of prison, in making their houses common to all priests who come, even with the danger of themselves and their whole estate, the relieving both corporally and spiritually the poor catholics who live among them, the maintaining of priests in their houses, some one, some two, is memorable among them. In the house where I lived, we were continually two priests, one to serve and order the house at home, another to help those who were abroad, who, especially in any sickness or fear of death, would continually send to us for help, that they might die in the estate of God's church. A LIST OF CATHOLICS EXECUTED FOR RELIGION on this account, I may mention that, when James, in 1622, at the intercession of count Gondomar, released the catholics imprisoned under the penal laws, no fewer than four thousand persons, of which four hundred were priests, obtained their liberty (Neal ii. 115, edit. 1822; Ellis, Orig. Letters, iii. 128). In 1614, there were in custody, only in the three metropolitan prisons of Newgate, the Clink, and the Gatehouse, no less than thirty-six priests, forty-seven laymen, and seven women; inaking a total of ninety individuals confined for their religion. Recusants' Papers, No. 254, MS. in the State Paper Office.-T.] [There is a mistake in page 3 of the present volume, which I will avail myself of this open space to correct. Relying on the authority of Birch, I have there (note 3) repeated the statement made by Dodd in the text, and have represented Hudson, the agent of James, as the person on whom the mastership of St. Cross was conferred. Among the Egerton Papers, however, lately published by the Camden Society, we have the original warrant, ordering the chancellor to make out the appointment; and from that document it appears that the individual, for whom the claims of Brooke were set aside, was Arthur Lake, a clergyman, afterwards bishop of Bath and Wells. Egerton Papers, 370.—T.] APPENDIX. [The papers marked with asterisks (***) were not printed in the former edition of this work.] No. I.-(Referred to at page 6.) Copley's Declaration to the Lords of the Council. [Original, in Copley's hand, in the State Paper Office.] THE free and voluntary declaration of me, Anthony Copley, written with my own hand, the 14th of July, 1603. Mr. Watson being returned from the king, brought us all discom forts, affirming that, besides the disgusts which his majesty gave him in terms to himself, touching our suit, a certain nobleman, then near unto his majesty, should afterward tell him how that, anon after his departure from the king, the king, turning to him and others, should, in reference to the news that protestants had so generally received and proclaimed him king of England, use these terms, "Na, na, gud fayth, wee's not neede the papists now!" Such then his majesty's disposition being manifested to catholics by Mr. Watson, we generally began to tax his majesty of ingratitude, knowing our loves to him in her late majesty's days, and how heartily we affected his succession to the crown, both in regard of his rightful title thereunto (which Mr. Watson very exactly defined against all others, pretenders, by his book, which his majesty hath seen), and also for the reverend love we generally bore unto that most catholic queen, his mother, and thirdly in contradiction to Spanish faction on his behalf; all which was well known to his majesty. To this our opinion of his ingratitude to us, hath sorted bis carriage since to his said saintly mother, of whose death and the manner of it we do not see that his majesty hath yet seemed to have any feeling, but rather (as it is generally said) hath given in express terms his approbation thereof; whereby we infer that much less will his majesty right our woes. Add hereunto his giving, since his coming into this realm, extraordinary grace and place to some persons formerly suspect of Spanish faction against his highness, and his disgracing their opponents, and, lastly, his accepting the £20 a month. Then, as for her majesty's disposition to our cause, although, in regard that her religion is Lutheran, and not Calvinian, we might expect her grace b VOL. IV. the rather, yet neither hath her highness satisfied such our expectations; the same having (as we are credibly informed), at her being at York, entertained into her grace's chapel a notable puritan preacher, endowing him with £200 a year. us. Upon these grounds, then, our discontents increasing daily more and more, in the end Mr. Watson, with a choice number of his brethren, and some special lay-catholics amongst them, advising that, inasmuch as his majesty is not as yet our crowned and anointed sovereign, whereby, the body of the realm depending but on a potential head, each grieved member thereof abides in his own power to right itself as it may in the mean time, did hereupon consult upon our case, and in the end rise up with this rest, viz., that a form of an oath should be drawn, and tendered to the