressionhis death didmake within them.6

Certaine yong Inglish schollers, beeing taken on the seas in passingfrom St. Omers towardes Spaine, have bene kept prisoners in the Bishop of Canterbury his house . Yong Mompersonsonly yeilding in religion, is with his kindred Woorthington , the most resolute ofall, hathe made an escape oute of the Bishop hishouse , and cannot be heard of

Fr. 40 20 48 42 56 46 49 [Baldwin] bearing himselfas one borne in 142 [Italy] was by meanes of monygotten oute of their handes , and is with 114 [Fr. Garnet] in 137 [England] still, but this point must be secret for some respects .?

One Fletcher, now Bishop of London, is in great disgrace for marying with the Lady Baker, a woman of ill fame, sister unto Mr. Doctor Gifford All other ladies repyne at her base choyse , and have incensed the Queen against him ; whereuppon, he is comaunded prisoner to the Bishop of Canterburie's.

It semeth strange to me that her choise is reputed base , seeing she, beeing but a lady, hathe maried with a lord ; but by this we maynote what reputation thease lordes do cary, when such a lady as this dothe debase her self to marry one of them.8

From Scotland I hearenothing In Ireland the Earle ofTyrone, Donell, and others do muster and make great preparations forwarr, and will be able to do very much yf they be well seconded from els where.⁹

Drake is not yet redy to go to the seas, but will be aboute the middest of Apprill . 10

The Earle of Tirrone, D'onell and others do muster troopes of men, and make great preparations in Ireland for warr. Other94 [Catholics] bothe there and els wheredo stand attentyvetosee what help they shall have from Spaine, and howthey may repose their hope that way ; whereof they stand very doubtfull as yetand so one writeth directly. God graunt they [leane not onto a backe staf] 12 11

The towne and castle of Huy are bothe taken from the enemy : the towne by force, the castle some dayes after was yeilded by the sold[iers], only to have their lives saved . 13

RICHARD VERSTEGAN

NOTES

1 Much of the information in this enclosure was sentto Persons five days later (vid. next letter)

2 The statute in question was 27 Eliz , c ii, "An act against Jesuits, seminary priests and such other like disobedient persons" , section 2. The earliest reports of Southwell's trial and martyrdom are contained in "A brefe discourse of the condemnationand execution of Mr. Robart Southwell, Priste of the Societie of Jesus" (Stonyhurst, Anglia, II, no 1 , printed in Foley, Records S.J., i, pp. 364ff.) to which Versteganrefers in a later letter ; Garnet's letters to Aquaviva of 22 February and 7 March, 1595 (Arch S.J. , Rome , Anglia, 31, ii) ; and "Thomas Leake's Narration" (Anglia, VI, pp 125-8)

3 The dates given are in New Style According to the Old Style, thetrial took place 20 February, and the execution 21 February. The day of the week given for the execution is incorrect, however , by either style, since 21 February, O.S., was a Friday (N.S. Tuesday), and 3 March , N.S. was also a Friday (O.S. Monday)

4 Southwell exclaimed at his trial : "I am decayed in memoriewith long and close imprisonment, and I have bene tortured ten times: I had rather have indured ten executions I speak not this for my self , but for others, that they may not be handled so inhumanelie to drive men to desperationifit weir possible " ("Leake'sRelation" , C.R.S., V,p 335) Cf.Garnet's letterto Aquaviva 22 February, 1595 (printed Foley, Records S.J., i, pp. 376-7).

5 In the letter to Aquaviva cited in the previous note, Garnet saysthat the same caution was observed about the trial, the date being keptso secretly that "neither the gaoler nor any one else received notice the previous day what they were about to do, and in order to divert the crowd from the court at Westminster, they ordered that a notorious highwayman be hung at Tyburn at the very time"

"A Brefe Discourse" (quoted from MS page 11) : "One of the officers proffered there three tymes to have cut him downe[alive], but thepeople cryed : 'Staye, stay' , and the Lord Mountjoye forbad him lykewise ... The peoplewere so much moved with his charitable endinge that no one of them (contrary to theire accustomed wont) did speake any evillword againste him . "

7

Decodinghas been writtenabove allthe numbersexcept 137 (supplieded ), most probably by Baynes Cf. a similar passage in the next letter, in which the decodinghas been suppliedby Persons or one of his assistants

The incident of the capture of Fr. Baldwin and the young scholars is to be found in a number of other sources, e.g. Fr. Creswell's Historia de la vida y martyrio que padicio en Inglaterra este año de 1595 el P. Henrique Valpolo ... ; William Gifford's letter of 17 May, 1595 (Cal Dom Eliz., 1595-7, p 37) ; Annual letters for St. Omers, 1595 , Foley, vii, pt 2, p 1147 ; and the declaration of one of the boys concerned , John Copley, in 1599, taken fromstudents'sinterrogatories atthe English College, Rome (printed in Foley, Records S. J., i, p. 186), which greatly supplementsthe aboverelation Copleystates that after spendinga year and a halfat the newcollege at St. Omers, he was then "sentbysuperiors with Father Baldwin and five other students to Spain by way of Cadiz, viz.,with William Worthington , John Iverson, Thomas Garnett, James Thompsonand Henry Montpesson Thejourney was unfortunate, allof us being captured at sea by the English fleet and taken to England; I

LETTERS OF RICHARD VERSTEGAN

alone separated from the rest, and was first sent to the Bishop ofLondon, where , after six days, at the intercessionof some of my friends , I was released uppon condition only that the same friends gave bail in £300 for my not leaving the kingdom Copley became a lapsed Catholic for a time but reformed and left for the English College, Rome, in 1599

Of the other boys, all of whom managedto secure their release in a short time, William Worthington , one of the many sons of Richard Worthington who died in prison for the Faith in September , 1590 , was the first to escape fromWhitgift's hands and fled to Antwerp (c May, 1595), and eventually arrived at Valladolid 5 January, 1596. Thomas Garnet of York, not to be confused with the Jesuit martyrofthat name , arrived there at the same time. John Evison or Iveson, was in captivity a little longer, but was able to escape within nine months, and after returning first to St.Omers, he went on to Valladolid, enteringthe College there 18March, 1597. See further E. Henson, Registers of the English College, Valladolid, C.R.S., XXX, pp 37-8, 47. I have been unable to trace the movements of the tworemaining scholars, Henry Monmerson , probably the son of Lawrence Mompesson (concerning whom vid. Letter no 3, note 9) and James Thompson They may have been able to make their way back to St. Omers

Fr. William Baldwin, S.J., the colourful personality who led the unsuccessful expedition, was born in Cornwall in 1563. He left Oxford for Rheims, where he was ordained in 1588, and two years later went on to Belgium He entered the Jesuit novitiate there on arrival, and shortly after became Professor of Moral Theology. At the beginning of 1595, he was summoned to Spain, and it was on this journey that he was captured, but having suspected the possible interception of the vessel by an English fleet, he had taken the precaution of disguising himself as an Italian merchant with the name Octavius Fuscinelli He was taken to England, and after being comfortably lodged in the house of the Lord High Admiral , imprisoned in Bridewell But the Privy Council was unable to prove his identity, and he was soon released in exchangeforan EnglishprisonernamedHawkins (Moneyalsoprobably had somethingto do with it) Baldwin stayedin England for six years, working on the mission, and then left for Rome There is a graphic account of his adventures whilst in captivity in Foley, op cit , iii, pp. 502ff., from which the above information is derived. She

8 Dr. Richard Fletcher , who had previously been Bishop of Bristol and then Worcester, requested his translation to theLondon see after Aylmer's death in June, 1594, and this was granted him He soon incurred the Queen's displeasure by his share in the drafting of the Lambeth Articles, and greatly increased it by his second marriage Elizabeth disliked the marriage ofbishops, and considered it particularlyindecorous forone not long a widower to contract a second marriage, and that with a widow . Fletcher's new bride was the widow of Sir Richard Baker of Sissinghurst in Kent, and sister of Sir George Gifford, a GentlemanPensioner . was apparently a handsome and wealthy woman, but had a tarnished reputation A satirical ballad of the time (Cole MSS. xxxi, p. 20) said ofthe marriage: "Heofa Lais doth a Lucrecemake" As a punishment Fletcherwas forbidden the Court, andthe Queen demanded the suspension of his episcopalfunctions, the inhibition being issued 23 February, 1595 He entreated Burghley's help, and through his meditation the suspension was relaxed at the end of six months (Hatfield House MSS.,v.p. 171 ; Thomas Fuller, Worthies ; Nugae Antiquae, ii, 46 ; Strype, Whitgift, ii, pp. 215-8 ; D.N.B.)

Cf. Cal Venetian, 15(2-1603, p 150. Early in 1595, Tyrone openly rebelled against the English government, and Hugh Roe O'Donnell who had been actively in revolt for some time, joined forces with him. The

No. LVIIb LETTERS OF

RICHARD VERSTEGAN

rebellion grew in intensity as the year advanced Tyrone had hopes of Spanish aid, and in September , 1595, wrote to Philip that with his assistance "religion and the kingdom of Ireland will flourish" ; and to Don Carlos : "Heretics shall fail in Ireland within a year like smoke in the presence offire" (Cal. Irish, 1592-6, p. 406). Although there were frequent rumours of Spain sending help (e.g. Cal. Dom Eliz , 1595-7 , p 40 ; Fugger News-Letters, 2nd series, p 266), nothing materialised, and Verstegan's scepticism expressed later in the above letter proved justified

10 Cf. Letter no 25, note 4. Drake's voyage was delayed until August Thereare numerous reports of the preparations which have being made for it in Cal Dom. Eliz., 1595-7 .

11 The repetition of this paragraphmay have been caused by Verstegan's not realizing that he had already copied out a section on Ireland earlier in the letter , or possiblyby his desire to rewrite andenlargethe news item

12 The rest of this letter, consistingof one or possibly two lines, has been obliterated by the crumbling of the edge ofthe paper The paragraph which follows was written in the margin

13 The town and adjoining castle of Huy in the bishopric of Liege were captured by the Dutch under Herangiere , the Governorof Breda , around February, 1595, but having no adequatemeans of defendingthem , they were compelledto surrender first the town and a little later the castle to Bishop Bojarus's forces assisted by Spanish troops under La Mothe (Hatfield House MSS , v, p 147, etc.; Grotius, Annales , pp 206-7; Coloma, Las Guerras, 1635 ed , pp 323-4 ; P. Bor, Nederlantsche Oorloghen, iv, year 1595, f 5).

LVIII. VERSTEGAN TO FR

.

PERSONS

. Antwerp , 30 March, 1595 .

Stonyhurst, Anglia II, no 3, f. 21. Holograph. The passage concerning Southwell was printed in Foley, Records S.J., i, pp 377-8 .

In Antwerp, the 30 of March, 1595 , stylo novo.1

Having lately receaved 2 severall letters from two frendes in England, the one of the 4, the other of the 10 of this present, I do heresend YourFatherhoode the contents of them bothe together Bytheir nextI am promisedmore particulers, the which (yfso soone I attaineunto them) I will imparte in my next unto you.

The second ofthis present according to the new style, Fr. Robert Southwell was arraigned and condemned of Highe Treason at Westminster for beeingpriest and coming into the realme contrarie tothestatute. The morrowafter, being Saterday and the 3 ofthis moneth , he was executed at Tybourne. He had bene torturedten severall tymes, two yeares and three quarters imprisoned, for the most partein the Tower of London ; and now,2 nothingbut priesthoodwastobe laid to hischarge. Hewas suddenly,bytheinstigation of bloudy Topclyf, and secretly (as such an action might be) thus used, to the admiration of all beholders , who were moved with great compassion(seeing somanygood partes to be in him , and how with allpatienceand myldnes he endured this tragedy), and³ seemed much to repyne at thease proceedinges Beeing come unto the place of execution, he their died with great comendations of all because he prayed for the Queene and realme, and made such a mournefull speech as caused manyweeping eyes He hangeduntill he was dead throughe the crye of the people, wh[o] would not suffer himsoonerto be cutt downe, so great an impression his death did make within them I have used in this relation the only woordesofour frendes ' letters.5

Certaine yongschollers beeing taken on the seas in passingfrom St. Omers towardes Spaine have bene kept prisoinersintheBishop ofCanterbury his house . Yong Mompersons onlyyeilding inreligion iswithhisfreindes Woorthington , the most resolute ofall, hathe madeanescape oute of the Bishop his house and cannot beheard of Fr. 6r 12 8 & 20 14 [Baldwin], bearing himselfas one borne in 22 [Italy] was , by meanes of 237 [money], gotten oute of their handes, and is with 195 [Fr. Garnet] This pointe forsomerespects is to be concealed .

One Fletcher , now Bishop of London, is in great disgrace for marying with the Lady Baker, a woman of ill fame, sister unto Mr. Doctor Gifford All other ladies reypne at her base choise , and have incensed the Queene against him; whereuppon he is comaundedprisoner to the Bishop of Canterburie's It seemethto 228

me strange that her choise is reputed base, seeing shee , beeingbut a lady, hathe maried with a lord; but by this we may note what reputation thease lordes do cary, when such a lady as this dothe debase her self to marry with one of them

In Ireland the Earle of Tirone, O'Donnell and others do muster and make great preparations for warr. The 215, 225 [English Catholics] do stand in expectation to see what assistance they shall have from 20 [Spain], and will measure their owne hopes by 146 [King of Spain] his tymely furtherance for thease affaires.

Drake will be redy to go foothe' aboute the end of A[pril]1.8

Byreason ofexceedinggreat rayne and snowe, there h[a]ve bene wounderfull inundations in Holand ; some oftheir for[tes] by force of the floodes cleane taken away and the men drowned, and the artilery sunck into the mudd. The principall of thease fortes was one called SkinokSconce, and whichstoode on the ryver of Rene; and another called Creve Ceur, which was neere unto Bolduke Thousandes of cattell and many men are drowned (soldiers and others) ; divers of their causses and banckes , which held oute the water, broken thorow, insomuch that it is thought they will not be able in many yeares to repaire thease losses The element of water hathe heretofore served their turmes, and now they are thereby punished.⁹

The towne and castle of Huy are gotten againe : the towne by force, the castle by composition.

The Bishop of Liege is to pay unto the Kinge's soldiers three monethes' payes, and then the Spaniardes are to leave the castle unto him for as yet they remaine in it

The Turck hathe caused all his brethren to be murthered , beeing 19 in number . 10

The King of Polonia, who is also King of Swethen, hathe caused all Protestant churchesto be shutt upin all Polonia , and intendeth to bring Jesuytes into all cities . 11

From France we have litle of certainty.

The Counte Fuentes giveth much hope of very effectuall proceeding against the enemy.

Addressed Al Padre Personio.

Endorsedby Fr. Persons Verstenghan's advises , 30 March, 1595 .

Endorsed by Fr. Grene ? OfFr. Southwell's martyrdome.

Endorsed in another hand Advises from Verstegan.

1 Annotations for most passages in this letter will be found in the notes to the previous letter, 57b, which contains much the same information.

2 "now" omitted Foley, loc cit

3 "and" omitted ibid.

