THE LIFE AND DEATH OF Mr. Edmund Geninges PRIEST Crowned with Martyrdome at London the 10. day of Nouember in the yeare M. D.XCI Pretiosa in conspectu DniÌ„ Mors Sanctorum eius Psal. 115. AT S. OMERS by Charles Boscard S. Cyprianus Epist. 9. in fine O beatam Ecclesiam nostram quam temporibus nostris gloriosus Martyrum sanguis illustrat Erat antea in operibus Fratrum candida nunc facta est in Martyrum cruore purpurea Happy is our Church which the glorious bloud of Martyrs doth in these our dayes illustrate It was made white before in the workes of our Brethren but now is become purple in the bloud of Martyrs THE AVTHOR TO HIS BOOKE GO mournfull Muse the trumpet of my cares Sound out aloud this dolefull accident Tell all the world how ill the matter fares T' is hard if none will help thee to lament A Tygers hart such sorrowes will deplore His teares I wish that neuer wept before VVhen as the noble Romans made returne From forrayne conquests and great victoryes They on theyr Altars sacrifice did burne Their famous actes therby to memorize And thus they left vnto posterity The due reward of worthy chiualry Shall then the sufferings of our Champion sleepe His glorious combats and victorious stryfe No no deare Muse thy pen thou now must steepe In bloudy accents of a martyrs lyfe A lyfe indeed for when his dayes had end Eternity of lyfe did death amend THE BOOKE TO HIS READER AFfected wordes or Courtly complement Do not expect who euer reades this story Vertu 's my ground it needs no ornament And to deceyue you so I should be sory If any such there be post to King Liere He hath applause seeke not contentment heere Poets may paynt and diuersely adorne Theyr feygned passions and Chymera's strange Teaching theyr pennes to weepe as one forlorne And vp and downe in barren deserts range But if true griefe do once possesse theyr mind They feele theyr combats in another kind My authour's playne nor is his griefe a fiction The world can witnesse what himselfe doth proue Read that ensues t' is writ for thy direction And ease thy passion as desert shall mooue It it be pen'd according to thy fancy Then learne to suffer by his constancy To the very R. my euer Deare and VVorthy Friend Maister I. G. P. WORTHY SYR This ensuing RelatioÌ„ which of late I receaued froÌ„ you in writteÌ„ hand I now returne againe in Print by way of dedication My reasons for so vnusual a thing are two First for that I iudge your selfe before all others only Worthy to patronize the same it being the subiect of him in whome before all others you euer had and haue still most right interest Secondly that as in his vertuous life tyme you were neerly conioyned vnto him both in Affection Bloud so now after his glorious death his memory might be liuely represeÌ„ted vnto you both in Hart Mynd The which I haue heere endeauoured to expresse to my best power Turne then ouer the leafe behould that mirrour wherein you most delight And so I rest Yours euer most assured I. W P. Edmundi speciem spectat quicumque Geningi Robora virtutem spectet et ille fidem IpsVM ter DVrae fera LeX fera neXVe bearVnt Terque cruenta dies dena Decembris erat Numque tenet raptum dum cor è corpore lictor Gregorij è caelis numina lingua petit Huic dens ex proprio vix nato nascitur ore Roboris hoc signum proque fideque Deo Mart baâ—f THE PREFACE SACRAMENTVM REGIS caelare bonum est opera autem Dei reuelare coÌ„fiteri honorificuÌ„ est It is a good thing saith the holy Scripture to coÌ„ceale the secret of a King but it is most honourable to reueale and coÌ„fesse the workes of God Like as this seÌ„tence Courteous Reader is verifyed touching all the diuine works of Almighty God himselfe in generall so the truth of it is most apparent concerning his admirable workes in iust men and Saynts in particuler The reason of this is manifest because the relation of such workes doth not only tend highly to the honour of God who by this meanes is shewed to be admirable and prayse-worthy in his Saints but also to the glory of the Saintes themselues and of Gods militant Church on earth of which whiles they liued they were liuely members Hence it hath bene euer a laudable custome of liuing Christians to report and make knowne to the world the noble actes of Gods Saints departed cut of this vale of miseryes But is this the onely good that ariseth of such endeavours No for the historyes of the Liues of Saints doe confirme our fayth stirre vs vp to imitate them and haue sundry other most profitable effects And although these motiues may suffice to