before About the yeere 1596. the King of Spayne excited partly by Father Parsons allurements last mentioned and by other his seditious associates alleadging that Iulius Caesar got not Britaine at his first assault attempted a second exployt for Famouth with a new Armado intending therewith to haue gotten into his possession Arwennike Castle with the hill Pendennice Which Armado as it was comming from Lisbone towards Ferroll the place of rendeuow was greatly scattered in the way so as 34. Ships perished in one night with the losse of 5000. men Thereby the Kings purpose for that time was stayed but yet not long after his Maiestie enterprised the same attempt againe for the sayd Castell and had the like successe his Ships were dispersed and all came to naught That Fa. Parsons was likewise acquainted with this deseignement if not a chiefe instigator may appeare by one of his owne letters to a friend of his in the yeere 1597. We pray God that no practise or deseignement set on foote either by this good Father or by any other for the indāgering of her Maiestie or of our natiue Countrie haue euer better issue but may perish as the vntimely fruit of a woman If once God shall be pleased to restore y e Catholick faith by holy good meanes and that we may liue to see it we shall be very ioyfull men hauing so long poore prisoners expected the same but otherwise we are content to languish still and dye in our sorrowes We are almost weary with raking in the dunghill of this good Fathers practises and yet something of him further When he found lesse hope by meanes of the King of Spayne or at the least whilest his Maiestie was in furnishing himselfe Parsons or his dependants Holt and Worthington with his priuitie if not aduice as Maister Charles Paget noteth practised the aduauncement of the Earle of Darby to the Crowne of England Which plot being discouered to the Earle by a Gentleman one Hesket imployed by them to his Lordship he the sayd Earle as a most dutifull subiect disclosed their treason which wrought his vntimely death as many say With this deseignement Maister Charles Browne otherwise as true an harted Catholick as the prowdest of them was so greatly moued as he writ to Maister Stapleton then in preparation towards Rome desiring him to present to his holynes certaine articles which he had framed against these Iesuites and then sent likewise vnto him concerning their intituling the sayd Earle of Darby to the Crowne their dealing with him and the successe of them to the greatest staunder of all Catholicks and hurt of the generall cause He also was earnest with Maister Stapleton that he would himselfe make knowne to the Pope what infinite garboyles and mischiefes these fellowes had stirred vp amongst vs whilest his holynes imagined that they were laboring faithfully to win poore soules to the Catholick faith as it was the dutie of truly religious persons Amongst all these tragicall deseignements of this good Father we will tell you one of his pretie tricks One Maister Fixer a Priest hauing a protection heere in England from the Lord Treasurer was so vexed and calumniated by the Iesuites that he renounced it and thereupon went into Spayne intending to reade in some religious house Being at Lisbone in good credit he procured the release of 14. or 15. English men that were taken prisoners willing them to thanke Master Bluet and Doctor Bagshaw for their liberty Hereof Parsons hauing notice sent for him into Spayne vnder pretence of his preferment but when he had him he procured him to be layd in prison for a spy where he remayneth still vnlesse he be dead You see by the premisses a little glimpse of this holy Fathers proceedings in Spayne and the rest of his societie were no lesse busied to the same purpose elsewhere Howbeit the secular Priests both in Rome and England did vtterly dislike both him and all the rest with their so treasonable deseignements against their owne Countrie whereof the King of Spayne hauing notice did write earnestly to the Pope that now is and to other Cardinals that in any case they should support and maynteyne the credit of the Iesuites against the complaints of the English who without all cause but seduced by the Queene of England did greatly calumniate them as he affirmed The two practising Prelates also of the Low countryes Fa. Holt and Doctor Worthington drew a formall letter supplicatiue in the names of all the english souldiers laborers artizans pensioners as well men as women yea the very seruing maydes and laundresses were not omitted the same to be presented to y e King of Spaine most humbly beseeching his Maiestie in regard of his great affection and care of England and the afflicted English that he would deale earnestly with the Pope to preferre the worthie Father and Prelate Father Parsons to the dignity of a Cardinall affirming it to be the only way to binde