BOOK" to and fro from Worthington. And three boys to be conII. "veyed beyond seas, to be made priests, stolen from their Anno 1586." uncle Worthington, and from the bishop of Chester. Apprehend- "The three men and one of the boys he (Topcliff] apprehended at Islington. Worthington was committed to 421" the Tower by the lord treasurer's direction; Revel and "Maxfield to the Clink; and the boy to the Gatehouse.

ed,

And examined.

Worthington, Maxfield, and Revel were twice exa"mined by sir Owen Hopton, [lieutenant of the Tower,] "Dr. Hammond, [a civilian,] Mr. Rokeby, [a justice of "peace,] and myself, [viz. Topcliff.] We all agreed, that "there did never come before us so arrogant, wilful, and "obstinate persons: impudently denying any familiarity or "acquaintance between them, or that any one of them had "seen another before they last met together at Islington, "before their last apprehension, or that they were in Staf"fordshire, at Meare, old Maxfield's house, lately before "their coming up. Where it shall be proved, that T. Wor"thington was at old Maxfield's house, with other like to "himself; as Bell, Sherwood, Cotton, &c. And at Whit"sontide last, and at St. Peter's time, preached there. And

at their coming up they were all at Meare, with one Nowel "and Sturdevant, Dr. Allen's man; and of their being there "the young boy, confronted with Maxfield, justified in "seemly sort the same by good tokens, to Maxfield's disgrace. And yet like a man given over, he did deny the "truth, which by others shall be justified, if occasion serve: "and proof [made], where they divided themselves, and ap"pointed to meet again.

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"Some of them commended Labourne's death, [a gen"tleman executed in the north,] saying, he died for avow"ing the Scots queen was queen of England, and our sove"reign [no more] but Elizabeth Bullen. And that a mi"racle was seen upon Labourn's quarters at Preston. Some "praised Arderus' behaviour," [who was executed in the year 1583, for being an accessary to an attempt of killing the queen,]" for saying at his arraignment, that Somerfield" [or Somervile, who strangled himself in prison, and was the

V.

person that came to the court with his sword to kill the CHAP. queen] “was strangled, because he should not shame his "adversaries.

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"Some among them said, that it would never be merry "world until the Scots queen reigned in England, and her son in Scotland. Some said, that the queen's majesty "should not reign; and that she will not reign:" [meaning, as it seems, in respect of the attempts to be made upon her, or of the prophecies that went of her death, or both.] “Topcliff added, that he knew them that would lay their "lives of it. For God (said they) will not suffer her to "live. For foreign princes will invade this realm by Scot"land, which is the only way to hope of."

This is an exact copy of this declaration to the lords by this gentleman; which I give at length, and will further discover the practices and malice of these popish recusants and priests, and in what danger the state was by reason of them.

By the means of this Topcliff, many of these priests, and other of that religion, were taken. Among the rest were one Cotton, a notable Jesuit, who went by the name of Martin, and Martin Ara; and Gervase Perpoint, a gentleman, who had been in the Tower before. Both these were, the 16th day of June, brought before Richard Young, an active justice of peace in London; and the examinations sent up to court.

Anno 1586.

Cotton confessed that he was a seminary priest, so made 422 at Doway, by the bishop of Cambray, and brought up Cotton, a seminary twelve years in the university of Lovain. That he went to priest, his Rome, where he stayed 18 months in the hospital. That he confession. came into England about six years ago, and made his abode most about the city. That he lodged at Southwark, Lambeth, and other places. That he went into Hampshire, to see if he could live quietly there. That he inquired how the bishop of Winchester [in whose diocese that county was] behaved himself towards the recusants; and hearing that he was very troublesome, he found there was no staying for

II.