perswade any Christian to penne and publish the famous actes of holy Martyrs yet not onely these but others also mooue me to vndertake this labour touching the life and death of Edmund Geninges Priest who amongst many others in defence of Christs Holy and Apostolique Church not many yeares since hath in this our Iland most gloriously shed his innocent bloud and lost his temporall life to gayne eternall Of which motiues one is my owne exact knowledg of many particulers concerning this Blessed man wherof others better able to performe this matter then my selfe perhaps are ignorant which particulers being memorable would peraduenture therby be buryed in perpetual obliuion if I should not deliuer them thus in writing to posterity Another motiue is my particuler loue and deserued affection to the party of whom I am to treat The third is the perswasion and intreaty of some speciall friends whose requests in such a matter I cannot well either neglect or withstand Finally some secret motiues haue often assaulted my mind and inuited me to this enterprize which in mature consideration seeme to me to haue proceeded from God himselfe who would not haue the memory of his Saints so long obscured forgotten These reasons as they vrged me forward so others also contrariwise hitherto kept me backe disswaded me from such proceedinges First a feare or suspition of being accounted ouer partiall by reason I haue bene so much linked vnto him in friendshippe and fauour for which cause my Relation perhaps vnto some might seeme in part faygned through affection and consequently of doubtful truth Secondly my owne insufficiency and want of experience in penning such a worthy discourse as this deserueth These two conceits haue hitherto kept me backe from publishing of this intention But now the former motiues are demeed by me more forcible and weygh downe these opposit obiections especially seing that both these letts obstacles in the sight of an indifferent Reader may after a sort be eyther much weakened or altogeather remooued The one by a protestation of truth and sincerity The other by another meane of like
suscipias me discipulum eius qui pependit in te O good gibbet long desired and now prepared for my hart much desiring thee being secure and ioyfull I come vnto thee so thou also with ioy I beseech thee receyue me the disciple of him that suffered on the Crosse. Being put vpon the ladder naked to his shirte many questions were asked him by some standers by wherto he answered still directly At length M. Topliffe being present cryed out with a loud voyce Geninges Geninges confesse thy fault thy Popish treason and the Queene by submission no doubt will grant thee pardon To which he mildly answered I knowe not M. Topliffe in what I haue offended my deare annoynted Princesse for if I had offended her or any other in any thing I would willingly aske her and all the world forgiuenesse If she bee offended with me without a cause for professing my fayth and religion because I am a Priest or because I will not turne Minister agaynst my conscience I shal be I trust excused and innocent before God Obedire sayth S. Peter oportet Deo magis quà m hominibus I must obey God rather then men and must not in this case acknowledge a fault where none is If to returne into England Priest or to say Masse be Popish treason I heere confesse I am a traytour but I thinke not so And therfore I acknowledge my selfe guilty of these thinges not with repentance or sorrow of hart but with an open protestation of inward ioy that I haue done so good deedes which if they were to do agayne I would by the permission and assistance of Almighty God accomplish the same although with the hazard of a thousand liues Which wordes M. Topliffe hearing being much troubled therwith scarce giuing him leaue to say a Pater noster bad the Hangman turne the ladder which in an instant being done presently he caused him to be cut downe the Blessed martyr in the sight of all the beholders being yet able to stand on his feete casting his eyes towardes heauen his senses were very little astonished in so much that the Hangman was forced to trippe vp his heeles from vnder him to make him fall on the blocke And being dismembred through very payne in the hearing of many with a lowde voyce he vttered these wordes Oh it smartes which M. VVelles hearing replyed thus Alas sweete soule thy payne is great indeed but almost past pray for me now most holy Saynt that mine may come He being ripped vp his bowelles cast into the fire if credit