4 "o" obliterated in MS

5 Foley, loc cit reads "letter" .

6 Deciphering written above the words in code, possibly by Persons

7 sic

8 Bracketed words partially obliterated

Cf. A. Van Meerbeeck , Chroniickevande Gantsche Werelt, 1620, p 804, P. Bor, Nederlantsche Oorloghen, iv, year 1595, f 9 ; Birch, Memoirs, i, p 219

10 On the death of Amurath died in January, 1595, his son, Mahomet III, who succeeded him, caused his nineteen brothers to be strangled, and buried them in cypress coffins side by side with their father Later he drownedtenother infant princeswho were born to Amurath posthumously (vid De Thou, Histoire, xii, pp 500-1 ; Cal Venetian , 1592-1603, p 152.) Cf. Shakespeare, II Henry IV, V, ii, ll 47-9 (New Cambridge Edition, 1946) : "This is the English, not the TurkishCourt , Not Amurath an Amurathsucceeds , But Harry Harry."

11 Cf. Letter no 44, note 10 .

LIX. VERSTEGAN TO BAYNES

. Antwerp , 29 April, 1595 .

Arch S.J. Rome , Anglia 38ii, 193v Extract by Fr. Grene.

Il vescovo di Rosse disse in Bruxelles che due persone fra li Inglese erano nominati di questa natione come degne d'essere cardinali &c . I piu sinceri nominano il padre Personio , et i politici nominano il vescovo di Cassano Queste furono le sue proprie parole.1

Translation.

The Bishop ofRoss has statedin Brussels that two peopleamongst the English were nominated by that nation as being worthy to become cardinal , etc. The more sincere chose Fr. Persons , and those who give first place to politics name the Bishop of Cassano . These were his very words.¹

NOTE

1 Afterthe death of WilliamAllen in October, 1594, the question naturally arose as to who would succeed him as cardinal. The two mostprominent candidateswere Owen Lewis, Bishop of Cassano, whose supporterswere to be found mainly among the "Scottish party" , and included William Gifford , Charles Paget, and Thomas Throgmorton ; and Fr. Persons, whose candidaturewas strongly supportedinSpainand the LowCountries. Persons, who was an unwilling candidate, at first disregardedtheefforts of his supporters (which included the sending of petitions and letters), butlater had to take serious steps to end them (vid.L. Hicks, "Fr. Robert Persons and The Book of Succession" , Recusant History, vol 4, no 3, p 108). Cassano, on the other hand, was willingenough to be nominated, but his death in October, 1595 , left his ambition unfulfilled

Amongst the alternatives to a cardinal which were proposed , was a suggestion , contained in a memorandumto the Pope in 1597 , that two bishops shouldbeconsecrated , one for England and one for the English in the Low Countries (Pollen, The Institution ofthe Archpriest Blackwell, 1916, pp 22-3). Later, in 1598, a solution was sought bythe appointment of an Archpriest to administer the affairs ofthe secular clergy in England, and, of possible, to reside there

John Leslie, Bishop of Ross (1527-96), was residing in a monastery of Augustinian canons near Brussels . It was about this time that he wrote a letter to Thomas Throgmorton at Rome, asking him to obtain Cassano's help for the payment of his pension , and his influence to procure him a bishopric (Cal. Dom Eliz , 1595-7 , p. 38)

LX VERSTEGAN TO BAYNES

Antwerp, 13 May, 1595

Arch S.J. Rome, 38ii, 193v Italian extract by Fr. Grene Citedin Bartoli's Inghilterra, p 378.

Toplifoè messo in prigione (il Marshalsea ) per ordinè delconseglio per qualche abuso di sua authorità. Si puo credere che Toplifoè messo in prigione per mostrare l'innocenza del conseglio , come se Toplifo havesse mostrato tantacrudeltà la sua propria testa, e senza autori à ; e questo so fa adesso perciocheil popolo e stato commosso assaidtall mal trattamento e dalla morte del Padre Sotwello.¹

Translation

Topcliffe has been put in the Marshalseaprison by orderofthe Council for abusing his authority. It is possiblethat Topcliffe has been imprisoned in order to demonstrate the innocence of the Council, as if he had exercisedsuchgreat crueltyon his own account without authority ; and this is done now because the people are very moved by the maltreatment and death of Fr. Southwell.1

NOTE

1 Topcliffe's imprisonment was only of very short duration (cf. next letter) He was imprisoned shortlybeforeHolyWeek andreleased a few weeks later From the letterswhich he wrote to the Queen whilein theMarshalsea (in Harleian MSS 9889) it appears that the ostensiblereasons for his imprisonment were thathe had made allegationsagainsttheLord Keeper, and had accused thePrivy Council of bribery; but the public outcry against Southwell's torture and execution seems to have played an important part in it, and the Privy Council probably wanted to make Topcliffe a scapegoat

In one of his letters mentioned above (f 185) Topcliffe writes of his achievementsas a persecutor(being second only to the Privy Council in his successes) andof the great jubilation, particularlyin Catholic circles, over his imprisonment : " ... to Tyburne" , he writes, "Ihave helpedmore trators then all noble menn and gentilmenn about your Coorte, your Cownsellers excepted; and nowby this disgrace I am in fayre way and mayde apt to adventure mylyffeevery night to murderers; for since I was commytted, wyneinWestminster hathe beenegevenn for joye ofthat newes ,and in all presones rejoycings ; and itis lyke that the freshedeade boanes of Father Southwell at Tyburne and Father Wallpoole at Yorke , executedbothe since Shrovetyde, wyll daunce for joye ; and now at Easter, in steade of a Communyon, many an Aleluya wilbe sunge of preests and tratorsin presons and in ladyes' cloasettes for Topclyffe's fawle, and in farder kingdomesalso"

LXI VERSTEGAN TO BAYNES

. Antwerp, 20 May, 1595 .

P.R.O., S.P. Dom. Eliz . Vol 252, no 15, f. 41. Holograph. Shortened version printed in Cal Dom Eliz , 1595-7, pp 39-40 The letter fell into the handsof the English Government and was deciphered by Phelippes

Good Sir, you must at this tyme excuse my brevitie , for that I am so ill at ease that scarsly I can hold upmy head.

My last unto you was of the 13 of this ; and by the post that arryvedheere since I had no letters fromyou

I know not how I shal be able to assist those 215s [priests ?]¹ you spake ofin their passag to 137 [England] thorow 148 [Middelburg ?]. I have often before signified how requisite it was that somthing were allowed unto such bothe in 148 [Middelburg ?] and here we must use therein, and now those in 148 [Middelburg ?] have refused to endanger themselves or medle therein any more , having oflatebeene uppon suspition called inquestion, whichmakes them nowutterly unwilling, and the ratherforthatnothinghathe bene allowed for their travaile But besyde their paynestheyhave bene at charge also; yea, and some 215s [priests ?] have borrowed monyof them whichis not yet payde.

We have litle newes of the affaires of this countrie other then that we are making certaine fortes for the restraintofthe enemy in some places.2

FromFrance we are certified that theyof Tholouse, throughe the preaching of a Grey Frier, have expulsed the Huguenots and Politiques. The Frier was their leader, and, as he came downe from the pulpit, held a crucifixinone hand and asword intheother; and so was followed of the people in great fervour.3 And uppon the expulsing of those in that towne, 42 other places have don the lyke, even all along the river unto the towne of Bourdeaux ; and they have sent unto Monsieur du Mayne to have his patents for the confirmation of their Governours.

The Duke ofMayne is in Burgundywith the ConstableofCastillia, who their besiegetha place.4

Itis said that two of this Duke's sonnes shall marry withtwo of theDuke ofEspernon his daughters, butherofis no great certainty.

The Earle of Tyrone is very strong in Ireland, and divers English are fledoute ofIrelandinto Galloway in Scotland to passe thatway into England, which argueth that he prevaileth, when he forceth the English to fleeand this the Lord Simple reporteth who is now here, and was in Scotland within thease 20 dayes.

Havingwritten thus farr, a letter in 153 [London] the 13 ofthis present is come to my sight, wherein is signified that Fr. Henry Walpole was sent fromthe Towre ofLondon to Yorck, andwastheir executed ; and withhim was executed a pothecarie.6

Topclif is released oute of prison, so that Barrabas is freed , and Christe delivered to be crucified.

The Earle of Southsexand Sir RogerWilliams, with some others, have obtayned leave of the Queen to go serve the Emperor against the Turck?

Drake his voyage is stayed, but whether he shall not gofoorthe at all is doubtfull.8

The Earle of Tirone, as this letter affirmeth, is contented to submitt himself, and with the Earle of Ormond to come untothe Queene, the whichis later newes then that whichthe LordSimple bringeth.⁹

The Earl of Cumberland with 8 shippes is to go foorthe aboute their ordinary purchasing . 10

Thus farr the contents in brief of thesaid letter

Sir William Stanley and Mr. Owen are as yet bothe here with me , and do hartely comend them unto you And thus having enlarged this letter more then I purposedat the begining, I comend me also unto you, and comitt you to God this 20 of May, 1595. Yours very assuredly, Richard Verstegan.

108 [Fr. Holt] prayed me to signifie unto you that he thincketh it very expedient that you deale with your 213 [Protector]12 to procure that 107 [Fr. Persons] do come from 140 [Spain] to 149 [Rome] to the end he may use his advice and be by him informed touching the 22 73 54 54 46 50 49 54 [missions ]13 andother thinges belonging to the affaires of 137 [England], seeing ofall others he can bestdo it, andweremost fittest to be there to concurr withyour 213 [Protector] ; and therefore you may devyse to urge this pointe as you best may. I here of some factions and stirres in the English College, 14 and this newes Moodie15 telleth, so that he better knoweth howthinges go there then I do; but such would be remooved yf 107 [Persons] werethere, andtherefore itrequireththe moreandspeedyindustry . 16

We hade a brute of the arryvall of the West Indian Fleete in Spaine, and now it is againe confirmed, yet not so assuredly but that it may be doubted . 17

Comend me, I pray you, to good Fr. Harward . 18

Addressed Al Illustre Signore il Signore Ruggiero Bayno, Gentilhuomo Inglese, a Roma.

Endorsed by Phelippes? xx May, 1595. From Verstegan to Roger Baynes at Rome. Intercepted

Papered seal .

No. LXI LETTERS OF RICHARD VERSTEGAN

NOTES

1 Although marginal decipheringswere supplied in this letter by Thomas Phelippes, who was highlyexpert, in view of the fact that he sometimes decoded erroneously, a questionmark has been placedafter these decipherings unless they are substantiated by comparisonwith other despatches in which the same numbers from this particular code are used . In the case of the number 148 , Phelippes has writtenin the margin "Middelburg or Amsterdam or Low Contryes" It is unlikely that it standsforthe Low Countries because it does not fit the context "in 148 and here" , and Amsterdam also appears to be improbable Middelburg seems to bethe bestreading (and a likely one) since it was a port much frequented by Catholics and missionaries travelling to and from England.

2 Vid next letter

3 Thomas Edmondeswrote to Burghley from Troyes 21 May, 1595, that "the revolt of Toulouse still continued thro' the sedition of priests" (Birch, Memoirs, i, p 240) See also De Thou, Histoire, xii, p 450.

4 The Constableof Castile, Don Ferdinando de Velasco, had been sent to Burgundy by Philip with an army of 10,000, where he was joined by De Mayennewith his troops Oneof theirfirst operationswasthe siege and capture of Vesoul For an account of the ensuing unsuccessful campaign against Henryand his commandersvid. De Thou, op. cit., xii, pp 360ff.; P. Bor, Nederlantsche Oorloghen, iv, year 1595 , f. 39 .

5 Robert, 4th Lord Semple, or Sempill, who later became Scottish ambassador at Madrid.

Fr. Walpole was sent fromthe Tower to York around early April, 1595 . He was triedand condemned there on Thursday, 3 April, and executed the following Monday, 6 April See furtherA. Jessopp, One Generation of a Norfolk House, pp 246ff Jessopp confused O.S. and N.S.

Martyred with Walpole was not an apothecary (Verstegan correctsthis statment in a later letter, no 63) but a seminary priest, Alexander Rawlings alias Francis Ferriman, a Gloucestershire man, who was ordained at Rheims 18 March, 1590, and left for the English Mission the 9th of thefollowing month (1st and 2nd Douay Diaries) He was active in Yorkshire for about four years until his arrest on ChristmasEve, 1594 . (Jessopp, op cit.)

7 Robert Radcliffe succeeded as 5th Earl of Sussex in 1593. Itis doubtful whethereither heor Williams actually went totheTurkish wars. Williams was at Court in Greenwich in July, and on a government mission to France in September (Birch, Memoirs, i, 269, 277, 294), and died in London the following December

8 Vid Letter no 57b, note 10

9 Tyrone made two offers of submission in mid-1595 (Cal Irish 1592-96 , p 382) and in October definitely submitted, upon which a two months' truce was declared. He was granted a free pardon early in 1596 (id. pp. 422, 425, 430, 446, etc.).

The Earl of Ormond was Thomas Butler, Lord Treasurerof Ireland

10 Cumberland'smissionwasmuchmorewarlike than Verstegan'sinformant supposed (unless he meant the phrase"ordinary purchasing" to betaken ironically) In April, the Earl was given a commission"to weakenthe force of those who are hostilely disposed, by choosing captains, raising and arming volunteers, and embarking them in six vessels, to destroy

the forces of the subjects of the King of Spain and theirproperty (Cal Dom Eliz , 1595-7, p 34) His ships returned in October with a number of prizes which included a cargo of wheat (id., p. 121).

11 i.e. at Antwerp, presumably in Verstegan's house, which was situated by the "bridge ofthe tapestry makers" (Hatfield House MSS , v, p 225)

12 Cardinal Enrico Caetani.

13 Phelippeshas erroneouslydecoded thisas "commissions " [c(o)m(mi)ssions] Vid. section on code in Introduction .

14 These disturbances among the students of the English College, Rome increased throughout the year, and culminated in the visit of Cardinal Sega to investigate in 1596. This was the second time he had done so , the previous occasion being during the troubles at the College in 1585 A largenumber of the students worked out their grievances in a petition to the Pope in which they complainedof the government of the College by the Jesuits under the Italian rector, Fr. Fioravante, and requested that the college be placed under a different administration . Dr. Barret, Presidentof the English College, Douay, wrote concerning the disturbancesto Persons in April and September , 1596, to the effect that they were caused by outside rumours of differences between the Jesuits and seculars ; and Cardinal Sega, who in his report found the complaints of the students unjustified, accounted for the troubles as being caused by the outside influence of certain men who looked only "to themselves , and to their own advantage" . He named Owen Lewis as the motive power behind the mutiny; and added that his partisans in the College "whetheroftheirown accord, or by the influenceofothers, tookcounsel for the purposeof raising that prelate to the position which the late Cardinal had occupied" That Sega's diagnosis was correct is amply proved by a very comprehensive work on the subject, still unfortunately only in MS , by Fr. L. Hicks S.J. Sega's report, which contains a full list of the students' grievances and the replies of the Jesuits, and extracts from the letters of Dr. Barret are printed in Foley, Records S.J., vi, pp xiiiff, 1ff.

Thedisputesof the College werefurtheraggravatedbythe misreporting at Rome of the contents of A Conference about the Next Succession which was published in mid-1595 (vid L. Hicks, "Fr. Persons and The Book of Succession" , Recusant History, vol 4, no 3)

15 Michael Moody alias John Bristowe, etc., was a spy of the English government (vid. his letters in Hatfield House MSS. , iv, v) whohad won the confidenceof the Paget and the Scottish faction Holt and Owen , on discoveringhim to be a spy, reported him to the Governor, andMoody was first imprisoned and then banished He died about the beginning of 1596. See further Cal Dom Eliz , 1591-4 ; id 1595-7 ; Hatfield House MSS ., iv, v ; my thesis, p 247

16 Fr. Persons went to Rome from Spain early in 1597, arriving there towards the end of March. He managed to allay the disturbances by May (cf. Pollen , Institution of the Archpriest Blackwell, p. 22).

