In the brave days of old : historical sketches of the Elizabethan persecution
Camm, Bede, 1864-1942
TIA SE SRNR SS SS . RS Vara A ™—°™°>O>™7?uU . AX WS SSS ONS RA SS ~~ SSS \ << ANS XK \ LAV SRN S SS <x SM \\ SAV SAH SSR a sy SS MY CQ QV S SON S SSNs SSS THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY From the collection of. Julius Doerner, Chicago Purchased, 1918. PLT (PLAT Cl4i Return this book on or before the Latest Date stamped below. A charge is made on all overdue books. University of Illinois Library IN THE BRAVE DAYS OF OLD BY THE SAME AUTHOR A Benedictine Martyr in England Being the Life and Times of the Venerable Servant of God, Dom JOHN RoBERTs, O.S.B. Crown S8vo, Cloth Extra, Guilt Top, | Price 7s. 6d. TRE LIBRARY OFTHE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS THE VULNERATA. Mutilated by English soldiers at the taking of Cadiz, 1596. Ea wy ee In the Brave Days ot Old Historical Sketches of the Elizabethan Persecution By DOM BEDE CAMM O.S.B. Author of “A Benedictine Martyr in England” Permissu Superiorum B. HERDER, 17 Broadway, St Louis, Mo. ART AND BOOK COMPANY, London, England 1899 R727 Ci4 ec DEDICATION. To UsHaw y's fe a ice lacs Mother of many martyrs, thronéd now In queenly state beside the northern yews, Yet not; methinks, less royal when thy brow Bled thorn-crowned, and the purple passion hues Stained deep thy vesture—Lo ! thy sons in mirth Reap harvest-fields their elder brothers sowed In tears, nay in their life-blood. May their birth Urge them to deeds of fame: the fire that glowed In Allen’s princely heart burn still in thee And thine—the proof of noblest ancestry ! Pie ee PREFACE THE historical sketches of which this little volume is composed have been gathered ’ almost exclusively from records contemporary with the events they describe. It will be seen ‘that they are principally concerned with the Elizabethan persecution as it affected the young, and Church students in particular. My aim has chiefly been to interest the rising generation of Catholics in the terrible sufferings which their forefathers bravely endured in order to hand down the faith to them intact. It seems to me that they would value that holy faith even more dearly did _ they realize at how great a prize it has been preserved. — A devotion to our English martyrs can but fire us with something of that burning zeal for England’s conversion which nerved those heroic men to brave the rack and the gibbet, and which inspired mere boys and girls to suffer no small trials and face no light dangers sooner than renounce the faith of their fathers. But I hope that these sketches will not be without interest for older Catholics also. Their principal merit is their fidelity to the original authorities on which they are based. I have Vili Preface refrained from embroidering the facts with imaginary details, which though they might possibly add colour and life to the narratives, would do so at the cost of fidelity to historical accuracy. The first two sketches have already appeared in the Month (although the opening one has received considerable additions), and the story of the Worthington boys came out some years ago in Fazth of our Fathers. I gratefully acknowledge the courtesy of the editors in allowing me to reprint these papers. The two opening sketches, as well as the sixth, are mainly based on D. Diego de Yepes’ precious Azstorta particular de la persecucion de Inglaterra, but for the second I have used other sources, sufficiently indicated in the course of the narrative, and for the sixth two docu- ments printed from the Stonyhurst MSS. by Father John Pollen, S.J., in his Acts of the English Martyrs, The third and last are from the MS. Annals of the English College of Valladolid now pre- served at Ushaw College, and the story of the Vulnerata is mainly taken from the same chronicle. The fourth and fifth are from Dr Bridgewater’s Concertatto Eccleste Catholice in Anglia, and the seventh from various sources, but principally from Father Weston’s auto- biography published by the late Father John Preface ix Morris, S.J., and Brother Foley's Records of the English Province, S.F. I have to thank his Lordship the President of St Cuthbert’s College, Ushaw, for per- mission to use the Valladolid MS., and the Rev. Michael Burns for the photograph of the _Vulnerata which forms the frontispiece. And so I leave this little work to tell its own tale, with the prayer that it may help a little in that great cause which we have all so deeply at heart, the conversion of our country - to the Catholic Faith. ST THOMAS’ ABBEY, ERDINGTON, Feast of SS. Peter and Paul, June 29, 1899. ioe III. pve MI: Vil. VIOll. IX. CONTENTS AN ESCAPE FROM BRIDEWELL A JEsuIT IN DISGUISE A FAITHFUL FRIEND. THE WORTHINGTON Boys. THE LADIES OF