may be giuen to hundreds of People standing by and to the Hangman himselfe the blessed Martyr vttered his hart being in the executioners hand these wordes Sancte Gregori ora pro me which the Hangman hearing with open mouth swore this damnable oath Gods woundes See his hart is in my hand and yet Gregory in his mouth ô egregious Papist Thus the afflicted Martyr euen to the last of his torments cryed for the ayde succour of Saynts and especially of S. Gregory his deuoted patron and our countries Apostle that by his intercession he might passe the sharpnes of that torment And thus with barbarons cruelty our thirce happy Martyr finished the course of his mortall life and purchased no doubt a crowne of immortality in the glorious Court of heauen Wherfore now he triumpheth with all vnspeakeable ioy and eatitude amongst the number of those blessed martyrs who haue in this world suffered all torments of persecution and haue withstood Princes and Potentates lawes and lawmakers for the honour and glory of theyr Lord and Sauiour and therfore haue found true the confortable saying of holy Dauid Qui seminant in lachrymis in exultatione metent They who sow in teares shall reape in ioy Now so much the more is our Saynt glorifyed by how much the more he was tormented according to that saying of S. Cyprian Quò longior vestra pugna hic corona sublimior praesens tamen confessio quantò in passione fortior tantò clarior maior in honore By how much your combat is the longer by so much your crowne shall be the higher so that by how much stronger the present confession is in suffering so much more glorious and greater it shall be in honour Jussit amor pietasque sacram me tangere dextram Cede loco pollex cedere iussit amor OF A CERTAINE MIRAcle that happened at his death CHAP. X. THVS HAVE I expressed and related in a rude stile the life and death of Edmund Geninges Priest omitting for breuity sake many particulers yet what I haue writtē doth sufficiētly manifest his exceeding great vertue and happines who by so glorious bathing of his body in his owne bloud washed away all other defects of humane frailty who by approued constancy and patience passing couragiously as it were through fyer and water attayned to a Paradise of euerlasting pleasure and rest So his owne Countrey which first sought to bring him to perdition by her infectious doctrine brought him at last to heauen by her seuere persecution But now attend I beseech you how the glory of his martyrdome was declared and confirmed by an euident signe shewed by the hand of Almighty God who by diuine testimony manifested to the world the truth of his cause the greatnes of his reward making knowne also how acceptable a thing it is in his sight to esteeme highly and reuerence the sacred reliques of his chosen Saynts And truely euen in this his Martyr to the confusion of our Aduersaries he gaue great solace and comfort to Catholikes concerning that point And this it was At the massacring of his body as there were many Protestants who came rather to behould the spectacle thē to pitty the innocent so were there many Catholikes present also who resorted to his execution partly to see this good pastour Qui pro ouibus suis animam suam posuit who gaue his life for the loue of his sheepe partly by the sight therof to confirme theyr fayth increase theyr charity and to get courage to imbrace all like assaults and combats if like occasion should be offered and partly to participate although not in act yet at least in desire with him in his martyrdome yea and to animate our Champion now in the lists to greater magnanimty for amicus praesēs consolatio est afflictis a present frend is a cōfort to the afflicted and S. Paul commandeth vs consolari inuicem to comfort one another Amongst the rest there was a Virgin who had wholy dedicated her selfe to the seruice of God She being desirous to be partaker of so great a merit and to get if it were possible some little part or parcell of his sacred flesh or guiltlesse bloud powred on the ground to keepe as a perpetuall relique for her priuate deuotion vsed all diligence to drawe neere to the Gibbet that she might obtaine her desire but seing