17 According to the letter of the Venetian ambassador in Spain, Francesco Vendramin, dated 13 May, 1595, most of the ships of the West Indian Fleet had come safely to port after weathering heavy storms and the risk of attacks from English men-of-war The value of its cargo was estimated at 22 millions in gold, of which six and a half belonged to the King (Cal, Venetian , 1592-1603, p 160) For the various reports and rumours of the fleet at this time vid id pp 158-161 ; Fugger NewsLetters, 2nd series, p 264 ; Cal Dom Eliz., 1595-7 , p. 39.

No. LXI LETTERS OF RICHARD VERSTEGAN

18 Edmund Harward or Harwood (1554-97) whowentto Rome intheautumn of 1578 , and entered St. Andrew's noviciate on the Quirinal in Octoberof the same year. Hewas English Penitentiary at St. Peter'sfora time, and Father Minister at the English College, Rome , for several years There is a biographical note on himin A. Jessopp, Letters ofFr.Henry Walpole, p 26. See also Foley, Records S. J., vii, pt 1 , pp. 343-4 .

LXII. VERSTEGAN TO FR. PERSONS .

Antwerp, 25 May, 1595

Stonyhurst. Anglia II, no 3, f 25. Holograph The fifth and sixth paragraphsof this letter were printed in Foley, Records S. J., i, p 378

In Antwerp, the 25 of May, 1595.

The Counte Fuentes is making of a forte to restraine the excursion[s] of the enemy oute of the towne of Hulst.¹

It is said that La Mot goeth to lay the canon to the walles of Cambray, in which towne there is at present great scarsitie of victualls, and no strong garnison.2

Great speech here is of the arryvall of the West Indian fleete in Spaine, but no certaine confirmation thereof.3 In the meane tyme here is great scarsitie of mony, and great discontentment . From France we heare that Navar sendeth the Bishop of Evreux to Roome to sue againe for his absolution.4 In the meane tyme, no acte he dothe of a true Catholique, nor no contrition he sheweth forhisformer lyf. All ofices that fall he bestowethupponHuguenots. And to a Gray Frier that very lately in Paris hathe cast of his cowle and is become a most vile apostata, this Navarhathe given a priorie.

The Conestable ofCastillia is withthe Duke ofMaynein Burgundy , where he besiegeth a place. Oute of Germany we heare that the Transilvanian[s] have latelyslaine 30,000 Turckes.5 Also thatdivers cities of the Turcke's are revolted from him because of his great tirany; for he exceedeth all his auncestorsfor his tyme.

From England, which next unto Turkey I may speake of, I understand by some late letters and some lately comethence , that within a whyle after Fr. Southwell's deathe, Topclif was comitted to theMarshalseafor abusinghis comission, but within a fewedayes after, was this Barrabas set at libertie, and Fr. Henry Walpole was caried from the Towre of London to Yorck and there executed; and with him died an apothecarie Of thease martirs' deathes I expect shortly to understand more particulers , as also to have the speech used by Fr. Southwell at the tyme of his deathe, which seemethsomuch to nave moved the people that uppon that occasion Topclif was comitted, because it was made knowne the thesaid Father was 10 tymes tortured, whereof by this meanes Topclif was made the only author. ?

When Richard Williamscame to die (who was the last Catholique that died before Fr. Southwell), he was moved to pray for the Queene, but he replyed that he would pray for the King of Spaine and die for the Kingof Spaine , and that thesaid King had mayntayned him; but ofthe Queene he had never receaved any benefyte, 238

No. LXII LETTERS OF RICHARD VERSTEGAN 239 and now she did take away his lyfe. And for intendingto kill her, he protested and tooke it on his death that he never did,notwithstanding that throughe the great extremitieof torture they made him say the contrary Edmund Yorckthat died withhim seemed , bothe by his speeches and actions, to be distracted of his wittes.⁹

The Earle of Southsex, Sir Roger Williams and divers others have obtayned leave of the Queen to go to serve the Emperor against the Turck.9

Sir John Norris is in Ireland , 10 where it is said theEarlof Tyrone hathe promised to submitt him self, and withthe Earle of Ormond to come unto the Queen

The EarleofCumberland with8 shippes goeth to the sea. Drake is stayed, some thinck because the Indian gold is past his reatche Yet prepare they to furnish their shipping with great store of artillery, rather to defend their owne costes (as some do thinck) then to caryDon Anthonyand Antonio Peres towardesPortugall;11 for that the King will have a great armada together yf the flete be come home , and that he do employ those shippes in Spaine to his service which are now their arrested.

The ministers in Scotland have gotten the most of theprincipall Catholique nobillitie oute ofthe countrie, their landes and provinces so spoyled that scarsly a chicken is left behynde; and therefore the King mighte more easelygraunt some ofthemlibertie to enjoye their livinges in their absence, for litle enoughe it is lyke to be , as some of that nation do reporte . 12

The peace here, that more talked of then had reason to shewe for it, prooveth but a device ofdeceit . 13

Ought els of any importance I remember not at this present.

The French do burn and spoile all the villages aboute St. Omers, wherebythinges inthat towne are verydeere . 14 Mr.George Persons , notwithstandingour great default of payment, is charged with a weekly contribution towardes the soldiers that are in garnison within that towne

Addressed Al Padre Roberto Personio.

Endorsed by Fr. Persons Advises, 25 May, 1595

Endorsed by Fr. Grene ? Of Fr. Robert Southwell's death, of Richard Williams and Edmund York.

NOTES

1 Cf. Van Meerbeeck , Chroniicke, p 819 ; Cal Dom . Eliz., 1595-7 , p. 40 Hulst, which is in the Vlaanderen district of Holland, is less than 20 miles from Antwerp.

2 The siege of Cambrai was undertaken by Count Fuentes in August, 1595, La Mothe baving been killed at Dourlens the previous month After an intense siege and bombardmentthe town and citadel were surrendered by the Governor, Balagny, in October (Hatfield House MSS , v, pp. 287, 328, etc.; De Thou, Histoire, xii, pp 416ff )

3 Vid previous letter, note 17 .

4 Jacques David du Perron, BishopofEvreux, was bornin 1556ofProtestant parents but was converted to the Catholic Faith In 1593 he was consecrated bishop, and in 1604 was elevated to the cardinalate He died in 1618. Henry entrusted to him and Arnaud D'Ossat the task of obtaining his absolution from the Pope Du Perron arrived in Rome to present his request 12 July, and the absolution was granted, after much deliberation, in September (De Thou, Histoire, xii, pp 468ff.; P. Bor, Nederlantsche Oorloghen, iv, year 1595, ff 77ff.; Hatfield House MSS , v, 264, 269, etc.)

5 Sigismund Bathori , the Prince of Transylvania , inflicteda crushing defeat on theTurks earlyin 1595. Thenumber ofTurks slain varies considerably in current reports (cf. e.g. Cal Irish, 1592-6 ; p 446 ; Van Meerbeck , Chroniicke, p. 799

6 Vid previous letter, note 6.

7 Cf. Letter no 57b, note4 ; Letter no 60

8 The two exiles, Richard Williams, who had a pensionof 20 crowns from the King of Spain, and Edmund York, a nephewof Rowland York who delivered Zutphen to the Spanishin 1588, were involved in yet another "plot" on the Queen's life. They were apprehended in England in August, 1594, and examinedby Essex . The charges against them were atempting to kill the Queen, possibly by poison, and intending tostir up rebellion at the instigation of Holt and Owen (who were fated to be implicated in practically every rigged plot in this period) and that they had been bribed by Ibarra to this end They were condemned and executed in February, 1595. See further Cal Dom Eliz , 1591-4 ; Hatfield House MSS., iv ; Camden, Annales.

9 Vid previous letter, note 7.

10 Norris was sent to Ireland to assist the English commandersagainst Tyrone. He arrived at Waterford 4 May, 1595 , and began campaigning in June, but could do littlewithoutreinforcements(Cal. Irish, 1592-96 ; D.N.B.). Camden ( Annales , 1635 ed , pp 451-3) greatly exaggerates Norris's achievements .

11 There was a rumour that the PortuguesePretender, Don Antonio, and Antonio Perez were trying to prevail on the English government to use the fleet for attacking Portugal (Cal Venetian , 1592-1603, p 166). Any plans that Don Antonio might have had abruptlyterminated with his death in August, 1595 .

No.

OF RICHARD VERSTEGAN

12 The Catholic nobles were cautioned to leave Scotland early in 1595 (Cal Scottish, 1593-5, pp 526, 538, 553) and most of them had departed by mid-April (id pp 561, 562, 578) In addition the ministerssubmitted articles for the pursuit of the nobles if they did not depart (id., p 552), and a proclamation was issued 26 March, 1595, "prohibiting the bringing of th' Erles, seminariesof Papistis" (id , p. 561) The castles and houses ofthe nobles and all other places in which Mass had been saidwere burned and razed to the ground (cf. id. p. 454).

13 Cf. letter from the Venetian ambassadorin Germany, 23 May, 1595 (Cal Venetian , 1592-1603, p 161) : " News from Flanders about the negotiations for peace, which is greatly desired here . The States of Holland have informed the Council at Brussels that they cannot treat with the Spanish ministers without the consent of the King of France and of the Queen of England, but they could treat with representatives ofthe provincessubjectto the King ofSpain, and that amongthemmight be a special representativeof the King But it is thought that this pro- posal is intended either to arouse the Princes their allies, or to lay the Spanish preparation to sleep " Cf. also Cal Dom. Eliz , 1595-7 , p. 39 As Verstegan and many others expected , the peace negotiationscame to nothing.

14 Cf. Cal. Dom Eliz , 1595-7 , p. 40.

LXIII. VERSTEGAN TO BAYNES.

Antwerp, 30 June , 1595.1

Stonyhurst, Anglia II, no 3, f 27. Holograph Italian extracts by Fr. Grene, Arch. S.J. Rome, 38ii, 193. Cited in Bartoli's Inghilterra, p 387 , 405 . The passages concerning Fr. Southwell and Topcliffe were printedin Foley, Records S.J.,i, pp. 378-9

A ship of the Knight Marshall's hathe broughte into England a prize of Genuawoorthe 12,000 li Much sute is madeby theItalian marchants for her discharge, but no hope they get thereof.2

Drake's shippes are redy and well victualled, notwithstandingthe great dearthe , whichthereby is somwhat agmented ; and so great a dearthe hathe not bene sene in this age.3

From the King of Navarr there is an ambassador arryved in England, whose letters, I suppose, do sounde of lacke.4

The Earle of Tirone dothe stand uppon tearmes that, yf the Englishe Governor may be called oute of his countrie and himself remayne absolute, then he will yeild obedience

One Nicolas Williamson , that some monethes since was in 143 [Low Countries ?] was taken in the northe, and is comitted prisoner in the Gatehous at Westminster.5

Fr. Henry Walpole was executed at Yorck, and with him a seminary priest, not an apothecary as some wrote. Thesaid Father spake so couragiously at his death, that he moved 2,000 persons to shedd teares.6

The captaines and soldiers are generally discontented

The Earl of Essex is still in chief favour with the Queen, albeit the Earl of Southampton was once betwene him and home.

Sir Robert Cecill hathe the placeand seale ofprincipallSecretary, but is not yet sworne.8

Thus farr the contentes of one letter written 10 dayes past.

The contents of a later letter written by another 94 [Catholic]

You will marvell with me at the newes which I now shall send you there is now very great hope given that the Queen will proceede so myldly that none shall be troobled for their conscience so theygive not otherwise just cause of offence. This is given oute by some in principall aucthoritie.⁹

Topclif is released oute of prison, but his comission is taken fromhim. They endeavour to perswadethe worldthat theasehard courses were against the Queene's mynde This course is thought to proceede of feare and cowardize they may perhappsthink to profitt more by this then by rigour. You know the story of the 242

wynde and the sonne that strove who should pluck the passenger's cloke from his back, and the warme sonne did it It is thought Drake's forces shall hover to see what the Spaniard will do . He is to have 40 shippes and 5,000 soldiers, but what number of Hollanders and French is unknowne . 10

Fr. Southwell's death made so great an impression in the hartes of the people as is very wounderfullas you would see yf I had tyme to send you the history, whichI have no leasureto copy oute. It conteyneth 4 sheetes of written paper. No one person spake a woord against him ; the people cried to the ministerto hold his peace and lett the Fr. speak. A Prote[stant lord wished] that when [he] died [his] soule [might go with his].12

Addressed A Monseur Baynes.

Endorsed by Baynes?

Endorsed by Fr. Grene

Ultimo Giugno, 1595

Verstegan, Antuerpiâ , 3[0] June, 1595

1 This letterhas been apparently incorrectly dated by Fr. Grene "3 June" , who gives this date in his Italian extract from the letter also. The endorsement , probably in Baynes's hand appears to contain the correct date: "ultimo Guigno, 1595"

2 I have been unable to locate any other reference to this Genoese ship.

3 See further concerning the dearth and the high price of corn A.P.C. , xxv, pp 7, 8, etc.; Camden, Annales , 1635 ed , p. 450

4 The French ambassador , Lomenie, was sent to England in mid-1595 to representthe urgency of Henry's need (Camden, op cit , p 444 ; Black , Elizabeth and Henry IV, pp. 92ff.).

5 Nicholas Williamson, a servant to the Earl of Shrewsbury, had been for a time in the Low Countrieswhere he was urged by Francis Dacre and George More to go on a mission to Lord Hume On his way there he was apprehended inCumberlandin March, 1595, togetherwith a merchant, David Allen, who was to have conducted him to Scotland, and sent bythe Earl of Huntingdon to London wherehe was imprisoned in the Gatehouse , and examined by Essex and Robert Cecil in April He remained in prison for a considerable time both in the Tower and in the Marshalsea , petitioning unsuccessfullyfor his release in 1597. See further Hatfield House MSS , v ; Cal Dom Eliz , 1595-7 ; A P.C. , xxvi, p 178, xxvii, p 356

6 . Vid. Letter no 61, note 6

7 Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton (1573-1624), Shakespeare's patron, had stood in high regard with the Queen in the early 1590s, but fellfromfavour in 1595 by his marriagewith one of her ladies-in-waiting, Elizabeth Vernon, a cousin of Essex ; and this was a cause of the latter temporarily incurring the Queen's displeasure also (BirchMemoirs, i, pp. 238 , 245 ; Sidney Papers, 1746, i, p 348) In November of the same year, Essex had toappease the Queen's angeragainsthim whenshe learned that a book discussing the succession (A Conference about the Next Succession) had been dedicated to him ; but he managed to ride this storm successfully(vid. Sidney Papers, i, pp 250, 357, 360 ; my thesis , pp 227-8).

Although there may have been a suspicion of rivalry betweenthetwo earls, Southampton was , on the whole, a firm supporter of Essex, and in 1601 stoodtrialwith him for treasonafter the failure of the Essex rising.