ROSSALL HALL A MARTYR AND HIS CHILDREN A Story oF WISBECH CASTLE THE ‘ VULNERATA ” ELIZABETH’S Last VICTIM PAGE 28 51 a7 117 137 165 177 187 In the Brave Days of Old AN ESCAPE FROM BRIDEWELL GoopD Bishop Diego Yepes, the Hieronymite friar, who was confessor to King Philip II of Spain, had, as all the world knows, a great love and compassion for our persecuted fore- fathers. He was never weary of enlisting the sympathies of his royal penitent on behalf of the exiled English Catholics, and to his efforts we may undoubtedly ascribe much of the success which attended Father Persons and Father Creswell in their attempts to found seminaries for English Church students in the Spanish dominions. When the college of St Alban at Valladolid was, after some difficulties and trials, at last firmly established, the kind-hearted bishop of Tarazona could not do too much to show his interest in the work. As Valladolid was Philip’s birthplace, the king was fond of hold- ing his court there, and so the bishop got ample opportunity of seeing for himself the B 2 In the Brave progress of a work in which he was so greatly interested. On the feast of the Finding of the Relics of St Stephen, August 3, 1592, he brought the king to visit the college. He has himself described this visit in his work on the Persecution in England, with great detail and with evident satisfaction. Readers of my Lz/e of the Venerable Fohn Roberts will perhaps recall the account I have there given of the manner of life led at this English seminary. It will suffice for the pre- sent to say that the students of St Alban’s led what we should now-a-days consider a life of monastic strictness, and that the hours of study and prayer left little space, less perhaps than was wise, for recreation. However, Thursday in each week was then as now kept as a whole holiday, and the students usually spent this day at their vineyard outside the city, where they would amuse themselves as English lads have been ever wont to do. Sometimes good Bishop Yepes would visit them on these recreation-days, and, collecting a little group around him, would make them recount to him their adventures, the manifold perils through which they had to pass before they had arrived at the peaceful haven of St Alban’s. It must have made a charming picture, this old Spanish bishop with his young English friends around him, listening so intently to the strange exciting tales these boys had to tell in their broken Spanish, encouraging them no doubt with smiles and questions, blessing them affectionately when Days of Old | 5 they had finished, and perhaps repaying them by recounting some little anecdote of the seraphic virgin St Teresa, whose biography he had written. And then when he went home the old man would write down the ac- counts he had heard, and very likely give his ‘Narrative to the students or to their superiors to be corrected, so that no mistakes should be made, and the hard unpronounceable English names should not be wrongly spelt. The bishop’s labours were not in vain. ' Still in his pages we may read the thrilling stories which those fair-haired lads told him among the vineyards of Valladolid, and still we may ourselves be encouraged and consoled by the history of all our fathers had to suffer to maintain that priceless heritage which they have handed down to us—the faith of the one Church, holy, Catholic, apostolic and Roman. I propose to tell one or two of the stories which Don Diego de Yepes has preserved for us. Truth is stranger than fiction, and it would certainly try one’s imagination had one to in- vent an adventure more striking, with details more picturesque, than this one with which we will begin. There were then four English Catholic lads who, under the charge of a faithful guardian named Bartholomew Wickham, set out one day in the year 1593 for the distant Spanish college. Two of these lads were nephews of that famous confessor of the faith - Thomas Pounde of Belmont, whose glorious constancy during a long and painful imprison- 4 In the Brave ment of over thirty years make him one of the illustrious ornaments of the society of Jesus, to which he was admitted in prison. Their names were Henry Pounde, aged sixteen, and his brother William, who was only eleven. Their grandmother, the con- fessor’s mother, was sister to Thomas, earl of Southampton, so that the lads had noble blood in their veins. We learn from a letter of their uncle that their parents were Protestants, but he had brought them up himself and educated them as Catholics as though they were his own sons ; and he made them his heirs when he was admitted to the society of Jesus. The party settled to go to Spain by Ireland, as it was easier and safer to embark from thence than from one of the English seaports. But