and vnite the English to his Maiestie In expectation of the same prefermēt and for what causes else it is not materiall this good Father went out of Spayne to Rome in the yeare 1597. At his comming thither he was visited in his lodging or as they say courted by two Cardinals viz. Baronius and the other a Spanyard Which extraordinary curtesie and honor done vnto him gaue present occasion of some speeches in the Citie that out of doubt Father Parsons should be made a Cardinall This conceyt thus begun in Rome ended for thattime with a merryiest For Father Parsons being counselled by the Phisitions to keep his stomack warme sent his brother for scarlet to make him a stomacher who oflikelihood as soone as euer he heard the name of scarlet was so possessed of a sodaine with an opinion of his brothers aduancement that forgetting his intent to haue only a stomacher he procured two Merchants to carry in a wagon diuers pieces ofscarlet to his brothers lodging for the making of his Cardinals roabes giuing it out by the way to all his acquaintance both going and comming that his brother forthwith should be made a Cardinall When this good Father saw such packs of scarlet brought vnto him no meruaile ifhe wondred at it But finding his brothers error he was in a great chafe and much confounded as easily foreseeing what sport it would procure amongst those that heard of it Whereupon in all haste he dismissed the sayd Merchants with their scarlets at a back dore as secretly as he could Howbeit the thing was so notorious as it could not be concealed and caused indeede very many to iest and laugh at him One a man little fauored by this good father hearing hereof went in meriment to his lodging to congratulate his new aduauncement But whē the father knew the purpose of his comming yea quoth he doth he know it It will be then in England within this fortnight We haue before acquainted you with this fathers dealings concerning his reading to the
but as their assistants in helping them to administer the Sacraments as though we could neither haue preached nor done any thing else and that they our great Maisters were to be further imployed in other matters of greater importance then we simple men were any way fit for hereof you may reade in Fa. Campions letter out of England to their Generall at Rome But this was then the imagination of a few their drifts were deeper then we euer dreamed of for misteries are hardly knowne vntill they fall out into practise It is true that when they came ouer with such ample faculties larger then they had bin graunted before to any of vs wee might haue foreseene the inconuenience of it knowing how apt we are in England to admit of nouelties and likewise what before we had heard of some Iesuites abroade Nay to the aggrauating of our great ouersight in that we did not at the first oppose our selues against them or at the least seeke to haue them recalled from vs we may not deny it but that it was foretold vs by that excellent Cardinall then liuing that the Iesuites would proue but thornes in our sides and be the cause of great troubles amongst vs. But for our sinnes they and such of that order as came after them did by their faire gloses and pretence of zeale so blinde and bewitch vs as we gaue way vnto them whereby and through their cunning cariage with the people they haue by little and little caried all before them No almes was thought sufficiently meritorious except they were sanctified by the Iesuites distribution so as in short time the greatest part of our allowances that were in prison came vnto vs through the Iesuites hands pretending forsooth that they were but religious Collectors for vs and some others distressed Catholicks But how faithfully they haue dealt with vs herein when you shall happen to see the sayd Memoriall it will appeare vnto you Some one of them spendeth more yeerely vpon himselfe then would maynteyne tenne of the best of vs if we sayd twenty we thinke there would be no exception taken vnto it And to conclude they haue so dealt with vs as where before we were honored for our works sake and had many ghostly children that did depend vpon vs as vpon their spirituall fathers and shepeards of their soules we are now through their falshood their calumniations and vntrue suggestions to our superiors brought into contempt our sayd children as if we had bin but their stepfathers haue forsaken vs their charitie towards vs is so cold as we are very hardly able to liue and what will become hereof God himself knoweth and we do greatly feare it If they had bin hired by our common enemies to haue wrought vs mischiefe and the cause we haue defended they could hardly haue done it more artificially or effectually And yet men will not see it they will not vnderstand it You haue heard how the Iesuites became our Collectors or rather not ours but their owne to whome for their