8 Robert Cecil was not sworn in as Secretary until 5 July, 1596 (A.P.C., xxvi,p. 7)butfromthe aboveletterand one from the Countess ofShrewsbury to Cecil dated 20 May, 1595 (Hatfield House MSS , v, p. 213) it appears that the Queen unofficiallyappointed him to that office fourteen months previously

The persecutionappears to have abated somewhat , at least in London . As Fr. Caraman observes (John Gerard, p 239), no priest was executed in London betweenFebruary, 1595, when Southwell was martyred, and July, 1598, when John Jones suffered (vid. Letter no 69, note 1). In addition, in April, 1597, the Queen expressed her intention of banishing the imprisoned priests (A.P.C. , xxvii, p 21)

10 It appears that there had been an agreement between England, France and the Low Countries to provide a combined fleet to attack Portugal

and intercept Spanish gold ships, but the plan fell through (cf. Cal Venetian , 1592-1603, p 159)

Drake set sail at the end of August, 1595, with a fleet consistingof 27 sail and 2,500 men, the soldiers being under the command of Sir NicholasClifford For an account of the voyagevid Hakluyt, Voyages , Everyman ed , vii pp 183 ; Tenison, Elizabethan England, ix, pp. 545ff This was Drake's last voyage; he died off Porto Bello in January, 1596 .

11 Verstegan is referring to the anonymous "A Brefe Discourse of the condemnation and execution of Mr. Robart Southwell, Priste of the Societie of Jesus" , a copy of which, as appears from Letter no 65 , he apparently senttoSpain Thereis a copy ofthe DiscourseinStonyhurst, Anglia, II, no 1 (which is not in Verstegan's hand as Devlin implies in Robert Southwell , p 358), but this was not the copy in Verstegan's possession, since it contains six sheets (twelve sides) not four.

12 The obliterated words have been supplied from Foley's transcript (op. cit.) which was made whenthe edges of the manuscript were notso frayed. Versteganis citing two passages from the "Brefe Discourse" , thefirst relatingto the interruption of Southwell's speech on the scaffold: " ... a minister standinge by sayd unto him : 'Mr. Southwell, you muste explaine yourselfe; for yf yourmeaningebe accordingeto yourCounsel of Trent, it is damnable' But the people cryed out that he shouldhould his peace. " The second passage probably relatesto Mountjoy , who was presentat the execution (cf. Letter no 57b , note 6) : "A Protistant lord wishedthat whensoever he dyed his sowle might goe with his"

LXIV. VERSTEGAN TO BAYNES?

Antwerp, 12 October , 1595 .

Stonyhurst, Coll M, 942b Brief extract by Fr. Grene.

Incertaineadvicesfrom Antwerp, 12 October, 1595, Mr. Verstegan wryteth thus : One Mr. William Freeman alias Mason , a priest, sometime of Rhems, was martyred att Warwick about the midst of August last.¹

NOTE

1 William FreemanaliasMason , a Yorkshireman anda graduateof Oxford , left England for Rheims at the end of April, 1586, and was ordained there in September , 1587. He returned to England in January, 1589 , whereheworked as a missionaryfor six yearsuntil his arrest in January, 1595. His trialandcondemnationtookplace 12 August ofthe same year, and he was martyred the following day (1st and 2nd Douay Diaries ; C.R.S., V ; Morris, Troubles, iii) He was said to have derived his alias from the suggestion of a "goode ould man" who told him "you shall be called Mason , for that yow are to be a workman and layerof stones in the buildinge of God's Church" (C.R.S., V, p 347).

LXV. VERSTEGAN TO PERSONS Antwerp, c late 1595.1

Stonyhurst, Anglia II, no 13, f.67 . Holograph Copy of the first part of the despatch in Fr. Grene's hand, Coll N. II, no 2, 4. Printed in Foley, Records S.J., iii, p 474. Cited in Oliver's Collections S.J., p. 76.

Certaine verses which Fr. Cornelius, a priest of the Society of Jesus, did write out of prison to his frend.

Alter ego nisi sis non es mihi verus amicus , Ni mihi sis ut ego, non eris alter ego Spernere mundum, spernere nullum; spernere sese ; Spernere se sperni : quatuor ista beant. Christe, tuos, tua, te gratis accepimus a te. Ergo, meos, mea, me merito nunc exigis a me.3

He was afterwardexecuted in the West Countrie They could not geta caldron for any monyto boyle his quarters in, nor no man to quarter him; so he hanged till he was dead, and was buried, beeing cutt in quarters first.4

This I thought not good to omitt of this martir, not willing to leave oute any thing concerning such holymartirs as may cometo my knowlege and is worthy the memory .

I wrote long since into Spaine the manner of Fr. Southwell his apprehension, and particularly how he was tortured by Topclyf.5 It were good that his apprehension, together withhis arraignment6 and death, were printed for the present by it self in the Spanish tongue, as also Fr. Walpole his history when it cometh; and afterward they may be put together in Latin withothers the lyke; and in the meane tyme it would move much to be in the vulgar tongue.?

Addressed Al Padre Personio.

Endorsed by Fr. Grene

Verses ofFr. Cornelius the martyr ofthe Societie of Jesus, 1595.

NOTES

1 Grenedated this MS. simply " 1595" From Verstegan'sstatement that he had written "long since" about Fr. Southwell's martyrdom, this letter (or rather enclosure ) would appear to belong to the latter part of 1595

2 ConcerningFr. Corneliusvid Letterno 53, note 1

3 George Oliver wrote concerningthis poem in his Collections on the History of the CatholicReligion in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, etc. , 1857 (pp 37-8): "This learned Catholic writer [Verstegan ] thinks that Fr. Cornelius was the author of the following lines which he addressed to a friend from his prison ; but the last four were composed long before his time I found them in a MS. of the reign of our King Henry IV."

4 This does not tally with the account given in Foley (op cit, iii, p. 472) which states that he was cut down while still alive and that his quarters were placed on four stakes until late evening of the day of execution before they were buried.

5 Verstegansent Persons a short account of Southwell's martyrdom in his letter of 30 March, 1595 (no 58), but presumably he also sent him a copyof"ABrefeDiscourse" (concerningwhichvid Letterno 63, note10)

6 MS . "arraigment"

7 AnaccountofWalpole'smartyrdom was publishedby Fr. Joseph Cresswell at Madrid and Saragossa in 1596 : Historia de la Vida y Martyrioque padicio en Inglaterra este año de 1595 el P. Henrique Valpolo, Sacerdote de la Compañia de Jesus, que fue embiado die Colegio de los Seminarios de Valladolid, y ha sido el primir martyr de los Seminarios de Spaña. Con el martyrio de otros quatroSacerdotes , los dos de la misma Compañia, y los otros dos Seminarios A French version was published atArras the following year The work included a brief account of the martyrdoms of Corneliusand Southwell, so that Verstegan'sdesire was at leastpartly fulfilled

LXVI. VERSTEGAN TO BAYNES.

Antwerp , 23 November, 1596.

Arch S.J. Rome, Anglia 38ii, 201v

Brief Italian summary by Fr. Grene.

Non è stata grande la persecutione dopo che fu stampato il libro della successione.1

Translation.

The persecution has not been great since the publicationofthe book on the Succession.¹

NOTE

1 Oneofthemain objectionsraised by the Gifford-Pagetparty and others against the Conference about the Next Succession, which was published about June, 1595 , was that it would intensify the persecutionofCatholics in England, though it seems not to have done so (cf. Francis Englefield's letter on the book in Anglia, II, 21 ; and Fr. Person's observationsin Anglia, II, 26). See further L. Hicks, "Fr. Robert Persons and The Book of Succession" , Recusant History, vol 4, no 3, 1957, section vi of whichis devotedto the effects ofthe bookin Rome , ScotlandandEngland Misdated 1596 byGrene.

LXVII. VERSTEGAN TO BAYNES

. Antwerp, 10 January, 1597.1

Arch. S.J. Rome, Anglia 38ii, 200. Italian extract by Fr. Grene

Un predicante, essendo incarcerato a York con sospetto che tenesse due moglie s'e insinuato nella compagnia di signore Erringtono , Gibsono, Knight, Foltrop, Abbot, signora Teshe e signora Maske, incarcerati là per la fede Desiderò di conferire con loro delle cose della fede e d'essere insegnato da loro, e poi accusò tutti sette per havere voluto persuaderlo di farsi papista Per questo furono tutti condannati di lesa maestà, e li tre primi (cio e Errington, Gibson e Knight) sono gia giustitiati , e morirono con gran costanza; e li altri quattro hanno differito la morte.¹

Translation.

A preacher, being imprisoned at York under suspicionof bigamy, wheedled his way into the company of Mr. Errington, Mr. Gibson , Mr. Knight, Mr. Foltrop, Mr. Abbot, Mrs. Teshe and Mrs. Maske , imprisoned there for the Faith He desired to discuss with them matters offaith and to be instructed by them; and then heaccused all seven ofattemptingto persuade him tobecome aPapist Because of this, they were all condemned of High Treason and the first three (that is, Harrington, Gibson and Knight) have already been executed, and died with great resolution ; and the otherfour have been condemned to death.1

NOTE

1 Much the same account is given in "Lady Babthorpe's Recollections" (Morris, Troubles, i, p 243), exceptthatin heraccountHenry Abbotwasat liberty, but became implicated when the imprisoned Catholics sent the minister to him so that Abbot could find a priest to reconcilehim. seven Catholics were condemned of high treason in accordance with the "Statute of Perswasion" Four of them, George Errington (who had been in prison intermittently since 1585), William Knight, William Gibson and HenryAbbot were executed 29 November, 1596 ; the two women, Ann Tesh and Bridget Maskew were condemned to be burnt alive, but were reprieved, though they remained imprisoned in York Castleuntil the end of the reign. I have been unable to learn the fate of the seventh, Foltrop (probably the Fulthrope mentioned in Morris , op. cit , ii, p 169) See further Challoner, Memoirs, 1741 ed , pp 353-6 , Foley, Records S.J., iii, v ; Morris, op. cit., p 462 ; C.R.S., V, pp 125-8

All

LXVIII. VERSTEGAN TO BAYNES

Antwerp, 21 Feburary, 1597 .

Arch S.J. Rome, Anglia 38ii, 201. BriefItalian extract by Fr. Grene

Una lettera scritta da Inghilterra alli 8 di questo dice che ci sia un rumore che il padre Personio e fatto cardinale. La nova non e grata a loro, ma a noi sarebbe , se piacesse a Dio.¹

Translation

A letter written from England the 8th of this monthstates that there is a rumourthat Fr. Persons has been made a cardinal The news is not pleasing to them, but it would be to us ifit so pleased God.¹

1 Vid. Letter no. 59 , note 1

NOTE

LXIX. VERSTEGAN TO BAYNES?

Antwerp, 28 February, 1597 .

Arch. S. J. Rome, Anglia 38ii, 201. Italian extract by Fr. Grene

Un certo Buckleo, Cambrobritanno, sacerdote e Francescano , fu preso poca fa in Londra.1

La casa d'un certo signore Dorrell, gentilhuomo catolico in Sussexiae stata assedata da 50 huomini Lui con la moglie e tutti servitoricatolici furono mandati in prigione. Poi si tenne la guardia otto giorni infila, stimando che potessero trovare qualque sacerdote, ma non trovorono nissuno.2

Translation.

A certain Buckley, a Welsh Fransiscan priest, was seized in London a little while ago.¹

The house of a certaine Mr. Dorrell, a Catholic gentleman in Sussex was besieged by 50 men. He, his wife and all the Catholic servants were put in prison. Then they kept guard for eight days in succession , thinking that they would find a priest, but they found no one.2

NOTES

1 Buckley was one of the many aliases of Fr. John Jones, O.S.F. Heleft England in 1559, and was ordained at the Franciscanhouse at Pontoise in France Afterwards he spent some time at Rome, but at length obtained permission to go to England, arrivingin London early in 1592 . He was arrested around February, 1596, and suffered torture and two years imprisonment before his trial at the King's Bench, Westminster, 3 July, 1598. Inevitably, he was condemned , and was executedon the 12th of the same month See further Challoner, Memoirs, 1741 ed., p 360 ; Morris, Troubles, ii ; C.R.S., V; Gillow , Bibliographical Dictionary ; Caraman, John Gerard, pp 52, 80, 86, 233, 239 .

2 The Dorrell referred to was Thomas Darell, who owned Scotney Castle in Sussex , about 46 miles fromLondon Two large scale searches were made at his house in 1597, both apparently in an attempt to capture Fr. Richard Blount S.J. The above letter alludes to the first search carried out by two Justices of the Peace, who sent Darell to London underescort, imprisoned his wife in one of the Justices' houses and the servants in the County Jail They searched the house for over a week , but although Fr. Blount was within at the time, he escaped by a ruse. The narrative of Blount's two escapes is contained in two MSS printed in Morris, op cit , i, pp 207ff

LXX VERSTEGAN TO BAYNES.

Antwerp , 18 April, 1597

Arch S.J. Rome, Anglia 38ii, 201v Brief Italian extract by Fr. Grene

In cyphra, 18 April, 1597. Padre Gerardi quando le ultime lettere furono scritte d'Inghilterra stava molto ammalato e in gran pericolo di morte.¹ Ita scribit si non fallor.

Translation.

In cipher, 18 April, 1597. When the last letters were written from England Fr. Gerard was very ill and in danger of death.¹ He writes thus, if I am not mistaken

NOTE

1 In June, 1597, the Lieutenant of the Tower, Sir Richard Berkeley, wrote to Cecil; "Geratt, a prisoner in the Tower, being ill and weak, hath importuned me to signify his petition to be allowed to take the air on a wall near his prison I am told to advertise you of this, being their mouth, as they term me The manneeds physic" (Hatfield House MSS ., vii, p 260) Gerard had been transferred to the Tower to betortured the previous April, and his illness was undoubtedly caused by the ordeal he underwent

LXXI. VERSTEGAN TO BAYNES. Antwerp, 23 May, 1597 .

Arch S.J. Rome, Anglia 38ii, 201v

Italian extracts by Fr. Grene .

Padre Giovanni Gerardi sta sempre nella torre. E stato tormentato due o tre volte &c.¹ I carceri sono pieni di catolici , e novi vengono però ogni giorno . . . E probabile e quasi indubitato che Cecilio il sacerdote² e Sacheverell il frate³ stanno ambidue in Inghilterra sotto protettione di alcuni grandi, e lor danno quella intelligenza che hanno imparato fuor dell' Inghilterra . . .

Translation.

Fr. John Gerard is still in the Tower He has been torturedtwo orthree times¹etc. The prisons are full of Catholics, but, nevertheless, more arrive every day . . . It is probable and almostcertain that the priest Cecil2 and Sacheverellthe friar³ are bothin England under the protection ofcertain noblemen, to whom theygive information which they have learnt outside England.

NOTES

1 Gerard gives some idea of the torture he suffered in the Tower in his autobiography (Caraman, op cit , pp 104ff) He was racked on two occasions in April, 1597, and would have been a third time but that when he was taken to the torture chamberhe was found to be so resolute that his examinersdecided againstit (vid. Garnet's letterof 7 May, 1597 , quoted in Caraman , op cit , p. 115).