when they got to Ireland they did not find it so easy to get a ship as they had hoped. In fact they wasted a whole year in looking out for an opportunity of making a safe passage, and meanwhile of course they spent most of their money. But these unexpected mishaps did not make them lose courage or give up their plan. It was therefore deter- mined that their tutor should return to England for more money while they remained alone in Ireland. However, just as he had started, he met with five other English lads who had come to Ireland with the same determination of passing over to Spain, and so he changed - his mind and returned with them to the others. They were much consoled at this, and en- couraged each other, and especially when they Days of Old ; 5 found that the new-comers had brought suffi- - cient money with them to defray the expenses of the whole party. And so, as they had a common purse, they chose Wickham captain and guide of their little band, and made a bargain with a _ Dublin merchant to carry them over to Spain in his ship. After the bargain was struck and the money paid down, they naturally expected the merchant to behave with the same since- rity and honour as themselves, but they were wofully deceived. The fellow first of all _ craftily got them to give him two hundred ducats more than his price, on the pretext that he needed it to buy corn, and then made no attempt to hurry on the departure, but on the contrary put every sort of obstacle in the way. Seeing this they asked for their money back, whereupon the rogue threatened to de- nounce them to the government if they mentioned the subject again. Thus deceived and mocked by this merchant they turned for help to a French captain of La Rochelle, who was at the time in Dublin, and agreed with him for a passage over to France, hoping easily to get from there to Spain. But boys find it hard to keep a secret, and their guardian was somewhat carried away, it would seem, by their youthful fervour, and the result was that their plans leaked out to their exceeding discomfort, for they soon found themselves in the hands of the viceroy’s constables instead of on board their French ship. 6 In the Brave However, if they were too young to keep a secret, they were not so young that they could not defend their faith before their Protestant captors. Like the Arians of old, these heretics chiefly desired to get them to attend their services. But to the question, ‘would they go to church?” our lads replied with a flat and decided negative. As to their seeking to leave their country they confessed, with all sincerity, that it was in order to escape the penalties inflicted by the queen’s new laws on all who held to the old religion, and appealed with much effect to a recent statute which ordered that all Catholics who had been three months in prison, and would not deny their faith or attend the heretical services should be forced to leave the country after taking an oath that they would never return, and that if they did return they should die on the gibbet as felons. So after all, what had they done but try to forestall the execution of this law? The judges who ex- amined them could not help admiring the prudence as well as the sincerity which charac- terized their replies, especially considering how young they were; they even admitted that they had acted in the matter with considerable forethought. However, as evening was then drawing on, they sent them as prisoners to Dublin Castle. But before they left, the Pro- testant bishop of Meath, who was one of the council, asked leave of his colleagues to take the little boy, William Pounde, to his own house, instead of sending him to the castle, as Days of Old 7 he was sorry that boys so young and of such noble blood should be put ina common prison. The request having been granted, he asked the child, “ Will you come and stay in my house and enjoy yourself, and go to church and to school with my own son who is about your age!” But the boy replied with great disdain _ that he would do nothing of the sort, but would go to prison with his brother, and when the prelate insisted, the poor boy began to cry, and say that he wanted to go to prison with his brother. Then the bishop seeing how much the separation would grieve the lad, said that both should go and have a happy time together at his house, and turning to Henry made him the same offer. But he replied, “No, my lord, I have already determined to go to prison with my com- panions ; for I prefer to lose your lordship’s favour than my faith and religion.” So the lords of the council, seeing the firm resolution of these young heroes, sent them all to the castle. As to Bartholomew, they suspected that he must be some notable Catholic as he had trained the lads to such a