accompts the false Steward in the Gospell we suppose may giue place One Iesuite as we can proue it hath taken at times aboue 500. pound that was giuen to the imprisoned Priests then at Wisbich and imployed the same at his owne pleasure Percye the Iesuite escaping from Wisbich tooke fraudulently frō benefactors abroad 57. pound 17. shillings and the yeere after stole 27. pound of the common money by the consent of the other his fellow Iesuites They haue so fleeced their fauorers as ouer and aboue their owne expences which are exceeding great they haue bin able to send not long since 2200. pound towards the Low countries the prisoners then at Wisbich being in great want Now if you will know how they scrape together so much money you must vnderstand that they haue many sleights to that end besides their apparant cousenages fraudes and thefts before mentioned You are not ignorant of the meanes that Verres the Proconsull vsed in pilling and spoyling Sicilia nor how odious it was amongst the Romanes But the course that our Iesuites do take heere for their pillage both in England Scotland are so much more shamefull as spirituall robberies passe all temporall pilferings we will set downe vnto you three or foure of their tricks They haue gotten as they say certayne faculties from the Pope to abstract from what Parsonages and Vicarages they list all spiritualtie for preuenting of simony thereby to make them meerely temporall and saleable which done they are to be sold at the highest rates vpon pretence that the money must be diuided betwixt Saint Peter and poore prisoners What Saint Peter gets amongst them we know not and we thinke but little sure we are the poore prisoners haue not much one good Father or other sayth Dominus opus habet and make alwayes the best part of it their owne cleere gaynes Agayne those that come to great wealth either by Vsury or by buying or selling and making gayne by anticipation or dilation of payment or by iniustice or by taking more of clyents that are suitors at the law then their ordinary and moderate fees or by patronizing any euill cause Landlords Sheriffs officers whosoeuer high or low that get any thing falsely or indirectly all must make restitution But forasmuch as oftentimes it falleth out that the parties neither know how much nor to whom such restitution is to be made therefore they must in those cases compound with the Fathers giuing certa pro incertis to the vse forsooth before expressed sometimes one man hath giuen 500. pound to that end but Saint Peter and the poore do still come short of their share the Fathers themselues do swallow it vp amounting yeerely to a mighty summe of money Moreouer to the effect last mentioned we haue a notable history to tell you Amongst many deuises which the Iesuits haue inuented to enrich and increase their order they haue one whereof it is fit that the world should take notice It is tearmed by them an holy exercise and is put in practise when they finde any that are meet to serue their turnes either for their extraordinary pregnancy of wit and learning or for their parentage and friends or for their wealth and possessions and cannot otherwise allure them to their society The course which they hold in the sayd exercise is after this sort When they finde one whome they thinke fit for their turne they insinuate themselues into him keepe him company vse him with all kinde of sweete behauior and curtesy and pretend to haue an especiall care of his well doing but principally how he may attayne to be in high fauour with God To which purpose they enter by degrees into certaine discourses of hell wherein they omit none of their skill by authorities fables and large amplifications to make the same as terrible as possibly they can By which course they cast the party in time into great feare and pensiuenes which were well
would furnish him with men and money sufficient for that expedition Whereunto the Pope agreed and set him forth with money and with about 3000. men directing his letters to the King of Spaine for his assistance likewise in that enterprise But the King ayming at that kingdome more himselfe refused either to receiue him into any of his Ports or at all to ayde him Stukeley being deceiued of this hope cast about to the King of Portugal then preparing for his Affrican voiage who gladly receiued both him and his men promising vnto him that if he would goe with him in that voyage hee would at their returne furnish him sufficiently for the accomplishing of his purpose in Ireland Stukeley yeelded goeth into Affrike is there slaine and the Pope was greatly discontented that he had been so greatly ouerreached by him At such time as it was perceiued in Rome what the Pope intended by the instigation of Stukeley concerning their said desseignements for Ireland one Master Shelley named the graund Prior for England cast out words