her selfe frustrated of all in that kinde through the presse of people and also through daunger of being discouered deuotion being her guide she followed his quarters as they were drawne backe agayne to be boyled at Newgate hoping there at the least to touch them before they were dispersed to hang on the gates of the Citty being as it were in despaire of any greater benefit And comming to the prison the people flocked togeather to behold the fresh bleeding quarters according to theyr wonted custome when any such thing is to be seene before they were carryed vp to boyling desiring the executioner to shew them peece by peece that so their curiosity might giue censure as they said whether he was fat or leane blacke or fayre To satisfie theyr request by chance Bull the Hangman tooke vp one of his forequarters by the arme which when he had shewed to the People he contēptuosly flung it downe into the baskett agayne wherin it lay and tooke vp the head that they might see his face And as God would haue it both arme and hand of the foresayd quarter hung out ouer the sides of the basket which the said virgin espying drew neare to touch it and approaching warily with feare lest any should take notice of her so doing hauing a determination and vehement desire to touch his holy annoynted thumbe which then appeared next her if it were possible and because it was a part of his hand which so often had eleuated the immaculate body of our B. Sauiour Iesus Christ she purposed not to leaue it vnhandled for her last farewell This her determination and purpose she presently performed and taking the thumbe in her hand by the instinct of Almighty God she gaue it a little pull only to shew her loue and desire of hauing it The sequele was miraculous for behold she not imagining any such matter would haue followed by the diuine power the thumbe was instantly loosed from his hand and being separated she carryed it away safely both flesh skinne and bone without sight of any to her great ioy and admiration O strange and miraculous separation O benefit past all requitall The thumbe of a man newly dead and quartered to depart from the hand as it were sponte sua of it owne accord to pleasure a friend that loued him so entirely and that in the middest of so many hundreds of people of a different Religion yet not espyed by any But the strangnes therof I leaue to your pious consideration confessing my selfe altogeather vnworthy and not any wayes able to explicate the worthines of the same This yonge Gentlewoman presently vpon this miraculous purchase hauing fully resolued to forsake the vanityes of the world and especially this our troublesome Countrey went not long after beyond the seas carrying with her this pretious Relique which she much esteemed There she deuoted herselfe to S. Augustine and is since become a venerable Nunne of the same Order Afterward she hearing of this Martyrs owne brother to liue in the Seminary at Doway sent him for a token a little peece of the same thumbe inclosed in a letter written with her owne hand protesting the verity of all the aforesayd narration Jam Virtus pietas redeunt iam saecula prisca Tu Stephanus Saulus dum tibi frater erat OF THE CONVERSION OF his Brother to the Catholike faith CHAP. XI SEING I HAVE now agayne made mention of this our Martyrs brother I thinke it will not be vngratefull to the Reader if I relate briefly how he came to be a Catholike how afterward he took his iourney to Doway there put in practise such his good purpose as was to follow the stepps of his deare brother whose life death I haue rehearsed Verily whosoeuer readeth it shall find the intercession of this Saint to haue bene the only cause next after God of all his good I haue declared already how little hope there was of his Conuersion when his brother was liuing for although he was young yet was he obstinate and rather inclyned to a Puritanicall spirit then any way fauouringe the Catholike doctrine nay he was euer brought vp where he neuer heard any good report of a Catholike no not so much as that they were honest men I haue likewise shewed the great desire the blessed Martyr had to bring his Brother to be a member of the Catholike Church the great care he tooke for his conuersion I haue further sett downe the Martyrs strange manner of finding him and being found the vnbrotherly salutation he gaue the finder whose behauiour was such as time and place would not giue leaue once to speake of Religion Finally I haue mentioned that the cause of the holy Martyrs cōming to London whē he was taken specially was his brother Iohns loue but indeed he was martyred before euer he could see him and so he neuer vsed vnto him any perswasions or reasons for Religion nor yet commended he him to any one friends care so hastened was his vnexpected death Now I will truly relate the manner of his Conuersion being it cannot but