pitch of firm- ness and constancy, and so they turned their attention particularly to him, and among other pleasing attentions, stripped him to the shirt, and pierced his clothes all over with needles to find out if he were concealing any papers, Agnus Det, blessed beads, or other prohibited objects, in order that they might thus be able to make an accusation against him. ) After two or three days they were each 8 In the Brave examined separately, lest they should en- courage each other by their replies. However, the result did not give much satisfaction to their captors. And now the viceroy himself intervened. He had been away when they were taken and had not yet seen them, so he rode one morning up to the castle and ordered the governor to bring the younger prisoners before him. When they were pro- duced, he asked why they were not in chains. The governor replied that no irons could be found that were small enough. He at once ordered that some should be found for their feet, and iron rings to put round their necks, and added, “‘ They believe that the pope has power to set them free when he wants to.” To which one of the boys replied, “No, my lord, we don’t believe that the pope can take our fetters off when he chooses; but we do believe that if your lordship puts them on, God can take them off if it should please Him, for Dominus soluit compedtztos.”’* This reply silenced the viceroy, and he soon turned his horse and rode off with his com- pany. The boys were taken back to prison, where they received a visit from the viceroy’s brother, who gave one of them five veads. Another time one of them named Henry Kirkham, a lad of eighteen, was examined before the bishop of Meath and the lords of the council, and asked, among other things, what had made him leave England. He replied, “The persecution:<7*.°* 1 here is: no * The Lord looseth those that are in bonds. Days of Old 9 persecution in England,” answered they, “for loyal subjects of the queen.” ‘Marry but there is,’ said the youth, “a most cruel and inhuman one.” ‘What, you rogue,” cried a councillor, ‘‘does our queen treat you others like the Papists treated those of our religion in _the time of queen Mary, sending them to the executioner to be burnt with faggots on their backs?” To this cunning question the lad replied with zeal and courage: ‘‘ The queen would have no reason for treating us in such a way, for we are not heretics like your people were.” * ‘JT will prove to you that you area heretic,’ retorted the examiner. ‘No, Sir,” said the youth, “ your lordship will never prove that I am aheretic, but please God you be not found to be one yourself.”’ The councillor in confusion turned the con- versation by making mock of the lad and telling him he would command the gaoler to throw him into a secret dungeon, where he would be held a close prisoner and would have no one to speak to, and he would see that he had a pair of good heavy irons to wear. This cruel command was carried out to the letter by the gaoler; and thus the poor boy was kept a close prisoner in chains for two months and a half, until the whole party was sent over to England. | Bartholomew Wickham, their leader, was * We do not in the least wish to defend the Marian persecution, but it must be noted that the penalty of fire was the legal punishment decreed by the ancient law of England for obstinate heretics. 10 In the Brave - naturally treated more severely than the rest. He was most vigorously examined by the viceroy himself, who got so enraged at his refusing to answer some of his questions that he abused him roundly as “a son of the devil,” and said that it was certain that he had made a compact with the enemy of souls. His con- stancy in fact so enraged the viceroy that he had him thrown into a dungeon with heavy irons on his legs and an iron collar of five pounds’ weight round his neck. Though the weight of these irons nearly crushed him, he was attached by yet other chains to a pillar in the prison, and there made to stand upright and motionless for more than seventy days. Just at this time there arrived in Ireland a boy sent by Thomas Pounde, to whom he had been page. This lad, who was sixteen years old, hearing on his arrival at Dublin that his old master’s nephews were there in prison, went to visit them, and was arrested by the gaoler. He also was taken before the viceroy and was committed a close prisoner, so that this brought the number of the little band up to eleven. So these poor boys were there in Dublin Castle, without money, for all they had with them had been stolen, without friends, without even the necessaries of life. But God who fed His people in the wilderness did not desert His young servants in their extremity. He put it into the hearts of the Catholics of Dublin