catholics of their party, concerning some action to be enterprised, before the king's coronation, for the good of our cause; and therein to be contained a clause for secresy, and that for two reasons; the one for caution against discovery thereof to the state, the other against the jesuit party, which we were certainly informed was likewise distasted with the king, and had their course for the common cause in design, and that in caution against Our party being then resolved to do somewhat, it was for the present only advised to decipher, by virtue of the oath aforesaid, what trumps we could deal unto ourselves before we proceeded to the game :1 and, for the better drawing on of associates of the best sort, and of the timorous, it was to be intimated by the tenderers of this oath, that the business was no more than to present unto his majesty, when and where he might be found at most convenient leisure, as at a hunting, by the hands and viva vox of some eighty or a hundred of the chiefest, a supplication to this effect: First, signifying unto his highness that these suppliants are a choice number of those catholics, who ever stood in our late queen's days for his majesty's succession to the crown, against all whatsoever other pretenders, and, namely, against the Spanish faction; putting him in mind of Mr. Watson's book touching the same: secondly, to beseech his highness to be pleased to afford us, if not a toleration of our religion, for his virtuous and catholic mother's sake, who no doubt would therein [think] her death well avenged by his highness, at least an assuage of our grievances: and lastly, a conclusion with offer to be employed, lives and goods, in his majesty's service, whereby to manifest our loyalties unto him, if through mighty misin 1 [Mr. Jardine, citing part of this passage, supposes it to have been the object of the conspirators to determine what offices they should secure for themselves. It is evident, howeyer, that the "trumps" to be "deciphered by virtue of the oath," were the persons whom they might safely admit to their confederacy.-T.] formers he rested doubtful thereof. Now, what catholic might not take this oath, and be seen in this matter? I, for my part, coming up to London, about the 13th of June, and finding Mr. Watson at his chamber at Westminster, he there took me along with him towards Tothill Fields, where, on the bank near unto the Horse Ferry, he imparted that oath unto me, and, in the end, tendered it me to take; affirming that sundry had taken it afore me, and none, he thought, would refuse it. Whereupon I read it advisedly, and took it without scruple. Now, after I had so done, then proceeded he further with me, acknowledging my particular and approved affection to him and the brethren of his party, according as heretofore I had shown it by my writings on their side against the jesuit faction, while those broils depended; commending withal the catholic cause unto me, now especially that God hath seemed to suit a season unto us wherein to do it right, that is, the interim of a preterite and a future prince; concluding hereupon that, besides the intimated course by way of suit, as aforesaid, annexed unto that oath for the fearfuller and wealthier sort of catholics, there was a second intention for the activer and more mettled spirits, to be put in practice by virtue of that oath: not but that that first should have her course; but, if it failed, then instantly the other; which other he but gave me a glance of for that present, referring me to an ampler notice thereof at my next coming to town; "for that," quoth he," the course is not yet but rough, and not thoroughly contrived." Well, whatsoever it were, I apprehended it catholic, and thereupon gave him my hand and catholic promise, to be seen therein as far as any man; and so we parted for that time; he wishing me to bring up with me out of the country, at my return, as many able and resolute men for action as I could, and what I wanted to make up to a good number, to be in London the sooner, to the end to better it there; limiting me to the 20th of June, at the farthest. To be short, I returned to London on Monday, the 20th aforesaid, where, on Tuesday morning betimes, coming to Mr. Watson's chamber, he, after kind compliment, told me how long he thought it till I were come, the business he last imparted unto me growing now to a head; affirming that he had received letters from sundry of his brethren out of the country full of good news, namely, of numbers that they had in their several shires gathered to bring up with them against the day; which day he told me was the twenty-third of June for them all, and London their rendezvous. Then demanded he of me what number I had gotten; whereto I answered, not one, for that I knew never a catholic near me of many a mile that were not jesuited. 'Well, then," he replied, "bestir ye here in the city, for the time is short, and greatly sir Griffith Markham 66 |