to this effect what saith he because there are no more Cities of Parma and Placenza to bestowe vpon his Sonne will he now haue Ireland the patrimony of the Crowne of England The said Prior being moued by the Pope to vndertake that iourney with Stukeley he refused so to doe and told him that he the said Stukeley was but a shifting and a vaunting fellow and that he would assuredly cousen him in all that hee committed to his charge and trust But the Pope was so much addicted to that attempt that partly in respect of the Prior his said words and partly of this his said refusall he grewe into such dislike with him as for the safegard of his life he thought it meete to flie to Venice Whether Father Parsons was then in Rome to blow this coale against the Prior or where he was the matter is not great considering the daily correspondencie by letters betweene the Fathers of that societie from all places in Christendome Besides you may peraduenture heare more hereof at another time About eleuen or twelue yeers after his sayd expulsion and that being a Iesuite he had wonne to himselfe by his sayd factious disposition and practises the reputation to be made the Prouinciall for the Iesuites that were to be sent into England he came hither with two subiects only Father Campion and Father Cotham Anno 1580. hauing got a great start of Father Campion who was Proctor not long before in Oxford when Father Parsons commensed but Bachelor of Arts if our memories do not fayle vs therein This his said comming into England being knowne Maister Blackwell now his darling and Arch-priest by his direction bewayled the same to a friend of his being then in prison saying vnto him that it was a very vndiscreet fact of the President at Rhemes meaning Doctor Allane to send him hither as being an vnfit man to be imployed in the causes of religion And being asked why he was vnmeete for that imployment he answered because this casting out of Balioll Colledge and other articles and matters depending vpon it betwixt him and Doctor Squier then liuing were very likely to be renewed and so to worke great discredit both to him and the cause Catholick The holy Father was no sooner come into England but besides the vanity of his challenge to all Protestants being deemed an vnfit man to haue performed the same he began to bestirre himselfe in matters of State especially how to aduance a certayne King by the fauours of diuers forraine Princes to the great preiudice of her Maiesties both Crowne and safetie as appeareth by a letter of his written to a noble man bearing date from Rome the 24. of Ianuarie 1600. In which kinde of affaires he so busied himselfe as diuers Catholikes were in that respect greatly discontented with him and told him plainely that if he would not desist from those courses they would deliuer him into the hands of the Ciuill Magistrate The yeere after viz. 1581. Fa. Heywood being delegated by the Duke of Bauaria to Pope Gregorie the 13. his holines vpon knowledge that he was an English man and experience of his eloquence and diuers other good parts in him tooke him from the Duke and sent him into England where finding Fa. Parsons with the authoritie of a Prouinciall and he the said Fa. Heywood refusing to submit himselfe vnto him a great heartburning did arise betwixt them Father Parsons alleaged that being the Prouinciall ouer the Iesuits in England hee the said Father Heywood must consequentlie be his inferiour but Father Heywood answered that his mission hither was singular directed by the Pope himselfe and therefore said hee was thereby exempted from any subiection to him This quarrel grew to be hote and had manie priests and others as partakers on either side some holding with one and some with another The same Father Parsons hauing stirred ' vp stirres daungers and garboyles by his seditious challenges and dealings in England and Scotland and finding that manie Catholickes were offended with him for it hee made great collections of monie pretending therwith to relieue prisoners but being once maister of that mint ehe fled into France leauing his friends in England to shift for themselues the prisoners to feele and indure the want When hee came to Paris as a man hauing latelie bin in possession of his new Prouincialitie hee put in practise this stratageme following of purpose to exempt himselfe from the Prouinciall and his superiour there He perswaded them that without their owne great perill they could not entertaine him in their Colledge affirming that the Queene of England good Lady being sore afraid to haue so great a personage to be harboured so neere her had proscribed him and promised no small summe of monie to the partie that would kill him and hereunto he added that hee had perfect knowledge from his friends in England that they were alreadie in Paris who had vndertaken that cruell deed Therfore he