to supply them with all they needed: clothes, food and other necessaries, and these warm- Days of Old if hearted Irish people, not content with sending them their welcome gifts, came constantly to see them. Men and women, rich and poor, of every rank and calling, crowded in fact to the prison from all the neighbourhood round, and did their best to encourage and support the young confessors of Christ, whose constancy was a source of the greatest edification to all. Among other visitors was one Thomas Lecky, a lettered man and a good Catholic, who was at that time in the employ of the chancellor _ of Ireland; this good man was allowed by the gaoler to enter the prison freely, since he knew him to be a dependant of the chancellor’s, and had no idea that he was a Catholic. Little did he guess that he came to confirm his prisoners in their good resolves, and to en- courage them to suffer persecution joyfully for the sake of Christ, in the hope of the reward that God surely promises to all those who suffer for the faith. - Not content with thus encouraging them, good Mr Lecky also gave the boys frequent and generous alms. He also wrote petitions for them to the viceroy and council, filled with such excellent arguments and reasonings, that they were sometimes moved to compassion for the lads, although they were exceedingly angry with them; and when he heard that they were to be sent to England he took care that they were provided with abundant provisions, and that they were treated with kindness. It appears that Mr Lecky’s charity was rewarded by God with a great grace, even 12 : In the Brave with a vocation to the priesthood; for shortly after the lads had been sent to England, he made up his mind to leave his master and go to the college at Valladolid. Here he was not long in finishing his studies, for he was already a learned man and a graduate of an English university, so that he was soon ordained priest and sent back to labour in the Lord’s vineyard, which he did with great success. When the lads had been more than ten weeks in prison, the English Privy Council sent for them to London, strictly charging the viceroy to send them with great precautions lest any of them should escape by the way; for, they said, it was most necessary to care- fully exterminate that brood of traitors who were more dangerous to the state than all its other enemies, since these could only wage ‘war against the outward defences, and the bodies of the queen’s subjects, while the popish traitors from within made secret conquest of their minds and hearts, and reduced them to the Roman faith, which would destroy the religion founded by the queen did they not see to it. So these most dangerous young traitors were shipped off to England with all sorts of exaggerated precautions. The elder boys were chained together two and two, and in this style they left the castle, with Bartholomew, their leader, at their head. And he, with a face beaming with joy, held up on high the heavy iron chains he wore round his neck, crying out to his companions, “Follow me, cheerfully, in the wake of this Days of Old 13 cross which they have laid on me, which I bear as a standard before you. Let us not turn backward till we have gained the victory and come into the presence of our Lord for whose love we go charged with this weight of iron. In England also combats await us, and conflicts far more terrible than those we have - here passed through; but have no fear, He who has placed us in this warfare will also bring us out of it triumphantly.” | Before he had finished this speech they were hurriedly commanded to go on; and thus he led them, alert and joyous, in spite of the fetters that weighed him down, through the streets of Dublin to the port where they were to embark. The sight of the brave little band made such an impression on the good people of Dublin, Protestants as well as Catholics, that it was very long before the sorrow and compassion they excited died out in their hearts. : They were embarked on a ship belonging to a kind and honourable man who treated them with consideration and took off their chains. Thus they were brought safely to Chester, and there delivered to the mayor of that city, who told them that he had received orders from the council to detain them there till further notice; and he insisted on their giving bail that they would not attempt to escape, otherwise they would have to be put in irons as before. They replied that they had no acquaintance in Chester except the captain of the ship which had brought them from 14 In the Brave Ireland. However, this good man had been so impressed by their virtue that he offered to stand bail forthem all. With this security from the captain they were put in prison without fetters or irons. Nevertheless, they