redound highly to the glory of God and honour of the blessed Martyr who by his prayers obtayned that in heauen which he himselfe could not effect on earth Thus then it happened This Martyrs Brother called Iohn Geninges being in London at the very time of our Chāpions apprehension cōdemnation execution hearing of the same rather reioyced then any way bewayled the vntimely bloudy end of his nearest allyed hoping therby to be rid of all perswasions which he mistrusted he should receyue from him touching Catholique religion And through blind wilfulnes intending to withstand all spirit of grace he therfore neglected yea rather scorned to go to see his brother eyther imprisoned arraigned or martyred such was the froward blindnes of his heresie But about ten dayes after his execution towards night hauing spent all that day in sport and ioylity being weary with play he resorted home where to repose himselfe he went into a secret chamber He was no sooner there set downe but forthwith his hart began to be heauy and his head melancholy and he began to waygh how idlely he had spent that day When he was entred into such conceits there presently was represented vnto his mind a strange imagination and apprehension of the death of his Brother and amongst other thinges how he did forsake not long before all worldly pleasure for his Religion only indured intollerable torments Thus within himselfe he made long discourses concerning his Religion and his Brothers comparing the Catholike manner of liuing with his and finding the one to desire payne the other pleasure the one to liue strictly the other licentiously the one to feare sinne the other to runne into all kind of syn being stroken with exceeding terrour and remorse he wept bitterly desiring God after his fashion to illuminate his vnderstanding that he might see
and perceyue the truth O what great ioy consolation felt he at that instant Nay what reuerence on the suddayne began he to beare to the B. Virgin and the Saynts of God which before he had neuer scarse heard talke of What strange motions as it were inspirations with exceeding readines of will to chaunge his Religion possessed his soule And what a heauenly conceipt had he now of his deare brothers felicity He imagined then he saw him he thought he heard him In this extasy of mind he stayd not long before he vowed as he lay prostrate on the ground to forsake kinred and Countrey to finde out the true knowledge of his brothers fayth which he soone after performed although with much difficulty and departed England without aduertising anyone of his friendes and went beyond the seas to performe his former promise Finally he attributed his Conuersion wholy next after God to the intercession of his blessed brother And truely no man according to reason can otherwise imagine seing of a Protestant he became a Catholike in fayth without perswasion or conference with any one man in the world But sanguis Martyrum as Tertullian sayth est semen Ecclesiae The bloud of martyrs is the seed of the Church of Christ. Therfore we may now cease to meruayle seing all England hath bene sowed with like grayne that it hath already reaped at the least twenty for one our spring still continuing our haruest euer increasing And seing Almighty God hath vouchsafed to honour our Nation with so many glorious Martyrs it remayneth that we beholding the manner of theyr conuersation may imitate theyr fayth and endeauour to follow theyr happy footsteps In the meane time it behoueth vs Catholikes touching our selues to pray for grace and perseuerance in that which wee haue begun Touching others Charity cannot but inforce vs to pray for theyr conuersion Let vs therfore dayly and hourely with the Prophet Ieremy cry out vnto our Lord Recordare Domine quid acciderit nobis Intuere respice opprobrium nostrum haereditas nostra versa est ad alienos domus nostrae ad extraneos pupilli facti sumus absque patre matres nostrâ—e quasi viduae O Lord remember what hath happened vnto vs behold and see our great reproach our inheritance is gone to strangers our houses to aliens we are become children without a father our mothers are made as it were widdowes Let vs moreouer in our priuate deuotions implore the suffrages of such holy Saynts who in our miserable Countrey haue lost theyr liues for Gods quarrell And let vs finally follow the counsell of holy S. Ephrem saying Imitemur Sanctos vt per eorum merita cum ipsis in regnis caelestibus gaudeamus Let vs imitate Saynts that through theyr meritts we may ioy with