prayed the Rector that none of the societie might be suffered to walke forth in his companie saying that if they did they should surelie perish with him And to make this conceit the more probable he suborned with his own monie two English men well appointed and a Flemming with them to goe latelie in the euening and enquire for one Fa Parsons at the Colledge Whereupon the Iesuits beleeuing that all he said was true dismissed Father Parsons to goe forth freelie whither he would and to dispose of himselfe at his owne pleasure to auoide death forsooth verifiyng the old prouerbe Caelum non animum mutant qui trans mare currunt as craftie a crouder and as lying a companion now amongst the Iesuits after almost thirtie yeeres profession as hee was in Balioll Colledge amongst his fellowes there We told you before of the contention betwixt this good Father and his pretended subiect Father Heywood whō for disciplines sake you may be sure
would not succeede then he returned to those of higher place and excited them to vndertake some exployts vpon them which might be answerable to his Iesuiticall that is most bloudy deseignements He made a lewde discourse wherein he intitled Alexander Duke of Parma to her Maiesties Crowne indeuoured with all his skill to perswade the Duke in the right of his sonne Ranutius to set vpon this Realme with all his force propounding vnto him diuers meanes as one by marrying his sonne to a certayne english Lady for his better effecting ofthat enterprise But the attempt of 1588. by the King of Spayne against her Maiestie and this whole Kingdome as it is and ought to be abhorred by all true hearted Englishmen so we trust the memory of those wretches borne in our owne Countrie that were either procurers perswaders or Agents in it shall be had in perpetuall detestation In which number this our Iesuite was a chiefe firebrand and had his hand in that pernitious booke that was then printed for the stirring vp of her Maiesties subiects to haue taken part with the Spaniard if he could haue arriued which booke vpon their foile and ouerthrow was presently burnt for shame that euer the world should see so impious a treatise we meane the whole impression was burnt sauing some few that escaped their hands We are the more earnest against this enterprise because it touched all English Catholicks heere as much as it did in effect the Protestants For it is knowne right well both from the Duke of Medina his owne mouth and by other certeyne intelligence that all the Catholicks in England as well as others and perhaps rather were designed to the slaughter For the sayd Duke being told that there were some Catholicks in England answered I care not I will make the best Protestants in England as good Catholicks as they if I haue them once vnder my sword I respect neither the one nor the other I meane to make roome there for my maister This he hath spoken diuers times in the hearing of Maister Wencelade a Deuonshire man And this also the Iesuites themselues confesse as amongst others Father Southwell at Wisbich in the hearing of diuers of the Priests there prisoners At what time Father Parsons went into Spayne we do not remember we thinke it was about the yeare 1589. but sure we are that when it was knowne here and that he was commended thither by Don Bernardino de Mendoza his fellow Iesuite many Catholicks of sounder iudgemēt did vtterly dislike it They knew the ambition of the Spaniards and how bellum sacrum pretended by Ferdinando and continued since as a thing hereditary to that kingdome vnder sundry pretences for the defence of the Catholick faith did tend to nothing else but to make them selues monarches Besides they were not ignorant with what eagernes the Iesuites began to aduaunce the Spaniard which made them to suspect that Father Parsons going thither would still bring forth some further mischiefes and indeed it fell so out For through Mendoza his credit he became not only vpō the sodain a Courtier but grew very soone into great fauour with the King which you know must needes be easily wrought as the King stood then affected against England hauing bin so much dishonored by his repulse the yeere before by his Maiesties experience of this good Fathers mortall hatred to his owne country in plotting and casting about how his highnes might be reuenged We will not tell what we feare concerning the motiues wherewith this Father perswaded the King to erect the Seminaries for our Countrymen in Spayne and elsewhere the end oftheir institution was most religiously politike and holy but if we shall finde those wholy employed for increasing either of Iesuits or of other Priests such as must follow and applaude to all their trayterous courses against our Country for our owne parts we wish they had neuer bin erected In the yeare 1589. the same yeare that this Father came into Spayne the Seminary was