II. ter which be burnt. 66 BOOK "us, prisoners here, there did appear some matters, which 66 being considered in some sense, may seem to towche her Anno 1580. " majesty, mine own allegiance towards her highness, and about a let-❝ dewty to my country. And for that we will not conceal any matter, that may any wayes towch her majesty, or the "estate of this realme, which we are all bownd to preserve, "as our selves; wee have thought good, in discharging of "our dewties and allegiances, to reveal the same to your "lordship: that upon the hearing and examination of the "matter by your lordship, you may use your lordship's "discretion, for the revealing of it, as it shall seem best "unto you: beseeching your lordship, for that the matter "doth chiefly towch me, that I may come before your "lordship spedily; for the uttering of the trewth, in dis"charging of my dewty and allegiance. Thus I humbly "take my leave. From my chamber at the gayler's. "Your honour's at commaundment, This prudent course Downes, and the rest concerned, advisedly took. And the bishop forthwith examined this matter to the bottom by divers interrogatories put to each of them. To which they gave free answers. And besides, Downes and the four other gentlemen set down under their hand the sum and contents of the letter, according as they could remember it. And these papers were sent up by the bishop, viz. both their examination and confessions. For the contents of the letter, as set down by Downes and the rest, [Number see them preserved in the Appendix: wherein also they XXVIII.] profess their true loyalty and acknowledgment of the queen's supremacy, and fidelity to their country. Advices popish re Southamp In the county of Southampton, washed on one side by the concerning sea, (and so conveniently situate to let in priests from cusants in abroad,) were many of these papists. And so multiplied by ton. revolting from religion, that the bishop of Winchester, in whose diocese it lies, near about this year sent intelligence thereof to the lord treasurer and other lords of the council; in order to repress the boldness and waywardness of the re cusants in that county: with his advice in these particulars CHAP. following: XXI. First, That it may please your honours to renew the Anno 1580. charge of diligent looking to the seaside and the creeks, for the coming in or passing forth of evil-disposed persons. Secondly, That it may please you to give charge to the sheriff and some other of the most forward gentlemen, once in a month or three weeks, upon the sudden to have privy search in sundry suspected places; whether it is thought the Jesuits, or seminary men, have their recourse and refuge, to seduce her majesty's subjects. Thirdly, That an hundred or two of obstinate recusants, lusty men, well able to labour, may by some convenient commission be taken up, and sent into Flanders, as pioneers and labourers: whereby the country shall be disburdened of a company of dangerous persons, and the residue that 636 remain be put into fear; that they may not so fast revolt as now they do. Fourthly, If it shall please your honours to grant liberty to any of these gentlemen, as shall compound with her majesty according to your lordship's late letters, that the same may not be suffered to remain in the said shire; but to be assigned to some other place, where they may do less harm. For undoubtedly they that have remained there have stole away the people's hearts mightily, and daily do continue so to do. For even this last Easter, upon some secret pact purposely wrought, five hundred persons have refused to communicate, more than before did [refuse to do it.] Which will fall out to great inconvenience. [The rest of this paper is torn.] Paper Office. This search continued in this year 1580, and also in 1581, Search in papists' 1582; and still further, both in the houses where papists houses in inhabited, and in prisons, where they were committed for Hoggesdon. priests, for popish books, and other superstitious things brought over, consecrated by the pope. Among other places in and about London, search was made in certain popish gentlemen's houses in Hoggesdon, by order from the privy-council, by the high constable. As in the house II. Tresham. Popish books and pictures taken. BOOK of sir William Tresham: where (according to an account sent up) were found he and his lady, and three daughters, Anno 1580. Lewis their son, and divers servants: and among the rest Sir William Henry Gilbert, his butler, and Denis Parret, who had this mark set at their names; signifying, perhaps, that they were suspected to be priests or Jesuits. Here they found and took away a painted crucifix on a table, hanging by the lady's bed side: the Jesuits' Testament in English: Offic. Beatæ Mariæ, ii.: a Manual of Prayers, dedicated to the gentlemen of inns of court: Vaux's Catechism; the first book of the Christian Exercise: a book of prayers and meditations: a painted crucifix upon orange-coloured satin: a picture of Christ upon canvass. Of the persons abovenamed only two would be known [those marked, as it seems] to be able to read and write; and to be no further learned. All we found there, which we left behind, (as it follows in the writing,) was, a new-fashioned picture of Christ in a great table; and a tabernacle of sundry painted images, with