them in the heauenly kingdome Which God of infinite goodnes graunt for Christ Iesus sake Amen FINIS THE APPROBATION VITA Sancti huius ac constantissimi Martyris Sacerdotis cuius pugna plurimùm creuit pugnantis gloria hoc libello sincerè descripta proelo digna est vt eius intuentes exitum conuersationis fidem imitentur Audomaropoli 10. Feb. 1614. Ioannes Redman S. Th. D. librorum Censor A BRIEFE RELATION BY WAY OF APPENDIX Concerning the Life and Death of M. Swithune Welles Gentleman companion and fellow-Martyr to the foresayd M. Edmund Geninges Priest ALTHOVGH I haue already briefely touched the euer-worthy Martyr M. Swithune VVelles yet hauing now receaued a more aÌ„ple Relation of his excelleÌ„t vertues shining both in his life and death I am inuited to set the same downe by way of Appendix word for word as it came to my hands that the blessed memory of so renowned a Champion of the Catholike fayth may remayne consecrated to all posterity He was the youngest sonne of Thomas VVelles Esquire and brother to that Worthy Confessor Gilbert VVelles Esquire whose immoueable constancy a midst so many so great persecutioÌ„s vnder the late Queene Elizabeth hath beene highelie Honorable vnto the Cath. Cause establishing a happy posterity behind hym enriched with the ample inheritance of his approued vertues This Swithune being vertuously educated from his infancy carefully instructed in all manner of learning fitting that age as he was very pregnant of wit vnderstanding so by his especiall industry and diligence he became so singularlie qualified especially in the studies of humanitie as he not onely equalled but far excelled most of his fellowes He was kind of nature pleasant of conceit courteous of behauiour generous in courage affable in speach briefely all his deportment was so prudently seasoned with vrbanitie that he delighted his familiars gayned friendes quailed his enemies From studies he fell to other laudable exercises fitting his degree but being now growen to some riper yeares hee tooke to wife a vertuous Gentlewoman who togeather with himselfe being most vniustely condemned to death after a longe and hard imprisonment yielded her blessed soule into the handes of her Creator in the coÌ„stant confession of our Holy Fayth in the prison of Newgate in the yeare of our Lord 1602. In this estate as he grew more mature in age so he did in vertues To the prouident care of a good maister of a family he adioyned many other excellent imployments highlie to his prayse and honour For although he were much delighted in hauking hunting and other such Gentleman-like sportes yet he so soberly gouerned his affections therein that he was content to depriue himselfe of a great part of those pleasures retire to a more profitable imployment of trayning vp young Gentlemen both in vertue learning wherin he had such happy successe that his Schoole hath byn as it were a fruitfull Seminary to many worthy members of the Catholik Church whereof one hath already gayned the crown of martyrdome others yet remaine some industrious paynefull workmen in the happy haruest of soules some continue stroÌ„g immoueable pillars to support the Cath. Cause agaynst to many grieuous stormes and tempestes as are daily raysed agaynst it I shall not need heere to speake how temperate hee was in prosperitie how contented in aduersitie Yow shal heare himself an vndoubted witnes heerof excellently expressing the same in his owne wordes taken out of a letter of his directed vnto a worthy Gentleman M. Gerard Marin his brother-in-law whose vertuous life and death in the constant profession of our holie fayth deserueth also great prayse and renowne in the Cath. Church Thus then he writeth being now a prisoner in the Clincke The Comfortes which Captiuity bringeth are so manifold that I haue rather cause to thanke God highly for his Fatherly correctioÌ„ then to complaine of any worldly misery whatsoeuer Dominus de caelo in terram aspexit vt audiret gemitus compeditorum Exaudiuit pauperes vinctos suos non despexit Introcat in conspectu tuo gemitus compeditorum Potiùs mihi habetur