had much to suffer, for they were nearly starved to death. They had no friends in Chester, and the num- ber of Catholics in that place being but small (even those that were Catholics not daring to help them lest they should be known as such), they had no assistance and received no alms. The heretics showed no pity for them, and the Catholics dared not do so. The poor boys not being used to such severe fasting, felt the privation greatly, especially as it lasted for some considerable time. At last one day they saw the mayor passing by the prison and ventured to entreat him, for the sake of charity and the Christian name, to have pity on them and not let them perish of hunger. The mayor replied harshly, “ Why should I relieve traitors ? You were given to me to guard, not to feed.” The lads replied that they were not traitors, but that they professed the same religion which their fathers and ancestors had held, but he retorted that they were traitors, and that if he had leave from the council he would hang them like dogs, one against the other; and with this he returned to his house full of venom and anger. Fortunately, however, they were suc- coured in’ these dire straits by the charity of a Catholic gentleman, himself a prisoner for conscience’ sake. This good man, whose name Days of Old 15 was Whitemore, had passed no less than twenty years in prison; but his own sufferings had only made him feel the more for those of others, and he made every effort to save his young fellow-captives from starving. Hunger and cold, and all the miseries of an Elizabethan dungeon, did not daunt the spirit of our young -heroes ; on the contrary, their sufferings only made them the more constant. So it was de- cided to send them to London, that they might be dealt with by the council. While being led to the final interview with the mayor of Chester, they formed into a little procession in the street, and sang the Mumc dimittzs in Latin, Bartholomew, their tutor, intoning. The mayor was very angry at this, and sharply rebuked them, but it was to no effect. For no sooner did they start on their journey to London, than they again formed in procession, walking two and two, and Bartholomew in- intoned the Litany of the Saints, to which they all responded with so much sweetness that even their guards were touched and allowed them to continue. And so the little band threaded the narrow old-world streets of Chester, and those sweet invocations to Mary and the saints, which had not been heard since the Benedictines of St Werburgh’s made their solemn processions through the town, once more resounded in the streets. People crowded out from their houses to see the novel sight, and many followed them for a quarter of a mile outside the gates of the city. It was thus they began their weary journey 16 In the Brave along the old Roman road to London; and on their way must have passed close to the site of the monastery in which I am now writing, as well as that of Oscott College, where so many of their successors now prepare in peace and quietness for the sacred ministry. When they arrived at Lichfield, they were so exhausted and worn out that they could walk no more, and the guards were obliged to provide them with horses. Here a sad event happened. A messenger came to meet them from their parents, bringing them money and other necessaries. But the cruel soldiers robbed the poor man and threw him into gaol, where he was most cruelly ill-treated. The boys were only able to extract two veals from the magistrates, all the rest was lost to them. Whenever our little band of confessors en- tered a town, they always sang the litanies in procession, as they had done in Chester. The people had, alas! quite forgotten these strains, once so familiar tothem. Long years of heresy (in which, indeed, a new generation had grown _ up) had obliterated the memory of the old faith and its practices, and all that they remembered were the names of Matins, Mass, and Even- song; and so, when they saw the boys chant- ing the litanies, they used to say that they were singing Mass or Evensong or Matins, according to the time of day. ‘This is, indeed, a striking illustration of the quickness with which a people can lose even the memory of its past religion. When they reached London they were ex- Days of Old 17 amined by Cecil himself, and Bartholomew Wickham was separated from them and put in St Catherine’s prison by the Tower, for the old religious houses had given place to prisons where Catholics were confined in great num- bers. The boys were thrown into Bridewell, once reserved only for the lowest criminals.