2 Thiswas the notorious spy John Cecil alias John Snowden (1558-1626) Hewaseducatedat Oxford andthen left Englandforthe Rheims seminary in August, 1583. The following year he went to Rome, wherehe was later ordained, and became Latin Secretaryto Cardinal Allen for a short time, 1587-8 Afterwards he went to Valladolid, and thence returned to England in 1591. Having before that time entered into a secret correspondence with Walsingham he now became a governmentinformer, furnishing reports on Catholic activities from wherever he happenedto be He seems to have taken in most Catholics, including Persons for a time, and later the Appellants He was even said to have obtainedthe degree ofD.D. at ParisUniversity SeefurtherStatePapers andHatfield House MSS. for the period ; 1st and 2nd Douay Diaries ; Foley, Records S.J., vi; C.R.S., V, etc. Thereis a usefulthough extremely incomplete biography of him in D.N.B., Supplement 1 , p. 403

3 TheDominican friar, John Sacheverell , the elderson of Henry Sacheverell ofKibworth , Leicestershire Hehad left EnglandforRheimsinNovember 1588, and then travelled to Rome in May, 1590, where he entered the English College there (1st and 2nd Douay Diaries; C.R.S., xxxvii, p 77; G. Anstruther , A Hundred Homeless Years, 1958, pp 22-3) There is a scathing assessment of Sacheverell in Persons's "An observation of certayneaparent judgments of Almightye God . . . " which he wrote in December , 1598 (C.R.S., II, p 208) : " ... the unrulyFryarSacheverell , the boldestand most violente actour ofall the reste to the Pope, cardinals and other great menn for the seditiouse in Rome, was taken himselfe in God's juste judgmentein vitiouse deameanoure , andbeingforthesame firste put in prison by the secular magistrate and afterwardespunished also by the religiouse of his owne order in Rome, and then confined for his further prison and punishment to the cittie of Vitterbo, hee fledd from thence in Englande, and is now an apostata " Sacheverelllater amended , and redeemed his reputation

LXXII FR . RICHARD WALPOLE TO VERSTEGAN . Seville

, 10 August, 1597

P.R.O., S.P. Dom Eliz , Vol 264, no 79, f.172 Holograph Printed in Foley, Records S.J., ii, pp. 257-8 Summaryin Cal. S.P. Dom 1595-97,p 488 The letter was interceptedand fellinto the hands ofthe English Government

Good Mr. Vesteigane, with one of yours for me of the 11th² of Aprill came another yesterday for Father Pineda,3 wherein you certifie him in what state his laminaes4 be in He is now well forewarde in the imprintinge of his booke, and shall consequentlie have nee[d] of what you have dispatched in all haste If all three be done, he craveth5 they may be sente presentlie ; if onelie the first be done, that theyotherbe let alone , and that sentwithout expecting the tytle and name of the authour, which here shalbe added

The onelie thinge whichhe most desyreth is speedydispatch, not being a litle afflictedwithsoe longe delaie, thankinge you, not with standing, most hartely for your paines ; who, in truth, had reason to thinke noe such hast shold be necessarie, he havinge signifyed his wante of letteres and desyre to fynde them there, but after met with very good comodity in these partes

Wee thanke you all for your diligeance in buyinge those bookes sentfor by Father Peralta which we expecte daylie, and hereafter shall have occasione to trouble you much more in that kinde for this colledge in Civill, which yet is unfurnished of a librarythe onelie and chiefest wante it hath " And soe, for this tyme Our Lorde be with you.

Sivill this 10 of Auguste, 1597 ,

Yours , Richard Walpole.

El titulo ha deser este repartido como mejor a Vuestra Merced paresca.

IOANNIS DE PINEDA SOCIETATIS IESU.

Commentariorumin Job, libri tredecim adiecta singulis capitibus sua paraphrasi que a Longious commentarii summam continet

El nombre del impresor quede enblanco: Hispali excudebat.s

Addressed A Richardo Verstegan que vive a l'Anvers .

Endorsed by Phelippes ? 1597, 10 August Letterefrom Walpole.

Papered seal withletters "I.H.S."

NOTES

1 Fr. Richard Walpole S.J. (1565-1607) was a brother of HenryWalpole. He enteredthe English College, Rome, in April, 1585 , and was ordained priest there in December , 1589, and then went to the newlyfounded college at Valladolid He soon entered the Society, and became Prefect of Studies at Seville and later at Valladolid . In 1598 he was falsely implicated in the absurd Squire plot to poison Elizabeth's saddle and the Earl of Essex's chair (see further A. Jessopp, One Generation of a Norfolk House ; A. J. Loomie, Spain and the English Catholic Exiles, Ph.D. thesis, London, 1957, pp 389-95, section headed "Squire Plot Publications"). There is a biography of Richard Walpole in Foley, op cit., ii, pp 235ff

2 Foley, loc cit reads "18th . "

3 Fr. Juan de Pineda(1558-1637) held the post of Provost of the Professed House at Seville

4 Foley, loc. cit , reads "seminaries " "Lamina" is the Spanish for an "engraving" , and as appears from the above letter, Verstegan was executing three for Pineda's Commentariorum in Job This is valuable confirmatory evidence of Verstegan's being an engraver Thereare , in all, five copperplateengravingsby Versteganin the work, twoin volume one, including the title-page, and three in volume two (I intend to discuss these further in a forthcoming book on Verstegan).

5 Foley reads "requireth" .

Foley reads "Penalty" Fr. Francisco de Peralta, S.J. (1554-1622) was Rector of the college at Seville (vid C.R.S., xiv, p 7).

7 Verstegan had sent a few books to Seville in October, 1593 (vid Letter no 43)

8 These are Pineda'sinstructions for the engraving of the title-page of his book , and are possibly written in his hand. The work was published at Madrid in two volumes(1597-1601) with much the same title as given above(vid C. Sommervogel , Bibliothèque , vi, p 796) A second edition was printed at Cologne in 1602 (vol 2) and 1605 (vol 1) This included the same Versteganengravingsas the first edition .

LXXIII . VERSTEGAN TO BAYNES

. Antwerp, 22 August, 1597

Arch S.J. Rome, Anglia 38ii, 201v Brief Italian extract by Fr. Grene . Li amici nostri cominciano a lamentarsi che padre Personio mostra tanto mala voglia per essere cardinale.¹ &c

Translation

Our friends begin to lament that Fr. Persons shows such a great dislike of being made a cardinal¹ etc.

1 Cf. Letters nos. 59, 68

NOTE

LXXIV. VERSTEGAN TO BAYNES

. Antwerp, 10 October , 1597 .

Arch S.J. Rome, Anglia 38ii, 201v BriefLatin summary by Fr.Grene .

Conqueritur de sua penuria, quod quae promissa sunt a rege non solvantur.

Translation.

He complains of his poverty, because what was promised bythe King has not been paid.

LXXV. VERSTEGAN TO BAYNES.

Antwerp, 24 October , 1597 .

Arch S.J. Rome, Anglia 38ii, 201. Italian extracts by Fr. Grene .

Ungentilhuomo inglese di bona qualitàin Brusselles protestò che in spatio di 8 giorni non havesse saggiato un boccone di carne e che non havesse bevuto altro che acqua Ha, nondimeno, una bona pensione dal re di Spagnase si pagasse.

In una altera inclusa dice cosi : Signore Tomaso Writo altre volte giesuita, essendo in prigione, ha convertito un certoAlabastro, capellano del conte di Essexia.¹ L'apostata Bell è morto.²

Translation

A gentleman of high birth in Brussels has declared that in the space of eight days he has not tasted a morsel of meat, and that he has not drunk anythingbut water He has neverthelessa good pension from the King of Spainif it were paid.

In another letter enclosedhe writes as follows : Mr. ThomasWright, formerlya Jesuit, being in prison, has converted a certain Alabaster, chaplain to the Earl of Essex.¹ The apostate Bell is dead.2

1 Cf. Garnet's letter to Persons, 8 October, 1597 (Coll P. I, 548 , printed in Gerard, Contributions towards a Life of Fr. Garnet, p. 46) : "Mr. ThomasWrighthath convertedone Alabaster, a famousman ofCambridge" Cf. Hatfield House MSS., vii, 474 ; viii, 394, 395

Thereis auseful biography ofWright by T.A. Stroud, "Father Thomas Wright: a test case for toleration" , Biographical Studies, vol 1 , no 3 , pp. 189ff, so that there is no need to give morethan a briefsummary of his activities before 1597. He was born in 1561 , fled to Douay in 1577 , and went on to Rome the following year In 1580 he enteredthe Society being ordained in 1586. He returned to England in 1595 and soon managed to obtain Essex's patronage, but this was not sufficient to prevent his imprisonment in September , 1597, fordisputing withAnglican clergy

William Alabaster (1568-1640), a poet of considerablemeritwho wrote some very fine sonnets, was a Protestant divine who had been Essex's chaplain on the expedition to Cadiz in June, 1596, and while in Spain became attracted to the Catholic Faith. On returning to England, he wasrewardedwith the rectory ofLandulphe in Cornwall, but hesuddenly became converted, partly on accountof his talks with Wright,with whom he disputed, and partly through his reading of William Rainolds's A Treatise conteyning the true Catholike and Apostolike Faith. Alabaster twice recanted and twice returned to the Faith before he finally chose Protestantism and a comfortable living as parson of St. Dunstan's-inthe-West Seefurther J. Pollen, "WilliamAlabaster, a newly discovered Catholic Poet of the Elizabethan Age" , Month, cii, 1904, pp 427ff.; L. Guiney, Recusant Poets, 1938 , pp 335-7

2 Thomas Bell, concerningwhom vid. Letter no 12, note 8. Verstegan was misinformed about his death, since Bell lived until 1610, the year in which he published the last of his anti-Catholic tracts.

LXXVI VERSTEGAN TO BAYNES

Antwerp, 7 November , 1597 .

Arch S.J. Rome, Anglia 38ii, 201. Italian extract by Fr. Grene .

Padre Giovanni Gerardi et un certo signore Arden essendo condannati a morte dieci anni sono , sono scapati di prigione per mezzo di una corda, col consenso del guardiano (come si crede), il quale e anche fugito.¹

Translation.

Fr. John Gerard and a certain Mr. Arden, who has been under sentence ofdeath for ten years, have escaped from prison by means of a rope, with the consent of the jailor (as it is thought) who has also fled.1

NOTE

1 Cf. Garnet's letter of 8 October, 1597 (Coll p 548, printed in Gerard , Contributionstowards a Lifeof Fr. Garnet, p 46) An accountofGerard's breathtaking escape (4 October, 1597) withthe aid ofa rope (St. Paul-wise) is recounted by Gerard himself (Caraman, op cit , pp 128ff .) See also Hatfield House MSS. , vii, pp 417-8, which contains the report of Sir John Peyton, Lieutenant of the Tower, to the Privy Council, 5 October , 1597 : "This night there are escaped out of the Tower, viz John Arden and John Garret Their escape was madevery little beforeday, for on going to Arden's chamber in the morning, I found the ink in his pen very fresh . The manner of their escape was thus. The gaoler, one Bonner, conveyedGarret into Arden's chamberwhen he brought up the keys, and out of Arden's chamberby a long rope tied over theditch to a post they slid down upon theTower wharf This Bonner is alsogone this morning at the opening of the gates . . . I have sent hue and cry to Gravesend and to the Major of London for a search to be made in London and in all the liberties "

Gerard arrangedfor the gaoler's escape, and provided an annuityfor him and his family Bonner became a Catholic shortly afterwards (Caraman , op cit , pp 137-8)

Arden, Gerard's fellow fugitive , was a Northants gentleman from Evenley who had been condemned foralleged complicity in the Babington plot (id pp 239-40)

LXXVII. VERSTEGAN TO BAYNES. Antwerp, 1597 ?

Arch S.J. Rome, Anglia 38ii, 201v Brief Latin summary by Fr. Grene

Rogerio Banesio scribit in cyphrâ de unanimi desiderio omnium catholicorum bonorum ut promoveatur ad cardinalatum pater Personius (uti arbitror quia eius nomen scriptum est in cyphra).¹

Translation.

He writesto Roger Baynesin cipherconcerning theunanimouswish ofall good Catholics that Fr. Persons (as I think, becausehisname is written in cipher) should be elevated to the cardinalate.1

NOTE

1 Cf. Letters nos 59, 68, 73 .

LXXVIII. VERSTEGAN TO JOHN COLVILLE.¹

Antwerp? 22 October , 1603 .

B.M. Cotton, Cal E. X. f.307 Contemporary copy.2

[Very] Woorshipfull , being to ... but inclose in this paketwith [withall Here is no any newes worth the wryting ... [A]rch Duk is now in Bolduk, quhaire the toun hath [hope ?] to receavea strong garisonn ; and so theenemyes mayput uptheir pipis quhen they will and be packingwhich is now dayly expected.³ The Marquis Spinola hath the whole command at Ostend, and taketh such ane course as I hope the toune within afew monethis will be out of those rebells' hands.4

Of the great mortallatieof Ingland I consieve you here; andby thatoccasiounboth Terme and Parlament ar defered.5 When you wryte upoun occasion to those parteis, I pray you let me also understand wheder the Jesuits be come to Paris to the College.

I weane not, for there I thinke thay be not come , but to there Scala Profecto a la RueSt. Antwyne I prayyoulet meunderstand whether Mr. Constable and his man Johne Longworthe be yet in France, or returned to Ingland ; as also wher Johne Snoden³is.

I wold be glaid to heir all there well doings.

Doctour Cecill, Mr. Tempest and Mr. Wellson ar still prisoners in the Clink at Londun They threten to complan upon the Archpreist10 because hesendesthemno money. Doctour Giferthath benin England, and is returned to LyleI think as wyseas hewent . 11 Mor I have [not] but to leave you to God's [mercy ?] this 22 of October Yours ,

R. Vestegan . 12

Addressed A Monsier Colveill, Gentil[homme] Ecoswayes, a Paris .

NOTES

1 John Colville was a Scottish political intriguer who had maintained a secret correspondence with the English government, informing them of Scottish and Catholic affairs Towards the end of the century he fell on hard times, and in 1599 was in London offering his services in vain to Robert Cecil In February of the following year he withdrew to Paris, where he soon made show of renouncing Protestantism for the Catholic Faith, and as part of his demonstration he went on a pilgrimage to Rome and wrote a palinode He was able to convince a number of Catholics(including Verstegan , apparently) of his sincerity, butnevertheless continued his correspondence with the English government An edition ofColville's letterswith a biographicalintroduction was published by D. Laing for the Bannatyne Club, 1858; there is also an articleon him in D.N.B., vol 11 , p 420.

2 The volume in which this letter is contained, together with many others in the Cotton collection, was severely damagedin 1731 by the fire at Ashburnham House, wherethe collection was housed . As a consequence the top part of the letter was badly charred Obliterated passages are denoted by dots, and conjectural restorations by square brackets The copyist of this letter appears to have been a Scotsman , to judge from the peculiarly Scottish spellings of a number of the words , but the hand is certainly not Colville's

3 On the arrival of the Archduke Albert (Governorof the SpanishNetherlands since 1596) with his troops into Bois le duc (Hertogenbosch ) early in October, 1603, Maurice of Nassau withdrew from the neighbourhood with his troops (A. Van Meerbeeck , Chroniicke , pp 1031-3)

4 The Marquis Ambrose Spinola, a Genoese, was made commanderofthe forces besieging Ostend late in September , 1603, and assumed command 9 October Although he was an inexperienced soldier, he achieved considerable success in his campaign, and in the September following effected the captureof Ostend, which had been held by the Dutchfor a considerabletime SeefurtherVan Meerbeecke, op cit , pp 1032 , 1049ff.; Grotius, Annales , 1647 ed pp 443ff, 450ff

5 The Term was adjourned on account of the plague by a proclamation of 16 September , 1603, and was moved to Winchester by another proclamation issued on the 18th of the following month . That Parliament was deferred because of the plagueappears from the proclamation of 11 January, 1604 summoning Parliament, in which James states thathewould havesummoneditmuchsooner "iftheinfection reigning in the city of London and other places in the kingdom would have permitted the concourse of so great a multitudeinto one place" (Strype, Annals, iv, p. 536).

