ness, to the greatest prejudice and harm of our good names and persons that may be; unless maturely we prevent their endeavours therein we "most humbly beseech her majesty, that in this "our recognizing and yielding Cæsar's due unto

her, we may also, by her gracious leave, be per"mitted, for avoiding obloquies and calumnies, to "make known, by like public act, that, by yielding "her right unto her, we depart from no bond of "that christian duty, which we owe unto our su

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preme spiritual pastor: and therefore, we ac"knowledge and confess the bishop of Rome to be "the successor of St. Peter, in that see; and to have "as ample, and no more, authority or jurisdiction over us and other christians, than had that apostle by the commission and gift of Christ our "Saviour; and that we will obey him so far forth "as we are bound by the laws of God to do, which "we doubt not, but will stand well with the per"formance of our duty to our temporal prince, in "such sort as we have before professed. For, as

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we are most ready to spend our blood in the de"fence of her majesty, and our country, so we will "rather lose our lives than infringe the lawful "authority of Christ's catholic church."

William Bishop,

John Colleton,

John Mush,

Robert Charnock,
John Boseville,
Anthony Hepburne,
Roger Cadwallader,

Robert Drury,
John Jackson,

Francis Barneby,

Oswald Needham,

Richard Button,
Anthony Champney.

This protestation was signed by the thirteen priests. It was framed by Mr. William Bishop, whose name stands first on the list of signatures. He was afterwards consecrated bishop of Chalcedon; and the pope conferred upon him episcopal jurisdiction over the catholics of England and Scotland. Two of the other priests by whom it was signed, Roger Cadwallader, and Robert Drury, afterwards suffered death under the penal code of Elizabeth.

The subscribing clergymen had foreseen the misconstruction which would be put on their lawful act, and the sinister suggestions by which it would be attempted to be discredited. It was said to be "an officious obtrusion :" but Elizabeth had invited it by her proclamation. It was said "to convey a reproach of disloyalty upon all other priests and catholics:" but it does not contain a word, which either expresses or intimates such censure. It was asked, "where and when had catholic priests, or laymen, entered into the conspiracies "mentioned in it to have been formed against her

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majesty's person; and what were the sundry "forcible attempts, said in it to have been made "for invading and conquering her dominions? "What catholics had favoured these conspiracies "and invasions?"-Northumberland, it was replied, and Westmoreland, and Babington, and his associates;-Those also, who, to use the language of the answer to the Memoirs of Panzani, p. 142 -146, had deeper views than the general body of the missionaries:-who approved of the bull of Pius the fifth, and who thought the execution

of it by Philip the second,-(his Armada was certainly a very forcible attempt,)—would have been an act of eminent justice :-finally, those, who wrote to prove that the war against Elizabeth was just and necessary; and who sought to interrupt the lawful descent of the crown, by bringing in a catholic successor. Against these disloyal opinions, and unjustifiable practices, the document, signed by the thirteen priests, was a solemn, an accurate, and an explicit protestation. It was delivered to the lords in council, and satisfied both their lordships and the queen.

Much indeed, is it to be lamented, that it was not generally signed by all the catholic clergy and laity of England. But it was opposed by a powerful party: the divines of Louvaine were consulted, and expressed their disapprobation of it. So free, however, was it from any expression of doctrine, really objectionable, that its signature by Mr. Bishop, and his activity in procuring signatures, did not prevent the see of Rome from appointing him, as we have already mentioned, her vicar-apostolic, with ordinary jurisdiction over the catholics in England and Scotland.

It is also to be observed, that the censure passed by the divines of Louvaine on the protestation of the thirteen priests, is expressed in very gentle terms. They mention, that the point submitted to them wholly turned on the question, "whether the 66 pope hath or hath not an indirect power in tem"porals ?"-They assert, that "the affirmative of "the proposition is certain; that the negative of

"it is false; but not contrary to faith; and con

trary only to the common opinion." That, "the thirteen priests had not, by signing the de"claration of allegiance, rendered themselves in"eligible to offices, or improper to hold them." That "the opinion expressed by them was tole"rated in France; that the pope had conferred "ecclesiastical dignities on some who maintained " and that " several fathers of the society "of Jesus, who had openly professed it, had been recognised by the other fathers of their order.". The moderation of the censure showed the

"it;

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of reason.

progress

CHAP. XXII.

TWO BRIEFS OF CLEMENT THE EIGHTH.

THE letters of cardinal d'Ossat contain much curious information concerning these briefs. The importance of these letters is increased by the high character of the writer. He was one of those extraordinary personages who have united every voice in their praise. He is mentioned in terms of equal favour by Thuanus and Pallavicini, by Wicquefort in England, and the jesuit Galucci at Rome. From a situation so low, that his family was never known, he raised himself by his talents, and the undeviating wisdom and rectitude of his conduct, to be vice

ambassador of Henry the fourth of France, to the see of Rome,-the centre, at that time, of the most important negociations. He possessed the entire confidence of his sovereign; and the pope, as an expression of his esteem for him, honoured him with the purple. "His penetration," says l'Avocat, "was prodigious. He formed his resolutions with "such discernment, that, in all the various concerns "and negociations in which he was engaged, a single false step has not been discovered."-It is difficult to avoid a digression, when it leads to the contemplation of a character at once so respectable and pleasing *.

In a very long, and a singularly interesting letter, of the 26th of November, 1601, cardinal d'Ossat gives a full account of the curious project, that produced the two briefs which we are now called upon to mention. The cardinal analyzes the work written upon the succession to the crown of England, under the name of Doleman; which has been mentioned in a preceding page. The cardinal says it was written at the instigation of Spain, and circulated by the Spaniards over the Low Countries, and whereever else they thought it might find readers. Doleman, he says, reduces the legitimate pretenders to the crown of England,--1st. to the king of

The cardinal's Letters were published at Paris, in 1698, in two volumes quarto, with notes, by Amelot de la Houssaye. Those, from which the ensuing particulars are taken, will be found in the following parts of the collection: I. p. 222, 399; II. p. 303, 390, 501, 507, 509, 615, 617, 618, 619.