The Condition of Catholics Under James I.

ses; giving four and sometimes five hours a day to meditation. God lavished His goodness on me throughout, and I had proof

nything from them that would compromise others, they had recourse to threats, and then to force: but the force of the Holy Ghost in them was too great to be overcome by men. They were both hung up for three hours together, having their arms fixed into iron rings, and their bodies hanging in the air; a torture which cau

h by God's providence afterwards befel me, were imprisoned, tortured, and treated with the utmost cruelty. Not one of them, I say, ever yielded, but all, by the grace of God, held steadfast through everything. Those who were my companions, or the servants I intrusted with commissions to the gentlemen of my acquaintance, as they necessarily knew

study in the Seminary at Rhemes, where he went through his course of philosophy. His behaviour there was orderly, but afterwards at Rome he joined a turbulent party, thus returning evil for good. He was the only one of my helpmates that walked at all awry. [pg lxvi] He was, ho

Priests, one of whom was a martyr, and another died in the Society. Father G

eath. He managed nearly all his master's business with strangers, not without the knowledge of the persecutors, who offered a handsome sum for his capture, and were still more anxious abo

wants, and endowed with a religious spirit. I found one at length; and when I quitted England, I took him with me, and left him at St. Omers. There he was well grounded in Greek and Latin, and became a great favourite with all the Fathers, who

indrance to our good work, than any treachery on their part; indeed, the defection of such a one would be likely to cause the most frightful ruin among Catholics. For if one servant, and he [pg lxvii] neither a Catholic nor one of the household,

st's Catholic servants would make any avowal, or own that he knew me. Seeing that they could bring

id were mine. I put them on, and they were just a fit, for the truth was that they had been made for me; however, I would not own them, nor admit them to be mine. Hereupon Young flew into a passion, calle

is faith, or to learn what to believe from a heretic; but he might perchance challenge any heretic to dispute with h

cried: 'I swear upon this book that Southwell has off

lieve he ever

er of the Court, 'do yo

ter opinion of Father Southwell's firmness than of his truthfulness; since

onform [pg lxviii] if he has done so?' (To conform, in

because to act otherwise would be to deny Christ, by denying His faith, which may be done by deed as well as by word. This is what our Lord forbade unde

I was stiff-necked (a name that was applicable rathe

them was a devout Catholic, and had come to London a little before my imprisonment to get my help in passing over to Belgium, there to consecrate herself to God. She was staying at the house of her sister, the wife of the aforesaid lord. She wanted to bring back this sister to the Catholic faith, which the latter had abandoned after her good father's death. I dined

y, 'to be the same that was a

said I, 'in saying so. I, how

ed fellow you are

not in conscience speak positively in the matter, [pg lxix] for reasons that I

a rage, remand

ay, I had rendered them quite bright and shining. My cell was so small, that a man who had his legs free, might take the whole length of it in three steps. I used to shuffle from one end to the other, as well for exercise, as because the people underneath used to sing lewd songs and Geneva psalms; and I wanted to drown by the clanking of my chain a noise that struck still more harshly on my ear. My fetters the

oser confinement, where you shall be safer lo

to have taken money for what he did. The fact was, that the prison to which I was now sent was far better than the other, and more

e prison and after the like fashion.63 So my being shut up in the Clink seemed like a change from Purgatory to Paradise. Instead of lewd songs and blasphemies, the prayers of some Catholic neighbours in the next room met my ear. They came to my door to cheer me up, and showed me a way by which we could open a free communication. This was through a hole in the wal

ived to fashion a key that would open my door; and then every morning, before the gaoler got up, they brought me to another part of the pris

y and devout, like a man of the Society: and after my coming to the Clink, he remained six or seven years more. At last he was sent off, with other confessors of Christ, to the Castle of Wisbech, where he was attacked with palsy. One half of his body was powerless, so that he could not move about or do the least thing for himself. He lived, notwithstanding, to add by his patience fresh jew

any of my friends came to the prison, they should ask to see one of these; and thus they got to have talk with me

er was a sour-tempered man, who watched very closely to see that there were no unlawful doings amongst us. This called for great wariness on o

es, I got him not to look into our doings too nicely, and not to come when he was not ca

It was only after long acquaintance, and on the recommendation of trusty friends, that [pg lxxii] I would let any heretics know how little restraint was put upon me. I do not remember above eight or ten converts from heresy, of whom four entered Religion. Two joined our Society, an