This is presumably a copyist's error for "casa professa"

After the attempt on Henry IV's life by Jean Chatel at the end of 1594, the Jesuits , who were wrongly accused of repsonsibility fortheact, werebya decree of the Parlementof Paris orderedto leave thosedistricts of Francewhich were subject to the Parlement. It was not untileight yearslater,atthebeginningofSeptember , 1603, that Henry, atthe earnest plea of the Pope and others, gave permissionfor their readmission.

7 For a biography of Constable vid G. Wickes, "Henry Constable, Poet and Courtier, 1562-1613" , BiographicalStudies, vol 2, no 4, pp 272-300 On the accession of James, Constable , a Catholic exile in France, decided

to return to England, and wrote to the King and to Robert Cecil in June, 1603, for leave to do so . Permissionwas a long time in coming, and it was not until the end of the year that he was able to return (Wickes, op cit , p. 287). Wickes's article makes no mention of Longworth

8 Versteganseems to be unawareof the fact that this was the pseudonym of John Cecil(vid Letterno 71 , note 2) who , as Versteganhimself states later in the aboveletter, was in the Clink at this time

Cecilleft Francefor England in June, 1603, claiming, when apprehended on landing atGravesend , that he had been sent bythe English ambassador in France, Sir Thomas Parry, with a message for James (Bancroft to James, 25 June, 1603 (Cal Dom James, 1603-10, p 17) He was imprisoned first in the Tower, from where he tried to send a message to Robert Cecil (id , p 35) He may have been transferred tothe Clink about the end of August (For other references vid. Hatfield House MSS ., xv, pp 170, 227.)

Tempest was undoubtedly Edward Tempest, one of the Appellant party, who had been in the midst of the student agitation at the English College, Rome , between 1595 and 1597. He was imprisoned in the Clink in January, 1599 (Foley, vi, p 182), and then transferredto Wisbech whence, according to Garnet's letter to Persons, 16 March, 1600, Coll P. 595 (reference kindly provided by Fr. L. Hicks, S.J.), he escaped The exact date of his recapture prior to the imprisonment mentionedin Verstegan's letter is uncertain.

The Wellson referred tois probably the same personas WilliamWilson of Chester (born 1571) who is listed in the college registersof Valladolid (C.R.S. , XXX, p 15) and Seville (C.R.S., XIV, p 17), and likewise probably the same as the Welson alluded to in Robert Fisher's letter to Christopher Bagshaw , c 1597 or 1598 in Dominicana, C.R.S., XXV, p. 246: "Mr.Welson camefromSpaineoflate and is knowneto be a spie" . (I am grateful to Fr. Basil FitzGibbon, S.J., for these references )

10 George Blackwell MS. "Archpriests"

11 William Gifford (1558-1629), Dean of Lisle, later Archbishop of Rheims , was instructed by the Papal Nuncio in the LowCountriesin July, 1603 , to go to England "to endeavour to compose all remaining differences amongst the English Catholics" , and to assure the King through the Queen that the Pope would use his influence to "call out of his kingdom all those whom His Majesty may reasonably judge to be noxious to himself and his state " (Hatfield House MSS ., xv, p 206 ; the original Latin text is printed in Tierney-Dodd, Church History of England, iv, appendix, pp lxff.)

On his arrival Gifford was imprisoned for a short time in the Clink, and thenordered to depart the realm as quickly as possible (S.P. Dom. James, vol. III, no 22, dated 11 August, 1603) It is interesting to compare Verstegan's comment on Gifford's journey with that in the letter sent to HughOwen by his brother (copy in Hatfield House MSS ., xv, pp 293-4) : "I marvel that Dr. Gyfford had no better welcomefor his good services, such as is wont to be the recompense of suchtravails. He shall not lose all if that voyagemake himwiser ... "

12 Mistranscribed by copyist "R. Verstegas " .

LXXIX VERSTEGAN TO SIR ROBERT COTTON.1

Antwerp, 15 June, 1609.

B.M. Cotton, Jul , C. III, f, 376. Holograph Printed by H. Ellisin Original Letters of Eminent Literary Men, Camden Soc , Vol 23, 1843, pp 107-8 ; and by E. Rombauts in Richard Verstegan, 1933 , p. 327 .

Honorable Sir, albeitnotknowing yourperson,yetwellacquainted withyour woorthynesse, I could not omittto wryte untoyou these few lynes in regard to the due respect I ow you.

Your courteous comendations were long since delivered mee by onethat camehether from England, and sooner had I thanked you forthem ifsoonerI hadhad so goodanoportunitietosend untoyou.

For my book of our nation's antiquities³ I continew to gather such notes as I deem convenient, intending , ifI can understand it wilbe gratefull once more to be committed to the presse, to set foorth with augmentation.

Isend youheerwiththe toung ofa fishwhichtyme hathconverted into a stone, whereof in the fowrth chapter of my book I do mak mention The fish is called an Arder These tounges are found in claythatis heer-abouts digged for the making of pottes, but the fish is not foundnerer unto Brabant then the Isles of Zealand

Thus wishing the occasion to yeild more proof of my good will to serve you then the sending you so woorthlesse a token, in all assurance of my redynesse thereunto, I recomend mee unto you from Antwerp, the 15 of June, stilo novo , 1609.

Yours in verie true affection, Richard Verstegan.

NOTES

1 This is of course Sir Robert Cotton the great collector and antiquarian (1571-1631).

2 The carrier of the letter may have been John Chandler (vid my thesis , p. 288).

3 Verstegan's veryscholarly work A Restitutionof Decayed Intelligencein Antiquities concerning the most noble and renowmed English Nation was printed at Antwerp by Robert Bruney in 1605, and was sold in London at St. Paul'sChurchyard by John Norton and John Bill Although there were five subsequenteditions of the book, two of them in Verstegan's lifetime(1628 and 1634), they were simply reprinted from the first edition without any augmentation. Verstegan did write another antiquarian work, however, Nederlantsche Antiquiteyten, which first appeared in 1613 , but a large part of it is based on A Restitution. For a discussion of thesetwo booksvid mythesis, pp 308-13, 406-51 ; and for a bibliography, id. pp xvii-xix, xxi-xxiii

4 Vid p 105 (1605 edition) : " ... potters woorking their clay, which is gotten in some espetial places, do fynd in it certain things which are as hard as stoneand of the very forme and shape of the toungsof some sortes of fishes, each with the root unto it to makeit the very markable and right proportion of such a kind of toung in all respects, some being more then two inches long, and some lesse then one inche. And they that thus fynd them do not otherwisecall them but the toungsoffishes , which beeing so , and turned into very hard stone, is a strangethingin nature, but the lesse strange because nature in her conversions of other substances into stone is often seen to woork thelyk"

LXXX. VERSTEGAN TO SIR ROBERT COTTON . Antwerp

, 6 October,

1617 .

B.M. Cotton, Jul , C. III, f.377 . Holograph Printed by E. Rombautsin Richard Verstegan, p 328 .

Honorable Sir,

Albeit I once wrote unto you and never heard from you, yet would I not omitt by this gentleman (who I understand to be a neighbour ofyours)¹ once more to wryte unto you in regard of the honor and love whichyour vertues do deserve , they beeing better known unto mee then your person

This gentleman hath told mee of some rare curiosities ofyours which are of much woorth, and happely lighted in those hands where, according to their woor[th], 2 they remayn estemed And albeit my self am farr[e] behynd you in the possession of such woorthie treasur[es], among other thinges of smaller value, one thing I have lighted upon which I hold to be rare, and that is a catalogue of the books conteyned in the liberarie of the Emperor of Abissinia, vulgar[ly] and corruptly called Prestor John I had also in my custodie for certayn monethestoge[ther] a great number of King Henrie the Eight's letters, as well of his ownas of his counselorsand ambass[adors] in forreynpartesnot the copies. but the verie origi[nals] themselves, which, having bin red, had bin layd [by ?] and reserved .

I also lightedupon a chronicle in written hand begining withthe beginning of the breach between K[ing] Henrie the Eight and his first wyf, and continuing untothe first yeare of the raigne of Queen M[ary]. It is written in the Spanish tongue, and was wr[itten] by a Spanish gentleman that lyved in England a[t ?] that tyme. In which letters aforesayd and in th[e] written historie manie secrets are discovered w[hereof] ? our late wryters have no notice ; and I tho[ught] good to give you notice heerof, to the end you might know that such thinges belonging to our [own ?] historie are yet in e[xistence ?] ... 3

I have by some frendes bin moved to a second edition of my Restitution of Decayed Intelligence, whereunto, if I proced, I do intend, besydes the enlarging it in manie places, to ad one whole chapter about the ancient manner of surnames, bothof Englishmen and of other nations, as also to shew the severall customes both anciently and modernly used in sundrie countries about use of surnames.4

But beforeI proceedin this matter,I would be glad to understand if it were lykely to be gratefully accepted of, or whether it were better to staya whyleuntill the first editionwere mo[re]dispersed.

268

I have written this letter according to my present leasure, and so, praying you to excuse my hasti[e] scriblingand blotting,5 I take my leave, remayning in all redines at your service. In my best endevours ,

Yours verie assured , Richard Verstegan. Antwerp, 6 Octobris, 1617, stilo novo .

NOTES

1 Who this gentleman was does not appear

2 Words and letters in brackets have been obliterated by the crumbling of the edge of the paper.

3 The rest of this line is obliterated.

4 Vid previous letter, note 3.

5 Verstegan made five correctionson the last page of the letter

INDEX

INDEX

Abercromby, Robert, S.J., 108, 112

Acliffe, Richard, 61

Acts ofParliament ; againstCatholics

1 , 17, 25, 121-6, 128, 150-1 , 153 , 155 , 157, 187-8 ; relief of soldiers, 130 , 132 ; passed in 1593 , 159-62

Advertisement written to a Secretarie , 188

Alabaster, William, 259, 260

Alison, Richard ; see, Plaine Confutation

Allen William (Cardinal), xix, xxiv, 56 , 91 , 101 , 102, 200, 255 ; inproclamation, 34, 35 ; nephew, 74 ; death, 231 ; see, Briefe Historie, True, Sincere and ModestDefence, Yeelding up of the Citie of Daventrie

Amurathof Turkey, 230

Anderson, Sir Edmund, 146-8

Andreas Philopater, 89

Angus, Earl of (William Douglas), 108 , 112

Anne of Denmark ; rumoured conversion, 196, 197 ; son, 209

Answere to a Certaine Libel Supplicatorie, 199, 120, 141 , 187, 188

Antonio, Don, of Portugal, 12, 30 , 239, 240

Apology against the Defence of Schisme, 114, 116

Aquaviva, Claudius , S.J., xx, 219 , 221 , 225

Aquisgraen (Aachan), 190, 191

Archer, James, S.J., 87, 91

Arden , John, 261

Array, Martin, and Babington Plot, 4, 22

Bancroft , Richard, Archbishop of Canterbury, 119, 120 ; see, Survayof the Pretended Holy Discipline

Band (Scotland), 109-11 , 112-3

Bandits (Papal States ), 72, 74

Barcroft, Thomas, 64 , 65

Barlemont, Count , 101-2

Barnes, a justice, 67

Barret, Dr. Richard, 236

Barrow, Henry, Brownist, 132, 144-6, 148-9, 151

Bathori, Sigismund , PrinceofTransylvania, 240

Bayles, Christopher , 9, 27

Baynes, Roger, xix, xx, xxii, 89

Beale, Robert, 68, 70

Bede, Saint, 134 , 138

Beesley, George, 3, 9, 19

Bell, Thomas , apostate priest, 81, 259, 260 ; Garnet's reply to, 114, 116

Bellamy family, 51-4 , 57, 67 ; Anne, 54, 70 ; Richard, 155, 157

Bennet, William, 10, 28-9

Berden, Nicholas (Thomas Rogers ), 1 , 17 , 24, 26

Beza, Theodore , 134-5, 139 , 141

Biellet, Arthur, 145, 147, 149

Bird, James , 23

Biron, Marshal; death, 63 , 65

Bisley, Reinold, 75, 77

Blackwell, George, Archpriest, 263 , 265

Blaye, 163, 166

Blount, Richard, S.J. , 252

Boast (Boste), John, 210

Bodley, Thomas , 204 , 207

Bolt, John, 213

Arthington , -, 87, 90

Arundel, Anne, Countess of, 18, 22

Arundel, Sir Charles, 204, 207

Arundel, Earl of(PhilipHoward), 10 , 18, 28-9

Ashton, Roger, 55-6, 57, 68, 167

Atslowe, Edward, 101, 102, 104, 207

Aylmer, John , Bishopof London, 205 , 307

Babington Plot, 3, 19-21

Babylon, 142, 143

Baker, a spy, 1 , 17

Baldwin, William, S.J., 225-6, 228

Ballard, John, and Babington Plot, 3-4, 22, 29

Boroughs , Lord Thomas , 130, 132 , 152, 164, 167, 174-5

Bosgrave, Thomas , 213

Bothwell, Earl of, 60, 62, 193, 194, 195

Boules (Bowles , Bull), Brownist, 132, 145, 148

Bowes, Marmaduke, 28

Bowes, Robert, 112, 197

Braddocks , 213

Bridewell, priests in, 27 Robert, Brefe Discourse (Southwell), 245 , 248

Brief Discoverie ofthe False Church, 144, 148

Briefe Apology , 38

Briefe History, 18

Brittany , 75, 86 ; Spanishfleet, 200

Browne, Charles, 220, 221

Brownell, Gratian, 101 , 103

Brownists, 114, 117, 130-3, 151 ; indictment, 144-7 ; to Holland, 177, 180

Bruges, 203, 206

Buckhurst, Lord, 75 , 77

Bunny, Edmund, 187-8

Burgh, SirJohn, 163, 166; death, 174-5

Burghley, Lord (William Cecil), xxx, xxxi, 59, 79, 118, 133, 134, 235 ; Babington Plot, 3, 19-20 ; unloved, 12 ; attack on, 14-16 ; illnesses (1591), 34-5, 37, (1593), 101-2 , 104 , 107, 115, 126, 193-4, 208 ; Cecillian

Inquisition , 39, 42; dictator, 40 , 43; ancestry, 40, 43 ; plague (1592), 75, 77 ; Essex, 174-5

Buzeline, Andrew , xxiii

Caetani , Cardinal Eurico, 234 , 236

Cahill, Hugh, 101 , 102-3

Calvin , John, 134-5

Cambrai, surrender of, 1 98, 200 ; siege, 238, 240

Cambridge, Grey Friars, 159, 161

Carey, John, 213 Caron, Noel de, 176, 179

Cavendish , Captain Thomas , 126 , 128 , 150 , 153

Cecil, John (John Snowden ), apostate spy, 255 , 263 , 265

Cecil, Robert (later Sir), 32, 59 , 118 , 126, 174-5, 206, 208 ; Essex, 62 ; Secretary, 242, 244 , 265

Cecil, Thomas (eldest son ofBurleigh), 32, 129 , 130

Cecil , Sir William, see "Burghley"

Cecil, William (son of Thomas), 40, 43 ; rumoured elopement (wrongly named John), 126, 129, 130, 132-3 ; marriage, 151

