The next saint we shall notice is the famous king Edward the Confessor, whose feast is celebrated by the Catholics on the 13th of this month October, on which day Fox inserts an apostate friar named Barnes, who was a disciple of the infamous Martin Luther. This most renowned monarch was nursed in the school of adversity, the mistress of all virtues to those who make a right use of them. At the time he ascended the throne Edward was forty years of age, and his first care was to remove the distresses of the people, and promote the reign of virtue and morality amongst them. The example of St. Edward's virtues," writes the Rev. Alban Butler, "had a powerful influence over many that were about his person, in teaching them to curb their passions. It is frequently the ambition of sovereigns which awakens that of their subjects: and a love of riches sharpens a violent love of vanity and luxury, and produces pride, which passions break forth in various vices, which weaken, undermine, and destroy a state. No prince ever gave stronger or more constant proofs than St. Edward did of a heart entirely free from that canker. He seemed to have no other desire than to see his people happy, and to ease their burdens; and no prince seems ever to have surpassed him in his compassion for the necessities of others. Having no inordinate passions to feed, he knew no other use of money than to answer the obligations of justice, to recompense the services of those that deserved well of the state, and to extend his liberality to monasteries and churches, and above all to the poor. He delighted much in religious foundations, by which the divine service and praises might be perpetuated on the earth to the end of time: but he would never think of plundering his people to raise these public structures, or to satisfy his profuse alms. His own royal patrimony sufficed for all. At that time kings had their estates: taxes were not raised except in time of war, or on other extraordinary emergencies. St. Edward never found himself under any necessity of having recourse to such burdensome methods.He remitted the Danegelt, which in his father's time had been paid to the Danish fleet, and had been ever after paid into the royal exchequer. On a certain occasion the lords of the kingdom, understanding that the king's exchequer had been exhausted by his excessive alms, raised upon their vassals a large sum of money unknown to him, and one Christmas begged his majesty to accept that free present of his grateful subjects, to clothe his soldiers, and defray other public expenses. St. Edward,

surprised to see such a heap of money gathered into his exchequer, returned his thanks to his affectionate subjects, but expressed a great abhorrence of what he called a pillaging of the poor, and commanded that it should be returned, every farthing to those that had given it".." The laws framed by St. Edward (continues the same author) were the fruit of his wisdom, and that of his counsellors. Under the heptarchy king Ethelbert in 602, and king Wihtred in 696, published laws or dooms for the kingdom of Kent: Ina in 693 for West-Sex, and Ossa about the year 790, for the Mercians. After the union of the heptarchy, from these former laws, Alfred formed a new short code in 877: Athelstan, Edmund, Edgar, and Ethelred did the like. Canute added several new laws. Guthrun, the Danish king, who was baptized, and made an alliance with king Alfred, published with him laws for the Danes, who then ruled the East-Angles and Northumbrians. Edward the Confessor reduced all these laws into one body, with amendments and additions: which code from this time became common to all England, under the name of Edward the Confessor's laws, by which title they are distinguished from the posterior laws of the Norman kings: they are still in force as part of the common law of England, unless in things altered by later statutes: they consisted in short positive precepts, in which judges kept close to the words of the law, being not reasoned away either by the judges or advocates, says Mr. Gurdon. In them punishments were very mild; scarce any crimes were capital, and amercements and fines were certain, determined by the laws, not inflicted at the will and pleasure of the judges. The public peace and tranquillity were maintained, and every one's private property secured; not by the rigour of the laws, but by the severity and diligence with which they were executed, and justice administered. Whence Mr. Gurdon says (History of the Parlia ment, t. i. p. 47), This king's religious and just administration was as much or more valued by the people than the text of the laws.' It is the remark of the same ingenious author in another place, (Ibid. p. 37) 'Edward the Confessor, that great and good legislator, reigned in the hearts of his people. The love, harmony, and good agreement between him, and the great council of the nation, produced such a happiness as to be the measure of the people's desires in all succeeding reigns; the law and government of king Edward being petitioned for, and strenuously contended for, by the English and Norman barons.".." No prince seems to have understood better than St. Edward, what he owed to the protection of his people, to the laws, and to public justice; in administering which he walked in the steps of the great king Alfred, and proposed to himself, as a model, his severity in inspecting into the conduct of his judges."