leaves to fold, serving, as should seem, for a tabernacle or skreen to stand upon an altar. Mr.Tho. Wilford. Ra. Tipping. At Mr. Thomas Wilford's house in Hoggesdon aforesaid, were he and his wife; servants divers, men and women; one Valentine, who served as a tailor four years; James Elston, one year; Thomas Howman, butler, served him a year and half; William Marks, about nineteen years of age, who had served him from his childhood. [This last had a The three above-named confessed themselves able scarcely to write their names: but the boy could neither write nor read. Books brought thence: a mass-book, old: a written catechism: Officium B. Mariæ; a very old one: an epistle of the Prosecution of Catholics in England; the same in Latin: a book against the unlawful insurrec tion of the protestants, with certain leaves torn out: Catechism, ex decreto Consilii Trident. In the said Hoggesdon was searched also Mr. Ra. Tipping's house. "In all these three houses, commandment "was by us given, according to our directions, to the several 637" masters of the said houses, upon their allegiance, to see all "the foresaid persons forthcoming, until they should be dis- CHAP. charged of them." 66 XXI. taken. Some priests were taken: who, when they were exa- Anno 1580. mined, stoutly denied, that they persuaded any of the Priests queen's subjects to obey the pope, depriving her of her sword and sceptre; or that they were bound to assist him, or whom he should send to take the same by force of arms. And they protested earnestly, in open audience, that they had no such meaning; but for their parts did account her their lawful and true princess, and taught all others so to do: having first gained, like wily friars, a dispensation at Rome, that to avoid the present danger, they and all other their obsequents, might serve and honour the queen for a time, until the bull of Pius V. might sufficiently be executed. [So it ran in the dispensation of Campion and Parsons, as was set in the margin of Dr. Bylson's book.] "And True Diffe"it may be (saith that writer) the common sort of such as by Bylson. they perverted were not acquainted with these heinous Epist. ded. "mysteries. But yet this was the full resolution of them 66 66 all, as before was reported, as well appeared by their exa"minations. And this very conclusion stood in their written "books, as a ruled case, that they must rather lose their "lives than shrink from this groundwork; that the pope may deprive the queen of her sceptre and throne. Be cause, say they, it is a point of faith, and requireth con❝fession of the mouth, though death ensue. [Where in "the margin is set, In their Case of Conscience, the 55th 66 article.] rence, &c. of conscience re Now as to their cases of conscience, I have this to add. Popish cases One way the papists now used to preserve themselves, and to avoid the danger of the laws made against them, that solved. they propounded several questions in point of conscience to their learned, Jesuits chiefly: who accordingly gave favourable solutions to them, containing many courses and methods for concealing their religion; but allowing no compliance with the schism. Such questions sir James Hargrave propounded to some Jesuit, whose name I do not meet with, (perhaps Campion,) and accordingly had answers BOOK given to each of them. Which, both questions and answers, II. were found in the said sir James's study in July, 1580. Anno 1580. This being, in my judgment, a curious paper, I shall here give, as I found it in Latin, among some state-papers, to this tenor in English. Popish questions and an "I. Whether I may have psalms and chapters read in "English in my chapel, before my family and others, truly swers found translated, in the order prescribed by heretics, and fol"lowed by them. in sir James Hargrave's study. "II. Item, Whether I may have read the English pro"cession [that is, the Litany, I suppose] as it is now set "forth. 66 66 “Answer, Privately to pray in psalms truly translated; "and to read chapters translated, for instruction, so as best edify, I think it good. But to set forth the same for common service is an abhorrence and contempt of the "other good use, before had, if it be done without public "authority of the catholic church. And if fear of the "world, which is evil, be the cause of it, the fault is in"creased. And if the hearers shall think it to be the new "prescribed order, then is the procurer scandali causa, i. e. "the cause of scandal; besides dissimulation in that which "is done. And whereas, consensus cum malis est malus, ❝i. e. consent with the evil is evil, it should be thought the procurer doth give his consent, although not expressed, 638" at least he doth it interpretativè. Therefore we must "take heed, that by shunning one schism, we fall not into "another. " III. Item, Whether I may be confessed to a priest, "being in schism, except in articulo mortis, i. e. at the "point of death. “Answer, A schismatic ritely and catholicly ordained at "first, hath order, but not the execution of order. And if "he administer any sacraments, he sinneth damnably. And "although he confer the sacrament upon the adult, yet he "would not receive the grace of the sacrament, in part "given, if it be uncertain that it is a sin. Whosoever ❝doubts, the sin is certain. But they who by ignorance are |