Channel Isles, 164, 167

Chisholm , Sir James, 108, 112

Clapton , Grace, 210

Clitherow, Margaret, 28

Cocke (Cox), Captain , 126, 128 , 150

Coke, Sir Edward, 44, 208

Colford, Gabriel, 155, 157

Colville, John, xx, 263 , 264

Cotton, Sir Robert, 266, 267

Covert, Thomas, xxi, 40, 44

Cowell , Dr. John, 177 , 180

Creagh, Richard, Bishop of Armagh; poisoned ?, 3 , 20

Cresswell, Joseph, S.J., xix, xxiv , 88 , 91 , 143, 187, 248

Cumberland , Earl of(George Clifford) 126, 128, 189, 234, 235, 239

Curle (Curll), Gilbert ; Mary, Queen of Scots, 3, 21

Dacre, Lord, 2 ; family, 18

Darell, Thomas, 252

Davies , William , 164 , 167

Dawbney , Thomas , 115 , 118

De Catholica Orthodoxa , 117

Declaration of the True Causes , xxviii, 29-33, passim , 43, 115 , 118

De Imitatione Christi, 187 , 188

Derby, Earl of (Henry Stanley) ; death, 193-4

Derbyshire , Father, 206

De Schismate Anglicana, 134 , 138

Deventer, 55-6, 57

Discourse of the usage of the English Fugitives, 221 Dover Harbour, 176, 179

Drake, Sir Francis, 30, 104, 106, 126, 224, 227, 229, 242-3, 245

Drury, Elizabeth, 129, 132, 151

Dryland, Christopher, 28

Dunkirk, 130, 132

Edmondes , Thomas, 181 , 235

Egerton, Sir Thomas , 43

Elizabeth I ; succession , 14 , 32 , 118 , 244, 249 ; Topcliffe, 97, 98 ; anecdote

99; plots against, 153, 240, 257; Henry of Navarre, 182, 184

Emden, Count Edward of, 176 , 179

Emerson, Ralph, 215

Englefield, Sir Francis, xviii-ix, 25, 63, 65; estates , 155, 157, 159

Ernest, Archduke, 189, 191 , 198 , 201 , 203, 221

Errington, George, 250

Errol, Earl of (FrancisHay), 108 , 112

Conference about the Next Succession , 32, 118, 244, 249 betwixt certaine

Conferences

Preachers, 148

Constable, Henry, 263 , 264

Copley, John, 225

Coppinger, Edmund , 87 , 90

Cornelius, John, S.J. , 212-3, 248 ; verses , 247

Essex, Earl of (Robert Devereux), 58-9 , 61-2, 116, 118, 177, 179 , 206-7 , 240, 244 ; Privy Councillor, 114-5 , 126 ; and Cecils , 174-5 ; Lopez, 208

Estate of English Fugitives, 132

Falkner, John, 68-9, 70

Fioravante, Father, 236

First Booke ofthe Christian Exercise, 187 , 188

INDEX

Fitzherbert, Thomas (later S.J.), 135-6, 139, 198, 200

Fitzherbert, Sir Thomas, 6, 25; nephew, Thomas, 6, 25, 67, 70

Fleetwood , William, Recorder of London, 40, 44

Fletcher, Richard, Bishop of Bristol, later of London, 55-6, 57 ; marriage, 223 , 226 , 228

Harward (Harwood), Edmund, S.J. , 1234, 237

Haselwood , Henry : death, 87, 91, 100

Hasnet, John , xxiii

Hatton, Sir Christopher; death, 34, 35, 37; successor, 40, 43,; 105

Heneage, Sir Thomas, 57 61

Henry VIII ; letters, 268

Fox, Nicholas(Hales, Haley), 42-3,49

France, 163, 166, 233 ; see , Brittany , Henry of Navarre, Norris, Sir Cohn

Foltrop ,, 250

Francesco , Jacques, xxi

Frank, John, 215

Freeman, William (Mason), 246

Fuentes , Count de, 87, 90, 203, 221, 238, 240

Fulwood, Richard, 213

Garlick, 69, 71

Garnet, Henry, S.J., xvii ; see , Defence of Apology against the Schisme

Garnet, Thomas, of York, 223 , 225-6

Gennings, Edmund, 39, 42, 45, 47

Gerard , Alexander, 18

Gerard , John, S.J., xviii, 26, 213 ; capture, 214-8 ; illness in Tower, 253-5; escape, identity, 1 , 18

Gerard , Miles, 28 261 ; mistaken

Gerard , Sir Thomas, 10, 28-9

Gertruydenberg , 114-6, 155, 158

Geuzen (beggars), 190-1

Gibson, William, 250

Gifford, Gilbert, and Babington Plot, 3-4, 20-1

Gifford, William, 231 ; in England, 263, 265

Gilpin, George, 204 , 207

Gordon, James, S.J., 108, 112

Gordon, Patrick, 108 , 112

Graham, David, 108 , 113

Greenwood , John, Brownist, 132, 144-6, 148, 151

Gregory XIV, Pope, 34, 35, 37

Grey, Robert, 39, 42-3, 45, 47 , 49

Guise , Duke of, 176 , 177 , 179

Hacket, William, 2, 19 , 87, 90, 135

Hamilton, Lord, 195

Hardesty, William, apostate priest, 55-6, 58

Harpsfield, Nicholas, 134, 138; see ,

Historia Anglicana, Pretended Divorce

Henry of Navarre (Henry IV), 12, 30 , 63, 65, 177, 191 , 192-4, 198, 200, 242 , 244 ; change of religion, 101-2 , 155 , 158, 163-4, 166, 176 ; and Elizabeth, 182, 184; attempted assassinations of, 198 , 200, 264, ; and Holland, 203, 206 ; absolution, 238, 240

Hesket (Hesketh), Thomas , 72, 74

Hesketh, Richard, 200 , 203

Historia Anglicana, 138

Historia de la Vida (H. Walpole), 248

Historia Ecclesiastica , 42, 118

Hoby, Lady Mary, 59 , 61

Hodgson , Sydney, 39 , 42

Holinshed, Raphael; Chronicles, 187 , 188

Holt, William, S.J., xxi, 77, 87, 91, 103, 134, 222, 234

Hopkins, Richard,xxi

Horsey, Sir Rudolph, 212

Howard, Lord Charles, of Effingham, 59, 61

Humble Supplication, xxviii, 17-28, passim

Hume, Lord, 195 , 197 , 244

Hunsdon, Lord, 58

Huntingdon, Earl of(Henry Hastings), 58-9, 60-1, 112, 244

Huntly, Marquis of (George Gordon) 108, 112, 113

Huy, 224, 227

Ingram, John (Ogelvy), 108, 112

Interludes against Catholics , 5, 22-3

Ireland, 164, 167, 174-5, 193-4, 223, 226, 229, 239, 240, Iverson, John, 223, 225-6

James VI and I, 60, 62, 164, 167, 179, 195-7, 265 ; reportedflight, 114, 116 ; rumour of conversion, 193-4 ; son , 209

Jones, Edward, 9, 28

Jones , John (Buckley), O.S.F. , 244 , 252

JulianusApostata, 6

INDEX

Kampen 'monastery' , 177 , 180

Ker, George, 112, 195, 197

Ket, Robert, 145 , 148

Kiligrew, Sir Henry, 68 , 70

Knight, William , 250

Koevordon, 75, 78, 203, 206

Lacey, Brian, 39, 45, 47-8

Lampton, Joseph, 79, 81, 92

Leicester , Earl of (Robert Dudley) ; Babington Plot, 3, 19 ; death, 12 , 16 , 32-3, 105

Leslie, John, Bishop of Ross, 231

Lewis, Owen , Bishop of Cassano, 231 , 236

Lewknor, Lewis, apostate, 221 ; see , Discourse of the usage of the English Fugitives

Lingen, Edward, 215

London; foreignersin, 155, 157 , 164 ; churchesdedicatedto All Saints, and Our Lady, 189, 191 ; mortality(1593) 193, 194 ; see , plague

Lopez, Roderigo, 208 ; execution, 216

Low Countries , 75, 78, 101 , 102, 114 ,

130, 163, 177, 189, 203, 206, 224 , 227 , 238-241 ; Brownist refugees, 177 , 180; plight of EnglishCatholics, 219 , 221 ; innundations, 229 , 230

Madre de Dios (carrack), 75-8, 80, 87 ,

90; spoils , 126 , 128

Maitland, Lord John, 195, 197

Mansfelt, Charles de, 114, 116, 136 , 140, 201, 203 ; Pierre, 155, 158 , 201

Manwood, Sir Roger, 104, 106

Markenfield, Sir Thomas; death, 72 , 74, 96, 100

Marprelate, Martin, 114, 116 , 130 , 132, 205, 207

Mary, Queen of Scots; Babington

Plot, 3 , 19-21

Masi, Cosmo, 87, 91

Maskew, Bridget, 250

Mason, John, 39, 42

Maurice of Nassau, 78, 116

Mayenne, Duc de, 155, 158, 233, 235

Meaux, surrender of, 198, 200

Melville, Sir Robert, 176, 179

Middelburg, 233, 235

Middleton, Marmaduke, Bishop ofSt.

David's, 119, 120

Middleton, Philip, 96, 100

Myrrorfor Martinists, 187, 188

Mockett, Sir Thomas , xxiii

Mompesson (Momlesson ), Henry, 225 , 228 ; Laurence, 43

Monopolies , 12, 30

Montague, Viscount

Browne), 79, 81, 83, 86 (Anthony

Moody, Michael (John Bristowe), spy, 77 , 234, 236

Morgan, Thomas, 87, 91 , 177 , 180

Mother Hubberd's Tale, 118

Murray, Earl of (James Stuart), 113

Nashe, Thomas, 107 see , Pierce

Pennilesse

Neville, Lady Margaret, 210

Newell ,, pursuivant, 22, 215

Norris, SirJohn, 30 ; in Britttany,75, 77, 79-81, 86, 90, 104, 163 , 166 , 184-6 ; in Ireland, 239, 240

Nau, Claude, 21

Northumberland, Earl of (Henry Percy ), 204, 207

Norton, John, 114 , 116

Norton, William, 9, 28

Noyon, 114 , 116

Oath ofSupremacy, 5, 23, 25

Ogelvy, William (Ingram), 108 , 112

Ormond, Earl of (Thomas Butler). 234, 235

Owen, Hugh, xxi, 77, 102, 234 , 265

Page, Anthony, 164, 167

Paget, Charles, 136, 140, 166, 207 , 231

Paget, Lord Thomas , 204, 207

Palatinate of the Rhine, 64 , 66

Parkins, Christopher , apostateJesuit, 174, 175, 211

Parma, Duke of (Alexander Farnese), 63, 65, 75-6, 87, 90 ; death, 104, 106

Patenson, William, 39 , 43

Penry, John, 166, 130, 132 , 145 ; indictment , 168-173

Peralta, Francisco de , S.J., 256, 257

Periam, Sir William, 106

Perron, J. D. du , Bishop of Evreux , 238, 240

Perrot, Sir John, 59, 62

Perrot, Thomas, 160 , 161

Persons, George, 87, 91, 187, 188 , 239

Persons, Robert, S.J., xviii-ix, xxii, xxiv ; mentioned in proclamation (1591), 34, 35, 37 ; Andreas Philopater, 89 ; successor to Allen ? , 231 ; rumour as Cardinal, 251, 258, 262 ; see, Briefe Apology, Conference about the next Succession, First Booke ofthe Christian Exercise , Responsio, Treatise of three Conversions

Philip of Nassau , 206

INDEX

Phelippes, Thomas; Babington Plot, 3, 20-2, 37, 77, 235

Philips, Peter, 204 , 206

Philopatris, see Responsio

Pierce Pennilesse, 170, 118

Pineda, Juan de, S.J ., ; Commentariorum in Job , 256-7

Plague (London, 1592), 75, 77 , 80 , 86, 90; (London, 1593), 126, 131 , 150 , 153, 165, 176, 179, 185, 186 ; (Wales, 1593), 185, 189 ; (Holland, 1593), 189

Plaine Confutation, 187, 188

Plasden, Polydore, 39, 45, 47

Plymouth fortifications of, 150 , 153

Poley, Robert Babington Plot, 3, 20-1 ; 177, 180

Popham , Sir John, 50

Portmort (Whitgift), Thomas, 42, 97,

98

Pretended Divorce, 138

Price, Robert, 6, 24

Primer, 219, 221

Proclamations (Jan. 1581, recalling students), 24 ; (October, 1591, Jesuits and priests), 34, 35, 37; (March, 1592/3, Scotland), 108-111 ; (Feb. 1591 , Lent), 148 ; (June, 1593), access to Court), 176, 179

Prosopopoia , 115 , 118

Puckering, Sir John, 43, 50, 59 , 75, 77, 112

Pursuivants, complaints against, 2; searchers by, 7% ; character, 8 ; pretended, 8, 26

Rainolds (Reynolds), William, 134 , 138, 187, 188 ; Treatise conteyning the true Catholike and Apsotolike

Faith, 188, 260

Raleigh, Sir Walter, 80, 82, 126, 128 , 147 , 212 , 213

Randall, Richard, 9, 28

Rawlings, Alexander, 233, 235

Rayman , Captain George, 151 , 154

Recusants ; penalties, 5-6, 25, 75; Act of 1593, 121-125, 150 ; Cecillian Inquisition , 39, 42, 46-7 ; Cheshire , etc. (1592), 72, 74 ; commission of 1593, 164, 167; Lincolnshire, 135, 139

Relation of the King of Spaine's

Receiving in Valliodolid, 86, 89

Relatione del Presente Stato d'Inghilterra, 24 , 30 Responsio, 37, 43, 137, 187 , 188 ; printing of, 86 , 89

Restitution of Decayed Intelligence, 267-8

Reynford, Mr., of Worcestershire , 8

Ribadeneira , Pedro de, 42, 45, 48, 118 ; see , Historia Ecclesiastica , Tratado dela Tribulacion

Rippon , Roger, 114 , 116

Rome, English College, 'stirs' , 234 , 236

Rudolf II, Emperor, 189 , 191

Sacheverall , John, apostate Dominican , 255

Salmon , Patrick, 213

Sanders, Nicholas; De Schismata Anglicana, 134 , 138

Savage, John ; Babington Plot, 3

Saxony , Elector of, 64 , 66

Scotland; proclamation and band, 108-113 ; survey of affairs, 195-7 ; Catholic nobles, 239 , 241

Scott, Monford, 3, 19

Scudamore

John, 101-2 (Walkin , Wiseman), Seduction of Arthington, 90

Sega, Cardinal, 236

Segunda Parte de la Historia Ecclesiastica, 42, 45

Semple, Lord Robert, 233, 235

Seville College, 136 , 139

Shaw , Francis, 51-2, 54, 58

Shrewsbury , Earlof (Gilbert Talbot), 58-9, 61

Sidney, Sir Robert, 86, 88, 90, 119 , 184

Sigismund, King of Sweden and Poland, 190-1

Skinner, Anthony, apostate, 61 , 68

Solmes, Count, 180

Southampton, Earl of (Henry Wriothesley), 242, 244

Southwell, Robert, S.J., xvii, xxviii, 214, 215, 218, 232; account of persecution, Letter I ; arrest, 51-3 , 57-8, 67-8 ; in prison, 63 ; in Tower, 79, 81, 83, 99 ; martyrdom , 219 , 223 , 228, 235, 238, 247 ; Brefe Discourse , 245, 248 ; effect on public, 243