affici pro Christo quà m honorari à Christo. These and the like cannot but comfort a good Christian and cause him to esteeme his captiuity to be a principall feedome his prison a heauenlie harbour and his irons an ornament and comely badge of Christ himself These will plead for him and the prison will protect him God send me withall the prayers of all good folkes to obtayne some end of all miseries such as to his holie will and pleasure shal be most agreable I haue beene longe tyme indurance indured much payne but the many future rewardes in the heauenlie payment make all paynes seeme to me a pleasure And truly custome hath caused that it is now no griefe to me at all to be barred from company desiring nothing more theÌ„ solitarinesse but rather I reioice that therby I haue the better occasion with prayer to prepare my self to that happy end for which I was created and placed heere by God assuring my self allwayes of this one thinge that how few soeuer I see yet am I not alone Solus non est cui Christus comes est When I pray I talke with God when I read he talketh to mee so that I am neuer alone He is my chiefest companion and onelie comfort Cum ipso sum in tribulatione I haue no cause to complaine of the hardnes of prison considering the effects therof and the rather because I fasten not my affection vpon worldlie vanities whereof I haue had my fyll to my great grief and sorrow I renounced the world before euer I tasted of imprisonment euen in my Baptisme which being so how little doth it import in what place I be in the world sith by promise I vowed once neuer to bee of the world which promise profession how slenderly soeuer I haue kept heretofore I purpose for the tyme to come God assisting me with his grace in my commenced enterprise to continue to my liues end MuÌ„dus mihi crucifixus est ego mundo Absit mihi gloriari nisi in cruce Christi I vtterlie refuse all commodities pleasures pastimes delightes sauing onely the sweet seruice of God in whom is the perfection of all true pleasures Vanitas vanitatuÌ„ omnia vanitas praeter amare Deum Bound I am and charged with guyes yet am I loose and vnbound towardes God And far better I account it to haue the body bound then the soule to bee in bondage lyuing at liberty But what meane I to make so many wordes to you that know this better theÌ„ my self Beare with mee I pray you for my boldnes pardon me if I be ouer tedious Hoc solùm efficit amor To conclude with some other matter So it is that I haue heere inclosed a Letter of a contrarie effect to this directed to a man of a contrary ReligioÌ„ wherin you may peruse my estate vnderstand my request In case yow shall so thinke good you may deliuer the same and further the matter I would not haue sued to be ryd out of this most vile and chargeable prison if I had wherewith to defray so exceeding great expences for the more vile and hard vsage the more merit I am hardly threatned which danger of death But if it be no worse I will not wish it to be better God send me his grace and then I waygh not what flesh bloud can doe vnto mee I haue answered vnto many curious and daÌ„gerous questions but I trust with good aduisemeÌ„t not offending my conscience What will become of it God knoweth best to whose holy protection I commit yow è Carcere Catenis ad Regnum Tuus dum vixero Sw. VV. Loe heere the Heroicall resolution of this noble mynd see to what sublimitie of Christian perfection his holie sufferinges soone aduaunced him Briefely his euer memorable deedes far surpassed his wordes How vnconquerable was he in the greatest heat and fury of his persecutions How vndaunted at the dreadfull sentence of death of all terribles the most terriblest How religiously disposed how zealousely prepared how compleatly armed did he enter the feild to fight the battaile of our Lord like a vailiant captaine of Christes well-ordered Army For euen in the way to his execution seing by chaunce an old aquaintance of his he could not forget his wonted myrth but saluted him in these words Farewell deare friend sayth he farewell all hauking hunting and old pastimes I am now going a better way Finally being now come to the place of execution which for his greater terror and reproach was contriued before his owne house in Grays-Inne-field on the North side of Holborne as one ouer-ioyed with the burning desire of holy martyrdome he was so far from intreating any least respite of life as that he rather hastened the executioner to accomplish his greatly expected death Dispatch M. Topliffe quoth he dispatch are you not ashamed to suffer an old man to stand heere so longe in his shirt in the could I pray God make yow of a Saul a Paul of a Persecutor a Catholike Professor And in these other like sweet speaches full of Christian piety charity and magnanimity he happily consummated the blessed course of this his mortal life with the Crowne of a glorious Martyrdome the 10. day of December in the yeare 1592. O blessed