* After two or three days in this loathsome place, three of the boys were separated from their companions and examined by the in- famous Topcliffe. From such a monster they could expect, of course, no mercy. Henry Pounde was the first to be examined; it was hoped, no doubt, to get from him some evi- dence against his holy uncle. He steadily refused to go to church, being, as we shall see, a boy of great courage and constancy. If he would only have agreed to go once to the heretical service, he would have been immedi- ately released and loaded with caresses. He was frightfully abused by Topcliffe, so much so that the other magistrates interposed and tried to appease the rage of this horrible old Made ut he only cried out: ‘Let me: be;. sirs; I know how to treat this sort of scum!” Being unable, however, to make anything of Henry Pounde, he sent for the other two, one of whom, named John Hall, had been *In a letter of Father Henry Garnets (quoted in Zhe Month for March, 1898, p. 245) we read : ‘‘ Two months ago were taken eleven youths going from Chester towards Spain—all in Bridewell, hardly used.” This letter is dated September 6, 1594. The boys were taken, therefore, in July or at the end of June. C 18 In the Brave twice before imprisoned in Bridewell. When Topcliffe recognized this brave lad he foamed at the mouth, saying: ‘Ah, it’s you, isit: I promise you that if you escape the gallows this time I'll be hanged in your place.” But he could not shake either of the boys; and so all three were sent back to prison, and an attempt was made to starve them into sub- mission, They were only given a little black bread and a pound of ox neck full of blood and very watery; and this had to suffice for six- teen people. This is the sort of food, says Yepes, this cruel man usually gives to the imprisoned priests and other Catholics. Later on, three judges came to the prison and examined the three youngest boys on the usual subjects—where they had heard Mass, what priests they knew, etc. Poor little William Pounde was only eleven, but never- theless he and his companions held firm. This enraged the judges so much that they deter- mined to make an example of these three children. So they ordered the gaoler to give them every day a quantity of flax to beat, and to whip them cruelly every morning and even- ing that they did not finish their allotted task. No one was to be allowed to speak to them, nor were they to be permitted to write to any of their friends or fellow-prisoners. The brave little fellows were stripped of all their clothes but their shirts, and were set forthwith to their hard task. It was a very heavy toil, says the bishop, and one looked on as most ignomini- ous, being generally reserved for slaves, They Days of Old 19 were half-starved into the bargain, so that their strength soon failed; but their spirit re- mained ever firm and constant, although they were cruelly flogged each time their poor little arms refused to accomplish the heavy daily task. Once one of them was beaten so un- mercifully about the head that he fell fainting onthe ground; and one of the other poor boys was so tired that he could not dress himself nor raise his hand. Meantime the judges sent _ preachers to dispute with the boys during their work; but they begged them not to worry them, as they were quite convinced of the truth of their religion, and had not time to dispute owing to their work; for if the daily task were not finished they would be beaten. And they persisted in their refusal, although the gaoler assured them that they should not be beaten for the time spent in conference with the ministers. At night the poor children had to sleep in a dungeon together with robbers and malefactors. This final indignity was, however, the means of their escape; for these criminals had a plan in hand for break- ing out of prison. They asked our lads if they would escape, supposing the doors were opened. The boys said certainly they would, for they were in prison for no crime, but for the true faith, and were very badly treated there as well. So the malefactors set to work to force the doors by means of instruments furnished by their friends, and our little lads spent the time meanwhile in fervent prayer to 20 In the Brave our Lord, who deigned to use these wicked men as instruments to liberate His servants. So on the night of St Laurence (August 10) they escaped, not, however, without running great risk of detection by some of the guards. What fervent thanks did they render to God, who had thus delivered them! Of course it was necessary to part company in order to make recapture more difficult; so while two went home, one made his way to the sea-coast and managed to get over to St Omer. In due course he was sent to Valladolid, where © Bishop Yepes made his acquaintance as we have seen. We must now return to the others. Four of the youngest were kept in a dark and filthy dungeon in the same