St. Edward first built the ancient and now beautiful Gothic abbey of Westminster, which he dedicated to St. Pefer, and it has ever since been famous for the coronation of our kings, and the burial place of many persons of great note. The shrine of the saint is yet standing, a representation of which at the present day we have given. Out of respect to the memory of St. Edward, the kings of England to this day, at their coronation, put on his dalmatic and maniple, as part of the royal robes. Never was king more sincerely beloved, nor his death more sincerely regretted by his subjects; and to see the happiness of the good confessor's reign re28

VOL. III.

vived, was the constant and the highest object of all the temporal wishes of their posterity for many succeeding ages. The saint was canonized in 1161, being ninety-five years after his death, which took place on the 5th of January, 1066, in the 64th year of his age, and the 24th of his reign. A national council, held at Oxford in 1222, commanded his feast to be kept as a holiday, and it is still celebrated by the English Catholics on the 13th of October.

Of the other saints in the Catholic calendar erased by Fox we must be brief. On the 3d day of the month is the feast of St. Francis of Assisium, the founder of the order of the Franciscans, of which so many members have been famed for their great learning and boldness of spirit in reproving the oppressors of the poor. On the 6th is St. Bruno, a man

of great sanctity in Calabria in Italy, and the founder of the order of Carthusians. Ón the 9th is honoured the memory of St. Dionysius, surnamed the Areopagite, from his being a member of that famous tribunal in Athens. He was converted by St. Paul the apostle, and was afterwards bishop of that city. On the 10th is the feast of St. Paulinus, who was sent by St. Gregory to assist St. Augustin in the conversion of our Pagan ancestors to the Catholic faith, and was bishop of York. On the 12th is kept the memory of St. Wilfrid, an Englishman, and also a holy bishop of York. On the 24th, St. Magloire, who was a Briton born and a monk. He preached the gospel in Lesser Britany in France, and was there made bishop; but he afterwards resigned his pastoral office, and became a recluse.

CATHOLIC MARTYRS, &c. UNDER PROTESTANT LAWS,

IN THE MONTH OF OCTOBER.

1. Robert Wilcox, Priest.

Robert Wilcox was born at Chester, and performed his studies at Rheims; from hence he was sent upon the mission in 1586. His mission seems to have been in Kent. He was condemned to die, as in cases of high treason, merely upon account of his character and functions; and, in consequence of this sentence, was hanged, drawn, and quartered at Canterbury, on the first of October, 1588. Mr. Edward Campian and Mr. Buxton, priests, and Mr. Widmerpool, a laynian suffered with him. Mr. Wilcox was the first who was called upon to go up the ladder, which he did with great cheerfulness; and when he was up, turning to his companions with a smiling countenance, he bid them be of good heart, telling them, "that he was going to heaven before them, where he should carry the tidings of their coming after him." He suffered with great constancy and alacrity, to the great edification of the faithful and confusion of the persecutors.

Mr. Campian was born in Kent, of a gentleman's family, was made priest at Rheims, and from thence was sent upon the mission in 1587. He was apprehended, prosecuted, and condemned to die, merely for his character and exercising his priestly functions in England; and for this supposed treason was hanged, bowelled, and quartered on the same day,

and at the same place, with Mr. Wilcox, and died with the same courage and cheerfulness.

Christopher Buxton, Priest.

Mr. Buxton was born in Derbyshire, and brought up in Mr. Garlick's school at Tids will in that county, from whence he passed over to the college at Rheims, and there prosecuted his studies for some time, but afterwards went to Rome, where he was made priest. He was condemned for the same cause as Mr. Wilcox and Mr. Campian, viz. for coming into England, being a priest, and remaining there contrary to the statute; and suffered at the same time and place, and with the like courage. He was the youngest of the three, and was obliged to stand a spectator of the barbarous butchery of his companions; but when the persecutors, thinking, perhaps, that his constancy had been shook with the sight of this scene of blood, offered him his life upon condition that he would conform to their religion, he generously answered, "that he would not purchase a corruptible life at such a rate, and that if he had a hundred lives he would willingly lay them all down in defence of his faith."

Robert Widmerpool, Gentleman.