BOOK him there; and so returned to Guilford; and so came back to London: and that he heard no bruits or reports in his Anno 1586. journey, but that the poorer sort were ready to break down barns to get corn. That he knew Mr. Gervase Perpoint, and had been with him several times, but that he durst not suffer him to lay there, the law was so rigorous, [viz. against harbouring recusants.] And much more is read in his confession; but very wary in all. As particularly refusing to tell where the apparel, linen, and books were, used by him, as it seems, at the celebration of mass; and denying to take his oath to answer any matters concerning the state of the realm, now when Babington's plot and the invasion of the realm was hatching. The refusing to take the like oath did Perpoint make, upon his examination, as appears by what follows: which no question was done by agreement of the party. Perpoint's Perpoint was examined at the same day by Young. He denied to take his oath to make answer to any matter concerning the state of the realm. That he had lain at a house in the Old Change ever since he came out of the Tower; which was ever since Christmas was twelvemonth. Denied that he knew Martin Ara, alias Cotton, or one Heywood, alias Blythe, [another priest.] But it was proved to the contrary that he knew both. That he, and divers others with him, went on a Sunday, such a day in June, at eight o'clock in the morning, to sir Tho. Fitzherbert's house; but heard no service [mass] there, &c. But I leave the whole examinations of these two notable papists to be read in the No. XIV. Appendix, from the original.

confession.

423

Anthony Tyrril, priest, his confession in letters to the Anno 1586. queen and lord treasurer. His discoveries of the Jesuits, &c. His recantation. His revolt: and his letter to the queen after it. A discourse proving the treason of priests executed. Divers tracts and speeches concerning the papists; and concerning the dealings with them. Cardinal Allen's concern with sir Edward Stanley in betraying Deventer to the Spaniard. He, with the pope, moves for an English seminary of soldiers. Writes a book for them.

Tyrrel,

and story.

AMONG the rest of the priests taken up at this danger-Anthony ous juncture, was one Anthony Tyrrel, of a good family, priest, his who came over with Ballard. He seemed very penitent, and confession very frank in his confession of himself, and what he knew' of others and of their practices. He renounced popery, and pretended to turn to the protestant religion; but getting his liberty, revolted back. After which, taken again, he turned again, and denied what he had before confessed. But the queen became exceedingly offended with him; and so was the lord treasurer. Whereat he addressed an humble letter to her, and some others to that lord. Which being so remarkable, and discovering such a character of a Romish priest, I shall set down somewhat at length, from the said Tyrril's own letters.

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to the trea

surer.

One whereof, dated in July this year, was to the said His letter lord treasurer Burghley: which he seems to have writ not long after his submission to the queen. It ran to this tenor: Right honourable, &c. That being by God's provi"dence made captive, and brought thereby into the danger "of her majesty's penal and capital laws, he thought it his "duty to humble himself unto her majesty's mercy. For "the better acquiring whereof, he knew none who gave "him greater comfort, or hope of favour, or help, than "his honourable lordship: partly in respect of the great "favour he had found at his lordship's hands heretofore;

BOOK" and partly for the honourable favour and good-will which II. "he knew his lordship bare unto his poor house and family. Anno 1586." But that chiefly for that always his poor father had a special affection unto him.

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"That his religion and order set apart, (both which might make him seem odious unto her majesty, and contemptible unto his honour,) he protested that no man living could impeach him with the least fault that might "be offensive unto her highness, or hurtful to the state.... "That he did bear as humble and dutiful mind unto his 424" gracious queen and sovereign as any subject might or "could. For that, besides his natural duty he owed unto "her majesty, both before God and in conscience, her "grace's particular favours and bountiful rewards towards "the maintenance of his poor father bound him always in "heart to honour and love her. That he hated from his "heart always the company of those, were they of his own religion or otherwise, that would pretend to practise any "thing against her majesty's person. And that if any such "whatsoever were so convicted by law, he thought them worthy of their deserving.

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"That in places of his travel beyond the seas, where "men were most prone to open their stomachs, if any dis"honoured or mistermed her majesty's royal person, he "contemned them, controlled them, and kept them (unless "by necessity he were constrained) no longer company. "That since his coming into his country, where he had con"versed, being priest, for the space of four or five years, "he had at home so behaved himself, as he had neither "spoken, written, nor practised any thing offensive to her majesty, or hurtful to the state, the zeal of his function 66 only excepted: which he had done so seldom and so wa"rily as possibly he could devise.

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"This being true, as he protested before his Lord God "to be true; and perceiving how gracious her majesty was "inclined even to those of his own profession, as were not capital offenders, otherwise than in matters of mere religion and conscience, he conceived some hope that the

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