life O happy death The whole Church triumphaÌ„t of heauen reioyceth in your victories the whole Cath. Church militant on earth exulteth in your triumphes Let then our Cath. Nobility and Gentry emulate imitate this rare example Hence may they learne how sweet the yoake of Christ is which seemeth to worldly myndes so hard and difficult how easie and light the burden is which seemeth so heauy insupportable This magnanimous spirit inflamed zeale our holy martyr learned in the schoole of tribulation persecution growing with the great Apostle then most strong when he was most weakened then most cheerfull when he was most afflicted then most couragious when he was most fiercely assaulted Let not then your generous hartes bee dismayed let not your noble courages be quayled cast your selues securely and confidently into this heauenly fornace where your fayth and constancy being once tried shall like most pure and refined gould giue a far more glorious luster shining before Men and Angells to the greater glory of your eternall Father who graciously vouchsafeth magnificently to Crowne all these transitory momentary sufferinges with eternall rewardes FINIS * a Book so called Iob. 12 Psal. 67 Motiues that induced the Author to wryte this discourse Why this Booke was not published before this day Prou. 19 cap. 6. Sap. 1 Psalm 5 Ioan. 8. Iob. 12. His parents their names concealed for speciall reasons He was borne with a tooth in his head A propheticall speach foreshewing his end His grauity in his childhood A vision foretelling our Countryes persecution His vertuous educatioÌ„ How he became 〈◊〉 to Catholike Gentlemen His leauing of his Friends M Rich. Sherwood Hi fidelity to his maister His first step towards heauen His Maisters confidence in him His happy successe in his Maisters businesse His Maisters going beyond seas In vita Sancti Laurent Luc. 22. His griefe that he must forsake his Maister Matt. 6. Matt. 19 Luc. 18. His passing ouer the seas His vertuous conuersation at Rhemes His praises written by his Superiours His sicknes at Rhemes His departure towards England His lying sick at New hauen His earnest desire not to go back into England Exod. 8. Psal. 76. His sudden recouery of a languishing disease Psal. 3.2 Sap. 81. His zeal towards his afflicted Countrey His earnest desire of Priesthood A dispensatioÌ„ obtayned froÌ„ Rome for his Priesthood His strange apprehension of the worthines of Priesthood His preparation to Priesthood Iob. 31. His deuotion in celebrating Masse Act. 8. Rom. 8. Act. 20. His taking of shippe How he was set on shore How they separated theÌ„selues for feare His departure from his Companion His repayring to his owne Countrey A suddaine feare came vpon him as he went in the streets at the sight of his Brother The second tyme of the same feare His first knowledg of his brother His communication with his brother His brothers feare to incur the law for not reueling him His departure from his brother and farewell His meeting with M. Plasden Their coÌ„ference of spirituall matters His preparation to Masse and celebrating of the diuine Mysterie His saying of Masse the officers entrance His manner of taking His examinatioÌ„ before Iustice Yonge Maister Wells his apprehension His imprisonment and examination His arraignement How the Iudges put a fooles coate on his backe at the Bar. Falsely â—laundered Act. 7 His patience in suffering iniurious wordes His seconds arraignmeÌ„t at Westminster His encouragement of his fellowes in the Combat His finall condemnation with the rest Matth. 5 Their â—laces of Execution appointed Offer 〈◊〉 vâ—to him of 〈…〉 go to Church Luc. 9. His constancy after his coÌ„demnation His words to M. Topliffe on the ladder Act â— His casting off the ladder and vnbowelling His felicity in heauen Psal. 126. Many particulers of his life omitted for breuity sake The veneration of Reliques Iohn 10 1. Thess. 5. Desire to get some of his Reliques His quarters shewed to the people A miracle The Virgin vpoÌ„ the forsaid miracle became a NuÌ„ne The maÌ„ner of his brothers Conuersion The obstinacy of his brother before his Conuersion The occasion of his brothers CoÌ„uersion His brothers vow and perfomance His finall CoÌ„uersion The CoÌ„clusion Chap. 8. 9. His birth family His vertuous education His exercise in riper yeares His imprisonment His courage coÌ„stancy in the Catholike fayth His ioy in suffering for Christ. His hard vsage in prison His resolution to dy for the Cath faith His martyrdome An Apostophe to the Cath. of England