Mr. Widmerpool, who suffered at the same time, was a gentleman, born at Widmerpool, in Nottinghamshire, who was, for some time, tutor to the sons of Henry Piercy, earl of Northumberland. The cause for which he was condemned to die, was hospitality to priests, and in particular, his having introduced a priest into the house of the countess of Northumberland. At the place of execution, he, with great affection, kissed both the ladder and the rope as the instruments of his martyrdom; and having now the rope about his neck, began to speak to the people, giving God most hearty thanks," for bringing him to so great'a glory as that of dying for his faith and truth, in the same place where the glorious martyr, St. Thomas of Canterbury, had shed his blood for the honour of his divine Majesty." Some of the people, at these words, cried out, "Away with the traitor;" but he, not moved at all with their clamours, looking round him, and recommending himself to the prayers of the Catholics, was flung off the ladder, and so happily changed this mortal life for immortality.

Ralph Crockett, Priest.

Mr. Crockett was born at Barton upon the Hill in Cheshire, performed his studies and was made priest at Rheims, from whence he was sent upon the English mission in 1585. He was prosecuted and condemned upon the penal statute of 27 Elizabeth, and had sentence to die, as in cases of high treason, barely upon account of his priestly character and functions. He was drawn, hanged, bowelled, and quartered at Chichester, October 1, 1588.

Edward James, Priest.

Mr. James was born at Braiston, in Derbyshire, and was, for some time, student in the college of Rheims, from whence he was sent to Rome in 1588. Here he was made priest, and sent upon the English mission. He was apprehended, prosecuted, and condemned, barely upon account of his priestly character; and was hanged, bowelled, and quartered on the same day, and at the same place, with Mr. Crockett.

John Robinson, Priest.

Mr. Robinson was born at Fernsby, in the North Riding of Yorkshire. He was a man of extraordinary Christian simplicity and sincerity; in a word, a true Israelite, in whom there was no guile. After having lived some time in the world in a married state, becoming a widower by the death of his wife, he went over to Rheims, and there applying himself to his studies, was at length made priest, and sent upon the mission. He no sooner came to England, than he was apprehended in the very port, and sent up to London, where, after some months imprisonment, he was brought to the bar, and condemned to die upon account of his priestly character. He was sent down to suffer at Ipswich in Suffolk, where he was hanged, bowelled and quartered, October 1, 1588.

5. William Hartley, John Weldon, and Richard Williams, Priests. Mr. Hartley was born in the diocess of Lichfield, and performed his higher studies in the college of Rheims, from whence he was sent priest upon the English mission, anno 1580. He had not laboured above a twelvemonth in the vineyard of his Lord, before he was apprehended in the house of the lady Stonor, and carried prisoner to the Tower, August 13th, 1581, together with Mr. John Stonor and Mr. Stephen Brinkley, lay gentlemen. Here he was confined till September 16, 1582, and then was translated from the Tower to another prison, where be remained till January, 1585, when, with about twenty other priests, he was shipped off into banishment. Upon this occasion be returned to the college at Rheims, but, after some short stay there, set out again for England, being more afraid of being wanting to the cause of God, and the salvation of souls than of a cruel death, which he was certainly to look for, if he fell again, as he most probably would, into the hands of the persecutors. In effect, he was again apprehended, some time in or before the year 1588, and then brought upon his trial, and condemned to die upon account of his priestly character. He was executed near the theatre, October 5, 1588, his mother looking on, and rejoicing exceedingly that she had brought forth a son to glorify God by such a death.

On the same day John Weldon, priest, of the college of Douay, condemned for the same cause, was drawn to Mile's-End-Green, and there executed. About the same time, some say the same day, Richard Williams, a venerable priest, who had been ordained in England before the change of religion, was also, for religious matters, hanged at Holloway, near London.

Robert Sutton, Layman.

Mr. Sutton was a schoolmaster, and suffered on the same day as the three foregoing martyrs at Clerkenwell. The cause of his death was purely on account of his religion, viz. because he had been reconciled to the church of Rome. His life was offered him at the gallows, if he would acknowledge the queen's ecclesiastical supremacy. This he refused to do, though he granted she was supreme head in all cases temporal, and therefore was executed.

John Hewitt, Priest.

Mr. Hewitt fell into the hands of the persecutors when he was only a