victory, of equal glory and importance to the British nation, we must travel to Waterloo :-catholics too were there.

FATHER PERSONS: THE PENAL ACT AGAINST THE CATHOLICS OF THE THIRTY-FIFTH YEAR OF HER MAJESTY.

1594.

THE proscription of the catholic religion by queen Elizabeth, her severe laws against such of her subjects as adhered to it, and the increasing rigour by which they were executed, had occasioned a number of them to emigrate to different parts of the continent, particularly Spain and Spanish Flanders. They were favourably received by Philip the second he professed to treat them with kindness; he employed many in his armies, granted pensions to others, and advanced some to places of rank and honour. His protection of them, his liberality to the catholic colleges, and his avowed zeal for the general welfare and extension of the catholic religion, attached all the fugitives to him still, while Mary the queen of Scots was living, their connection with him was very loose:

but, after her death, many of the fugitives entertained views, and engaged in designs, in his regard, which could not be justified; and which were disapproved by the wiser and better part of them, and by the general body of catholics in England. The abettors of Philip's views became known by the appellation of the Spanish party: we have referred to it in a former volume of this work. I. We shall now attempt to give a fuller account of it: II. Then mention some publications of this party, which made a great sensation at that time: III. Then notice the proceedings of the British government: IV. And father Persons's defence of himself, and of the catholic body in general: V. We shall close the chapter by the mention of two acts which were passed against the catholics in the thirty-fifth year of the reign of her majesty, and completed her penal code.

XXXVI. 1.

The Spanish Party among the English Catholic Fugitives.

FATHER Persons, sir Francis Englefield, and sir William Stanley, were at the head of the Spanish party; Mr. Charles Paget was at the head of a party opposed to them. A letter from sir Henry Neville to Mr. secretary Cecil, published in Winwood's Memorials*, contains a curious account of this circumstance. "I have saught," says the writer, "to "inform myself as much as I might, concerning "the carriage of the English fugitives in former

* Vol. i. p. 51.-It is from Paris, dated the 27th June 1599.

"times, and the cause of their retiring hither*; "and I find that there has grown great dissention "between our papists abroad, and that they have "been divided into two factions, the one depend

ing upon the jesuits, whereof Persons is now the (6 head, whose courses have been violent to seek " and wish the overthrow of the present estate, by conquest or any other means; the other consists chiefly of the laymen and gentlemen which are "abroad, whereof Charles Paget† hath bin the

* Paris.

+ "The strongest opposition which Dr. Allen, Persons, " and their friends, experienced, arose from Mr. Paget, who “has just been mentioned; and I find the original cause of this "gentleman's alienation assigned in a writing of Persons, "which is also confirmed by an ancient Italian мs. now in "my possession. Mr. Paget living in Paris, became ac"quainted with Morgan, a native of Wales, who, while he was in the service of the earl of Shrewsbury, had obtained "the confidence of the captive queen of Scotland. They were both connected in friendship with her two secretaries, "Nau and Curle; and, as Persons says, opposing themselves "secretly against the archbishop of Glasgow, ambassador for "the queen, they broke his credit much with the said queen, " and wrung from him in time the administration of the queen's "dowry in France, which was some thirty thousand crowns

a year; by which they were able to pleasure much their "friends, and hinder their adversaries: and then joining "themselves with Dr. Lewis in Rome, and falling out with "Dr. Allen and F. Persons, they were the cause of much "division among catholics, which hitherto hath endured. "Now it happened, that, on the return of the jesuit Creighton "from Scotland to Paris, a consultation was held on the "concerns of the young king of Scotland, and his captive "mother, by the bishop of Bergamo, nuncio at the French "court, the archbishop of Glasgow, the Spanish ambassador

"chiefe; who could not be brought, as they pre"tend, to consent, or concurre, to the invasion and

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conquest of our kingdom by a foraine prince.

"and the duke of Guise; and, to this consultation, Dr, "Allen and Claude Matthieu, provincial of the French '' jesuits, were introduced. The archbishop of Glasgow "would not admit Paget to be invited to it; and this omis"sion was deemed by him an unpardonable affront. The "result of the consultation was, that Creighton should be "dispatched to Rome, and Persons to Madrid, to solicit, at "those courts, relief for the young king; and it was upon "this occasion, that the latter procured for him an annual "allowance of twelve thousand crowns, besides a donation "for the seminary at Rheims, and moreover established a "credit at the Spanish court, of which he afterwards availed "himself, for the foundation of his seminaries. Paget and Morgan, already irritated that the business had been con"cealed from them, were still more angered, to see the ma

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nagement of it entrusted to two jesuits. The truth was, says "my мs. that the archbishop and the duke of Guise mis "trusted these two gentlemen, believing that they held secret "correspondence with the English ministry; while the cap"tive queen, contrary to their advice, corresponded with them

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by means of her two secretaries; and thus seemed to with "draw her confidence from the duke and archbishop, who "justly thought themselves her best friends. Hence Paget, "Morgan, the two secretaries, and a few others connected "with them, inveighed bitterly against the priests, especially "Dr. Allen, and they strongly insisted, that neither he, nor "any other clergyman or religious, but only secular gentle

men, ought to manage the affairs of the Scottish queen, " and other matters of public concern, in the courts of catho"lic princes. From this time, they stood in open opposition "to whatever Allen or Persons undertook; they seemed to "take a delight in disappointing them." Remarks on a book, intituled, “ Memoirs of Gregorio Panzani,” p. 105.—See also Hume, ch. xlii: and particularly the notes x and y.

"This division began amongst them, soon after "the death of the queen of Scots, upon whom they "did all concur while she lived; but since her

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death, could never agree upon any one course,

eyther of conquest or proposed title. And this " contention hath proceeded unto great heat be"tween them, insomuch as either side hath la"boured to supplant and disgrace the other; but especially of late, since the title of the infanta of Spaine hath bin sett on foot, according to the "books written by Persons under one Doleman's "name. For the jesuite's side promoting that title by all means, and taking a violent course to

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urge all Englishmen, either in Spain or Rome, "or where else they may prevail with them, to "subscribe thereunto; Paget and his side have directly opposed themselves, both by word and writing, as I am informed; and they are so di"vided thereupon, as there is an extreme hatred

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grown between them: insomuch, as these men "do openly inveigh against Persons and his ad"herents, as men seditious and factious, full of "treachery, and without conscience. And being

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questioned with, by such as I appointed to confer "with them, to know what service they would or "could do to her majesty, to cancell their former faults; they propose this as the chief and prin

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cipal, that they shall be able so to discover these practices, and decipher not only to her majesty, "but to the papists of England, (who now, through ignorance of their intentions, believe too much upon them), as should work a general dislike

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