prison from which their companions had just escaped. This dungeon was a most doleful place for children, as may be easily imagined, and it contained neither a bed nor any other furniture. It is little wonder if at first the poor lads felt greatly depressed. But before long they plucked up_ their courage and set to work to sweep their cell, and clean it as far as possible. They put the filth into two heaps, and at night they had to use them for pillows, having nothing else! These heaps of rotting straw and dirt were all the beds they had for sixteen weeks. They were fed like the others on black bread and bullock’s neck, and were given no water to wash in during the whole imprisonment. Their state can be better imagined than described, However, they made shift to wash Days of Old 21 themselves in the small-beer that was given them for drink. The poor lads were frequently examined separately, and the magistrates did all in their power to brow-beat and frighten them into compliance. But all was of no avail; even the Protestant ministers who were sent to dispute with them were discomfited _by these doughty little Papists. After some time spent in this way they heard one day a noise in a certain part of the room above theirs. It was a man’s voice _ raised in considerable agitation. They listened most attentively, and soon were overjoyed to hear that the stranger was praying aloud with great fervour, recommending himself to our Lord and the saints. He was evidently there- fore a fellow-Catholic, suffering like them- selves for the faith. They determined to try and communicate with him, and at last by dint of knocks and cries attracted his atten- tion. At first, however, he answered them roughly and told them to leave him in peace, for he did not know that they were Catholics. But when he found out the true facts of the case he rejoiced greatly. He told them that he had been a fellow-captive of Father John Gerard, S.J., and that his only crime was his refusal to conform to the new religion. He was in a dungeon where he could neither stand upright nor lie down at full length, and he was being kept on half-rations. In these distressing circumstances it was a great con- solation to the poor man to have the good company of our young heroes, and he soon 22 In the Brave devised a means of communicating with them more easily. This was by raising a plank in the floor: he used to lie over the place and speak through the hole. It was easily set straight before the gaoler appeared, and no suspicion was aroused in the minds of the warders. ; One night they had a rather exciting ex- perience. The lads had all gone to bed—or rather to rest on their miserable couches— when in the middle of the night they heard their new friend crying out to them in great agitation. He urgently begged them, for the love of God, to come to his aid. When they inquired what was the matter, he told them he stood in the most urgent need of their prayers. They suspected what it was, and throwing themselves on their knees, prayed earnestly to our Lord to grant to their poor friend the grace of constancy and victory over his spiritual foes. He meanwhile recited all the prayers he knew, and when he had finished, they taught him some good words to use © against the devil, Per segnum sancte crucis, de tnimicis nostris lrbera nos, Deus noster. This finally brought him relief, after he had repeated it over and over again. Greatly consoled by his deliverance, he gave thanks to our Lord and to his young friends; and told them his trouble. When he lay down to sleep that night the devil had appeared and attacked him in bodily form. Laying a vigorous hold on his doublet he had tried to suffocate him; and it was not till the poor man Days of Old 23 had several times cried out the Holy Name of Jesus that he was delivered from this great danger. Nevertheless, the demon remained by his side, constantly tempting and threaten- ing him, until in his fright he had called for their aid. Our little heroes, whose sufferings had given them a wisdom beyond their years, _now consoled and encouraged their friend, and after some pious conversation, proposed to return to rest. But the poor man earnestly besought them not to desert him, saying that, _ although he knew well that our Lord would not permit the enemy to do him harm, yet his fatigue was so great that he shrank from encountering another assault unaided. So our brave lads determined to remain with him by turn, and while the others went to sleep, one of them mounted a great bench that ran round the cell in order to be as near as possible to the sufferer, and there he kept watch all night long. This work of charity was continued for several consecutive nights, till it pleased God to relieve His servant from this affliction. 