Spain ; see, Brittany, Low Countries , West Indian Fleet

Speculum pro Christianis Seductis, 114, 117-8, 143 , 187 , 188

Spenser, Edmund, 115, 118

Spiller, Robert , xvii

Spinola , Marquis Ambrose, 263, 264

Standen , Anthony, apostate, 177 , 179 , 198, 201

Stanley, Sir Ferdinando , 176, 179, 200

Stanley, Sir William, 56, 101-3 , 199 , 201 , 203, 234

Stapleton , Thomas , translation of Bede, 138 Star Chamber , 5

Stokes, Robert, 147 , 149

Stourton , Lady (formerly Arundel of Lanhorne), 212-3

Lady

Stuart, Lady Arabella, 43, 126, 129 , 151

Survey of Pretended Holy Discipline, 119, 120, 187

Sussex ; poor soldiers , 193

Sussex , Earl of (Robert Radcliffe), 234-5 , 239

Sutcliffe, Matthew, 114, 117 , 135 ,

187 ; see , De Catholica Orthodoxa , Answere to a Certaine Libel

Tarbuck, John, 213

Tassis, Charles de , xxiii

Taxation of Catholics , 6, 24

Tempest, Edward, 263, 265

Tesh, Anne, 250

Theatrum Crudelitatum Haereticorum

Nostri Temporis, 114 , 117

Theodore of Russia, 87, 90

Thompson , James, 223, 225-6

Thules, John, 92-3

Throckmorton, Elizabeth, 82

Throgmorton, Thomas , 231

Thwing, priest, 185 , 186

Thwing, Ingram, 77

Topcliffe, Richard, 8, 9, 26-7; and Fitzherberts, 25; topcliffizare, 27; Southwell, 27 ; arrest and treatment of, 51-4, 67-8, 40, 42-3, 57-8, 79 , 83 , 95, 223, 247 ; and Elizabeth, 97-8; rumoured illness, 99 ; Henry Walpole, 215 ; imprisonment, 232 ; release , 234, 238, 242

Tratado dela Tribulacion, 118

Treatiseof Three Conversions , 138

Trial of Trueth, 89

True, Sincere and Modest Defence, 18

Tunstede , Anthony, 220 , 221

Turkey, 104, 106, 126, 229, 230 , 238 , 240

Tyrell, Anthony, apostate priest, 1 , 17 ; confession , 134, 138, 187 , 188

Tyrone, Earl of (Hugh O'Neill), 164, 167, 174, 223, 226, 229, 234-5 , 239 , 240, 242

Underhill, John, Bishop of Oxford , 119, 120

Universities and Catholics, 25

Vachel, a spy, 1 , 17

Valladolid College, 38, 136, 139

Verdugo, Francisco , 75, 78

Verstegan , Richard ; life, etc. , xxxvixlvi ; see , Advertisement written to a Secretarie, Conference about the Next Succession , Declaration of the True Causes, Primer, Restitutionof Decayed Intelligence, Speculum pro Christianis Seductis, TheatrumCrudelitatum

Waad, William, 68, 70

Walpole, Henry, S.J. , xvii, xix, xxi, xxiii, 44, 87 , 91, 105, 107, 143 , 187 , 188 ; arrest, etc. , 214, 215, 218, 232 ; martyrdom , 233, 235, 238, 242, 347 ; Historia de la Vida . ., 248

Walpole, Richard, S.J., xix, 256, 257

Walpole, Thomas, 215

Walsingham, Sir Francis, 2, 102 , 134 , 204, 206; Babington Plot, 3-4, 19-20 ; death, 12, 16 , 33

Walton, Roger, 204 , 206

Wards, Court of, 2, 31

Waterson, Edward, 79, 81, 92

Watts , Sir John, 150, 153, 176 , 179, 185

Webster, Richard, 101 , 103

Wells, Swithin, 39, 42, 45, 47

West Indian Fleet, 163, 166 , 234 , 236 , 238

Westmoreland , Earl of (Charles Neville), 101 , 199, 202, 205, 207

Weston, William, 19-20, 32

White, Eustace , 39, 45, 47-8

Whitgift, John, Archbishop ofCanterbury, 97-8

Wilkinson, Captain , 163, 166

Williams, Richard, 49, 238, 240

Williams , Sir Roger, 79, 81, 186, 234 , 235 , 239, 240

Williamson , Nicholas, 242, 244

Wilson (Wellson), William, 263, 265

Wilton, Lord Greyde ; death, 193 , 194

Wisbech , 1

Wiseman, William, 212, 213

Witch, suspected , 177 , 180

Worsley, pursuivant , 22, 215

Worthington, William, 223, 225 , 228

Wright, Thomas, S.J., 259, 260

Yeeldingup ofthe Citie of Daventrie, 56

York, Edmund, 239 , 240

Young(e), James, apostate priest, 43 , 51-2, 54, 58

Young, Richard, magistrate, 1 , 17 ,27, 68, 70, 95, 98, 117 ; death, 217 , 218

TheCatholic RecordSociety

FOUNDED JUNE 10th , 1904

PATRONS

HIS EMINENCE THE CARDINAL ARCHBISHOP OF WESTMINSTER

HIS GRACE THE ARCHBISHOPOF BIRMINGHAM

HIS GRACE THE ARCHBISHOPOF LIVERPOOL

HIS GRACE THE ARCHBISHOP OF CARDIFF

PRESIDENT

THE MOST REVEREND JOHN HENRY KING, D.D., Ph.D. , ARCHBISHOPBISHOP OF PORTSMOUTH

VICE-PRESIDENTS

MOST REV . DAVID MATHEW, M.A., Litt.D., F.S.A., F.R.Hist.S. BRIGADIER THOMAS BYRNAND TRAPPES -LOMAX, C.B.E., D.L., J.P.

W. A. PANTIN, M.A., F.S.A.

CANON R. E. SCANTLEBURY , V.F.

COUNCIL (Elected)

A. C. F. BEALES , M.A.

FR HUGH BOWLER, O.S.B., B.A.

FR . HOWARD DOCHERTY , O.F.M. , M.A.

FR . BERNARD FISHER , M.A.

FR. BASIL FITZGIBBON , S.J., M.A.

A. E. J. HOLLAENDER, Ph.D., F.S.A., F.R.Hist.S.

FR. ANTHONY KENNY

ANTHONY G. PETTI , M.A.

MISS PENELOPE RENOLD, B.A.

E. E. REYNOLDS, General Editor

DAVID ROGERS, M.A., D . Phil

MISS CLAIRE TALBOT

TRUSTEES

F. W. CHAMBERS , K.S.G., M.A.

REV. JOSEPH A. CALLANAN, M.A.

Honorary Officers (On Council exofficio)

Hon. Secretary and Bursar

FRANCIS D. ALLISON

Hon. Asst Secretary : MISS M. GOLDSWORTHY

SecretarialOffice: THE ARUNDEL PRESS , BOGNOR REGIS , SUSSEX

Hon Recorder

MISS N. McNEILL O'FARRELL

Hon Legal Adviser

GEORGE BELLORD

Hon Librarian

ANTONY FRANCIS ALLISON, B.A.

Bankers

MESSRS . COUTTS & Co., 440 STRAND , W.C.2. 1

Constitutions

I. NAME . The name ofthe Society is THE CATHOLIC RECORDSOCIETY .

2. OBJECT . The object of the Society is the advancementof education in connection with the historyofRoman Catholicism in England and Wales since the Reformation (which history is hereinafter referred to as the special subject)

3. ACTIVITIES The object of the Society may be given effect to by allor any ofthe following means so far as the same arecharitable namely―

(

a) The provision and preservation for the use of students of books manuscripts and other documents relating to the special subject or some aspect thereofand the provisionof facilities for studying the same

(b) The provision of public lectures on the special subject or some aspect thereof

(c) The collection editing and publication of documents relatingto the special subject or some aspect thereofand (d) Any other lawful charitable means .

4. MANAGEMENT . The affairs of the Society shall be managed by a Council consisting when complete of twelve elected members three trustees and five honorary officers viz the Recorder Bursar Legal Adviser Librarian and Secretaryfour members ofthe Councilforming a quorumand the Councilbeing entitled to act notwithstanding vacancies in its number The Council shall have power to appoint a President and Vice-Presidents The Council shall also have power to elect members to the Society by a bare majority of the members of the Council present at a meeting and power to terminate the membership of any member without assigning any reason by a majority ofnot less than three quartersof all the membersoftheCouncil .

5. APPOINTMENT OF COUNCIL Officers shall be appointed by the Society in General Meeting. They shall hold office for one year and be eligible for re-election One third of the twelve elected members of the Council shall retire each year by rotation and shall be eligible for re-election. Elected members of the Council shall be elected by the Society in General Meeting. Nominations for appointment as elected members of the Council shall be sent to the Secretary fourteen days before the Annual General Meeting Only Roman Catholics shall be eligible for membership of the Council The Council shall have power to fill a casual vacancy either among the officers oramong the elected membersand any personappointed tofill a casual vacancyshall hold office for the periodfor which the person whose vacancy he fills would have held office.

6. TRUSTEES . The Trustees shall be appointed and may be removed by the Society in General Meeting . It shall be their duty to hold the invested funds and property of the Society.

7. MEMBERSHIP Membership shall be open to individuals learned societies libraries religious communities and other bodies whether corporate or incorporated Such bodies shall be entitled to exercise voting powers vested in members by their Librarian or Assistant Librarian or any other person nominated by such body for the purpose .

8. SUBSCRIPTION . The annual subscription for each member is Two Guineas or such sum as the Society in General Meeting may from time to time determine payable in advance on June 1st in each year . Every member whose subscription is not in arrear shall be entitled to receive one copy of each publication which may be issued by the Society during the year without further payment but the Society shall not issue free to members publications whose cost to non-members is substantially in excess ofthe annual subscription for the year or years inrespect of which the publication is issued so as to confer a benefit on any member greater than is common in the case of agreements to purchase books prior to publication . A member wishing to resign from the Society must inform the Bursar or the Secretary before June 1st otherwise he will be liable for his subscription due on that date for the ensuing year. A member whose subscription is two years in arrear shall cease to be a member and shall not be re-admitted until all arrears have been paid

9. GENERAL MEETINGS . An annual meeting of the Society shall be held of which at least seven days notice shall be sent to all members who have supplied the Secretary with an address in the United Kingdom Members who have not supplied such an address shall not be entitled to receiveany notice ofmeetings. An extraordinary general meeting may be called at any time by the Council At least seven days notice stating the object ofthe meeting shall be given to all memberswho have supplied the Secretarywith an address in the United Kingdom. Voting at any general meeting of the Society shall be exercisableonly by members present in person or by the bodies referred to in Rule 7 by their representative in person .

10. AUDIT . The Bursar's accounts shall be audited by a member of the Society or by a professional accountant appointed by the Council at the close of the financial year which expires on May 31st .

II. PROPERTY . The propertyand income of the Society shall be applied solely to the object of the Society and no part thereof shall at any time be applied for any purpose which is not a lawful charitable purpose. Provided that this rule shall not prevent the payment to any officer or servantofthe Societyofreasonable remuneration for services actually performed by him on behalf ofthe Society. If the Society shall be dissolved it shall before dissolution and after discharging or providingfor its liabilities ifany procure that its surplus assets if any are effectively settled upon a charitable trust for the advancement of the Roman Catholic religion

THE FIFTY-FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT

1957-58

The Council has pleasurein presenting to the membersofthe Catholic Record Society the Annual Report and Statement of Accounts.

Since the last Report a Catalogue of the Society's first fifty volumes has been published givingdetails of the contents A copy was sent to eachmember with the issue of Volume 51 , The Wisbech Stirs, edited by Miss P. Renold, B.A. The present Report is included in our fifty-second volume, The Letters of Richard Verstegan, edited by Mr. Anthony G. Petti, M.A.

The Annual General Meeting for the year 1957-8 was held at 114 Mount Street on 7th January, 1959, when Professor T. A. Birrell gave a much appreciated and enjoyable lecture on "The Spreadof RecusantLiteratureinnon-Catholic circles, c 1600-1850" .

During the year the Council has lost the valued services of two of its members: Fr. Godfrey Anstruther, O.P., who is now resident in Rome, and Dr. A. C. Southern, who has resigned on account of ill-health The Council is most grateful to them forthe help they have given us, but it is pleasing to feel that their advice will always be available

Another resignation was that of Fr. JosephA. Callanan , who, on account of increased pressure of work, has felt obliged to give up his position as Hon Secretary and Bursar. The Society is greatly in Fr. Callanan's debt for all he has done; he took over in 1952 when the outlookwas far from encouraging but he resigns in the knowledgethat the Society's affairs are once more ona sound footing The Council puts on record its appreciation ofhisdevotion to the Society ; he will be missed from the Council tablewhere his cheerful presence helped to enliven proceedings.

Mr. Francis D. Allisonwas elected Hon Secretary and Bursar in Fr. Callanan's place; hewill be assisted byMissN.Goldsworthy . The thanks oftheSociety aredue to the editors ofourvolumes ; they contribute their scholarship and their leisure so that the Society can fulfil its purpose; indeed without their generoushelp , the work of the Society would come to a standstill Few , except those who have actually done such work, realise the thought and timeneeded in the production ofa volume that meetshighstandards of scholarship

The stock of the Society's volumes has been removed from the CentralLibrary and is nowhoused in the C.R.S. room at 114 Mount Street. The Council is grateful to the authorities and to the librarian at Wilfred Street for having stored these volumes for some years. Continuing theseries of public talksbegunin 1956, thefollowing lectures were given during the 1958-9 season :

Seminary Life at the turn ofthe 16thcentury, by FatherAnthony Kenny.

Diocesan Record Offices of to-day and their importance for Recusant Research, by Dr. A. E. J. Hollaender.

Richard VersteganFr. Persons' "intelligencer" at Antwerp, by Mr. Anthony G. Petti

Some Prayers and Prayer-Books of the English Catholics since the Reformation, by Dr. David M. Rogers

Several volumesfor futurepublication arein active preparation. The fifty-third volume will be Recusant Roll No. 2, for the period 1593-4 ; thiswill be edited byDomHughBowler His introduction will be of special value as it will explain the system used in these Rolls and the significance of the information they contain .

The number of members is now463, the highest in thehistory of the Society. Our immediate aim should be to reach the figure of 500. To do this the active help of our members is asked. Experience shows that a personal appeal is far more likely to succeed than a generalappeal through the press or by other means. It would help if approach could be made not only to individuals interested in our subject, but especially to Colleges, Libraries, and similar institutions Our Catalogue of Fifty Volumes will befound a useful form of introduction as it shows in detail the nature and scope of our work. The Secretary will be glad to supplycopiesof the Catalogue for this purpose.

Theattentionofmembersis drawn to the notice in this Report of the journal Recusant History, which has established itselfas a recognized means of communicating the results of research into Catholic history An increase in the circulation is mostdesirable, and it is hoped that those memberswho do not receivethejournal will considerbecoming subscribers All are asked tobringittothe notice of any who are interested in its subject .

31st March, 1959.

RECUSANT HISTORY, A JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN POSTREFORMATION CATHOLIC HISTORY IN THE BRITISH ISLES , is published for theCatholic RecordSociety threetimes ayear,in January, April and October. It includesarticles ofgeneralinterest on various aspects ofCatholic History, as wellasdetailed studies and notes of a biographical and bibliographical nature The subscription for the three issues is 12/6d (U.S.A. $2.00) Subscriptions should be sent direct to the publishers : The Arundel Press, Sussex Road, Bognor Regis, England

Subscriptionsreceivedin advance Legacies-

James A. Britten, K.C.S.G.

H. I. Anderton

Mrs. LeachforJ.H.Woolan

H. S. Threlfall

L. C. C. Lindsay

NewdigateLegacy

JOSEPH

31st May, 1958

Note The value of the above Stocks asat 31st May, 1958, was £1,727 13s 5d

I certify that I have audited the Balance Sheet as set out above , together with the books and vouchers of theSociety and that they are in accordance therewith

PATRICK TOOLE, Hon Auditor

6thJanuary, 1959