erected in Valledolid by his meanes In commendation whereof he writeth very amply and mentioneth one thing by the way which sauing his Maisterships Fatherhood we do not beleeue to be true he knoweth full well how to keepe himselfe warme For he sayth that the Students there hearing of the rigor and crueltie in England were in short time after the sayd erection so animated and desirous to see themselues in that battell as he himselfe was ofttimes thereby moued had he bin a few yeeres yonger and could haue borne that mission to haue gone once againe with them into England But except he may come hither with Gloria patri we will vndertake it for him he will not greatly trouble vs heere with his presence In the yeare 1592. the King with his sonne and daughter went to Valledolid and being there did visit his english Seminary at Father Parsons suite In which visitation you shall see the continuance of this fathers deadly malice breathed out in his schollers orations Wherein her Maiestie is by all meanes depraued the Kings honor and excellency is extolled aboue all measure her Highnes downe-fall and his victories are prophecied and nothing is omitted that might aduaunce the one and depresse the other One of them deliuering the good father his directions offred to the King in his oration not only himselfe but in the name of the rest all his fellowes nay their whole Countrey their parents and friends with all their Allyes confederates and acquaintance Which oration and all their other proceedings then at Valledolid comming to Cardinall Allane in Rome he wept for sorrow seeing what they still aymed at Do not you thinke that our Country is like to receiue great comfort by these Spanish schollers if they shall proceede according to these beginnings If you can get this Fathers relation printed the sayd yere 1592. concerning this visitation of the Seminary you shall see many other particulars but this we warne you of that in the printed copy that part of the youths oration is omitted wherein the sayd great offer is made to the King That is not a point to be made too vulgar till the time and opportunity serue The yeare after 1593. Father Parsons because men should not thinke him idle hath offred to the world a further testimony of his good will to her Maiestie and his Country in a treatise intituled Newes from Spayne Herein besides certayne exercises by the english yong Priests in an other Seminary at Siuill tending in effect to the same purpose with the former it pleaseth him to discourse of some pleasant conceits and certaine empreises and in one how King Henry the second and King Henry the eight Saint Thomas of Canterburie and the Queenes Maiestie are marshalled in a table together Many diuels with instruments of torments in their hands are painted vnder king Henry the eights picture and her Maiestie is made to stand as it were in great sadnes looking both vpon her Father and
other place taking vpon him to shew the causes why our English Students haue of a long time bin so troublesome in that Colledge he writeth thus you shall heare him at large Some thinke that it is in great part the nature of the place that ingendreth high spirits in them that are not well established in Almightie Gods grace For comming thither very yong and finding themselues presently placed and prouided for abundantly and acquainted daily with sights and relations of Popes Cardinals and Princes affaires our youths that were bred vp at home with much more simplicitie and kept vnder by their Parents and Maisters then the Italian education doth comport forgetteth easily themselues and breaketh out to liberty I meane such as haue runne astray and lost respect to their superiors in Rome This opinion of the circumstance of the place is greatly increased by the iudgement of Strangers both Spanyards Frenchmen and Flemings and other Nations who affirme that they try by experience their people that liue in Rome if they be not men of great vertue do proue more headie afterward and lesse tractable then others brought vp at home But yet to this other men of our Nation do adde a second reason for the English Colledge which is at Rome being a place whereunto many young men do resort only vpon a desire of seeing nouelties When any come thither of the English Nation finding such a commoditie of study and maintenance there and themselues in want and misery they made suite for that whereunto perhaps they had not true vocation from God nor due preparation in themselues to so holy and high estate And so being once admitted fell afterwards to disorder and to put out of ioynt both themselues and others Thus farre the Father of the want of grace in some and of a true calling in others that disagreed with the Iesuites and how dangerous a matter it is for Parents to send their children to Rome except they will haue them Iesuites or at the least to runne their tray terous courses the very place will marre them But now heare his report of the estimation that our English Students and Priests haue gotten by their being at Rome he shall tell it himselfe Baronius often told me that our youths bragged much of Martyrdome but they were refractary that was his word and had no part of Martyrs spirit which was in humilitie and obedience His holynes oftentimes told me that he was neuer so vexed with any Nation in the world for on the one side they pretended zeale and pietie and on the other shewed the very spirit of the Diuell in pride contumacy and contradiction c. And euer now and then his holynes would put his finger to his brayne signifying that there stoode their sicknes and so would most of the Court when they talked of Englesye were Indiauoluti and like words His holynes added also that he knew not what resolution to take for on the one side to punish them openly would be a scandall by reason of the hereticks and if he should cast them forth of Rome some had told him that they would haue become hereticks c. Againe in his letter to Maister Bishop writing of the report that he the sayd Maister Bishop and Maister Charnock had made to the Commissary of the Inquisition at their being in Rome he sayth thus to Maister Bishop You talked before your restraint heere with the Commissary of the Inquisition and you gaue him such a relation of our English matters as afterward when Maister Doctor Haddock and Maister Doctor Array had talked with him also and informed him as they thought of the very truths of matters he told an Honorable man in Rome and a great friend of mine that foure English Priests hauing talked with him they had taken from him all list to beleeue any English men or matters more they told him so different tales and yet all of them would seeme to be men of zeale And againe thus he writeth in the other letter I haue heard his holynes often and diuers Cardinals more often repeate with exceeding dishonor to our Nation the headynes and obstinacie of our youths so as now many great and wise men begin to suspect that the sufferings of our blessed Martyrs and Confessors in England was not so much for vertue and loue to Gods cause as of a certaine choler and obstinate will to contradict the Magistrate there What thinke you Sir ofthese reports by Parsons In what case are we poore Priests The chiefe cause of our affliction is our defending of the Church of Rome and therein his holynes authoritie And thinke they no better of vs for it If this do come to the knowledge of our aduersaries what aduantage will they make of it Wo worth that Iesuiticall broode that to mayntaine their ambition haue wrought vs this discredit We haue bin in better reputation with his holynes and so we hope to be agayne when this Machiuilian companion shall reape the shante himselfe of this report For it is not possible if euer his holynes will be pleased to be informed of him but that he will reward him with ignominy as he hath deserued You know our estates at home and you haue heard what estimation both we and all our Nation haue at Rome if Parsons write truly as we trust he doth not Our chiefest hope must therefore be in her Maiesties goodnes and mercie towards vs to graunt vnto vs if it be possible the libertie of our consciences But herein obserue this viperous Iesuite At the league of peace betweene the French and the Spanish Kings there was a rumor that the Queene would enter into that league and so graunt a toleration of religion which Parsons did vtterly dislike saying that either they would haue all or none they will admit of no conditions And his reason is this because sayth he a toleration would make the Catholicks of England dull and without spirit It is indeede quicknes that this Father desireth but such a quicknes as deserueth a quick dispatch at the Gallowes We trust he shall neuer draw our Catholicks heere to any such quicknes but that after our dull manner we shall for euer continue her Maiesties most faithfull subiects and with such quicknes as becommeth vs oppose our selues to his restles quick and bloudy deseignements against our Countrie But obserue we pray you that we say our hope is thus of all English Catholicks which hope may be subiect to some little doubt especially if his wicked platforme do proceede heere amongst vs that all Catholicks must hereafter depend vpon Blackwell and he vpon Garnet and Garnet vpon Parsons and Parsons vpon the Diuell who is the author of all rebellions treasons murthers disobedience and all such deseignements as this wicked Iesuite hath hitherto deuised against her Maiestie her safety her Crowne her Kingdome and her life So as our conclusion shall be with a branch which we will alwayes remember as an addition when we say the Letany à Machinationibus Parsoni libera nos Domine And thus wee end desiring God to blesse vs all Amen